Look, not everybody has a humidor. Maybe you just bought your first five-pack and don't want to drop $50 on a wooden box before you even know if you like cigars. Maybe you're traveling. Maybe your humidor is full and you just grabbed a few more sticks because you have zero self-control (guilty). Whatever the reason, you need to keep cigars fresh without the fancy cedar-lined box.
Good news: it's completely doable. I've stored cigars in everything from Tupperware containers to ziplock bags to an actual cooler in my garage. Some of these methods work surprisingly well -- so well that I know guys who've ditched their humidors entirely. Here's every method that actually works, ranked by how long you can reliably use it.
Why Humidity Matters (The 30-Second Version)
Cigars are leaves. Leaves dry out. A dried-out cigar burns hot, tastes harsh, and might crack when you try to cut it. Too much moisture and you get mold, a tight draw, and a cigar that won't stay lit. The sweet spot is 65-72% relative humidity at around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A proper humidor maintains that range automatically. Without one, you need to hack your way to the same conditions. All of the methods below are basically DIY humidity chambers. Some are elegant. Some are ugly but effective. Let's go.
The Tupperdor (Best Long-Term Solution)
This is the king of humidor alternatives, and honestly, it works so well that a lot of experienced smokers prefer it over traditional humidors. A tupperdor is exactly what it sounds like -- a Tupperware container with a Boveda humidity pack inside.
What you need:
- An airtight Tupperware or Sistema container ($8-15)
- Boveda 69% or 72% humidity packs (one per 25 cigars)
- Optional: a small digital hygrometer ($10) to monitor conditions
- Optional: a strip of Spanish cedar (sold online for $5-8) for aroma
How to set it up:
- Wash and dry the container thoroughly. Make sure it's completely dry -- no water droplets.
- Drop in a Boveda pack.
- Add your cigars. Don't stack them too tightly; air needs to circulate.
- Close the lid. Done.
That's literally it. The Boveda pack regulates humidity in both directions -- it adds moisture if conditions are too dry and absorbs it if they're too humid. In an airtight container, this creates a remarkably stable environment.
How long does it work? Indefinitely. I'm not exaggerating. I have a friend who has stored cigars in a Sistema container with Boveda packs for over three years. His cigars smoke perfectly. Replace the Boveda packs every 2-3 months (when they get crunchy and rigid) and you're golden.
The downside: It's a plastic box. It's not going to look pretty on your coffee table. If aesthetics matter to you, hide it in a closet. If you care more about function than form -- and I'd argue you should when it comes to cigar storage -- the tupperdor is unbeatable for the price.
The Coolerdor (For Bigger Collections)
Same concept as the tupperdor, but bigger. A coolerdor is a standard cooler -- the kind you'd take to the beach -- used as a cigar storage container. The insulated walls maintain temperature stability, and the gasket seal keeps humidity locked in.
What you need:
- A clean cooler (48-quart is a popular size, holds 200+ cigars)
- Boveda 69% packs (3-4 for a 48-quart cooler)
- Optional: Spanish cedar sheets or trays for organization
- Optional: digital hygrometer
Setup: Same as the tupperdor. Clean it, dry it, add Boveda packs, add cigars, close it. The cooler's insulation means temperature swings are minimal, which is actually an advantage over many desktop humidors.
I ran a coolerdor for about two years before I bought my cabinet humidor. Stored over 150 cigars in a Coleman cooler in my closet. Never had a single issue. The insulation kept the temperature steady even during a Texas summer when my house AC went out for three days.
Pro tip: Put a layer of Spanish cedar planks on the bottom and between layers of cigars. It helps with air circulation and adds that classic cedar aroma that cigars pick up over time. You can buy cedar sheets from Amazon or cigar retailers for about $10-15.
The Ziplock Bag Method (Travel & Short-Term)
This is your emergency kit. Got five cigars for a weekend trip? Ziplock bag and a Boveda pack. That's all you need for up to two weeks of perfectly maintained cigars.
What you need:
- A gallon-size ziplock freezer bag (the thick ones, not sandwich bags)
- A Boveda 69% or 72% pack
- Your cigars
How to do it:
- Place cigars in the bag. Don't overcrowd -- leave some air space.
- Drop in a Boveda pack.
- Squeeze out most of the excess air (but not all -- some air circulation helps).
- Seal the bag.
How long does it work? Two to three weeks comfortably. After that, the thin plastic starts to lose its seal and humidity drops. For anything longer, upgrade to a tupperdor.
I keep a couple of pre-loaded ziplock bags in my travel bag at all times. Three cigars, one Boveda pack, sealed and ready. When I'm on the road, I don't need to think about storage -- I just grab a bag and go.
Travel tip: TSA doesn't care about cigars. You can carry them in your bag, checked or carry-on. Just don't bring a torch lighter in your carry-on (that'll get confiscated). A soft-flame lighter or matches are fine.
The Mason Jar Method (Small Batches)
A glass mason jar with a good rubber seal works exactly like a tupperdor, but smaller. Great for storing 3-5 cigars that you want to keep separate from your main collection -- maybe some special occasion sticks or cigars you're aging.
What you need:
- A wide-mouth quart or half-gallon mason jar
- A small Boveda pack (the 8-gram size fits perfectly)
- Your cigars
The glass is non-porous, so there's no absorption or off-gassing to worry about. And you can see your cigars, which is either a pro (admiring your collection) or a con (temptation to smoke them). Mason jars also work well for cigar aging experiments -- isolate a few sticks and check on them every six months.
The "I Need to Store These For 48 Hours" Emergency Methods
Sometimes you just need to keep cigars alive for a couple of days. Maybe someone gave you cigars at an event. Maybe you bought some on vacation and need to get them home. For short-term survival:
Damp paper towel in a ziplock: Dampen (not soak) a paper towel with distilled water, seal it in a ziplock bag with your cigars. Make sure the paper towel doesn't directly touch the cigars -- fold it and place it to the side. This creates a humid microclimate for 24-48 hours. It's ugly, but it works.
Your car's glove box in winter: I'm only half joking. If it's cool and slightly humid outside, a sealed ziplock bag in your glove box overnight won't hurt cigars. Don't do this in summer -- heat is the fastest cigar killer.
In the cellophane: If your cigars came in cellophane wrappers, leave them on. Cellophane is slightly breathable but dramatically slows moisture loss. Cellophane-wrapped cigars in a sealed bag will last longer than unwrapped ones.
What NOT to Do
Don't put cigars in the refrigerator. Fridges are designed to remove moisture. Your cigars will dry out faster than on your kitchen counter. Plus, they'll absorb food odors. Nobody wants a cigar that smells like leftover lasagna.
Don't freeze cigars (unless you're treating for beetles). Freezing for beetle treatment is a specific protocol with specific temperature requirements. Casually throwing cigars in the freezer "to keep them fresh" destroys them. The moisture in the tobacco crystallizes and damages the cell structure.
Don't use a humidifier near your cigars as a substitute. Room humidifiers create wildly inconsistent humidity levels. One corner of the room might be at 80% while your cigars sit at 40%. You need a sealed environment.
Don't store cigars near heat sources. Radiators, sunny windowsills, on top of electronics -- heat accelerates drying and can cause tobacco beetles to hatch. Keep your storage area below 70 degrees Fahrenheit if possible.
Don't leave cigars in their box without humidity. Cigar boxes from the shop are not humidors. They're cardboard or thin cedar with no seal. Cigars in an open box will dry out within a week in most climates.
The Boveda Pack: Your Best Friend in All of This
You've probably noticed Boveda packs mentioned in every method above. That's because they're the single best investment you can make for cigar storage, period. At about $3-4 per pack, they turn literally any sealed container into a functional humidor.
Boveda packs are two-way humidity regulators. They contain a salt-water solution in a permeable membrane that either releases or absorbs moisture to maintain a specific humidity level. The 69% version is my go-to for most storage situations. The 72% version is better if you live in a dry climate or your container isn't perfectly airtight.
Replace them when they feel rigid and crunchy instead of soft and pillowy. For tupperdors, that's usually every 2-4 months depending on how often you open the container. Check our cigar accessories guide for more details on humidity management.
Can You Revive a Dried-Out Cigar?
Yes, but slowly. If your cigars dried out because you didn't store them properly (no judgment -- we've all been there), you can rehydrate them gradually. Place them in a sealed container with a Boveda 69% pack and wait. Minimum two weeks for slightly dry cigars, up to two months for cigars that feel like potato chips.
The key word is gradually. Don't put dried cigars in a 84% humidity environment or wrap them in a wet towel. Rapid rehydration causes the wrapper to expand faster than the binder and filler, which means cracks and peeling. Slow and steady wins this race.
Will they taste as good as they would have with proper storage? Probably not. Some flavor oils evaporate permanently when cigars dry out. But a rehydrated cigar is infinitely better than a dried-out one, and sometimes they're surprisingly close to their original quality. Worth the attempt every time.
My Recommendation: Start with a Tupperdor
If you're reading this because you're new to cigars and wondering whether you need to buy a humidor right away -- you don't. Start with a $10 Tupperware container and a $4 Boveda pack. Store your first dozen cigars in that. Smoke them over the next few months. If you find yourself buying more, upgrade to a coolerdor or a proper humidor.
The tupperdor gets you 90% of the performance of a $200 humidor for $14. The remaining 10% is aesthetics and Spanish cedar aroma. If you want to learn more about when to upgrade to a real humidor, check out our complete humidor guide -- but don't let the lack of one stop you from enjoying cigars right now.
Store them right, smoke them fresh, and stop overthinking it. That's the whole game.