Soooo.... Out of curiosity

[Cigarer]

Out of curiosity, I see a lot of negative stuff about cheaper humidors. The main reason is they are just Spanish cedar lined. So my question is, air leaks aside, what difference does a lined humidor make vs a solid Spanish cedar humidor?

I've had my cigars in a cheaper humidor for more than two years and they seem fine to me, would it make that much of a difference if they were in a solid Spanish cedar humidor?

Main reason I'm asking is I'm arguing, still, with myself. I need more storage and I'm split between a storage solution. IF I get a humidor it would be a "cheaper" model

[Ciro]

I think the biggest issue would be a proper seal. I have a few "cheaper" priced humidors and I've had one with a bad seal. Lately I've been switching over to Tupperware and it's been working out great. Very inexpensive and holds a perfect seal.

[Kidvegas]

I've owned one chepo humi that held humidity just fine. As my stash grew i switched to tupperdors for like Ciro said how cheap it is. Now im utilizing a 100qt cooler with KL and things are perfect!

My advise depending on the size of your stash. Would be to look into large tupper ware or a cooler. Very inexpensive and super easy to use. You will still end up spending a lot of money on multiple cheap humidors as your stash grows. Grab some big plastic and save that extra cash for cigars.


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[Emperor Zurg]

I've been storing overflow in a 5 gallon buck-a-dor (empty ice melt bucket). It was basically free. Going on year #2 with the original Boveda pack. It's getting kinda full now since I occasionally buy a box or two buy rarely smoke a cigar. As luck would have it tho, I've got another ice-melt bucket almost empty :p

http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/cigar-accessory-discussion/redneck-humidor-1192.html

[projectsunfire]

When I lived up North I had a big coolidor in the basement. It worked very well. Best bang for the buck you will find. And if you run out of room you just make a trip to Walmart and grab another one!

[Tombstone]

I agree with Ciro. The biggest issue is the seal. I had one that had a good lid seal. I picked it up to move it one day and the whole bottom fell out. I like humidors and will always have some around. I like the way they look, but I also run a coolidor for storage. I will store the bulk there and rotate it into the humidors for smoking out of. Depends on the quantity of cigars you have or would like to expand to. Tuperdors work great if a cooler is over kill.

[Sticky B]

I've gotten 2 or 3 humidors now that are "cheapies" and haven't had any issues. One was cheaphumidors, one was a Don Salvatore, and was a little 15ct wedding gift. If you add a bit of extra cedar and they don't leak terribly, they can do you quite well, as mine have.

Solid spanish cedar would just hold humidity better, as the SC helps "regulate", just like your media (beads, boveda, etc). So solid spanish cedar would just be more buffer to the leaking, which is why it's "better". Also, anyone making a humidor with thick spanish cedar is going to put the time and craftsmanship into making it work well and hold humidity. Cheap ones are mass-produced and then have a thin SC veneer slapped on them, making them much more susceptible to air leaks because of general "tolerances" that are involved in the process.

That being said, cheaphumidors has been known to take care of customers, and plenty of folks have sent back leaky ones and eventually received something workable. So props for that.

[jhedrick83]

I've gotten 2 or 3 humidors now that are "cheapies" and haven't had any issues. One was cheaphumidors, one was a Don Salvatore, and was a little 15ct wedding gift. If you add a bit of extra cedar and they don't leak terribly, they can do you quite well, as mine have.

Solid spanish cedar would just hold humidity better, as the SC helps "regulate", just like your media (beads, boveda, etc). So solid spanish cedar would just be more buffer to the leaking, which is why it's "better". Also, anyone making a humidor with thick spanish cedar is going to put the time and craftsmanship into making it work well and hold humidity. Cheap ones are mass-produced and then have a thin SC veneer slapped on them, making them much more susceptible to air leaks because of general "tolerances" that are involved in the process.

That being said, cheaphumidors has been known to take care of customers, and plenty of folks have sent back leaky ones and eventually received something workable. So props for that.

Couldn't have said it better myself. It's not the quantity of SC that makes it leak its usually the poorer craftsmanship. You absolutely can get cheaper humidors that seal great though. If you are looking for a cheap and great sealing option, might I suggest: https://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/storage-boxes/103-qt.-weathertight-tote-with-wheels/12d?productId=11003173

They are awesome and huge!

If you want a solid SC humidor, make sure you get one from a true craftsman and you won't regret it.

[Nature]

Your cheaper humidors are usually veneer over MDF. I don't recall where I've seen it, but contrary to what many believe, MDF is satisfactory at maintaining humidity once it is well seasoned. In fact, it may be more stable in fluctuating environments of temperature and or humidity where solid wood may shrink and swell more with the changes or wide differences of humidity between exterior and interior. The caveat is in the quality of construction. Obviously, a cheaper humidor will be using MDF, and some of the less expensive models may not have the tolerances needed to not leak.
You can find MDF humidors that work just fine. The better MDF versions will have a thicker lining of Spanish Cedar on the interior vs. just a thin veneer.

Solid wood is a piece of craftsmanship, but you will pay for it too. I still use a less expensive veneer over MDF humidor and it works fine. Like all wooden humidors though, they breathe and will require more maintenance than your airtight storage units like plastic-ware.

If your current cheaper humidor is working fine, I say stick with it.

[Zeede]

Personally I would just go with a Tupperador for bulk storage, or if you want to spend a bit more, a wineador.

That being said, I think everyone should own one wooden humidor. There's just something so classy about them!

[allusred]

I've gotten 2 or 3 humidors now that are "cheapies" and haven't had any issues. One was cheaphumidors, one was a Don Salvatore, and was a little 15ct wedding gift. If you add a bit of extra cedar and they don't leak terribly, they can do you quite well, as mine have.

Solid spanish cedar would just hold humidity better, as the SC helps "regulate", just like your media (beads, boveda, etc). So solid spanish cedar would just be more buffer to the leaking, which is why it's "better". Also, anyone making a humidor with thick spanish cedar is going to put the time and craftsmanship into making it work well and hold humidity. Cheap ones are mass-produced and then have a thin SC veneer slapped on them, making them much more susceptible to air leaks because of general "tolerances" that are involved in the process.

That being said, cheaphumidors has been known to take care of customers, and plenty of folks have sent back leaky ones and eventually received something workable. So props for that.

Lots of good information here, not just the you get what you pay for, which is usually true. But...top quality doesn't come cheap, $800.00 to ensure a stash of. let's say thirty $3.00 cigars may not always be the way to go. While it is not very common, you can if lucky find a cigar box, with enough good ceder that is extreme hard to open and close because of tightness.
If you do find one like this you 'may' have an excellent small humidor that with Brovida, beads which will serve better than many of the cheaper ones available, and will have it at no cost.