Monday, November 29 1999
Q. What are the pros and cons of buying a glass top
humidor, or a humidor with glass anywhere on it, as opposed to a solid wood type humidor?
- Robert V. in
Colorado Springs, CO
A. Having recently purchased one of these myself, the main "con" to having a glass top humidor is that you should avoid direct sun or lamplight which can raise the temperature and humidity. It also depends how close the light source is to it, but most humidors are best kept in cooler, shaded spaces, or at least where there will be no direct sunlight for long periods of time. Even a solid wood cigar humidor can be affected by direct light depending on how close it is to the source.
Another thing is the placement of the humidifier. With most glass top models like the one shown here, the humidifier is positioned on the bottom which may prevent the cigars on the top tray from getting their share of moist air. Adding a Dry-Mistat stick or a small polyglycol crystal jar on the top tray will help. (For more on placement of the humidifier see my blog on this subject.)
Other than that I like the aesthetic of a glass top cigar humidor. The important thing is that it has a good tight seal and keeps your temp and humidity at a constant cigar-friendly level for long-term aging of your cigars.
