Product: Heartfelt Humidity Beads

Type: Humidification product

Website: http://heartfeltindustries.com

Reviewer: Doc

OVERALL SCORE: 93 = STOGIE FRESH GOLD STAR RATING

BACKGROUND:

Silica gel was patented in 1919 for use in the adsorption of vapors and gases in gas mask canisters in World War I. It was first recommended for use in museum applications as a buffering agent to control relative humidity (RH) in 1959. The current form of silica gel that is used for cigar humidor applications is a moisture-sensitive material that absorbs and desorbs moisture in order to offset changes in RH. The goal is to create a microclimate in the humidor that is suitable for the proper aging and storing of cigars.

SET UP AND USE: [Score: 95]

For this review, I looked at the beads in 1-ounce and 4-ounce humidifier tubes. The tubes come in airtight plastic bags and are pre-charged and ready to use. The humidification beads are a snap to set up and use. You simply remove the tube from the bag and toss in your humidor and you are set to go.

Dry beads are recharged through direct application of distilled water. Only pure distilled water should be used as tap water or propylene glycol solutions will clog the beads and shorten their lifespan. Within a tube, you can apply water with a teaspoon, while recharging beads in an open container you can employ a spray bottle. Dry beads may crack during recharging but this does not change the adsorption capacity.

Caution: the tube shipped to me had some fine silica gel dust on it and there were some stray beads in the bottom of the bag. Be sure to wipe your tube clean of all dust before using. Though silica gel is relatively inert, you do not want to breathe the dust, nor will you want to allow the dust to cover your smokes. Also, as usual, keep out of reach of children and animals, swallowing the beads and breathing the fine dust particles can be harmful.

FUNCTION: [Score: 91]

I used the 70% RH beads to humidify a 165-count Daniel Marshall humidor and a 50-count Elie Bleu. Both humidors had been functioning consistently for several months. Both humidors were about half full of cigars and I did not vary the number of cigars throughout the duration of the review period. The humidors used pre-calibrated “Little Havana” digital hygrometers. The humidors were located in different rooms of my house (more on that later).

I conducted the test over 7 days and recorded the RH three times per day at regular intervals (See the detailed spreadsheet of the readings at http://www.stogiefresh.com/stogie_stats/heartfelt_test.htm). The humidity in the Daniel Marshall averaged 70.8% over the trial period. Can’t get much more accurate than that. The Elie Bleu, however, averaged 64.7% RH, which isn’t bad, but was a bit off the mark for the 70% beads. I have a good guess about the reason for the observed difference. The temperature in the room where the Elie was located averaged 70 degrees Fahrenheit (this is based on readings of temperature at the same time I recorded the RH values), while the average temperature for the room where the DM was located was 66.9 degrees. Since it has been cold lately, we have built several fires in the fireplace in the front of the house. I believe that the higher temperature was causing a “leaching effect” that was drawing humidity from the humidor. This is consistent with other reports in the literature. Overall, the beads performed well. I will be checking on my theory stated above by moving the Elie Bleu to the back room and observing the results over the next few days. You will be able to see these changes as I update the spreadsheet.

The lifespan of humidification beads is not without limits. Research by manufacturers has shown that all silica gel will slowly lose its adsorption capacity. The natural presence of gaseous pollutants (like ammonia from cigars) will accelerate this process. However, not to worry, the lifespan of silica gel can be considered roughly 10 years. You can continue to use the beads even longer, but their adsorption characteristics will be lower.

VALUE: [Score: 93]

Given the lifespan of silica gels, they are a very economical means of humidifying your smokes. If you assume a 10 year lifespan for the beads, a 1-ounce tube would be about a buck a year and a 4-ounce tube about two-bucks per annum. Obviously, bulk purchase of beads would be even more economical. Since the beads can take up considerable room in a humidor, they are more cost effective for use in larger humidors and represent a super value. The economies of scale would be in favor of the beads in a high-count desktop, cabinet, or coolidor.

Overall, the Heartfelt humidification beads is an excellent product that shows how much the industry has progressed with humidification devices. From sponges, to foam, to the new wave of products and technologies like silica gel, there continues to be improvement in our quest for the perfect cigar.