Accessory Reviews
Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 500 Count Cigar Humidor
We just love Newair products and I am extremely excited to take al ook at this incredible collaboration they did with Boveda to create their newest humidor.
Experience cigar storage at its finest with the Newair x Boveda 500 Count Cigar Humidor. Impeccably designed, it features three Boveda humidity pack holders and digital temperature control (54-72°F) for optimal preservation. The adjustable pegging system ensures a snug fit for various cigar sizes, while drawer dividers elegantly accommodate boxes or individual cigars. Complete with a recessed top handle, accessing your collection is effortless. Embrace sophistication and functionality with this humidor, the epitome of cigar aficionado’s needs.
https://www.newair.com/products/newair-x-boveda-500-count-electric-cigar-humidor
You can purchase this humidor now using this link and if you purchase anything from NewAir be sure to use my personal discount code “CASASF10” for 10% off your entire order!
Unboxing and Setup
The Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 was shipped lightning speed. I received a shipping notification only a few hours after my order was placed and received the package 2 days later via Fedex. The Humidor is packed in thick walls of cardboard with plastic straps surrounding it. There were no dents or dings on the box itself.
Unboxing the humidor was a breeze. Once you cut each strap the top of the box simply slides off the top the humidor exposing a layer of protectant foam. Under the foam is a very thin foam tissue which covers the humidor to protect from any scratches. After that you just need to take the bottom cardboard n. piece out and you can open the humidor and begin your inspection. Each draw has a small peice of tape on the bottom which holds the Boveda box in place during shipment. Outside of removing these and the manual packet from the inside of the humidor you are ready to rock.
Seasoning
The Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 states that the humidor is ready to go and there is no need for seasoning. In theory, this is great, but I decided to put that to the test. I added a few shot glasses full of distilled water into the humidor and checked the humidity over 72 hours. Before adding the shot glasses I started at 48%. After the first 2 hours I was at 55%. This only raised to 58% the next day and settled at 61% after 72 hours. While this could work, it would also eat up a ton of humidity from your Boveda packs when you first insert them. It will also take a matter of days for the humidity to stabilize. Because of this I decided to do a very gentle wipe down of all exposed cedar with distilled water. The very next day. I stabilized at 75% with the shot glasses so I decided to remove them and get busy.
Adjusting The Humidor
There is very little adjustment needed on the Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00. Once it’s seasoned and ready to go all you have to do is decide what temperature you want, and go for it. To adjust the temperature you simple use the up and down arrows on the front of the control panel until you see the desired value on the front display. You can also switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius by holding the light button on the panel for a few seconds. Not the most intuitive user experience, however it works well if you can remember how to adjust it. After setting the humidor will always display the current temperature of the inside of the humidor. It only took about 20 minutes for my temperature to stabilize, however this may be different for you depending on your ambient temperature. I also tested how accurate this is in the sections that follow.
Storage and Features
The Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 is a very large humidor with a ton of storage space. At 17.72 x 16.93 x 29.13 this beast of a humidor comes in at a whopping 56lbs. The humidor features 4 shelves and two drawers. The top three shelves feature a small, cedar box on the bottom of each shelf. These boxes slide out and allow you to place Boveda boxes full of your favorite Boveda packs. In the picture below I sampled a standard Boveda envelope as I was still awaiting my Boveda packs to arrive, but can happily say that the boxes fit in absolutely perfect. The cedar box is easy to slide in and out and the vents allow ample room for humidification to circulate smoothly. I also really like that Newair was forward thinking enough to make sure these were added on the top three shelves as humid air is much heavier and will fall to the bottom of the humidor. Couple this setup with the fans used in the heating/cooling element and it makes for a perfect setup for ideal air circulation. One note to add, I found it difficult to store even the slimmest of boxes on each shelf when the Boveda boxes were in place. This caused me to have to remove one in order to fit a box on the shelf directly under it. Not a deal breaker at all, but worth noting.
The four flat shelves also feature a really unique ability to insert small wooden pegs into in order to adjust the layout of each shelf and also keep single cigars in place so that they won’t slide around or fall of the sides as you pull each shelf out. This is a great little feature and works really will. In my opinion it may have been better to also add small wooden sides to each shelf to prevent single spillage, but this option also allows for a little extra space when storing full boxes. The biggest issue I had was that the peg holes were very tight and difficult to get the pegs in. Once in, I no longer wanted to move them so they’ll likely stay put as is.
The bottom two drawers give plenty of space for both singles and full boxes. The bottom-most draw is slightly less deep due to the heating and cooling element, but has some great permanent dividers perfect for storing a ton of single cigars.
While I get into this later the Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 features built in temperature control as well which keeps your cigars at the perfect temperature all year round. The front panel allows you to easily hit the up and down buttons to adjust your target temperature, a light button to turn on and off the built-in LED light, and a settings button that allows you to lock the controls if needed. The interior LED is actually quite bright and I was impressed with just how much light it put out. An item to note is that the light comes from a single LED on the top of the humidor so as you load it up, more light will be blocked from reaching the bottom.
Quality of Temperature and Humidity Control
The Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 features a heating and cooling element built into the humidor which is perfect if you live in an area like mine where the temperature fluctuates often throughout the year. It is recommended for best operation to store the humidor in an ambient temperature range between 68 and 77 degrees. If you do this you can easily adjust the humidor’s internal temperature anywhere between 54 and 72 degrees. For my setup, I set the temperature to a stable 70 degrees. After 24 hours I tested the temperature using an external thermometer on both the top and bottom shelves. While the front panel read 70 degrees the top shelve reported back 72 while the bottom shelf was a perfect 70. No points taken there as the accuracy was spot-on. As for the humidity. I started with using only a single 69% 320g boveda pack on the middle shelf. After 24 hours I saw a dip in humidity from 69% down to 64%. After adding another and letting it sit for 24 hours I landed at 68%. The perfect setup for me is one pack in each of the 3 Boveda boxes under the shelves which kept me between 68% and 70% over the 72 hours I tested with using my external hygrometer. This is such a small fluctuation and really speaks volumes to the seal and air circulation of the humidor.
Final Thoughts
It’s very easy to see why the cigar community was anxiously awaiting the release of the collaboration between two of the most trusted names in the cigar community. The Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 is a world class humidor and the first of its kind. I love Boveda packs as they offer the absolute most ease-of-use for any humidity option on the market. Add them, and check them every so often for dryness. Replace when dry. It doesn’t get easier than that. Marry that up with the superior build quality that Newair is known for and you easily have one of the best humidors on the market. I love that Newair has been so invested in not only temperature control, but also humidity control where they are constantly stepping their game up. Look, your cigars are an investment. Don’t skimp and make sure you protect them.
Keep in mind you can use this link combined with the discount code “CASASF10” to score 10% off your Newair x Boveda NCH500BS00 today.
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