D'Addario Humidipak 2-way Humidification System - Long Term Review

D’Addario Humidipak System

Long Term Review

Background and Description: This is the long term review for the D’Addario Humidipak system which I have been using constantly for four of my guitars (two electric, two acoustic) for a little over a year. The packs are designed to be used while your guitar is being stored in a hard case. I’m sure they would also work in a good zippered gig bag, but I haven’t specifically tried this.

Kit description from the manufacturer:

TWO-WAY HUMIDITY CONTROL – D’Addario Accessories Humidipak Two-Way Humidification System is the only maintenance-free two-way humidity control system for guitars. It automatically maintains the optimal 45-50% relative humidity level within your instrument case by adding or depleting moisture as necessary.

PROTECT YOUR INSTRUMENT – The patented two-way purified humidity control system protects your instrument against warping, cracks and other damage caused by lack of humidification. This system eliminates the guesswork and anxiety of maintaining your instrument’s proper humidity level.
MAINTENANCE-FREE – Unlike refillable humidifiers, the D’Addario system is maintenance-free. It is long lasting and does not require any adjustments based on seasonal temperature changes or geographic locations. No water, no drips, no mess.
INCLUDES – The Humidipak two-way humidification kit includes three Humidipaks, a soft mesh headstock pouch and a soft mesh soundhole pouch that won’t harm your instrument's finish.
MADE IN THE USA - D'Addario Accessories is known for innovative, problem-solving, quality musical accessories that are proudly designed, engineered, and manufactured in the USA to the most stringent quality controls in the industry.

As the manufacturer describes, the kit comes with three two-way humidification packs and two sleeves that the packs slide into. Once sleeve holds one pack and is goes in the area near the headstock for the fret board and headstock. The second sleeve folds in half like a book and supports two packs. It easily fits into the sound hole of the guitar and is supported by the guitar strings. I didn’t experience any issues sliding the system between the strings. They also don’t cause any damage because the packs are light and the sleeves are made out a soft velvet-like material. It takes only seconds to remove or install the sound hole pouch.

Compared to other systems with sponges and hard plastic holders this system is much more user friendly. I purchased a planet waves sponge system in the past and never used it because how far you had to stretch the strings to install it. It seemed as if I would do more hurt to the guitar in the long run so I never used it.

The performance of the system over the time period I have used it has been very good. I live in a climate where it gets very hot and humid in the summer with the winter being the opposite being very dry and cold. During both seasons the packs did what they advertise to do. In the summer, they pulled excess moisture out of the air and in the winter they released moisture when the air turned dry. I haven’t opened the packs, but they seem to contain granules similar to damp rid and you can feel them change as they release or absorb moisture. I never experienced any issues with packs leaking which is something you have to worry about with sponge systems.

The cost of the system new is $19.99 from Amazon. D’Addario recommends replacing the packs every 4-6 months and they are also available from Amazon for $12.55. A trick I have found when the packs are completely discharged is to place them near a high moisture source such as a humidifier for 12-24 hours. They will pick moisture back up for continued use. I don’t know if this degrades their performance and will continue to test, but right now it seems like a good way to extend their life during drier months.

Pros:

Very easy to use and install
Passively removes and adds humidity to keep your guitars at 45-50%
Inexpensive
USA Made

Cons:

Must be replaced every 4-6 months/reoccurring cost

Closing Thoughts:

The humidipak system is a very easy to use way to passively keep your guitars at the correct level of humidity. While there are other methods available for more precise control, I have not seen any system that does two-way humidifying at such a low cost. If you keep your guitars in a hard case between practice sessions these are definitely worth using.

YouTube video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZxKaLFD81E