Glencreag is a new company in the cigar humidor industry. So much so, that they only make two humidors right now, one wooden (which I reviewed here), and the new 35L which we're talking about today.
Two things I liked about the wooden humidor I reviewed was the attention to detail. In addition to the accessory drawer at the bottom, the wooden shelves were some of the best I'd seen. So, when Glencreag's marketing team reached about to me to review the Glencreag 35L Electronic Humidor (BW-35S) I said “yes” with hopes that they'd once again created something really great for the cigar industry.
Will the Glencreag Electronic Humidor set the new standard for heating & cooling cigar cabinets? Or, will it just be one more black refrigerator that holds cigars?
Let's dive in and take a look!
NOTE: I created two versions of the unboxing and review. Below is the longer, extended cut. If you'd prefer to watch a shorter, more condensed version, you can find it on Rumble and YouTube.
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Initial Thoughts:
Immediately after opening the Glencreag 35L's door, I noticed two things. First, the door has to be opened beyond 90 degrees or the drawers won't pull out. Second, this thing smelled good right from the start – no plastic smell at all!
The next things I noticed was that the door was clear and not mirrored; a minor detail that might not mean anything. Then, when looking at the inside the door of the Glencreag BW-35S, I noticed a silver, metal bar of unknown function (I figured it out later, and it's great!).
Before getting too deep, the final thing I noticed was the interesting humidification system in the Glencreag 35L. We'll dive more into it below, but this humidor has a function I've never seen before (and one I'm not sure I'll even use.
What I Really Liked:
Massive Fan
Most electronic humidors rely on one fan in the back for all circulation. The Glencreag 35L changes things up a bit and adds a massive fan that sits about 3″ above the bottom. Place the humidification tray below that, and the fan, in theory, draws humidified air up from the small basin of water and pushes the air upward.
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Edge Lighting
Wow, what an awesome addition! Once I figured out what the vertical bar was in the door, I loved the idea. Instead of forcing you to rely on one, small, crappy light that does you no good at the top of the humidor, the Glencreag BW-35S has a door-length, vertical LED light strip to illuminate the interior of your humidor from top to bottom.
Cigar-Ready Aroma
Most of these plastic humidors need to be purged of their plastic smell before you put your cigars inside. You don't want your smokes absorbing that smell! So, with a little baking soda and distilled water, you can wipe down your humidor, let it sit, then clean it out to remove the plastic smell. With this humidor (while it should probably be wiped down to remove dust) doesn't need it. The Glencreag 35L smelled good from the beginning.
What I Didn't Love:
Shelf Count
One if the first things I noticed that I didn't love was the shelf count. There are more slots for shelves than there are shelves. Specifically, there are five slots but only three shelves (plus a drawer). I don't know how much shelves cost, but it would've been nice to have a shelf to go in each slot. If Glencreag sells additional drawers for the BW-35S, you'll find them here.
Massive Fan
While the fan in the bottom is good in theory, it takes up far too much space in the humidor. Had it been a smaller fan, perhaps you could stick a box of cigars in front of it. But, with the size it is (I suspect 80mm in diameter) the bottom 30% of the humidor can't hold cigars.
Also, because of the fan's placement, any cigars directly above the fan might have over-humidification issues. I might remove the entire thing and use Boveda packs or a small Cigar Oasis Excel instead.
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Past 180 Hinges
As of right now (early 2024), the Glencreag BW-35S Electronic Humidor has door hinges that don't allow you to pull out a drawer/shelf of cigars without the door being opened past 180 degrees. That means if you put this humidor right up against a wall, you can't pull the shelves out of it.
Narrow Temperature Ranges
On one of the electronic humidors I have, the temperature is off by about 9 degrees Fahrenheit. So, when it's reading 74 degrees, it's actually about 65 degrees inside. The Glencreag 35L has a maximum temperature of 72 degrees. So, if the humidor's thermometer is off by 9 degrees like my other one, the max temp inside would be 61 degrees, which is pretty cool to store cigars.
How to Buy the Glencreag 35L:
Glencreag's primary retail outlet is Amazon.
Final Thoughts:
The problems I found with the Glencreag 35L Electronic Humidor (BW-35S) weren't problems unique to this brand. In fact, the things I didn't like about the Glencreag are things I don't like about almost all electronic humidors in the sub-$500 range. Every brand has weird hinges. Every brand has the same shelves. Every company struggles to have a smarter way to keep cigars humidified.
I'll hold my final judgement until I've had the humidor up and running in my office for a few months. But, for now, I'd recommend this one, but not necessarily above any of the other ones we've reviewed. The Glencreag 35L Electronic Humidor (BW-35S) is a solid choice, but not a standout one among the strong competition.
