Humidor Advise for a beginner

[Wharf Rat]

Originally Posted by bobarian

I am not sure how this misconception arose. Analog hygrometers have been used for over 100 years. Once properly calibrated an analog hygrometer is just as accurate as any digital device. An uncalibrated digital hygrometer is just as likely to be inaccurate as an uncalibrated analog piece.

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I need to carefully add some caveats to this. It is certainly true that hygrometers predate the digital age and were in use for a long time. As an aside, they often used horse hair as the element that changed length in relation to the RH, causing the needle to move. And they can be calibrated and accurate as you suggest. This said, I have yet to find one on an $150 humidor that can be reasonably calibrated in the first place. So, as a practical matter, folks are better off with a cheap digital model.