The Xikar HumiKit is a combination of 4 different products, rolled into one package. Those 4 items are the 250ct Crystal Humidifier, an 8oz PG Solution, Digital Gauge Hygrometer, and HumiFan The latter two of these items are brand new to the company.
Digital Gauge Hygrometer
The Digital Gauge Hygrometer is the newest addition to the PuroTemp™ Hygrometer Family. The Digital Gauge Hygrometer is the modern depiction of the retro analog hygrometer. Its digital hand displays the RH level similar to a speedometer. The oversized digital display makes it easy to monitor temperature and humidity levels inside your humidor with a quick glance. Each hygrometer comes pre-calibrated for accuracy right out of the box.
There is no calibration needed, guaranteed accuracy of +/- 2% RH right out of the box. It has an oversized easy to read digital displays show temperature in either ˚F or ˚C. The Min/ Max feature on rectangular hygrometer shows the lowest minimum and highest maximum humidity recorded over the life of the battery or until the Min/ Max button is pressed again.
HumiFan
The battery operated HumiFan™ is designed to circulate the air in your humidor in 15 second cycles, every 15 minutes. This frequency produces a uniform and conducive environment for your cigars to rest and age properly. The HumiFan™ provides intermittent air circulation to prevent stagnant conditions inside your humidor, allowing your cigars to “breathe” by redistributing the air inside your humidor to diffuse inconsistent humidity levels, providing a more consistent and stable environment for your cigars.
Review
I chose to implement this setup in my Daniel Marshall Ambiente humidor because I know it’s a reliable box and will give me accurate and consistent evaluations of the equipment. The 250ct Crystal Humidifier fits nicely in the compartment that is meant to house the humidification device, which for me, normally has Boveda packs in it, but for the purposes of this test worked out very nicely.
For the duration of my test, the humidor stayed at a fairly consistent 70% humidity. The beads inside the humidifier work very well and come pre-charged with solution. I did not need to refill the humidifier during this time. It is worth noting that you need to use the special Xikar solution with this humidifier because water and other solutions are not meant to work with the beads inside the humidifier. My only complaint about this part of the kit is that you have no options for humidity, it’s 70% or nothing. I like to keep my cigars closer to 65% for various reasons, but I think for most people 70 does just fine.
The hygrometer is pleasant to look at, having both a modern and classic feel with the digital gauge in analog style, and has the advantage of temperature that analog does not. The only issue with the hygrometer I found was that it read a consistent 5% below the actual humidity. It comes pre-calibrated and has no setting for adjustment so if you get one that is off, you are stuck with it. This came as a surprise to me because all of my other experience with recent Xikar hygrometers have been dead on, so it is highly possible that I just got one that is off. Also keep in mind that if you do get one that you believe is off, or ever goes bad, Xikar is notorious for having the best warranty in the industry and will replace it anytime.
The HumiFan is hard to evaluate at all, much less in the short month I was using it, simply because there is really nothing to compare it to. It definitely does what is it supposed to do, which is to circulate the air, and in theory this will keep all of your cigars at the same humidity and keep the air and releasing gasses from getting stale. I do believe it does a good job of this, it’s just hard to show without a side-by-side comparison of the same setup without it. It’s a cool idea and I believe is worth it, especially for a humidor that does not get opened often. I think it would also be more beneficial in a larger humidor.
Overall I think this is a great little starter kit for someone just getting into the hobby, you really don’t have to think about anything, and it just works. I think the more experienced hobbyist might be frustrated with its minor limitations, but what it its intended to do, it does really well. I would definitely recommend this to someone that wants to buy a humidor but doesn’t know what next to do.
Verdict: Very Good
(Recommend)