PCA 2022: Case Elegance

As the humidor reviewer of halfwheel, I’m supposed to visit all the booths with new humidors. That doesn’t always happen, but I get to see most of them and none of them are quite like Case Elegance. That’s because Case Elegance has decided to redesign how a humidor works. Instead of relying on the plastic humidifiers that attach to the lid, Boveda packs or anything else, Case Elegance has created something the company calls the Hydro Tray, which is designed to hold gel crystals, which I would assume are super absorbent polymers that are treated with “humidor solution,” which I’m guessing is a 50/50 mixture of propylene glycol and distilled water. Update: After this article was written, Case Elegance says that neither solution it sells is a 50/50 mixture and that the ratios are different between them.

This is admittedly nothing new, but the Hydro Tray integration is new. Rather than storing this in a traditional humidifier, Case Elegance creates a false bottom floor where the tray is made to go. You fill it with the crystals and then add the humidor solution. There’s also a different approach to placing a digital hygrometer within the humidor and some other claims that I find less appealing, but I am interested in the approach as it’s decidedly different.

Case Elegance’s booth was a bit larger than it probably needed to be but conveniently located next to one of the PCA lounge areas on the trade show floor. One thing that might be a bit tough, the company’s humidors are sold as Klaro, which also refers to the company’s subscription service for the humidification elements.

Kobi Glass Top Humidor

Case Elegance claims this is the company’s newest model, it’s certainly the one that caught my eye. The exterior is inspired by Japanese design principles and uses slatted wood to create a very modern appearance. As mentioned above, the interesting part is the company’s approach to humidification, something I haven’t tested.

Case Elegance produces this graphic that I think helps to better explain what’s going on. If you are like me, the real question here is how efficient the use of space is, something I’m admittedly skeptical about, but we will be purchasing one of these for me to review. The outside dimensions are listed at 10.9 inches x 14.4 x 7.2.

MSRP: $179.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: June 2022

Update (July 29, 2022) — Case Elegance clarified that neither of its humidor solution offerings are a 50/50 ratio of propylene glycol and distilled water.