Why Your Humidor Doesn’t Hold Humidity.

Every cigar smoker eventually faces the same frustrating moment: you check your hygrometer, expecting a perfect 68–70%… and instead it’s sitting at 58%, 54%, or worse. Suddenly your cigars feel dry, your burn quality drops, and the humidor you trusted doesn’t seem to be doing its job.

If your humidor won’t hold humidity, don’t panic — it’s one of the most common cigar problems, and the fix is usually easier than you think.

Reason #1: Your Humidor Was Never Seasoned Properly

This is the #1 culprit.
A new humidor is bone dry inside. If you put cigars in before the wood is conditioned, the cedar sucks moisture out of your cigars instead of keeping them humidified.

The fix:

Season your humidor using:

• A Boveda 84% seasoning pack

• Or a traditional wipe-down + 48–72 hours of resting

Never skip this step. A properly seasoned humidor performs 10x better.

Reason #2: Your Humidification Device Isn’t Strong Enough

Cheap foam humidifiers are notorious for failing. They dry out quickly, release moisture unevenly, and cause humidity spikes.

The fix:

Upgrade to a polymer crystal humidifier.
They hold water longer, release humidity slowly, and keep levels stable — especially when paired with Boveda.

Reason #3: The Seal Is Leaking

If your humidor lid doesn’t close tightly, humidity escapes fast.
Some signs of a bad seal:

• The lid feels loose

• You hear air movement when closing

• Strong drafts affect humidity quickly

The fix:

Do the “dollar bill test.”
Close a bill in the lid and try to pull it out.
If it slides easily, the seal is weak.

Quick solutions:

• A light application of petroleum jelly on the seal

• Add Spanish cedar trays or dividers to buffer humidity

• Consider replacing the humidor if the seal is really bad

Reason #4: Not Enough Cedar Inside

Cedar is the humidor’s natural humidity stabilizer.
The more cedar surface area you have, the more stable your environment will be.

The fix:

Add:

• Spanish cedar airflow racks

• Cedar trays

• Cedar dividers

• Cedar Boveda holders

These absorb and release humidity exactly when your cigars need it.

Reason #5: Opening the Humidor Too Often

Every time you open the lid, humidity escapes. In winter, when indoor air is extra dry, it escapes even faster.

The fix:

Keep browsing sessions short — or use a Tupperdor backup for daily grabs.

Make Your Humidor Perform Like a Pro

A humidor that won’t hold humidity doesn’t mean you bought junk — it usually means it needs tuning. With proper seasoning, a stable humidification system, and enough Spanish cedar, even an inexpensive humidor can keep cigars perfectly conditioned.

Cigar Star’s polymer crystal humidifiers, cedar racks, and Boveda accessories make stabilizing humidity effortless — no stress, no guessing.