If you recall the article where we tested the temperature and humidty of cigars during transit, you know that Andrew likes to test the latest gadgets in the cigar world. Today we’ll be taking a look at the following humidity and temperature monitoring solutions:
- Xikar PuroTemp
- Boveda Smart Sensor
- Sensor Push
Each of these devices has pros and cons that won’t fit into a comparison picture. Scroll down below to see more about each device.
Xikar PuroTemp
Our first device is made by Xikar, one of the most trusted brands in the business. Their solution uses two devices: a display and a sensor unit. Unlike the other two gadgets, Xikar opted to not have a smartphone app.
With PuroTemp, you can monitor up to three sensors within a 60ft area from the display unit. The temperature and relative humidity readings are displayed without decimal points with an accuracy of +/- 2%. Since there is no smartphone app, data is only shown in real-time and doesn’t monitor previous time periods.
Additional sensors can be purchased at $39.99 each.
Reasons we like this hygrometer:
- No smartphone necessary
Sensor Push
Our favorite device, this sensor pushes information directly to your smartphone app. Out of the box it has a maximum distance of 325ft, but Sensor Push also has an additional Wi-Fi add-on so that you can monitor your cigars while travelling. We're not really sure just how many sensors can be added to your app, but the commercial use case of this product suggests that it's quite a lot.
Sensor Push updates humidity and temperature readings every minute to one decimal place, simultaneously making it the most accurate and timely device tested. And unlike the Xikar PuroTemp, this device keeps information for up to two weeks so that you can view trends.
Both the Sensor Push and Boveda Smart Sensor offer customizable alerts for temperature and humidity.
Reasons we like this hygrometer:
- Ease of use
- Minimalistic design
- Near real-time data
- Only sensor with WiFi capability (add-on)
Boveda Smart Sensor
Boveda’s solution promises to do more for cigar enthusiasts than the other two devices:
- Keeps long range data for seasonal trends
- Monitors the opening, moving, or dropping of humidors
- Features an automatic Boveda re-order setting
- Features alarms for low humidity, temperature, impact, and even low batteries
- Better accuracy with 2-point calibration at +/- 1.5%
Boveda also sells their Smart Sensor with a calibration kit for a little more that includes four 60g packs. And if those packs dry up, Boveda's app will let you buy more on the spot - or even setup automatic delivery. The one negative about the Smart Sensor is that we experienced difficulty calibrating the unit.
Up to six of these sensors can be connected to the Boveda app at one time, making the Boveda and Sensor Push solutions ideal for those with several humidors (or one very large humidor.)
Reasons we like this hygrometer:
- More features geared specifically for cigar enthusiasts
- Most comprehensive alert options
- Best value
Comments
Hourly history is weird in that it is sometimes blank for periods of time, like data is missing. I attempted to setup an old phone (S4) to connect with Bluetooth at home and upload to the cloud so I could monitor from my phone from anywhere. That may or may not work, I can't quite tell.
I really wanted to like this, but I'm also lukewarm. It does provide me with a reading without having to go open my cooler, but I can't say much more for it than that.
Your review mentioned, “...this device keeps information for up to two weeks so that you can view trends.” Each sensor can keep about 22 days (that’s 3-weeks and a day) of data on the sensor unit if there is no paired iOS or Android device in range.
I have an iPad and have the SensorPush app on the tablet. The iPad is usually at home so the iPad will receive the minute-by-minute updates and when I get home my smartphone will get up to 22 days of detail updates. Once uploaded, the SensorPush iOS or Android app keeps the data indefinitely on the device. It can be exported in a csv file, so you could use MS Excel for backup or slicing and dicing the data even more.
Then, of course, if you never want to drop data, you could get the WiFi gateway.