Climate can be affected by numerous factors, one of which is none other than humidity. Most tropical regions of the world are affected by a high concentration of humidity in the air. And it severely impacts the daily lives of people who live in these regions. Even if you do not live in a severely humid region like the tropics, there are some products that require special care. Humidity can cripple the quality of the product, in such cases, one of these best hygrometers can help you out.
What most people don’t know, humidity is not a very human-friendly condition. It can become hard to breathe and you tend to sweat way more which can cause dehydration. Also, humidity promotes some unfriendly conditions in your living environment. It promotes the growth of bacteria and fungus, which is harmful to the human body. We need to avoid such living conditions at any cost, as it can risk disease.
There are products like dehumidifiers for keeping our living environment healthy. But as we said some products decline in quality under humid conditions. We need to constantly monitor them and ensure that humidity levels are down. Even if you place these items in a humidor even then hygrometers are used to monitor the situation of humidity inside of them.
Uses of a Hygrometer
The most common use of hygrometers is in small enclosures or humidors in which you can store items. To protect items from humidity, you place them in humidors. One such example of such items, in fact, a very common example would be cigars. Cigars are very susceptible to humidity, they can mold and lose their quality very quickly if they are not stored properly in humidors. It would be a waste of money since cigars are a very expensive item.
To see that the humidity levels inside a humidor are bearable, a hygrometer can be placed inside of it. If the humidity levels are not ideal, you can do something to improve the conditions. But knowing the levels is important. People also use hygrometers inside reptile tanks or terrariums. Because these creatures require certain living conditions, it is important to ensure the levels are stable and not too high or low.
Hygrometers are very useful tools, to know how to find the ones, let us look at a detailed buyer’s guide.
Buyer’s Guide on Choosing the Best Hygrometers
There are many types of Hygrometers available in the market. To choose the best hygrometers for your needs, you need to know what they will be used for and the types of hygrometers in the market. Knowing both of these things will help in the selection of the one that you will need for yourself. Let us explore in further detail below.
Cigar Humidors
As we said earlier, one of the most common cases used for hygrometers is cigar humidors. A humidor is a case that seals off moisture. So the item placed inside it stays safe from excess levels of humidity. Cigar enthusiasts and sellers often stock up on these, and they can be extremely expensive. A box of Cuban cigars, one of the best in the world, can go for anywhere around $300 or more depending on the brand. Vintage cigars can cost even more. Their prices sometimes exceed $1000 in the market.
Only a cigar enthusiast will go ahead and spend that much amount on them. But if you do not keep them away from moisture, you cannot store them for a long time. Expensive cigars come in humidors already, placing a hygrometer inside of it can be beneficial. It will be an assurance to know that your expensive indulgence is not going to lose quality. These vintage cigars are treated at very low moisture levels to give them their taste and quality. They lose taste and texture if they are exposed to high moisture levels again.
Terrarium
Reptiles are very sensitive creatures and require warm and humid habitats to survive. If the moisture levels are not maintained, their skin starts to shed prematurely. This is hazardous to their health. If you are a reptile enthusiast and have lizards or snakes, you will have to keep an eye on the moisture level inside it. With the help of a hygrometer, you can keep your reptile in suitable environments. Without it, however, you might risk the health of your reptile.
Placing a hygrometer inside of the reptile tank or terrarium will tell you what is the moisture level in it. You can put a small humidifier in the tank at intervals to improve the humidity inside it.
Medical Reasons
Due to excess humidity fungus, bacteria, mold can grow really fast. You will find mold growing on walls with ingress and you will also see fungal growth as well. These can be harmful to a person’s health normally. It is specifically harmful to those with conditions related to their breathing like asthma. If you are a patient of any breathing disease, you would want to ensure that there isn’t any fungal or bacterial growth in your living premises.
To make sure that the growth of such harmful things is not possible in your home, you need to have a hygrometer to monitor the moisture in the air. If you keep an eye on the humidity levels, you can use a dehumidifier when required.
Protecting Expensive Equipment
Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which elements gain oxygen. If you are not very familiar with the term itself, rust is a great example of oxidation. You know how harmful rust can be to uncoated steel equipment. Even if the element has rust immune tendencies, oxidation can still harm it. An example of this is how silverware if not maintained slowly turns dark in color. If you want to protect expensive equipment like silverware, placing a hygrometer will do you good. It will notify you if there is a lot of unneeded moisture in the air.
Digital and Analog Hygrometers
If you are looking at the types of hygrometers available in the market, you will find either a digital or an analog hygrometer. Many cigar humidors have an analog hygrometer in them already when you purchase them. Cigar enthusiasts prefer the aesthetics of an analog hygrometer. It looks like a watch or compass with needles and a metal frame. But in reality, it is just good in aesthetics as it is less accurate compared to a digital hygrometer.
If you need accurate numbers, we would suggest you look at a digital one. The digital hygrometer sometimes also helps in pointing out the temperature of an enclosure. Analog hygrometers are still made in the same ways as they were in older days.
Now let us look at some of the best hygrometers in the market:
Best Hygrometers Reviewed
1. Cigar Oasis Caliber IV
If you are a cigar enthusiast who is not keen on aesthetics, this is the thing for you. Rated as one of the most accurate hygrometers for humidors, the Cigar Oasis Caliber IV is not much for looks. It is the most selling hygrometer in the cigar industry due to its highly accurate information. In fact, it is the top-selling hygrometer on Amazon as well, which says something about its accuracy.
It is a very simple-looking hygrometer that can tell you the temperature and moisture level of an enclosure. It is best used as a cigar humidor hygrometer though since it is made as such. If you are looking for something to point out the temperature and humidity of a room though, we would suggest finding another hygrometer. It is factory calibrated and is adjustable as well.
Pros
- Most accurate moisture level indicator for humidors
- Factory calibrated
- Can be recalibrated
- Strong magnetic mount
- 3 days average low/highs
Cons
- Expensive
- Unaesthetic for Cigar Humidors
2. ThermoPro TP55 Digital Hygrometer
The ThermoPro TP55 is the go-to hygrometer for most scenarios to monitor room moisture levels. It also has a very accurate temperature indicator as well. One of the best hygrometers in the market right now, you can check the humidity levels of rooms, greenhouses, cellars, attics, and offices with it. It has a backlight which enables you to keep an eye on the humidity and temperature even in dark spaces. This pairs it perfectly with dark and humid spaces like cellars and attics.
It has multiple options for placement. It has a table stand on the back that you can use to put on a plain table. There is also a wall mount for putting it up on a wall. Lastly, it also has a magnetic mounting for putting it up on a fridge if required. With diverse mounting options, it is well suited for multiple environments. It has a touch screen for adjusting and calibration purposes.
Pros
- LED backlight
- Multiple mounting options
- Touchscreen
- Large screen
- 3-year warranty
- Included batteries
Cons
- Weak magnetic mounting option
- No time indicator
3. AcuRite Monitor Digital Hygrometer
AcuRite is one of the top brands that provide you with weather-related gadgets in the market. It is a state-of-the-art gadget that is also very affordable comparatively. Other than an attractive price point, the other thing it is really good at is accurately pointing out the moisture levels. It has a very accurate humidity meter, just one fault, if we are to find in that, has to be the digital hygrometer rounds off the numbers. It does not show the levels in decimals. Furthermore, it does not have a backlight so it is not very suitable for dark places.
But other than those two faults, it is hard to find any problems in the AcuRite Monitor digital hygrometer. And if you need a backlight that badly, the Pro version has it. It can be recalibrated and a color-coded indicator helps in understanding if the humidity levels are safe or not. Besides that, it also records highs and lows for a day as well.
Another good thing about the AcuRite Monitor digital hygrometer is its multiple mounting options. First, you have a tabletop stand to help it stand upright on a table. Second, we have a wall mount option to hang it on a wall, lastly, we also have a magnetic option for putting it up on a fridge.
Pros
- Accurate info on moisture levels.
- Color-coded humidity indicator for safety.
- Manual calibration
- Daily lows and highs
- Multiple mounting options
Cons
- No LED backlight in normal option (Pro option is just a few dollars extra)
- Rounds off figures instead of displaying in decimals
4. Cigar Oasis Analog Hygrometer
Another one for cigar enthusiasts, the Cigar Oasis analog hygrometer has both accuracy and aesthetics. It not only looks good but also has a very advanced and accurate sensor. This beautiful analog hygrometer is encased in an aluminum frame that does not rust and corrode. In addition to that, the glass cover on the face is also scratch and fog-resistant.
This hygrometer is great for cigar humidors, but can also be used for other purposes as well. Like keeping moisture in check for places where woodwork is happening. Since wood acts adversely to moisture, it is best to keep accuracy in check while working with wood. And with the advanced sensor in the Cigar Oasis Analog Hygrometer, it can be done with ease.
Also, with the option to recalibrate it, you can change its location from room to room. It has a magnetic mounting option on it.
Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Advanced accurate sensor
- Aluminum Body
- Scratch resistance glass face
- Affordable
Cons
- Not great with relatively high humid environments
- No instruction manual included
5. AcuRite 00613 Digital Hygrometer
AcuRite 00613 is another inexpensive digital hygrometer by the company that produces some of the best weather gadgets. This hygrometer is pretty plain and simple, compared to the model we recommended earlier this one does not have tons of features. But it does what it is supposed to do very well compared to most hygrometers. It is very accurate when it comes to measuring the moisture in the air.
It also has a thermometer as well, which is also pretty accurate. Since it is very plain and simple, it does not have tons of features though. There isn’t any LED backlight to show you the temps and humidity in dark environments. There aren’t any colors whatsoever either like the other AcuRite Monitor. Though it has all the mounting options on it. You can wall-mount it, put it on a desk or stick it to the fridge with the magnet mount.
Records the temperature and humidity daily and shows it on the screen. The screen is pretty large as well. It also has a long battery life, which is great since changing batteries every so often can feel like a big hassle.
Pros
- Accurate moisture and temperature measurement
- Multiple mounting options
- Records daily lows and highs
- Inexpensive
- Measures both temps and moisture
Cons
- No LED backlight
- Doesn’t come with instructions
6. Govee Thermometer Hygrometer
This is the age of smartphones and smart devices. So it does not come as a surprise that a smart hygrometer would be on the list. The Govee Thermometer Hygrometer is a smart device that connects to your smartphone to give you notifications and even records data. You can pull up records from up to 2 years back, though we doubt you would need to go that back. But it is a useful feature to know the moisture and temperature from a few days back.
Also since it is a smart device, you can actually get notified if the temperature or moisture levels increase a lot. So this goes perfectly with humidors and places where you work with wood. Since too much exposure to moisture might reduce the quality of the woodwork or cigars in the humidors.
It comes with multiple mounting options as well and it has a pretty big LCD screen. But you can monitor the temperatures and humidity levels from the comfort of the couch using your phone. The only downside is, it is connected via Bluetooth and not the internet. So if you move out of range, you will not be able to get readings or notifications.
Pros
- Smart Hygrometer
- Considerably Affordable
- Notification system
- Monitor using a smartphone
- Large LCD
- Records data
Cons
- Uses Bluetooth connection
7. Temp Stick Wireless Remote Sensor
If you are not much for tradition and stay up with the evolving technology, this wireless sensor hygrometer is what you want. The Temp Stick Wireless Remote Sensor measures humidity and temperature in real-time and provides you with feedback on your smartphone or tablet. The best part is, it connects using the internet. So no matter where you are, as long as you have a stable internet connection you can monitor the temperature and humidity.
Also, it records data and can recall it whenever you want. There are no limitations to the data logging history. The company provides you with a 3-year long warranty. The device itself has a 1-year battery life, so you don’t need to replace batteries for a whole year. Also, it is very simple to set up, so does not require assistance from anyone whatsoever.
It is factory-calibrated, so you don’t need to worry about calibration. And it has a really strong WiFi signal so you can place it in distant places without it losing any internet connection. If we were to point out any bad things about the device, it would be that it does not have an LCD or LED screen to inform us of the humidity and temperature levels on the device itself.
Pros
- Uses WiFi
- Strong WiFi connection
- Records history unlimitedly
- Long battery life
- Very accurate sensors
Cons
- Very expensive
- No on-device indicators or screen
8. Scotte Digital Hygrometer for Humidors
If humidity and temperature measurement are all that you need from your hygrometer, then the Scotte Digital Hygrometer for humidors is perfect for you. This device is very plain and simple, all it does is display the moisture levels in the air. It also shows the temperature at Celcius. If you want it in Fahrenheit, you will just have to convert it by yourself.
This device is perfect for humidors since it is very small and light. Just place it inside a cigar humidor, jar, or cabinet to know if the humidity levels are suitable or not. Since it is very light, the humidor’s weight does not increase too much, so even if you were to carry it, you would not be burdened in the least.
There is not much to say about this digital hygrometer other than that it is pretty accurate and very inexpensive. In fact, it is the cheapest in the whole line-up of the best hygrometers so far. Though the lack of a backlight is kind of disappointing, since it is a digital hygrometer we would have loved to see one.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Plain and simple
- Accurate measurements
- Lightweight
Cons
- Shows temperature in Celcius and not Fahrenheit
- No LED backlight
Conclusion
We have understood so far that humidity and temperatures can affect people a lot. And knowing the effects of temperature and humidity on things around you and on you leads to your need to monitor them. The best way to do that is if you install a hygrometer in your immediate vicinity. Whether it is to take care of your expensive cigars or your plants in a greenhouse, a hygrometer can be really handy.
Getting any of these best hygrometers from our list would serve you well. And with the variety in the list, from digital to analog, from smart to simple, and from expensive to very inexpensive, the list contains it all. So go ahead and choose one of these hygrometers depending on your need if you need to monitor air moisture levels and temperatures.