If you are looking for a place to store quality cigars, humidor is the best solution for you. But, even humidors are not always perfect. Get yourself a wireless humidor hygrometer and be aware of the conditions inside your humidor at all times.

There are numerous different humidor hygrometers on the market. By far, the best option for this purpose is a smart hygrometer. By smart, I mean a hygrometer that works wirelessly with your smartphone, shows you graphs of data, measures other important environmental factors simultaneously and alerts you when things change unfavourably. We definitely think that the best wireless hygrometer is the RuuviTag, a Finnish engineering masterpiece.

Storing cigars is smart financially. Good cigars are expensive. And if you let one of your more expensive cigars sit in an improper environment, all the money spent on that cigar will be thrown away. Investing in a good hygrometer is a smart investment.

If you are interested, here is a list of the most expensive cigars in the world. A quick spoiler, the most expensive cigars might have more than six numbers in their price :).

What should the humidity be in a humidor?

The relative humidity inside a humidor should be 70%. Some experts say that the humidity should be a little lower, some say that it should be a little higher. In most cases, however, 70% of relative humidity should be a good level to aim for.

Try to keep the humidity as stable as possible. Big swings in the air humidity can cause problems in cigars. They can become soggy and soft or they can dry out.

Ventilation is a must in a humidor

A humidor should not be an airtight environment. If air does not circulate in a humidor, mould can start to grow. Approximately 25% of the humidors inside the room should be left unused. With empty space, the air will circulate more easily.

Temperature inside a humidor

If you live in an area where Fahrenheit is used, you can try to follow the 70/70 rule. This means that the air humidity and temperature should both be at 70. Temperature should be 70 ॰F and humidity 70% of relative humidity.

But if you are living in an area where the measurements are in Celsius, this rule is not to be followed, as I’m sure you can imagine the damage!

The temperature to maintain in a humidor is 21 ॰C. To be on the safe side side, a bit colder is always better than a bit warmer.

Why is a digital hygrometer better than an analog hygrometer in a humidor

Even though analog hygrometers may look cool, they are not as reliable as digital hygrometers. Furthermore, they must be calibrated more often in order to give proper readings. With a digital hygrometer, you can look at past measurements as well. With an analog hygrometer, you cannot be sure that your cigars are in an optimal environment at all times. House temperature fluctuates, which alters relative air humidity.

A digital hygrometer is a far better guardian for your cigars. In addition, wireless hygrometers give you the possibility of having the humidity reading right in your pocket. With a convenient app, you can examine the humidity levels in your humidor without needing to take a look at the box.

Larger humidors need more hygrometers

A good humidor hygrometer fits in all humidos. Small travel-sized humidors can only store a few cigars, as larger humidors can actually be entire rooms. That is why a hygrometer must be handy.

For larger humidors, relative air humidity can be different in different areas. With multiple humidor hygrometers, you can ensure that no place is too humid. If the humidifier is in one location, make sure to switch around your cigars’ places.

The best hygrometer for a humidor

RuuviTag is the best hygrometer for a humidor. It is compact, reliable, and accurate. With Ruuvi’s mobile application you can:

• Set alarms if the desired temperature and humidity levels are either too low or too high
• Examine past measurement data in a graph
• View real-time data from all of your Ruuvi sensors simultaneously

RuuviTag measures temperature, air humidity, air pressure and the movement of the Tag. These measurements are sent via Bluetooth to nearby devices. These measurements can be read with Ruuvi’s application. 

RuuviTags are the small environmental sensors in the bottom right corner. Ruuvi Gateway sends their data to the Ruuvi Cloud, where you can see it with a mobile device or a desktop.

Ruuvi Gateway enables remote monitoring for humidors

RuuviTag works with Bluetooth. And, all of us know that Bluetooth does not work when you leave your home. Even though Ruuvi’s devices Bluetooth range is superior compared to regular Bluetooth devices, it cannot be used over long distances.

That is why we have invented the Ruuvi Gateway. A gateway that makes your Ruuvi’s measurements accessible at all times. Ruuvi Gateway listens to your RuuviTags’ Bluetooth messages and transfers them to either the Ruuvi Cloud service or your own URL page. Hence, the data is accessible via the Internet wherever you go.

How to install a RuuviTag in a humidor?

Ruuvi’s devices are easy to use. This is because we think that measuring should be possible for everyone. Here is a quick tutorial on how to install the RuuviTag hygrometer inside your humidor.

1. Remove the plastic lid from the RuuviTag to power the device. Once the lid is removed, the device will start to measure and send data.
2. Download Ruuvi’s mobile application and follow the on screen instructions.
3. Place the RuuviTag(s) in desired places.You should remove the lid from the device. By removing the lid, the sensors inside the device will detect changes in air humidity more quickly. The lid is there to protect the Tag from water. The device is lightweight so you can put in any place where it fits.
4. Then, name the RuuviTags in your humidor and add a wallpaper if you so desire.
5. Add alerts to the Tags. Relative humidity should be 65% – 72% and temperature 19 ॰C – 22 ॰C. Now, everytime RuuviTag measures a value outside of these preset thresholds, you will receive an alert.

Here are the graphs of a day’s measurements. The humidity (top) is stable but too low. Temperature (bottom), on the other hand, is too high.

Conclusions

Cigars are expensive. Having a quality humidor hygrometer is a great investment. You can stop worrying about the conditions inside your humidor, wherever you are.

Keep the humidity at around 70% inside any humidor and the temperature at about 21 ॰C or 70 ॰F. By doing this, your cigars should stay in good shape.