The purpose of a humidor is to protect your cigars, I think we can all agree on this. As a general rule you want your humidor to maintain a temperature of 70 degrees with a humidity level of 70%. Therefore, you need a wood that will help regulate this.
So which wood should I choose?
If you are reading about humidors, chances are you have heard of the wood Spanish Cedar. This is the most widely used and popular wood choice amongst humidor fans. Fun fact: contrary to its name, it is actually imported from Brazil and other Central and South American countries.
Here are a few reasons why Spanish Cedar is a top choice for humidors:
- It is really good at withstanding high humidity and regulating temperatures.
- It is good at combating pesky tobacco beetles.This is because it has a strong scent that deters them.
- It gives off a scent that enhances the flavors of your cigars over time and helps preserve their quality.
With all these great features, it comes at a price. Don’t expect to get a budget humidor made from Spanish cedar.
Next up, American Red Cedar. While I don’t think that this type of wood does as good a job as Spanish Cedar, it still is a decent humidor wood. Like Spanish cedar, it is good at fending off tobacco beetles because of its scent, but keep in mind over time it can give cigars a “woody” flavor, which most people don’t find desirable. Overall, it is a good wood and comes at a cheaper price than Spanish cedar.
Finally we have Honduran Mahogany. This wood does a really good job at maintaining humidity and temperature levels and also doesn’t give off a flavor as American Red Cedar does. However, it’s not as good at fighting off tobacco beetles, nor does it seal in the flavor or your cigars over longer periods of time. Overall, it’s a decent budget friendly wood for a humidor.
As you can probably guess, Spanish Cedar is the top choice when it comes to your humidor. However, that isn’t to say it’s the only choice. It is the most expensive choice, so when choosing a humidor you need to ask yourself how much you value your cigars. If you are just getting into cigars and don’t have an expensive collection, then maybe you don’t need to go with Spanish Cedar at this time. Also, if you go through your cigars quickly, maintaining their flavor probably isn’t as important to you. Another point I haven’t mentioned is that not all humidors are even made from wood. You can find humidors made from metal, glass or acrylic and they can do very well at preserving your cigar collection. It all comes down to personal choices, now what is yours going to be?