The Humidity Bead System by Cigar Sciences

Source from:  Cigar Aficionado 05/18/2012

The greatest labor for cigar lovers is maintaining the perfect relative humidity. Finicky materials and frustrating fluctuations can be a headache for even the most careful guardian of a humidor, and most of the reliable systems out there take practice to learn how to use. But while some humidity systems take a bit of doting, the Humidity Bead System by Cigar Sciences acts more like a workhorse. The beads trap moisture, releasing more into a dry storage space and pulling excess out of the air to keep your smokes from drying or feeling wet. Creator Mark Neff, a 20-year smoker, submitted a patent on the HBS in 2005. His system is simple and easy to use for a few reasons, and among them is that distilled water-usually a requirement-is recommended but not mandatory. Preparing the Bead System for use requires little more than immersing the unit in half-an-inch to an inch of water, wiping the outside dry with a paper towel, and placing it in your humidor. Units come packaged at either 65 or 70 percent relative humidity, but you can request units at lower RH for humid, tropical climates or long-term storage. It's a little difficult to tell when the beads are dry, but during a four-week test in a 200-capacity humidor the unit performed remarkably. It kept the RH right in the sweet spot with no refilling and very little fluctuation (68-71) despite a lot of traffic, with handfuls of new cigars coming in and out daily. The Bead System comes for 25-, 75-, 150- and 300-cigar options. With a price range from $25-$60, the refillable, reusable units are a fantastic solution for your desktop, and because they don't drip, the smaller units are a good choice for travel humidors, as well. The Humidity Bead System is available to buy at www.CigarSciences.com Enditem