Boveda Pack Size Chart: How Many Packs Your Humidor Needs
Humidity control · Boveda sizing · Updated 2026-07-22
Boveda's published rule is one Size 60 pack for every 25 cigars your humidor is rated to hold, and one Size 8 for every 5 cigars in a travel case. A Size 320 replaces four Size 60 packs, which is why it is the usual choice for tupperdors, coolerdors and wineadors.
The count is driven by your humidor's rated capacity, not by how many sticks are currently inside - that single mistake is why most people under-pack. Below is the full capacity-to-pack-count chart, the seasoning counts, and a straight comparison of 62, 65, 69 and 72 percent RH so you can pick a number and stop guessing.
Boveda pack size chart by humidor capacity
| Rated capacity | Boveda size | Packs to run | During seasoning (84% RH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel case, 5 cigars | Size 8 | 1 | Not seasoned - plastic and leather cases need no seasoning |
| Travel case, 10 to 15 cigars | Size 8 | 2 to 3 | Not seasoned |
| 25 count desktop | Size 60 (or 1 Size 320) | 1 | 1 Size 60 at 84% RH |
| 50 count desktop | Size 60 (or 1 Size 320) | 2 | 2 Size 60 at 84% RH |
| 100 count desktop | Size 60 (or 1 Size 320) | 4 | 4 Size 60 at 84% RH |
| 150 count cabinet | Size 60 (or 2 Size 320) | 6 | 6 Size 60 at 84% RH |
| 300 count cabinet | Size 60 (or 3 Size 320) | 12 | 12 Size 60 at 84% RH |
| Tupperdor or coolerdor | Size 320 preferred | 1 Size 320 per 100 cigars of capacity | None - plastic does not absorb moisture |
| Wineador | Size 320 | 1 Size 320 per 100 cigars of capacity | Season loose cedar drawers separately, not the cabinet |
The same ladder extends upward: a 200 count takes 8 Size 60 or 2 Size 320, and a 400 count takes 16 or 4. Overshooting is harmless. A two-way pack works on a saturated salt solution, which fixes the vapour pressure above it, so in a reasonably sealed space it drives the air toward its printed RH no matter how many packs you install. What varies is how well your box seals, not what the packs are aiming at.
Worked example: a 100 count desktop with 30 cigars in it
Say you own a box marketed as a 100 count with 30 cigars sitting in it today. The correct answer is four Size 60 packs, or one Size 320 - not one pack for the 30 sticks. You are humidifying the air volume and the cedar lining, and both are sized to the box, not to the inventory. Under-pack and the packs deplete in weeks instead of months.
The flip side is that rated capacity is a marketing number. No standards body governs humidor capacity claims, and makers generally rate a box by how many cigars of one modest vitola would fit edge to edge with no trays, dividers or hardware in the way. A "100 count" desktop realistically lives with fewer sticks once you leave airflow gaps between rows and reserve space for the packs. Size your Boveda to the rating anyway - it is the closest proxy you have for internal volume.
Which RH: 62 vs 65 vs 69 vs 72
| RH | Best for | Effect on burn and draw | Climate fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62% | Marketed by Boveda mainly for cannabis and loose herb rather than cigars; a minority of smokers use it for a deliberately dry profile | Fastest, hottest burn and the loosest draw; risks a brittle wrapper and a harsh finish if you overshoot | Only sensible in persistently humid rooms where sticks smoke soggy at 65% |
| 65% | A drier smoking profile and long-term aging; a common choice for Cuban and other high-priming cigars that are prone to mould at higher RH | Reliably easy burn, open draw, less chance of tunnelling or relighting | Humid climates, or anywhere your room sits above 70% ambient |
| 69% | Boveda's default and its most popular cigar RH; the safe answer if you have no reason to deviate | Balanced burn with a firm but workable draw for most factory-rolled cigars | Temperate indoor conditions near 68 to 72 F |
| 72% | A higher moisture profile, drafty or poorly sealed humidors, and very dry environments | Slower, cooler burn; draw tightens and plugged sticks become more likely on thick ring gauges | Arid climates, winter forced-air heating, or a box that will not hold its band |
Boveda also sells 75% RH for food and 84% RH for seasoning wood humidors only - never leave 84% packs in with cigars. Relative humidity is temperature dependent, so 65% RH at 65 F carries less water than 65% RH at 70 F. That is the usual explanation when a friend's 69% setup smokes wetter than yours.
When a pack is spent, and what to expect for lifespan
- Hard and crunchy means done. A working pack stays soft and pliable, like a gel pillow. When it goes stiff and wafer-like it has given up its water and should be replaced. Some hardening at the corners while the centre is still soft is normal and not a reason to bin it.
- Typical service life runs roughly 2 to 4 months in a wood humidor and 6 to 9 months in an airtight plastic or acrylic container, because the wood and the seal decide how fast moisture escapes.
- Packs dying inside two months point at a leak or an unseasoned box, not at the packs.
- Date the packs with a marker on install so you are reading a log rather than a memory.
- The ratio is not brand-locked. The same two-way, capacity-driven logic applies to competing salt-solution packs; only the gram weights and pack names change, so convert by weight if you switch brands.
Check that the packs you installed are actually holding the band. Cigar Humidor & Journal's Monitor holds a target RH band per humidor and logs every humidity and temperature reading you take, with a recent trend and the min, average and max. You get a clear in-band or out-of-band call, plus an alert when relative humidity drifts above 70%. That reading log is how you find out a pack is fading weeks before it goes crunchy. See the app. Download Cigar Humidor & Journal on the App Store.
Seasoning counts use the same ratio
Seasoning a new wood humidor uses the identical maths, just at 84% RH: one Size 60 seasoning pack per 25 cigars of rated capacity, so a 100 count box takes four. Boveda's instruction is to move your cigars into a sealed container with 69% RH packs, put the 84% packs in the empty humidor, and leave it shut for 14 days regardless of what the hygrometer says. Seasoning packs are single use - discard them afterwards and install fresh maintenance packs at your chosen RH. Full walkthrough in how to season a humidor.
Track it per humidor in the app
Pack sizing is a one-time calculation; keeping the band is the ongoing job. Cigar Humidor & Journal gives each humidor its own target band and its own reading history in Monitor, so a travel case at 65% and a cabinet at 69% are judged against their own numbers instead of one global figure. Optional local notifications cover out-of-band humidity alerts and rest-ready reminders, scheduled on your device, and the out-of-band alert catches a swing above 70% before mould or beetles get an opening. Everything runs on-device with no account.
Frequently asked questions
How many Boveda packs do I need for a 100 count humidor?
Four Size 60 packs, or one Size 320. The count comes from the humidor's rated 100 cigar capacity at one Size 60 per 25 cigars, not from how many cigars are currently inside.
What size Boveda do I need for a travel case?
Size 8, at one pack per 5 cigars of capacity. A 5 cigar case takes one, a 10 to 15 cigar case takes two or three. Travel cases are plastic or leather, so they never need seasoning.
Is 65 or 69 Boveda better for cigars?
69% RH is Boveda's default and the safe starting point. Choose 65% if you want a drier profile with an easier burn, are aging long term, or live somewhere humid; choose 72% for dry climates or a humidor that will not hold its band.
Can you use too many Boveda packs in a humidor?
No. The saturated salt solution inside a two-way pack fixes the RH it drives toward, so extra packs cannot push a sealed humidor past the printed figure. They only add buffer and make the set last longer. The real risk is under-packing, which drains the packs fast and lets the band sag.