The 6 Best Humidifiers of 2024 Reviews by Wirecutter

Table Of Content

• AIRCARE Pedestal 3.5-Gallons Tower Evaporative Humidifier (For Rooms Up To 2400-sq ft)
• The Best Soaker Hoses Tested in 2024
• Best for a small humidifier: Crane Personal Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
• Honeywell Home TrueEase Large Evaporative Bypass Humidifier
• Levoit OasisMist 450S Smart Humidifer
• AIRCARE Space-Saver Evaporative Whole House Humidifier
• Best for a separate aroma compartment: Levoit LV600HH Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier

But it’s usually around $30 per bottle, so that still adds up to an extra $100 per year—even more than the cost of replacement wicks on a standard evaporative humidifier. Even so, we think this additional upcharge could be worth it for the relief it brings from the unrelenting albatross of having to scrub your humidifier every few days. The Vornado UH200 Ultrasonic Humidifier feels (and sounds) like an evaporative one, and it’s particularly great for larger spaces. It offers the same steady humidification as our other Vornado pick, along with a larger tank and warm-mist capabilities, and it has one of the best warranties we’ve seen. Though the sound was too quiet to accurately measure, some people might still notice a slight whirring around 200 Hz, especially if you live somewhere that’s already pretty tranquil. Those with more-sensitive hearing might also find it more irritating.

AIRCARE Pedestal 3.5-Gallons Tower Evaporative Humidifier (For Rooms Up To 2400-sq ft)

However, a humidifier can be used in any area of the home that is dry or where a person spends a lot of time, such as your office or living room. If your child suffers from allergies, asthma, or other conditions related to dry air, a humidifier is a safe and effective way to keep symptoms at bay. Nejat says humidifiers are great for anyone who suffers from dry skin, cracked lips, dry nasal passages, a dry or sore throat, and/or bloody nose.

The Best Soaker Hoses Tested in 2024

We also appreciate that it can run for up to 60 hours and features three fan speeds to adjust how much humidity you need as well as an intuitive digital display. Think about where you want to use your humidifier and what benefits you’re hoping to get from it. Room size is important, as it will tell you how effective a particular humidifier will be for a certain space. In our experience, a larger tank capacity corresponds to a larger surface area covered by the humidifier. We used the humidifier once a week for six months and every time we turned it on, it felt like going to the spa. The quiet operation continued to impress us throughout the long-term testing period, and we were impressed with the water to vapor ratio.

Best for a small humidifier: Crane Personal Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

The 12 Best Humidifiers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed - Better Homes & Gardens

The 12 Best Humidifiers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed.

Posted: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Should there be a desire to move it from one place to another, casters and a built-in handle make the task almost effortless. There are four speeds to offer flexibility of choice between high output and low noise. For those who live in small apartments or other small homes, most whole-house HVAC humidifiers are overkill.

If you use a humidifier, check the humidity levels in the room where it is used and keep your humidifier clean. If you have allergies or asthma, talk to your health care provider before using a humidifier. For larger, tightly constructed homes, we recommend this fan-powered model from AprilAire. It has a coverage area of up to 5,300 square feet on homes with tight construction, and it can handle up to 18 gallons of water per day, which is larger than many other options. It includes a manual control rather than an automatic one, so you’ll need to keep an eye on humidity levels and adjust them accordingly. It also only has one knob for adjusting humidity, so this is a no-frills pick.

This particular model is equipped with two auto-adjust sensors for outdoor temperature and indoor humidity levels to keep your home comfortable. We found excellent whole-house humidifier options in both freestanding and furnace-mounted styles. With quality in mind, we chose products made by reputable brands that we’ve come to trust, like Honeywell and Aircare, and we prioritized models that are easy to operate, clean, and maintain.

Finally, we send humidifiers home with testers to share real feedback on how they performed in their homes. These are the best humidifiers of 2023, based on extensive testing data and picks our testers couldn’t get enough of. A portable evaporative console humidifier is a budget-friendly solution to a smaller home’s humidity needs. We like this model from Aircare because of its large water tank capacity, impressive coverage capabilities, and simple-to-use control panel.

Compared to our external hygrometer, this device's internal reading was accurate. A full tank lasted us a couple of days, but this will depend on your home's humidity and the setting you choose. For such a tech-focused humidifier, we found it very easy and intuitive to operate. The humidifier is definitely clunkier than some others we tested, but we still found it to be relatively slim and attractive in person. It earned high scores for ease of setup, overall effectiveness, design, and value. We also appreciated that the water lasted multiple nights so we didn’t have to regularly refill the tank.

Best for a separate aroma compartment: Levoit LV600HH Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier

Our experts found the controls intuitive to operate, thanks to easy-to-adjust knobs that control the fan speed and humidity levels. Though you may hear a gurgling sound when water flows from the tanks into the base, online reviewers said the fan noise blended into the background and appreciated how easy the humidifier was to clean. Most humidifiers are safe to use around children, though Waqar recommends a cool mist humidifier if you have kids or pets to eliminate the chance of burns or injury due to the hot steam or heating element. Some humidifiers on this list, like the Vicks 3-In-1 SleepyTime Humidifier, have features like color-changing night lights and essential oil diffusers that might especially appeal to children.

It’s worth reiterating that warm-mist humidifiers have the potential to cause some serious burns, which is why the Mayo Clinic recommends against using them around children. They also use a lot of energy—more than 10 times as much as cool-mist models do. But we know some people still like the option (and even we admit that it can be nice sometimes). The Vornado UH200 is another one of those rare ultrasonic models that won’t turn your room into a fog. It has the same controls as its evaporative counterpart, which limit your humidification expectations to somewhere 40% and 60% (though there is also an option for “continuous” humidity).

The top-fill tank and basin are both streamlined, with smooth surfaces that make them easy to clean. And its basic “auto” setting actually works to prevent it from over-humidifying the room. The rest of the onboard controls are also easy enough to figure out—including the built-in night-light (a nice touch that makes this model a particularly good choice for a children’s nursery). If you need more-customized control, the Dreo HM311S offers smart-home capabilities as well.

In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. The mini humidifier proved useful for occasional needs throughout our long-term testing, like unexpected nosebleeds or colds. We liked that the device was just powerful enough for one person, especially for use in an office or with a partner who doesn’t want the extra humidity. When we weren’t using the device, we were able to stash it in our nightstand drawer, another perk that comes with the small size.

Similarly, we don’t have much of a preference for digital or analog controls, as long as you can easily figure out how to make it do its basic tasks. Smart-home features are a nice bonus as well; they won’t make or break our decision, but they can aid in accessibility or just help avoid over-humidifying the room. Coverage of 2,400 square feet makes it ideal for apartments, small homes, or guest accommodations. While not designed to be portable, it weighs only 25 pounds so it’s not difficult to move. Although the 3.5-gallon tank is modest, the high efficiency and a choice of nine fan speeds means this Aircare can provide humidity for up to 60 hours.

Any minerals from hard water are collected in the water panel, preventing them from getting into the air. As water panels need to be changed on an annual basis (they are not expensive), the buildup is typically too insufficient to cause problems. The additional external sensor makes installation more complex than some, but the affordable price of the unit goes a long way toward compensating for any increased labor costs.