How the count is worked out
The calculator lays cigars flat in a grid. That's our packing model, and here it is plainly.
- Side by side: the box side across the cigars, divided by the cigar's diameter (ring gauge over 64, in inches), rounded down.
- End to end: the box side along the cigars, divided by cigar length, rounded down.
- Layers: the inside height minus 3/4 inch of headroom for air and a humidity device, divided by the diameter, rounded down.
- Direction: it tries the cigars both ways round and keeps the higher count. Short cigars often fit better turned across a deep box.
Round cigars in a square grid leave gaps, and real cigars are never exactly their listed size. So the number is a ceiling. Cellophane, boxes and a tray all cut it further.
For a mix, each size takes a share of the box: its quantity over its own full-box count. Add the shares. Past 100%, it doesn't fit.
Rated capacity is a guess at your cigar
A humidor's rated count is a number of cigars of one unstated size. The maker picks it. Nobody checks it.
Boveda sizes its packs by that rating and puts 25 cigars of capacity at roughly 72 to 100 cubic inches of box. That's 3 to 4 cubic inches per cigar. A 5 x 50 robusto is 2.4 cubic inches of solid tobacco. A 6 x 60 gordo is 4.1. Count with a slim cigar and the label looks generous. Fill it with what most people smoke now and it comes up short.
Same 12 x 9 x 4 inch box, seven sizes, our model:
| Size | Length x ring | Cigar volume (in³) | Fits, packed full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit corona | 4.5 x 42 | 1.52 | 144 |
| Corona | 5.5 x 42 | 1.86 | 104 |
| Robusto | 5 x 50 | 2.40 | 88 |
| Toro | 6 x 52 | 3.11 | 88 |
| Churchill | 7 x 48 | 3.09 | 64 |
| Gordo | 6 x 60 | 4.14 | 54 |
| Lancero | 7.5 x 38 | 2.08 | 100 |
Look at the churchill. A 7 inch cigar fits only once along a 12 inch side, so the box wastes 5 inches of every row. Length matters more than ring.
Why you shouldn't pack a humidor to the lid
A humidor works by moving moisture through air, and packed cigars leave no air to move it. The humidity device feeds the space around it. Cigars buried at the bottom of a crammed box see that moisture last.
- Leave a gap over the top layer. The calculator already keeps 3/4 inch.
- Keep the humidifier clear of cigars on every side.
- Rotate stock now and then, top to bottom.
- Plan on about three quarters of the full count. That's our rule of thumb, not a standard.
A part-empty box also holds humidity better than a cram-full one when you open the lid, because the cedar walls carry moisture too.
What is the right size humidor for 50 cigars?
For 50 robustos at three quarters full, you want room for about 67 when packed. A 12 x 9 x 4 inch interior gives 88, so it handles 50 robustos with space to spare. For 50 toros, look at inside dimensions, not the label.
Humidor size and count questions
How many cigars fit in a 100-count humidor?
Usually fewer than 100 of the cigars you actually smoke. Makers rarely say which size they counted, and a count taken with coronas drops by a quarter or more once you fill it with toros or gordos.
Should a humidor be full?
No. Leave room for air to move and for the humidity device to work. Our rule of thumb is to load about three quarters of the count this calculator gives, and never block the humidifier.
Do I measure the inside or the outside of the humidor?
Measure the inside. Walls, lid and any tray or divider eat space, so outside dimensions overstate the count every time. Measure with the tray in if you keep it in.
Does a tray change the count?
A tray splits the height into two short layers. Measure each level as its own box, run the calculator twice and add the two counts.