How to Store Cigars Without a Humidor (And Keep Them Fresh)
Published by Santa Monica Cigars | The Cigar Guide
So you picked up a few great cigars and you don't have a humidor. Maybe you're new to cigars, maybe your humidor is full, or maybe you just grabbed a box on impulse and now you're wondering how to keep them in good shape. Whatever the reason — you're in the right place.
The good news is that cigars don't need a $500 Spanish cedar humidor to stay fresh. With the right approach, you can keep a cigar smoking beautifully for days, weeks, or even months without one. The bad news is that doing it wrong — leaving them on a counter, tossing them in a drawer, or sealing them in a zip-lock bag without thinking it through — will ruin them faster than you'd expect.
Here's everything you need to know.
Why Storage Actually Matters
Before we get into solutions, it helps to understand what you're actually protecting against.
A premium cigar is a living thing. It's made of natural tobacco leaves that expand and contract with changes in humidity and temperature. The ideal storage environment is 65–70% relative humidity and around 65–70°F. When a cigar dries out below that range, the oils that carry all the flavor evaporate — and once they're gone, they don't come back. A dry cigar burns hot, harsh, and fast. It's a completely different experience from a properly stored one.
Too much humidity is just as bad. An over-humidified cigar becomes spongy, burns unevenly, and can develop mold. The goal is balance — and that's what a humidor is designed to maintain automatically.
Without one, you need to recreate that balance manually.
Option 1: The Ziploc Bag Method (Best for Short-Term)
If you're smoking your cigars within a week or two, a simple zip-lock bag with a small humidity pack is genuinely effective.
Here's what you need:
- A zip-lock freezer bag (thicker than regular bags, less air transfer)
- A Boveda or Integra Boost 65% or 69% humidity pack — these are small packets that maintain a precise humidity level automatically
Just drop your cigars and one humidity pack into the bag, seal it, and you're done. The pack will regulate the humidity inside the bag without you having to do anything. Keep the bag somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight — a drawer or a shelf works fine.
This isn't a long-term solution, but for a week or two it's completely reliable. The humidity packs are inexpensive and available at most cigar shops — including ours.
Option 2: The Coolidor (Best for Larger Quantities)
If you have more than a box or two of cigars and no humidor, the "coolidor" is the best solution — and it's surprisingly effective.
A coolidor is just a plastic cooler with a tight-fitting lid. The thick foam walls naturally insulate against temperature changes, and the seal keeps humidity stable. Serious collectors use coolidors as a cheaper alternative to large humidors, and many swear they work just as well.
Here's how to set one up:
- Get a clean plastic cooler — any size works, even a small lunchbox cooler
- Wipe the inside down with a slightly damp cloth and let it air out for a day (plastic can off-gas and affect flavor)
- Place a few 65% Boveda packs inside based on the size — one pack per 25 cigars is a good rule of thumb
- Add your cigars and close the lid
- Check the humidity inside after 24 hours with a small digital hygrometer if you have one
That's it. A well-sealed cooler with the right humidity packs will keep cigars in excellent condition for months. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
Option 3: The Tupperware Humidor (Tupperdor)
Same concept as the coolidor but smaller — a tupperdor is just an airtight plastic container with a humidity source inside. It's perfect if you only have a handful of cigars and don't need a full cooler.
Any airtight food storage container works. The key word is airtight — you want a container with a rubber seal that clicks or locks shut. Drop in one or two humidity packs, add your cigars, seal it up, and store it somewhere cool and dark.
The advantage of a tupperdor is that it's cheap (most people have one at home already), it's portable, and it works surprisingly well for short to medium-term storage.
Option 4: Keep Them in the Box (Short Term Only)
If your cigars came in a wooden box, that box actually provides some natural humidity regulation on its own — especially if it's Spanish cedar, which most premium cigar boxes are. Spanish cedar naturally holds moisture and releases it slowly, which is exactly what you want.
If you're planning to smoke the cigars within a few days, keeping them in their original wooden box in a cool, dark place is perfectly fine. Add a humidity pack inside the box to extend this to a week or two.
This is not a long-term solution. A wooden box without an active humidity source will dry out eventually — it just does it more slowly than a plastic bag would.
What NOT to Do
A few common mistakes that will ruin your cigars faster than anything:
Don't put them in the refrigerator. This is probably the most common mistake. Fridges are cold AND dry — exactly the wrong combination. The low humidity will pull moisture out of your cigars and the cold temperature will damage the oils. Your cigars will be ruined within days.
Don't leave them on a counter or in open air. Without any humidity source, a cigar left out in a typical room will start drying out within hours in a dry climate like Los Angeles. A few days of this and the burn quality drops noticeably.
Don't use a regular plastic bag without a humidity pack. A sealed bag without humidity control will trap whatever air is inside — which might be too dry already. Always pair a bag with a humidity source.
Don't store cigars near strong smells. Tobacco is highly absorbent. Cigars stored near coffee, cleaning products, or food will pick up those aromas and you'll taste them when you smoke.
The Long-Term Answer: A Proper Humidor
If you find yourself buying cigars regularly — which tends to happen — a humidor is worth the investment. Entry-level humidors start around $50–80 and will last for years. They make storage completely hands-off and protect your cigars properly for the long haul.
We carry a selection of humidors and humidity accessories in our Santa Monica store and online. If you're not sure what size you need or which humidity packs to use, come in and we'll point you in the right direction.
What About Our Subscription Box?
Every box in our monthly cigar subscription includes a freshness pouch in the first shipment — a Boveda-style humidity pack designed to keep your cigars in perfect condition from the moment they arrive to the moment you light up.
So even if you don't have a humidor, your subscription cigars will arrive ready to smoke and stay fresh while you work through them. That's by design.
Learn more about the Santa Monica Cigar Club →
The Bottom Line
You don't need a humidor to keep cigars fresh — you just need a humidity source and an airtight container. For most people, a zip-lock bag with a Boveda pack is all it takes for short-term storage. If you're buying in larger quantities, a coolidor is the move.
The most important thing is not to ignore the problem. A great cigar is worth protecting. Treat it right and it will reward you with every draw.
Have questions about cigar storage or want to browse our humidor in person? Come see us at 120 Broadway Ste 103, Santa Monica — Mon–Thu 10am–8pm, Fri–Sun 10am–9pm.
Santa Monica Cigars | (310) 310-8328
