Acrylic humidors have become popular in recent years. Some cigar lovers prefer the benefits of an acrylic humidor versus a traditional cedar box. They’re actually pretty practical for retail establishments that want to keep a small inventory of cigars on hand to sell or handout to regular customers who are also cigar lovers – think of a local barbershop, a bait and tackle store, or any business that caters to great outdoorsmen and women. You can see what’s inside an acrylic humidor, and that makes it easy to crave a cigar on the spot.
Acrylic Humidor vs. Wood
The best acrylic humidors provide an airtight seal. And because acrylic is non-porous, it doesn’t absorb moisture or require seasoning like a traditional cedar box. Simply place your humidification source inside with your cigars and snap the lid shut. It doesn’t get any easier than that. An acrylic humidor is the equivalent of a Ziploc bag that never wears out. Choose a firm acrylic. A thick, clear finish is best. The soft flexible variety scratches easy, is likely to crack, and won’t provide an ideal seal. You can store your cigars for 12 months in a maintenance-free environment.
A classic cedar humidor is better, though, for long-term storage and aging cigars. A cigar’s flavour will improve and evolve in a cedar box. A stark acrylic environment won’t encourage your cigars to mature over time. Add a few sheets of cedar to your acrylic humidor for best results.
Keep Out of the Sunlight
As acrylic is transparent, keep the humidor away from direct sunlight. Light will fade your cigars and exhaust your humidification source more quickly. Light also raises the temperature inside an acrylic humidor. Recurring fluctuation in temperature and humidity is bad for premium handmade cigars because it causes them to expand and contract, which interferes with a cigar’s construction.
Better for Short-Term Storage
If you’re just displaying cigars on a countertop for work or at event, for example, rely on the acrylic humidor for the duration of the workday and transfer them back to a traditional cedar humidor when they’re not on display. You can show off your cigars to your friends or customers when you need to, but put them to bed in a traditional humidor at night.
Humidification Made Easy
There are dozens of compact humidification devices to choose that will work effectively in an acrylic humidor. Boveda pouches, crystal cigar bars, and crystal humidifiers fit nicely in most environments. You can even consider soaking a small sponge in distilled water and tossing it inside.
