Mistake Ruining Your Cigars in Winter

If you live somewhere with real winters — and I mean actual winter, not “California sweater weather” — then your cigars are battling the same enemy every year: dramatic humidity swings. And if your cigars have ever cracked, burned hot, or tasted off during the colder months, there’s a good chance you’re making the same mistake most cigar smokers do.

The Big Winter Mistake: Ignoring Humidity Fluctuations

In warm weather, your humidor is pretty forgiving. But during winter, when the furnace kicks on and indoor air turns desert-dry, your cigars can lose moisture faster than you realize.

Most cigar smokers think, “My humidor is sealed — I’m good.”
Not quite.

Even a high-quality humidor struggles when room humidity drops to 20–30% RH, which is incredibly common in winter. The wood dries out, seals loosen, and your humidification system has to work overtime. Without extra support, your cigars don’t stand a chance.

What Happens to Cigars in Winter

When humidity plummets, cigars:

• Crack at the cap or foot

• Burn hot and uneven

• Lose essential oils (flavour!)

• Become brittle or flaky

• Taste harsh, sharp, or acidic

If you’ve ever gone to cut a cigar in winter and the wrapper exploded… yep, that’s dry air at work.

How to Protect Your Cigars All Winter Long

After dealing with Canadian winters myself — and keeping cigars at the cottage all year — I’ve learned a few tricks that make a massive difference.

1. Use a Polymer Crystal Humidifier as Your Main System

Dont make the Mistake Ruining Your Cigars.

Polymer crystals hold and release moisture slowly, which is crucial in winter. They don’t spike, dump, or flood your humidor. They keep things stable.

2. Add Boveda Packs for Stability

Boveda acts like a humidity governor. When the room is dry, it releases moisture. When humidity rises, it absorbs excess.
Together with polymer crystals, this combo is almost foolproof.

3. Reinforce with Spanish Cedar

Cedar is your winter secret weapon. It stores humidity, releases it slowly, and keeps temperature changes from shocking your cigars. Shelves, dividers, trays — all of it helps massively.

4. Avoid Opening Your Humidor Too Often

Every time you open the lid in winter, dry air rushes in. Keep “humidor browsing sessions” to a minimum.

Your Cigars Deserve Better Than the Winter Beatdown

Winter doesn’t have to destroy your collection. With the right humidification setup and a little cedar support, your cigars will stay perfectly aged, perfectly conditioned, and bursting with flavour all season long.

Cigar Star humidifiers, Boveda accessories, and Spanish cedar racks make it simple — even in the harshest climates.