Should You Keep Cellophane On Or Off Your Cigars? An In-Depth Look At Both Options

A hotly contested debate that continues to make the rounds in cigar shops, groups, and forums: should you keep your cigar in cellophane or remove it? Whether you're new to the hobby or an experienced cigar aficionado, you've likely pondered this yourself.

If you've ever set foot in a cigar shop, you've likely seen rows and rows of cigars; some are packaged inside a clear, plastic-like wrapper while others aren't. What's the deal? Are some just that special that they get their own individual wrapping? Sort of. This special wrapping is known as cellophane.

What Is Cellophane? 

Cellophane is a natural product manufactured from cellulose, a compound found in plants such as cotton, hemp, and wood. A common misconception is that cellophane is plastic and is harmful to cigars. It is not. Cellophane is fully biodegradable and compostable. It is formed into a thin, clear, semi-permeable sleeve that cigars are then placed into before being packaged and shipped all over the world.

If My Cigar Is In Cellophane, Does It Still Need To Be Kept In A Humidor?

Unless you plan on having your cigar right away, we highly recommend putting all your cigars, in cellophane or not, into a humidor to ensure they have the best flavours and don't dry out. Under ideal conditions, like the ones in a well-maintained humidor, your cigars will last forever, even getting better with age.

A cigar wrapped in cellophane will only last about a week outside a humidor. If you are in a pinch, you can always dip a cotton ball or pad in some distilled water (squeezing out excess moisture) and place it, along with your cigar, in a Ziploc bag to keep it from drying out. Never use tap water in your humidor.

Benefits Of Keeping Your Cigars In Cellophane: 

Keeping your cigars in cellophane has some benefits. Here are six reasons why you should keep your cigars in cellophane:

Cellophane Prevents Cigar Beetles From Ruining Your Collection

You aren't the only one who enjoys cigars. Small, almost microscopic, critters known as cigar/tobacco beetles also like them. Cigar beetle eggs are too small for human eyes to detect and can easily end up rolled inside a cigar.

Although many cigar manufacturers chill their tobacco before rolling or shipping, sometimes these beetles survive and make it into your humidor. If the temperature in your humidor exceeds 75F, it's the perfect temperature for these pests to hatch and begin to feast on the tobacco that surrounds them.

Telltale signs of a cigar/tobacco beetle infestation include:

• Small holes in the wrappers of your cigars

• Cigar "dust" either inside the cellophane or in your humidor

Keeping a cigar in cellophane reduces the chances of a cigar beetle infestation spreading. Cigar beetles don't like the taste of cellophane, and if the cellophane is sealed or pinched, then there's no way for them to escape.

Cellophane Greatly Reduces The Chance Of Mold

Cigars wrapped in cellophane are protected from any foreign debris, including dirt, dust, and mold, that could enter your humidor and harm your cigars. Even one mold spore could wreak havoc on your entire collection if it lands on a cigar and remains unchecked.

If, for some reason, a cigar does develop mold, cellophane will prevent the mold from spreading to other sticks, minimizing the potential loss to your collection.

Additionally, mold can't grow on Spanish cedar, so there's no need to worry that the back corner of your humidor is festering and growing into its own creature that will devour your cigar collection before you get home from work.

Cellophane Protects Against Damage

Cellophane acts like a buffer between the cigar and whatever surface it may contact. This could be your fingers when you go to pick a cigar from your humidor, or the ground should a cigar roll away and try its luck at skydiving without a parachute. Without the cellophane, your cigar may crack, split, or unravel if it meets an unfortunate end with the ground. 

Retailers also like cellophane as it provides an extra layer of protection against shoppers' grubby fingerprints, which remove the oils on the cigars' wrappers. Some tobacconists won't let customers grab cigars themselves, but that doesn't mean that the cigars don't get handled a lot while they're on the shelves.

Cellophane Keeps The Cigars Aromas And Oils Contained

Each cigar is created with different types of tobaccos, creating a unique flavour profile known as a "blend". Keeping cigars in their cellophane wrappers contains the tobacco's aromas and oils within the package, enhancing the flavours.

The oils on cigar wrappers can develop over time and create little pockets known as "tooth". These are small bumps, similar to tiny goosebumps, that appear on a cigar's wrapper and ash. Tooth is considered desirable amongst cigar aficionados and is a sign of a well-aged cigar that will be more flavourful than its non-toothy counterpart.

Cigars Will Last Longer Outside Of Your Humidor

A cigar kept in its cellophane will last longer outside a humidor than a naked cigar, since humidity takes longer to dissipate into the ambient air when the cigar is wrapped.

This means you can put a cigar in your jacket pocket in the morning and it will remain fresh until you intend to have it later in the day. If you don't end up having it, you can just pop it back in your humidor.

Cellophane Is An Indicator Of Aged Cigars

The cellophane on a well-aged cigar will turn yellow, due to staining from the oils and sugars inside the wrapper leaf over time. The yellowing can take anywhere from six months to a few years depending on the types of tobacco used in the cigar.

An aged cigar, like aged wine, will have a mellow, more complex flavour profile than a fresh cigar taken right off the production line. As the tobacco ages, it slowly breaks down, removing some of the "younger" characteristics like overly harsh, bitter flavours and aromas.

Myth: Cellophane Is Completely Airproof 

Cellophane contains microscopic pores that allow humidity to permeate through the cellophane into the cigar. This humidification process takes longer for cigars in cellophane than it does for naked cigars, but patience is a virtue.

Benefits Of Removing Cellophane From Your Cigars:

There are also some benefits to removing the cellophane from your cigars. Here are 5 benefits:

Cigars Are Visually More Appealing Without Cellophane

Cigars without cellophane look more inviting and refined to the eye than do a bunch of shiny wrappers. If you like to show off your collection or have a glass top humidor, this can be ideal.

You Can See And Feel A Damaged Cigar Easier Without Cellophane

Damage like cracks, splits, tears, mold, and dreaded cigar beetles can be spotted easily without the hindrance of glistening cellophane. You can tell if your humidity is too low or too high without even looking at your hygrometer. It's also an easy way to tell if your hygrometer isn't calibrated properly.

You can pick up a cigar and gently squeeze it to determine if it is too dry. If you squeeze and hear cracking, your cigar is too dry. It should instead have a slight spongy feel and a small amount of give. If your cigars are too dry, consider increasing the humidity in your humidor for a few weeks.

If you are experiencing issues such as cigar beetles, problems with your humidor, or an uncalibrated hygrometer, our article How To Properly Store Cigars has answers and helpful tips that will keep your cigars from ending up in the trash.

Cigars Without Cellophane Create A Welcoming Aroma In Your Humidor

The natural aroma of Spanish cedar and tobacco leaves will waft every time you open your humidor. Science shows that olfactory stimulation can positively affect our emotions and behaviour, which means that if you enjoy the scent of cigars, you are priming yourself for a wonderful experience once you cut and light one.

If you like the smell of humidor, read our review of the fragrance Liqueur BPM by L'Orchestre Parfum. It smells like walking into a cigar humidor with a glass of brandy in hand.

Cigars Are Easier To Rehydrate When They Are Not In Cellophane

Humidity can penetrate the leaves much more easily when the entire cigar is exposed directly to moisture in the humidor. Rehydrating a cigar without cellophane can take upwards of three months, depending on the severity of dehydration. But if you're willing to wait it out, your once dry cigar will be good as new.

Cigars Age Faster When They Aren't In Cellophane

Cigars without cellophane will easily absorb the aromas and moisture inside your humidor. This, in turn, will speed up the aging process compared to cigars left in cellophane.

These cigars will pick up subtle nuanced flavours from nearby sticks and from the Spanish cedar in the humidor, and the oils inside the leaves will break down quicker, creating a different and unique flavour profile compared to cigars aged in cellophane.

If You Remove Your Cigars From Cellophane, Pay Close Attention To Your Readings

If you remove the cellophane from your cigars, you have to pay extra close attention to both your temperature and relative humidity (RH%) readings. A major shift in one, or both, of these parameters could leave you with multiple ruined cigars, since there's no wrapper to protect them.

A sudden shift in temperature and/or relative humidity (RH%) could cause numerous, often irreversible, problems including cracking, mold, and cigar beetles. It's best to check your readings at least twice a day to ensure everything is operating normally inside your humidor.

Can Bare Cigars Touch Each Other In A Humidor? 

Depending on the strength of your cigars, you may find the flavours and aromas from your stronger sticks leaching into milder sticks lying close by inside your humidor. If you plan on removing the cellophane from your cigars, try organizing them by wrapper type or strength and using dividers or trays to keep them separated.

You won't have to worry about this issue if you keep your cigars in their cellophane wrappers. Unless they're infused cigars, which is a whole different story.

A Precautionary Note On Infused Cigars

Infused cigars should be kept in their own humidors, away from non-infused sticks, even if they're packaged in cellophane. Their flavours can easily leach into other sticks, completely changing their flavour profiles.

If you don't have a spare humidor, you can pack them in a Ziploc bag with a two-way humidification system, squeeze most of the air out, then place it in another Ziploc bag, with most of the air squeezed out of it as well. Then place those infused cigars in a separate area inside your humidor.

A Happy Medium 

Some cigar aficionados who want the benefit of both worlds will cut off the tail end of the cellophane (the part that is typically folded over and tucked under the cigar), to allow the humidity to reach the cigar more effectively and also to protect it from any nasties that may find their way into the humidor.

Summary: To Cellophane Or Not To Cellophane?

There are pros and cons for both keeping the cellophane on and removing it, so ultimately it comes down to your personal preference. At the end of the day, they're your cigars that you spent your hard-earned money on, so enjoy them the way you think is best.

Experiment: If you want to experience the differences between cellophane and no cellophane, remove the cellophane from a handful of your cigars and compare them with their cellophane-covered counterparts. Record the flavours and any changes you notice. You may end up changing your position on this hotly contested question.

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