NewAir 250 Count Electric Cigar Humidor Review 

Packaging and shipping

I’m always nervous about shipping something with glass, but the packaging was definitely up to the task. It was boxed up tight with thick Styrofoam sheets buffering it from the outer cardboard, so it arrived without a single scratch. Shipping was free, and it’s good to know there’s a 30-day return window if you’re not happy with it.

Exterior

The unit’s dimensions are 13.6 inches wide, 19.3 inches deep, and 18.5 inches tall. It’s got a much bigger footprint than your average desktop humidor, but it’s not a massive cabinet that takes over a room.

I’d recommend putting it on a table or a low stand. If you put it on the floor, getting to that lock would be a pain.

If you ask me, any electric humidor worth its salt needs a lock. It’s not just about stopping someone from snagging your cigars ; it’s about keeping the door shut so the temp and humidity stay rock-solid. This humidor has that secure lock, which is a huge plus in my book.

The door is double-pane glass set in a stainless-steel frame , and it’s ringed by a thick rubber seal. You can just feel the quality when you open it; it’s heavy and doesn’t wobble.

A nice little bonus is the adjustable legs. My old apartment floor is uneven, so these were a lifesaver for getting the wineador perfectly level.

Interior

Inside, it comes with two Spanish cedar shelves and one cedar drawer. You can shuffle them around how you like. There are four different slots, or rails, that you can slide the shelves and drawer into.

The lighting is slick, but I’ll be honest: I wouldn’t put loose sticks on that top shelf. It’s much better suited for holding a full box or two.

The built-in fan is a game-changer. It keeps the air moving, so every cigar gets evenly humidified. You don’t have to constantly rotate your collection. And it’s quiet. The noise level is rated around 35 dB, which is basically a whisper.

The main body of the humidor is made of plastic. The NewAir 250 Count also includes a plastic container, which is where you’ll put your humidification source.

Setup and Seasoning

You can season this unit two ways: grab some Boveda seasoning packs or go the traditional route with distilled water. I’m old-school, so I just went with distilled water. You do you.

When I first unboxed it, there was a slight plastic smell. I just left the door open for a day, and it vanished. No big deal.

I filled the provided container about halfway with distilled water and just set it on the bottom shelf. It’s the same exact process you’d use for a new wooden humidor.

I was honestly shocked at how fast the RH climbed. I was expecting a long wait, but it shot past 70% really quickly. It only took a week to hit 74% RH. I was bracing for 10 days or more, especially since I didn’t wipe down the cedar. I never wipe down new cedar with a sponge. It’s just too easy to overdo it with the water , and you run a huge risk of warping the shelves and drawer.

Once the hygrometer read a stable 74% RH, it was finally time to load in my cigars. Getting the temperature right was a piece of cake, even though it was already getting warm for the summer. I set the thermostat to 70 degrees, walked away, and when I checked it the next day, it was holding steady at 70. As you can see from the test data, once it was set, those lines were incredibly flat.

Capacity

The name “250 Count” tells you pretty much what you need to know about its capacity. Of course, that 250-cigar number totally depends on what you’re storing—robustos take up more space than coronas. For holding that many cigars, the humidor itself is surprisingly compact. It’s the perfect size for a home office or a small smoking lounge where you’re not trying to sacrifice a ton of floor space.

Seal

I’ve gotta talk about the seal on this NewAir 250 Count again. It’s fantastic, just like a high-end refrigerator. This is why wineadors like this are so popular. You get total control over the environment your sticks are in. That tight seal means that whatever is happening outside the humidor—hot, cold, humid, dry—it doesn’t affect what’s inside.

Humidification System

It ships with a basic clear plastic container. You can fill it with distilled water, throw in some humidifying gel, or do what I do and just use it to hold Boveda packs. If you go the Boveda route, I’d recommend placing one on each level to keep things even. And if you’re loading this thing to the gills with cigars, don’t be afraid to add as many Boveda packs as the cigar count calls for.

Hygrometer

This NewAir model includes a digital hygrometer that’s mounted right on the front of the cedar drawer. I know some of the older NewAir units had those old-school analog hygrometers. They look cool, but let’s be real: a digital one is just way easier to read and see if your humidity is bouncing around. Mine came ready to go right out of the box. Before I started seasoning, it was reading 50% RH, which seemed right for the room.

Thermometer

Yep, it’s got a thermometer! It’s a digital display showing the temp you’ve set. If you want to change it, you just tap the up/down arrows right next to the screen. The temperature range you can set is from 52 all the way to 74 °F. The best part? It’s accurate. I set it to 70 °F for my review and stuck my own calibrated SMARTRO thermometer inside, and the readings were pretty much identical.

Thermostat

As I just mentioned, yes, you have full control over the temperature inside the humidor. This feature is everything. It means you can run this unit in a hot Arizona garage or a cold New England basement and your cigars will be fine. It does its job incredibly well. During my test, on the days I wasn’t opening the door, the temperature reading did not move.

Performance

For the test, I used three La Flor Dominicana El Jocko cigars. I checked them before they went in, and they were at 68% RH. After the initial water seasoning, I switched to a propylene glycol solution in the container for the long-term test.

Over the 30-day test, the humidity level was basically a flat line. There was no meaningful difference between what the humidor’s built-in hygrometer said and what my separate SMARTRO control unit read.

The temperature measurements were the exact same story as the humidity. The only blip I saw was right after I first put the test cigars in. The temp ticked up and the humidity dipped for about an hour, which is totally normal. It’s nothing when you look at the stability over the whole month.

When it was finally time to smoke one for this NewAir 250-count humidor review (after a month of waiting!), the La Flor Dominicana El Jocko came out at a perfect 70% RH. It was an absolutely fantastic smoke.

Comparison and Alternatives

Look, if the NewAir 250 count doesn’t seem like the perfect fit, you’ve got other solid options.

For example, if you’re just starting out and only have a small collection, the Case Elegance Renzo might be more your speed. With the Renzo, the humidification system is even simpler to manage , and its small size means you can tuck it just about anywhere in your home or office.

But if you’re the opposite—a serious collector who needs space for more than 250 cigars—then you should check out the Redford Lite. That’s a full-on cigar cabinet that can hold up to 1250 cigars. The Redford also gives you a wider temperature control range and, frankly, better lighting to show off your collection. Of course, all those extra features and capacity come with a much higher price tag.

If you’re somewhere in the middle—you’ve got more than 50 sticks but not a lot of space—the Deauville Leaf Inlay could be your humidor. It holds up to 125 cigars but is only 13.5/9.5/6.25 inches. The Deauville is a breeze to place, and since it’s a traditional wooden box, you never have to worry about sunlight spoiling your cigars while they age.