Beginners Cigar Guide | How to Store Cigars

Good news: learning how to store cigars is simple. You don't need a fancy setup or years of experience. I'm Gerard from Mardo Cigars, and in this quick guide I'll show you the two things that really matter, a humidor and the right humidity, plus the easy way to keep both in check. Get this right and your cigars stay fresh, flavorful, and ready to smoke for months or even years.

How to Store Cigars: The Short Answer

At its core, storing cigars comes down to one thing: humidity. Cigars are made of tobacco leaf, and that leaf needs moisture to stay supple and flavorful. Too dry and it cracks and burns hot. Too wet and it won't draw and can grow mold. The sweet spot is 69% to 72% relative humidity at room temperature. A humidor plus a humidity pack keeps you right in that range with almost no effort. That's really all there is to how to store cigars well, everything else is just detail.

Step 1: Get a Humidor

A humidor is a box built to hold steady humidity. It can be made of wood, acrylic, or plastic, and it comes in every size from a small travel case to a large cabinet. The material matters less than the seal: a good humidor closes tight and keeps moisture in. If you're just starting, a 20 to 50 count box is the perfect size. One tip before you load a new wooden humidor: season it first by leaving a seasoning pack inside for a day or two. That primes the wood so it doesn't steal moisture from your cigars later. Want more detail? Read our guide to humidor best practices.

Step 2: Keep Humidity at 69–72%

This is the part that actually protects your cigars. The easiest way to hit the target is with Boveda packs. These small pouches release or absorb moisture to hold a set humidity level automatically, no distilled water, no guessing. Boveda makes packs for cigars (they also make them for guitar strings and other goods that need stable moisture), so you just drop one in your humidor and let it work.

New to these? Our guide on how to use Boveda packs walks through sizing and swapping them out.

Common Storage Mistakes to Avoid

Where to Keep Your Humidor

Location matters more than people think. Keep your humidor somewhere cool and stable, away from windows, radiators, and heating vents. A closet shelf or a side table in an interior room works great. Avoid damp basements and hot attics, since big swings in temperature and humidity are what damage cigars. Once your humidor is seasoned and sitting in a steady spot, storing cigars becomes something you barely have to think about.

How Long Do Cigars Last in Storage?

Stored the right way, cigars last for years. As long as the humidity holds at 69–72%, a good cigar stays smokable almost indefinitely, and many actually improve with age as the tobaccos marry. That's the hidden bonus of learning how to store cigars well: you're not just preserving them, you're giving premium sticks the chance to get better. If you want to lean into that, read our guide on how to age your cigars.

No Humidor Yet? Here's a Quick Fix

If you just bought a few cigars and don't own a humidor, don't panic. You can still learn how to store cigars for the short term using an airtight container and a Boveda pack. It's not a long-term answer, but it buys you time until you get a proper box. Just check on them every few days and smoke them sooner rather than later. We break it down step by step in our guide on how to keep cigars fresh without a humidor.

Watch: How to Store Your Cigars

Prefer to watch? Here's the Mondays with Mardo episode where I walk through it: