Case Elegance’s Packaging
In my previous review of Case Elegance, I failed to delve into how their humidors are packaged. On this occasion, I thought it’d be worthwhile to cover as their packaging is substantial.
The Cylindor humidor was encased entirely in thick packing foam. The internal “tray” was also protected by a foam-like bag. Inside this bag was the sealed 69% RH humidity pack, as well as a couple of instruction manuals.
The Felix Pro acrylic humidor was also wholly encased in foam, and the wood base was protected by another foam bag.
All of the additional accessories were stored inside, including two acrylic trays, the cedar tray, a divider, and a cleaning cloth.
Overall, the presentation of these two humidors was pristine.
As consumers, we don’t have insight into all the bumps that these boxes take while en route to us, but the protection used by Case Elegance ensured both humidors arrived in perfect condition.
Felix Pro Acrylic Humidor Review
Right out of the box, the Felix Pro acrylic humidor looks great. I’ll admit that I expected it to look a bit more cheap or plasticky; acrylic is plastic, at the end of the day. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
The acrylic seems to be of excellent quality. Moreover, it’s put together very solidly. I paid particular attention to the hinges which I thought may be a pain point but these, too, are solid without any kind of play.
On the inside, all of the trays fit with a bit of room to move around.
Moreover, they all have wide slots on the bottom, both the acrylic and cedar, to help with circulation.
Finally, the cedar tray has a recessed bottom that leaves space for humidity packs and prevents the cedar from resting directly on the pack.
As far as storage, I can definitely see the Felix Pro holding up to 60 cigars as advertised by Case Elegance.
In the pictures below, I’ve put 38 cigars into the humidor. There is still some room on the top trays and I could arguably pack additional cigars into the bottom.
On the other hand, I did avoid putting too many cigars in the bottom of the humidor. I was concerned that the humidity would have a hard time working its way up from the bottom of the humidor if there was a thick layer of cigars filling up the cedar tray.
Additionally, I would recommend seasoning this cedar tray before using it to store your cigars. Indeed, the cedar tray is quite substantial, so you’ll want to use something like an 84% Boveda pack to do this. Case Elegance doesn’t include this with the humidor; they only include a 69% RH “maintenance” humidity pack.
Overall, I’m delighted with this acrylic humidor. As I mentioned before, I expected a plastic humidor to feel and look cheaper. However, Case Elegance has done a great job putting together the Felix Pro, giving it an absolutely premium look and feel.
Cylindor Jar Humidor
The Cylindor is another option when it comes to a cigar storage method that elegantly displays your cigars. Unlike the Felix, this jar humidor is made from glass. However, just like the Felix, it’s of outstanding quality.
The natural ashwood lid has a black finish and includes an integrated hygrometer. Not only does the hygrometer have a rubber seal, but so does the entire lid. This ensures the humidity inside is maintained.
Inside, the Cylindor has a plastic tray that you can pull up to access the cigars. There is a gap in the middle of this tray where you can place the 69% RH humidity pack that’s also included.
On the inside, at the bottom of the jar, there’s also a bit of cedar. I’m not sure how much this small bit of cedar does, but it does provide a pleasant aroma and certainly helps the aesthetics.
Externally, there is a rubber layer on the bottom of the jar to prevent scratches on whatever surface you place it.
When it comes to capacity, Case Elegance claims you can store as many as 35 cigars in it. In the pictures, I had 27 cigars in the Cylindor so this is absolutely feasible. Again, you wouldn’t want to pack too many cigars in it as this may prevent air circulation throughout the jar.
Once more, Case Elegance has done an excellent job putting this Cylindor together. It’s evident that a lot of thought has gone into its design, and the execution is likewise flawless.
Closing Thoughts
Wooden humidors can be a bit intimidating for cigar collectors, if only for the amount of maintenance that they can require. With the Felix Pro and Cylindor, Case Elegance has taken much of the guesswork out of maintaining your cigars.
Because of this, I think either of these humidors is an ideal choice for beginners. The only remaining factor is which one you think looks better or which one fits better into your budget.
This being said, even if you’re not a beginner, these humidors are great for displaying a segment of your collection. With the Felix Pro or Cylindor, you can keep the majority of your collection in a larger “deep storage” humidor while using these smaller humidors to keep your ready-to-smoke cigars at hand.
Last point – when dealing with transparent humidors, you want to ensure they’re not kept in direct sunlight. The images in this review show them outdoors and in front of a window, which is precisely where you shouldn’t keep them! I was merely using better lighting so that the quality would come through in the images.