Xikar Travel Humidor Review (Real-World Test)

Someday, I’m going to have the ultimate man-cave setup. I’m talking about a room that smells like mahogany and old leather, stocked with rare tobaccos from around the globe. In this fantasy, I’m sitting in a wingback chair, swirling a glass of top-shelf Pappy Van Winkle, just enjoying the silence. Naturally, this version of me is also dressed to the nines, maybe rocking a vintage smoking jacket like a sophisticated gentleman.

But let’s be real—that “Sophisticated Reid” is a long way off, and right now, “Current Reid” just needs a way to keep his stogies fresh. The reality isn’t a quiet library; it’s the chaotic, windy golf course where I don’t want my cigars turning into dust. That is exactly why I stopped dreaming and started looking for a practical solution, landing squarely on the Xikar Travel Humidor.

Sticks on the Go

Let’s say you’re heading out for 18 holes and want to bring some smoke for the round. Even if you have a gorgeous, handcrafted humidor sitting on your desk at home, you’d have to be out of your mind to drag that delicate wood grain out into the elements. I was browsing online—I actually check Amazon pretty often for accessories—but I happened to stumble across this unit on Amazon while grabbing some other gear.

I’m not gonna lie, the bright yellow finish grabbed my attention first (it’s hard to lose in the grass), though they do make low-key black and blue ones if you want to be stealthy. However, the thing that actually made me click “Buy” wasn’t the color; it was the Xikar logo on the lid.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a connoisseur when it comes to the tobacco world—I’m nowhere near the expert level I am with golf putters. I’d rank myself as a “Novice Level 2” at best, but even I know that in this industry, the name Xikar is synonymous with premium quality.

I’ve borrowed my buddy Wesley’s Xikar cutters and torches during rounds, and honestly, they are absolute beasts. The build quality is always insane, the designs are sharp, and knowing that Xikar backs their stuff with a lifetime warranty made this purchase feel like a total no-brainer. With the safety net of Amazon Prime shipping, I figured I had absolutely nothing to lose.

On The Course

When it comes to actually hauling my cigars, the Xikar Travel Humidor is a total game-changer; it’s compact enough to slide right into the side garment pocket of my golf bag without a struggle. There are tinier cases out there, but I love that this bad boy comfortably houses five decent-sized sticks plus my lighter (even if it’s not a fancy matching Xikar one yet).

I’m usually a “one cigar per round” kind of guy, but having the extra space is clutch for when Desmond or Maren forget their stash and try to mooch off mine. One of my favorite features is the interior foam—it’s not cut into those annoying long troughs or grooves you see in cheaper cases. This flat foam setup seems to sandwich everything down securely, gripping various ring gauges much tighter than the pre-cut styles.

The engineering here is spot on—the case stays sealed against water and air, yet it’s incredibly user-friendly to open. It sounds like a small detail, but I’ve owned rugged cases where the latches were so stiff I thought I was going to rip a fingernail off just trying to get inside. These latches snap shut with a reassuring “thud” but pop open effortlessly when you need them to.

The humidification system in the Xikar Travel Humidor is also perfect for someone like me who prefers to keep things low-maintenance. I literally just poured a bit of deionized water onto the humidifier disk in the lid—I didn’t measure or overthink it, just splashed it until it looked full because I’m lazy like that.

The “add water and forget it” simplicity is a huge win; I can toss my cigars in there and trust they’ll be perfectly hydrated and ready to smoke whenever I reach for them. Hands down, I am thrilled with this purchase. It does exactly what it promises, feels like it’s built to survive the apocalypse, and costs less than $30 on Amazon. If you’re taking cigars to the course, you absolutely need this in your bag.