Best Acrylic Cigar Humidors: Benefits & Drawbacks Of This Storage Solution

Why Buy An Acrylic Humidor?

When it comes to preserving the integrity and flavor of your prized cigar collection, the choice of humidor can make all the difference.

Among the myriad options available to the discerning aficionado, acrylic humidors stand out for their modern flair and practical benefits. But what exactly sets these transparent marvels apart from their wooden counterparts?

As you’ll later learn in this guide, acrylic humidors are low-maintenance storage solutions for cigars, not unlike tupperdors. However, they’re considerably more presentable than tupperdors while remaining relatively inexpensive.

While glass may seem like a more elegant choice than acrylic for a cigar humidor, it’s also fragile and quite heavy. Meanwhile, acrylic is a lightweight and durable material for cigar storage.

Moreover, most acrylic materials contain additives that prevent degradation under UV light. This also provides them with better UV-absorbing properties that protect the cigar within. However, they still won’t filter it entirely, as you’ll learn below.

If you’re looking for easy and largely carefree cigar storage that offers better decorative value than a tupperdor, an acrylic humidor may be for you. Next, we cover the benefits and drawbacks that will help you make a more informed decision when buying an acrylic humidor.

The Benefits Of An Acrylic Humidor

The first and most significant benefit of acrylic as a humidor material is that it provides an airtight seal. Being a non-porous material that doesn’t absorb moisture, it also won’t require seasoning, unlike wooden humidors.

Of course, a truly airtight seal largely depends on how well the opening of the humidor closes. Therefore, it’s even more important to buy a quality acrylic humidor that is manufactured with small tolerances.

Unlike traditional wood humidors, which rely on the natural properties of woods like Spanish cedar to regulate humidity, acrylic humidors offer a clear, durable alternative that champions visibility and consistency.

The see-through nature of acrylic not only showcases your cigars but also allows for easy monitoring of your collection without the need to constantly open the lid, thereby maintaining a more stable environment.

Furthermore, acrylic humidors are pretty lightweight compared to most storage solutions. Generally, they weigh about the same as tupperdors. Yet, they’re much more attractive and can be used as modern display pieces. As they’re quite light and visually enticing, it makes it easier to pass them around when receiving guests.

Unlike plastic, acrylic is a very robust material. While plastic turns yellow, becomes brittle, and cracks over time, acrylic is very hard-wearing. After all, acrylic is the material used to make airplane windows.

Finally, you can admire and consult your cigars without ever opening the humidor given that the acrylic is transparent. This means that you can periodically check the hygrometer without disturbing the well-balanced micro-climate inside.

Acrylic Humidor Drawbacks

Like all cigar storage solutions, acrylic humidors aren’t without their quirks. One notable issue is that new acrylic humidors may have a strong chemical smell. However, the odor tends to dissipate after leaving them open to air for a few hours.

Although acrylic absorbs more UV light than glass, it doesn’t filter it entirely. Therefore, care should be taken not to leave your humidor out under direct sunlight.

Not only may sunlight discolor your cigars, but you may experience a greenhouse effect where the interior will heat up. Similarly, the humidor may be susceptible to temperature changes as acrylic doesn’t offer much insulation.

Like wine, cigars aren’t particularly fond of heat, and you may lose flavor if they endure too much. Furthermore, temperature changes will have a molecular impact on the relative humidity (RH) inside.

However, these concerns are not much different from those you’d expect from tupperdors and coolidors. Therefore, consider keeping your acrylic humidor somewhere with a consistent temperature that isn’t exposed to much light.

Acrylic Humidor Buying Advice

As you may have noticed, there are a few pitfalls when owning an acrylic humidor, thanks to the airtight materials and low maintenance. However, there are specific considerations to keep in mind when buying one.

Check The Construction

First and foremost, be sure to check the overall construction and the way the humidor is made. You want all the joints to be properly heat fused or thoroughly glued if it has been made from several parts.

If it has been injection molded, this is not a concern. However, poor gluing or construction may prove to have air gaps that let moisture escape.

Verify The Seal

Next, the lid’s seal must be airtight. One of the reasons that we’re so fond of Case Elegance’s acrylic humidors is that they feature precise lids. This provides an excellent seal and is easy to use.

However, most acrylic humidors will likely depend on rubber or mechanical seals. Therefore, you should check these thoroughly to ensure they’re airtight. Otherwise, your cigars may suffer.

Check The Acrylic Type

Similarly, make sure that the acrylic used is of high quality and thick enough not to break. Not all acrylic is the same, and there are two essential types.

The cheaper, weaker type is known as extruded or “continuous cast” acrylic. It’s softer and contains impurities, as well as having a tendency to scratch. Meanwhile, cell-cast acrylic is much more robust with a thicker and more transparent appearance.

Although it will be hard to tell from which acrylic humidors are made, you can get a good idea by feeling the weight and checking their transparency.

Know Where You Will Keep Your Humidor

As mentioned above, acrylic humidors will be sensitive to both light and heat. Therefore, be sure you’ve planned ahead and know where you’ll be keeping it for safe storage.

Acrylic Humidor Preparation & Maintenance

As mentioned earlier, acrylic humidors require very little maintenance. However, some new acrylic humidors may have a strong smell when first opened.

Nevertheless, you only need to leave the acrylic humidor open for a few hours. Eventually, the smell should leave on its own.

When this has been done, they just require a humidifier, and then they’re ready to use.

That said, be careful of what humidifier you employ in an acrylic humidor. Since they’re very airtight, they can be easy to over-humidify. Therefore, you’ll need to make sure you use just the right amount or one that offers two-way humidity control.

Most humidifiers only offer one-way humidity control, meaning they continuously release moisture. They continue to produce moisture even when the humidity goes above the desired RH level.

Meanwhile, two-way humidification means that the humidifier stops releasing moisture at a certain level but actually absorbs any excess instead.

For this reason, we prefer Boveda’s humidity packs for acrylic humidors. Not only are they self-maintaining and don’t require recharging, but they also offer two-way humidity control. They’re also compact and take up very little space, which makes them ideal for smaller acrylic humidors.

Humidors: Acrylic vs. Wooden

While purists may advocate for the traditional charm and aroma-enhancing qualities of wooden humidors, the practical benefits of acrylic cannot be overlooked. Acrylic humidors are immune to the warping and cracking that can plague wooden humidors in extreme conditions, making them a reliable choice for both seasoned collectors and casual enthusiasts alike.

Military Green Humidor by Case Elegance

Moreover, the maintenance of an acrylic humidor is straightforward, requiring little more than a damp cloth to clean the outside and a humidity pack to maintain the RH. This ease of care, combined with their resilience and affordability, makes acrylic humidors a compelling choice for those looking to blend functionality with style.

Best Acrylic Humidors To Buy Online

We have yet to find many acrylic humidors that warrant our attention. However, the ones we know that are definitely worth yours include:

1. Large Acrylic Humidor: Case Elegance Felix Pro
2. Medium Acrylic Humidor: Case Elegance Felix
3. Premium: Davidoff Zino Acrylic Humidor
4. Glass Cigar Jar: Case Elegance Cylindor
5. Cheap Humidor: Prestige Imports AJ25 Cigar Jar

Scroll down to see them all or jump ahead using the links above.

What Next?

Now that you learned all about acrylic humidors, check out some of our related storage guides:

• BU Cigars – Home
• Humidors & Cigar Storage Home
• Best Wooden Humidors: Advantages & Drawbacks
• DIY Cigar Storage Solutions
• Best Value Humidors