How To Calibrate Your Hygrometer

Been scouring the internet for tips on how to keep your humidor at the correct humidity? The issue could be your hygrometer. Depending on your device, hygrometers should be recalibrated to make sure they are accurate at least once a year. By the end of this article, you'll be able to calibrate a digital, analog, or Bluetooth hygrometer like a pro. First things first, see if you have a digital or analog hygrometer. If you have not yet purchased one, we would recommend a digital hygrometer, as they are typically more accurate. Find the best in the business here.

How To Calibrate a Digital Hygrometer

To calibrate a digital hygrometer, you need a soda cap or small dish, table salt, a small airtight bag or container, and of course, a digital hygrometer.

The Salt Method:

1. Fill your soda cap or a small dish with salt.
2. Pour enough water into the salt to make a proper mixture, enough that all of the salt is wet, but not too much so that the water level rises past the salt. You are looking for a paste or slush-like consistency. 
3. Open your airtight bag or container and place it on a flat surface. Carefully place the salt mixture inside. 
4. Remove and reinsert the batteries on your digital hygrometer to reset the hygrometer. 
5. Place the hygrometer inside the bag or container with the salt mixture and seal. Leave the container undisturbed for 12 hours.

If your digital hygrometer is reading 75% relative humidity, you did it! If it does not read 75%, that’s not a big deal. You can adjust your hygrometer to read 75%, or if your digital hygrometer is not adjustable, you can note the difference between your current reading and 75.* You may now place your hygrometer in the humidor with your cigars for an accurate reading. 

*Ex: If your hygrometer now reads 70% after calibration, note that your hygrometer is reading low and that you should add 5% to any reading in the future.

How To Calibrate an Analog Hygrometer

Analog hygrometers, while cool looking, are notorious for inaccurate readings. If you chose to use an analog version, know that you should recalibrate your hygrometer at least once every two months to be sure you are getting an accurate measure of humidity. 

To calibrate an analog hygrometer, you can again use the salt method listed above. It is important to note that many analog hygrometers come installed in your humidor, you must remove the device from the humidor before proceeding with the salt method. 

If your reading is above or below 75% after implementing the salt method, there is no need to worry. One of the benefits of using an analog hygrometer is that with a screwdriver, you can manually adjust the reading to 75%. Just turn the small screw on the back of the device immediately after removing the hygrometer from your airtight container. Once the front reads 75%, you are good to go, and your hygrometer is ready to join your cigars inside your humidor.

How To Calibrate a Bluetooth Hygrometer

In today’s digital world, there are a few hygrometers that work over the internet or through Bluetooth by sending humidity readings to your smartphone or tablet. In this case, the hygrometer will have a set of instructions included upon purchase to calibrate the device to the proper humidity.

Enjoy Your Perfectly-Calibrated Hygrometer

From everyone at Cigar World, we hope that you’ve found this article helpful when calibrating your hygrometer. If you have any tips or tricks from your personal experience with calibrating hygrometers, we’d love to hear about them in the comments.