As you start building your cigar collection, you may get to a point where you need a place to store your cigars. There are several options available and many of them don’t need to cost a great deal. In this article, we will be looking at some of the options for storing and potentially even aging your cigars.

Budget Cigar Humidors

Boveda Bags

Storing cigars isn’t as complex or difficult as some may assume. In fact, it’s actually easier the less you spend. The cheapest option is to simply buy a Boveda humidification bag which can keep your cigars fresh for up to a year. This is probably the most straightforward option, you place your cigars in the bag, seal it up and that’s essentially it. Store the bag somewhere cool in your home and there isn’t much else you need to worry about.

Sure it’s not the fanciest option, however, many of us are simply interested in enjoying cigars instead of the ceremony around it. A large Boveda bag will cost around $18.00 (£13.00) and can store up to 80 cigars. The only downside to the Boveda bag is that cigars can get damaged due to the lack of protection. Cigars rolling over each other can cause damage and this requires an extra degree of care.

Tuppadors and Acrylic Jars

For those of you that don’t mind spending a little more, an acrylic jar or a plastic tub might be a good option for storing cigars too. As long as the containers offer an air-tight seal they should be perfectly fine for storing cigars over a long period.

The plastic tubs have been called tuppadors by many aficionados because they’re very common and many cigar lovers use this method. The great thing is that they offer the protection that boveda bags can’t while also being great at maintaining the humidity. Plastic tubs can vary in price, however, the acrylic jar pictured above will cost around $25.00 and only occasionally requires a new boveda pouch.

Desktop Humidors

Desktop humidors are essentially the entry-level wooden humidors for cigars. They’re generally made entirely of wood and have a cedar-lined interior. The cedar interior is ideal because of the way it manages humidity and also the fact that it repels insects such as cigar beetles.

Spanish cedar has a spicy aroma that repels many types of insects and this is vital for protecting your cigars. This is also what separates cedar-lined humidors from acrylic jars and plastic tubs. Although saying that, it’s no great effort to place in a sheet of cedar with your cigars in the plastic tubs.

Another good thing about wooden humidors is that they look more appropriate as storage devices for cigars. Cigars are a natural product and wooden humidors fit the concept more effectively. Finally, the prices for desktop humidors can vary quite significantly with some even costing tens of thousands. Fortunately, our desktop humidors are priced far more reasonably and can be found using this link here.

Cigar Humidor Coolers

The biggest problem with most humidors is that they tend not to have any temperature controls. Acrylics jars, desktop humidors, and even large cabinets can have the humidity levels controlled by using boveda packs. The temperature however cannot be controlled as easily and this is where cigar coolers come into the picture.

The temperature at which your cigars are stored at is generally more important than the actual humidity. If your cigars are stored in a sealed container then humidity levels will remain relatively consistent. However, the temperature can still vary dramatically and this can cause problems.

If your cigars get too warm, there’s a risk that potential cigar beetle eggs could start hatching. Of course, if you purchase your cigars from a reputable retailer, there’s very little risk of cigar beetles. Nonetheless, there can be a risk and the temperature is what really impacts this.

Due to this, cigar coolers can be extremely useful, especially if you live in a hot climate. The temperature will also impact the internal humidity of your cigar. The hotter the temperature, the higher the recorded humidity will be.

The major downside of cigar coolers is that they tend to be quite expensive. Cigar coolers at the low end are priced around $600.00.Although it’s worth spending a little extra for something that’s going to last longer.

Final Thoughts

Storing cigars doesn’t need to be overly complex or difficult. Simple acrylic jars and plastic tubs are generally all you need in many instances. As long as you line them with some cedar it should be sufficient.

However, for those of you that want something better or more capable, there are plenty of different options on the market. Depending on your budget and the number of cigars you are planning on storing you can either purchase a desktop humidor, a cigar cabinet, or even a cigar cooler. For the most part, it comes down to what you require and your individual preferences.