How to Store Cigars Without a Humidor

This post explains how to store cigars without a humidor. If you are new to smoking cigars and don’t have a humidor then there are other ways to store your cigars. Although we recommend using a humidor, the following will share a few ways to keep your cigars in tact. The key thing is your cigars remain moisturized.

Why you Need a Humidor

Without a humidor your cigars will dry out within a few days. Humidors are the really only solution for humidity control. The container where you store your cigars needs to be kept at specific levels. You won’t be able to smoke your cigars if you let them dry out.

If you are serious about becoming a cigar aficionado do yourself a favour and invest in a good quality humidor. If you are an aficionado it’s highly likely that you already store your cigars in a humidor and know all about them.

The following are 5 ways you can store your cigars if you don’t have a humidor or are travelling. If you are looking to buy a humidor our comprehensive post about the best cigar humidor is for you.

How to Store Cigars without a Humidor – 5 Ways

If you are in a rush and don’t have time to buy a new humidor, or create one yourself then try the following. Please note storing cigars in the freezer or fridge will ruin them.

1. Store Cigars in Ziploc Disposable Bags

For a couple of cigars we recommend using a simple ziploc bag and a small piece of a sponge or cloth that is a little moist. Place your cigars in the ziploc bag, wet the sponge and squeeze it until it is free of excess water.

Place the sponge in the bag along with the cigars and make sure you seal the bag tightly. You will need to check that the sponge hasn’t dried up, but this should preserve your cigars for a few weeks.

2. Store Cigars in a Jar

For about 10 days of cigar freshness you can use a jar in your house. Any jar will do but it will obviously need to be quite large to fit your cigars.

Fill the jar with water, insert a piece of sponge into the jar to absorb the water. You may need a few pieces. Once you have done this, place a piece of plastic over the sponges to create the humid environment. Then place your cigars in the jar and seal it.

3. Store Cigars in a Cooler

Like the previous options, if you have a sponge handy and cooler you can create a humidor quite quickly. Soak and wring the sponge of excess water and place it into the cooler. Once you have done this place your box of cigars in.

4. Store Cigars with Moisture Beads

Like the storing in a jar option, you can also use moisture beads instead of a sponge. Moisture beads cost about $10 and can be found at most hardware stores.

5. Keep Cigars in the Box or Wrapper

Although a humidor is always the better option, if you plan to smoke your cigars then they should last for about 1 month when stored in the box they came in.  Place the box in a cool, dark area and you shouldn’t have any issues. If you don’t want to smoke your individual cigars they normally remain fresh in the wrapper for up to a month.

Bottom Line

Overall a humidor is the best option for keeping your cigars as fresh as possible. For the times when you may be without one or if you are a new cigar smoker try the above methods. Fresh is best when it comes to smoking cigars, we hope through these methods you can preserve your cigars. If you are serious about smoking cigars head over to our review of the best cigar humidor on the market.