PROCASE Humidor Review
Review: PROCASE 50-Count Humidor – Part 1
When it comes to keeping premium cigars in peak condition, a reliable humidor is non-negotiable. I recently put the PROCASE humidor through a full seasoning process, and here are my impressions.
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First Look & Build Quality
Right out of the box, the PROCASE impresses with clean, modern aesthetics. The exterior finish is smooth, giving it a look that would fit nicely on a desk or bar. The seams are tight and solid with no hint of separation or uneven joinery.
One detail caught my attention immediately: the glass top. While it looks great and provides a clear view of your cigar collection, it did have a bit of movement when pressed. This lose fit raised some early doubts about whether the lid would create a perfect seal to hold humidity consistently.
Interior Design & Features
Inside, the humidor continues to show thoughtful design. It comes with a digital hygrometer mounted inside a small box that sits directly over the humidifier bar. The latch locks tightly, giving reassuring resistance when closed, and the Spanish cedar lining features a pronounced lip to help create a firm seal when the lid is shut.
Seasoning Process
To prepare it for cigars, I seasoned the PROCASE:
- A clean sponge soaked in distilled water was placed in a small container inside the humidor.
- I closed the lid and left it untouched for six days.
I also placed my own calibrated hygrometer inside to check the accuracy of the built-in digital unit.
Results After Six Days
Patience paid off. After six days, the humidity stabilized at 73%. Both the included hygrometer and my calibrated one displayed the same reading. Clear evidence that the humidor had been properly seasoned and that the factory installed hygrometer is impressively accurate.
Review: PROCASE 50-Count Humidor – Part 2
After a smooth seasoning process, it was time to see how the PROCASE humidor would perform under real-world conditions.
Stocking the Humidor
I placed around 20 cigars inside and added several 69% Boveda packs for humidity control. I chose to forgo the included humidifier bar because in my experience, these older-style bars are far less reliable than the two-way humidity control Boveda provides. With the cigars and packs in place, I locked the latch and set the humidor aside for roughly a week and a half.
Performance Over Time
During that period, I checked the hygrometer readings nightly. To my surprise and delight the humidity remained incredibly stable, only fluctuating between 68% and 70%. This consistency is exactly what you want to see, especially when relying on Boveda packs to do the heavy lifting.
Revisiting the Glass Top
After this successful humidity test, I took another look at the glass top which, early on, had a bit of side-to-side movement when pressed. Now it was locked solidly in place. This change is almost certainly the result of the wood swelling during seasoning, which tightened the fit and improved the seal.
Exceeding Expectations
I’ll admit, I approached this test with skepticism. Inexpensive humidors often struggle to hold humidity, particularly over longer stretches. Yet the PROCASE defied those expectations. The combination of its tight cedar-lined seal, secure latch, and solid construction allowed the Boveda packs to maintain an ideal environment with minimal effort.
Review: PROCASE 50-Count Humidor – Part 3
With the Boveda packs proving the PROCASE humidor could maintain a steady environment, I turned to the next challenge: testing the included humidifier bar to see how it compared.
Swapping Out the Boveda Packs
To begin, I removed the Boveda packs and filled the factory supplied humidifier bar with distilled water, then slid it back into its designated spot directly beneath the built-in hygrometer box. This layout is intended to keep the moisture source and sensor closely aligned, but it soon revealed an unexpected consequence.
An Unexpected Reading
The very next day, the humidor’s built-in digital hygrometer read 73%, to high to store cigars, but when I placed my own calibrated hygrometer inside for verification, it read only 67% proving a significant discrepancy.
To troubleshoot, I moved the humidifier bar out from under the hygrometer box and set it in the open area of the humidor. It didn't take long for the built-in hygrometer dropped to 67%, perfectly matching my calibrated reading.
This strongly suggested that when the humidifier bar sat directly beneath the built-in hygrometer, the sensor was picking up a localized pocket of higher humidity, giving a false high reading.
Reset and Retest
To confirm, I removed all cigars, left the humidor open for 24 hours to air out, and then closed it again with only the humidifier inside for another full day. Finally, I replaced the humidifier bar beneath the hygrometer box. After this reset period, both hygrometers stabilized and aligned, showing that the initial spike was likely caused by a temporary concentration of moisture directly under the sensor. I replaced the cigars and let the humidor sit for another 4 days and the humidify showed a stable 67-69% for the remainder of the time.
The built-in humidifier bar works, but this test highlights a design quirk: when first filled and placed directly under the hygrometer, it can artificially inflate the humidity reading. This is not uncommon with moisture concentrated in an area, but it’s something owners should know.
For the most reliable readings:
- Always Cross-check the built-in hygrometer with a calibrated one, at least during the first few days.
- If readings seem unusually high, temporarily relocate the humidifier to avoid localized humidity pockets.
Review: PROCASE 50-Count Humidor – Part 4
With the humidity performance proven both with Boveda packs and the included humidifier, the final step was to evaluate day-to-day usability and storage capacity.
Testing the Layout and Capacity
Once the humidity stabilized, I began loading the humidor with a variety of cigar sizes to see how much it could realistically hold.
- Churchill cigars: The first challenge came with Churchills. Because of the placement of the internal hygrometer box, these longer sticks cannot fit lengthwise. Instead, they must be arranged widthwise, which quickly eats up usable space allowing only approximately 15 cigars..
- Churchill/Toro mix: Combining Churchills with Toro-sized cigars limited the humidor to roughly 25 cigars before things started feeling overcrowded.
- Toro/Robusto: Toros do fit lengthwise, but it’s a tight fit, they can make a row of 10. The capacity increased to about 30-35 cigars depending on ring gauges without compromising air circulation.
- 50-count claim: To actually hit the advertised 50-cigar capacity, you’d likely need to stock primarily coronas or other smaller ring gauges.
Review: PROCASE 50-Count Humidor – Part 5: Final Thoughts
After several weeks of testing, seasoning, using Boveda packs, evaluating the included humidifier, and loading it with a variety of cigar sizes I can confidently say the PROCASE humidor exceeded my expectations.
A Pleasant Surprise
I went into this review skeptical, expecting the same issues I’ve seen with many budget humidors: struggling to hold proper humidity, even with the help of Boveda packs. Instead, this little humidor proved me wrong. It consistently maintained stable humidity.
Style Meets Function
Not only does it perform well, but it also looks great. The clean design make it perfect for a home bar, office desk, or lounge corner. The cedar interior and tight latch give it the look and feel of a more expensive humidor, while the natural wood swelling during seasoning helped create a tight seal over time.
Perfect for Beginners or Overflow
Given its low price tag, the PROCASE is an excellent entry-level humidor for someone just starting their cigar hobby. It’s also ideal as an overflow humidor for seasoned collectors who need extra space, or as a stylish secondary piece to showcase a smaller, curated selection of cigars.
Overall Verdict
The PROCASE humidor combines attractive aesthetics, reliable performance, and surprising build quality at a very affordable price. While you’ll need to plan your cigar layout carefully, especially if you favor Churchills, this humidor proves that a budget friendly option doesn’t have to compromise on function or style.
Bottom line: Whether you’re new to cigar storage or simply need a dependable secondary humidor, the PROCASE 50-count is a great value and a pleasant surprise.
Buy PROCASE Humidor
Use Code: W5C462AB for 15% Discount at checkout