Product: Cigar Oasis XL Plus

Type: Electronic humidifier

Retail: 139, A/C only

Website: http://www.cigaroasis.com

Reviewer: Doc

We recently reviewed and rated the younger sibling of the XL Plus (See Cigar Oasis XL rating: December 12, 2005) and found it to be an excellent humidifier. The XL Plus features the same microprocessor technology as the XL. The primary difference is that the new water cartridge and airflow mechanics allow the XL Plus to pick up more moisture and provide more rapid humidification. This is especially useful with larger humidors and cabinets, which lose humidity rapidly when opened, and whose volume requires rapid re-humidification. The better performance of the XL Plus is due to replacing the water wicking system with a foam system.

You can also purchase the optional battery pack, though I hardly see this as useful when used with a large humidor. In a large humidor the Cigar Oasis will be running frequently, especially if the humidor is opened often. This would exhaust batteries quickly, requiring constant replacement. The Cigar Oasis also comes with a flat cable that is useful if you do not have a large opening through which to pass the A/C cable and you don’t want to lose the humidor’s seal.

SET UP AND USE: [Score: 94] The directions are easy to follow, though the instruction guide is not very user friendly. Regardless, the XL Plus is very intuitive. Just fill the water cartridge, plug in, and set the desired humidity level using the buttons located on the top of the unit. There are only three buttons: two to set the humidity (up, and down), and one to reveal the digital readout of the current humidity. The digital panel lights up when one of the buttons are depressed so it can be seen easily from with the darkness of a cavernous humidor filled with your favorite smokes.

FUNCTION: [Score: 92] This product works as advertised. The unit is factory set at 70% RH and the fan kicks on when the humidity is too low and runs until the desired RH is met.

There are electronic devices that have more features than the XL Plus. For example, there is no alarm mode to warn that the humidity is too low. With the XL Plus you need to press the Display button to get either a low battery or low H20 warning. Also, the XL Plus is not a thermostat. It doesn’t regulate temperature, nor does it give you any information about temperature. If you want to know the temperature of your humidor, you need to use some other device. This is a feature that should be included in future versions. Without a temperature readout, most collectors and cigar aficionados will want to place a secondary digital hygrometer/temperature gauge in their humidors. This is an unnecessary redundancy.

Overall this is a great product. It works as advertised and it’s easy to set up and use. My only gripe is the cost. At 139.00, it’s a bit pricey. On the other hand, what value do we place on the condition of our primo smokes?

OVERALL SCORE: 93