Scotte Humidor Review: Pros & Cons and 45-Day Results
Let’s be real, when it comes to travel humidors, the Scotte Humidor is, hands down, one of the units we grab first. The Scotte Humidor is built like a small tank and gives us total peace of mind that our cigars won’t get crushed, whether we’re on a road trip or just heading to a buddy’s place for the day. Honestly, the leather finish just looks sharp; the Scotte Humidor feels right at home on a table during a work lunch or client meeting.
We did a quick-season on the Scotte humidor — it took less than 24 hours to get stable. But just like every other humidor that crosses our desk, we didn’t just give the Scotte Humidor a glance; we put the Scotte Humidor through a full 45-day test to see if it would hold up.
⭐Scotte Humidor Review
Specification
Type: Travel humidor;
Capacity: 12-18 cigars, depending on the vitola.
Key Features: A leather appearance. Spanish cedar interior. Hygrometer on the lid. Artificial fabric bag for transport.
Manufacturer: Scotte;
Country of Origin: China;
Dimensions, D/H: 4.7 in diameter and 9 inches high;
Interior and Materials: Leather exterior and cedar interior;
Lock: No;
Drawers: No;
Trays: No;
Lighting: No.
Humidification: Yes, a rectangular humidifier;
Hygrometer: Yes, a analog hygrometer;
Water tank capacity: No water tank included;
Thermometer: No;
Temperature control: No;
Ventilation: No;
Noise level: 0 dB;
Power supply: No power source required.
What really impresses with this design is how much you can fit inside relative to its footprint. The scotte travel humidor is not wasting any space.
The leather exterior isn’t just for show; it gives the whole thing a premium, tactile feel. More importantly, the seal on the Scotte Humidor is solid. We’re confident it’s keeping all those great aromas locked in tight.
And that analog hygrometer? On the Scotte Humidor, it’s framed with a gold-colored ring that just perfectly ties the whole classic aesthetic together.
- Scotte Humidor is sturdy and durable.
- Compact
- It provides sufficient storage for its size
- A handle would be helpful to transport the scotte humidor without an additional bag
Video of Scotte Travel Humidor
Packaging and shipping
Scotte Humidor unit arrived in a standard cardboard box, with the scotte humidor itself nestled inside a simple synthetic fabric bag for protection.
Inside, you’ll find a basic instruction sheet, a small plastic dropper for the humidifier, and the rectangular humidification stick itself.
If you’re grabbing the Scotte Humidor off Amazon, you can expect the usual free shipping and easy returns that come with a Prime membership.
Exterior
The scotte travel humidor measures 4.7 inches in diameter and 9 inches high. This cylindrical shape is just incredibly efficient. It hits the sweet spot for capacity versus size. It holds a serious number of sticks for a trip, but it’s still compact enough to easily slide into a backpack or carry-on.
The only thing you’ll struggle with is a massive, 9-inch Gran Corona; that vitola just isn’t going to fit without being damaged.
We’ve seen a lot of travel cases, and this might be one of the best small humidors out there, wrapped entirely in leather. You’ve got two classic choices: a sleek black leather or a rich brown leather.
Interior
Pop the lid, and you’re greeted with that unmistakable aroma. The inside is lined with a thin veneer of Spanish cedar.
The design of the the scotte travel humidor is minimalist. You won’t find any trays, LED lights, or built-in water tanks. And frankly, that’s expected. This might sound crazy, but for a unit competing as a top-tier travel humidor, the absence of those ‘features’ is actually a plus.
For a portable case, things like lights and trays just add bulk and weight that you don’t need. The main priorities here are a light carry and a solid seal, and the scotte travel humidor nails both.
Setup and Seasoning
We get this question all the time, especially from new smokers: “Do I really need to season a scotte travel humidor?”
The answer is a non-negotiable “Yes”. You have to season any scotte humidor with wood components before use. If you don’t, that dry wood is going to pull all the essential oils and moisture right out of your expensive cigars. Our rule of thumb? Season it and, just as importantly, calibrate that hygrometer before you head out on any trip.
| Hour | RH_% (SMARTRO SC42) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 40 |
| 1 | 44 |
| 2 | 49 |
| 3 | 55 |
| 4 | 60 |
| 5 | 60 |
| 6 | 63 |
| 7 | 64 |
| 8 | 65 |
| 9 | 67 |
| 10 | 70 |
| 11 | 72 |
| 12 | 75 |
| 13 | 72 |
| 14 | 71 |
| 15 | 70 |
| 16 | 70 |
For our test, we first calibrated the hygrometer and then seasoned the the scotte travel humidor using a size 60 Boveda seasoning pack. The process was surprisingly fast. We were stable and ready to go in less than a day. Because it was so quick, our seasoning graph for this review is a little different. We tracked the humidity climb hour-by-hour instead of day-by-day.
Capacity
For a humidor that costs around $20, the capacity is pretty staggering. You can pack the scotte humidor with up to 18 cigars. It’s just a fantastic, budget-friendly solution for getting your stogies from point A to point B safely.
Seal
The the scotte travel humidor maintains a perfectly adequate seal, ensuring that your humidity level isn’t just leaking out into the air. There’s no complex latch system here; it relies entirely on the precision and tight friction-fit between the lid and the body.
Humidification System
Yes, the the scotte travel humidor does ship with its own humidification bar. It’s a simple unit, rated to maintain humidity for about fifteen cigars.
I’ve gotta be real: it’s a basic floral foam humidifier. We’re never huge fans of these and didn’t go in with high hopes for its long-term performance. To use it, you’ll need the included dropper and some distilled water (never tap water!).
Whatever you do, don’t over-saturate the bar, or you’ll risk it leaking onto your cigars. Just use the dropper to add about ten drops of water slowly. If you do add too much, let the bar sit on a paper towel for a bit to drain the excess before you put it back inside.
Hygrometer
You’ll find the analog hygrometer built right into the lid. It’ll give you accurate readings, if you remember to calibrate it. We suggest doing it every three months, or at the very least, before any long trip.
Thermometer
There is no thermometer in the scotte travel humidor’s construction.
Thermostat
No, there is no thermostat. This means where you put your travel humidor is critical. Keep it away from heat sources like radiators and out of direct sunlight. And please, be extremely careful about leaving it in your car. On a hot summer day, the temperature inside a car can spike to dangerous levels very quickly.
Performance
To start our month-long test, we placed three La Flor Dominicana El Jocko cigars, which had a baseline relative humidity of 68%, into the scotte humidor.
Now, in any real-world scenario, we would have just tossed in a Boveda 72% RH pack (size 60) and called it a day. It’s just that simple. But this is a full product review, which means we have to test the whole product—including the factory humidification unit that comes in the box. We do this so you know whether the gear it ships with is dependable or just junk.
So, we carefully added our ten drops of distilled water into the holes on the humidifier’s ABS plastic casing. We then set the humidifier on a paper towel with the holes facing down, just to catch any immediate drips.
| Day | RH_% (SMARTRO SC42) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 69 |
| 2 | 69 |
| 3 | 70 |
| 4 | 69 |
| 5 | 68 |
| 6 | 67 |
| 7 | 71 |
| 8 | 70 |
| 9 | 69 |
| 10 | 68 |
| 11 | 68 |
| 12 | 67 |
| 13 | 69 |
| 14 | 66 |
| 15 | 66 |
| 16 | 71 |
| 17 | 71 |
| 18 | 70 |
| 19 | 69 |
| 20 | 69 |
| 21 | 68 |
| 22 | 68 |
| 23 | 68 |
| 24 | 68 |
| 25 | 68 |
| 26 | 66 |
| 27 | 72 |
| 28 | 71 |
| 29 | 69 |
| 30 | 68 |
Given the compact size of the the scotte travel humidor, we were pleasantly surprised that our three test cigars, the included humidifier, and our SMARTRO control device all fit inside without being crammed. We were able to get the control device in and out to check readings without any issues. Most importantly, not a single valuable stogie was harmed in the process of recording our humidity data.
The included humidifier is supposed to handle 10 to 15 cigars for about two weeks. True to our process, we pushed it, testing the scotte humidor for a full month, just like our larger humidor reviews. It was absolutely no surprise to us that we had to re-humidify the foam bar during that 45-day test. In fact, it wasn’t just once. We had to do this three times over the course of the month. Let me translate that for you: Ditch the foam bar, toss in a Boveda, and save yourself the space and the hassle.
The built-in analog hygrometer was actually doing okay for most of the test. However, about five days before we wrapped the experiment, it started to drift, showing a percentage value that was higher than our calibrated control device.
After one month locked in the Scotte humidor, the La Flor Dominicana El Jocko cigars came out registering a solid 70% RH. The payoff: the smoking session was fantastic. The burn line was nearly perfect, nice and straight. The stogies burned for just under an hour, which is exactly what we’d expect. This great smoking experience was, without a doubt, thanks to the scotte humidor’s excellent seal. We would absolutely not trust the included humidification bar for any trip longer than a weekend.
