After Researching More Than 60 Models, These are the 7 Best Room Humidifiers for Dry Air and Congestion

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Room humidifiers restore comfort by adding back moisture lost to heating or air conditioning, helping ease dry skin, allergy symptoms, and even static electricity. And while this type of home technology has been around for decades, modern humidifiers offer more features than ever before.

To find the best options for various needs and preferences, we put seven popular models to the test to see how they performed in real-life conditions. The Aircare Mini-Console Evaporative Humidifier earned our top spot for its ease of use, effectiveness, and overall value. It consistently maintained balanced humidity, was simple to refill, and worked well in larger spaces.

Keep reading to learn more about how today’s best room humidifiers did in testing and which features to prioritize when choosing one.

1. BEST OVERALL:Aircare Mini-Console Evaporative Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Geniani Erie Small Cool-Mist Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
3. BEST FOR SMALL ROOMS:Raydrop KC-RD03 Cool-Mist Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
4. BEST FOR LARGE ROOMS:Levoit Superior 6000S Smart Evaporative Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
5. BEST QUIET:Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool-Mist Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
6. BEST SMART: Dreo 306S Smart Humidifier
   ↓ Jump to Review
7. BEST WITH AIR PURIFIER: Sharp KC850U Air Purifier and Humidifier 
   ↓ Jump to Review

Product Comparison

Our Top Picks

To choose a comprehensive list of the best room humidifiers for increasing humidity, we considered various types of humidifiers, how much square footage they can cover, and their ease of use and cleaning.

Our Ratings

The Aircare mini-console evaporative humidifier with filter​ may not look flashy, but its thoughtful design offers an outstanding combination of effectiveness and ease of use. With three fan settings plus a humidistat and auto function, you can choose between continuous operation at a certain speed or a set-it-and-forget-it system. The 2.5-gallon water reservoir, evaporative wick, and demineralization cartridge add to its convenience, allowing it to run up to 36 hours without refilling and making cleaning quick.

Despite the Aircare’s compact 16½-by-18-by-12-inch footprint, it can cover up to 2,600 square feet of space. During testing, we set the humidistat to 60 in our vaulted-ceiling living room area, and in addition to achieving that level there, it also raised the humidity in our bedroom (down a short hallway on the same floor) by about 10 points to a comfortable 55 percent. While we like the aesthetics of a few other options more and think the fan sound on high goes beyond pleasant white noise, the performance and price of this pick are hard to beat.

What our tester says:“This is my favorite humidifier for two big reasons: It doesn’t need to be filled every day, and the demineralization cartridge basically turns it into a self-cleaning humidifier. Since constant refilling and mineral buildup have historically been enough to prevent me from using humidifiers, this is a welcome change.”—Michelle Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Aircare room humidifier atAmazon,Lowe’s,Ace Hardware,The Home Depot,Walmart, orAircare.

Our Ratings

Folks who want to humidify a variety of small spaces but only want to buy one machine will want to take a close look at Geniani’s portable unit. It weighs less than 11 ounces, uses convenient USB-powered operation, and is only slightly larger than a standard soda can, making it small enough to fit into vehicle cup holders.

Despite a tank that’s only 0.006 gallons (250 milliliters), the Geniani runs for up to 8 hours. Coverage isn’t huge at 65 square feet, but it’s adequate for small spaces like offices, motel rooms, and nurseries. As an ultrasonic humidifier, it runs almost silently, meaning it won’t disturb work or sleep. It features easy one-button operation with continuous and intermittent modes, auto shutoff, and an optional night-light. The only downsides to this model are its need for frequent refills and a relatively short cord (about 39 inches), though the USB-C connection means swapping in a longer cable would be easy enough.

What our tester says:“My daughter is prone to nosebleeds, so having this tiny nightstand humidifier next to her while she sleeps has been perfect. It doesn’t make any noise and puts out enough humidity to make a big difference in her small room.”—Michelle Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Geniani room humidifier atAmazon,Walmart, orGeniani.

Our Ratings

Finding a spot for a humidifier can be a challenge in small spaces like dorm rooms or campers, but since this model from Raydrop is only 11 inches tall and 4.7 inches in diameter, doing so is actually quite easy. As an ultrasonic unit, most of its size is allocated to its 0.45-gallon (1.7-liter) water tank rather than fan housing, allowing it to provide cool mist for up to 220 square feet for as many as 9 hours. It’s virtually silent while it works, producing a noise level of just 26 decibels that’s almost undetectable from a few feet away.

While most humidifiers offer two or three set output levels and maybe an auto mode, this pick is unique in that you use a rotating knob to change mist levels. In testing, we found it very easy to adjust. However, given that this compact unit puts out quite a bit of mist on high, it would be nice if it had a humidistat with an auto mode. Also, because it is so powerful—surprisingly so—the manufacturer recommends placing it on a water-resistant surface to avoid causing moisture damage. That said, if you like to see a stream of visible mist coming from your humidifier, you won’t be disappointed.

Get the Raydrop room humidifier atAmazon.

Our Ratings

The Levoit Superior 6000S is a smart evaporative humidifier designed for large rooms or spaces up to 3,000 square feet, making it an excellent whole-house humidifier. To cover so much area, it uses a 6-gallon water tank and an internal fan to propel mist-free humidification up and away. Users can choose from multiple settings, and switching between them is easy via the digital control panel or VeSync app. And since this is a humidifier with a filter, you can refill it with tap water rather than the expensive distilled water many humidifiers require.

In testing, we found a lot to like about the Levoit Superior 6000S. Though it holds enough water to run for up to 72 hours, its tall, slim design barely occupies more than a square foot of floor space. Refilling is straightforward: unplug the AC cord from the back, roll the tank to your sink, and put the attached hose funnel under your faucet. When not in use, the fan portion nests down inside the water tank for compact storage. We also found it impressively quiet for its size, and it consistently maintained the target humidity on every setting without making the air feel heavy.

What our tester says:“I’ve got it set to auto to maintain about 50 percent humidity and still haven’t had to refill it after a week. After years of dealing with tiny humidifiers, this large one is well worth the investment.”—Amber Guetebier, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Levoit room humidifier atAmazon,Best Buy, orLevoit.

Our Ratings

Though it’s powerful enough to humidify rooms up to 500 square feet, the Everlasting Comfort ultrasonic humidifier runs whisper-quiet at just 35 decibels. Though our 750-square-foot test room was oversize for this model’s recommended coverage area, it raised humidity by 6 percent in just 1 hour and by 11 percent after 8 hours. Considering it also has an aroma tray for diffusing your favorite relaxing fragrance for bedtime or a sinus-opening one for seasonal allergies, it’s an excellent pick for a bedroom, nursery, or office.

This quiet humidifier has a 1.6-gallon tank to provide up to 50 hours of mist before needing a refill. Its analog dial makes adjusting output easy, while the 360-degree nozzle directs moisture where it’s needed most. As a filterless humidifier, there are no pricey wicks to replace, though it does need frequent cleaning. With so many thoughtful extras, including a hidden built-in handle, a water-level window, and a night-light, a little bit of extra upkeep feels like a fair trade.

Get the Everlasting Comfort room humidifier atAmazon.

Our Ratings

Dreo’s 306S smart humidifier may be small in size, but it’s not short on features. Easy to control via the touchscreen, Dreo app, or voice commands, it offers three mist levels, a sleep mode, and a customizable night-light. Via the app, you can monitor and adjust humidity, set timers and schedules, receive cleaning reminders, and check filter life.

While this model is meant for smaller rooms up to 300 square feet, it has a generous 3-liter water tank that provides up to 30 hours of continuous mist. Unlike every other humidifier on our list, you can refill it from the top, and like only a few others, it has a built-in aroma tray for adding essential oils. We did find one downside, though: Any time you unplug this pick, you have to resync it with the app to use the smart features again. Since most people probably won’t move it as much as we did during testing, that’s probably pretty minor.

Read our full review:Dreo 306S Smart Humidifier

What our tester says:“One of my favorite features is the removable tray that holds a little essential oil pad. I like adding a couple of drops of lavender oil to fill the air with that wonderful aroma.”—Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Dreo room humidifier atAmazon orDreo.

Our Ratings

This air purifier and humidifier combination unit from Sharp is perfect for those looking to save space while making their home’s air healthier. It’s rated for rooms up to 1,230 square feet and has three speed settings as well as an auto mode. As an Energy Star-certified unit, it keeps electricity use low, which is helpful for continuous operation.

Beyond humidification, the KC850U features a three-stage air filtration system: a washable prefilter for large particles, a HEPA filter that captures 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns, and a carbon filter that tackles common household odors. In our tests, it did an excellent job keeping humidity levels consistent and air quality high. However, it was louder than most other models, though that’s to be expected for an evaporative model with dual functionality. For those who want a humidifier for congestion caused by dust, smoke, or pollen, it’s a solid hybrid option.

Get the Sharp room humidifier atAmazon orSharp.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Room Humidifiers

Room humidifiers can do more than just improve air quality. They can soothe dry skin, chapped lips, and help relieve a dry throat and common cold symptoms. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all model for every environment, so we researched over 60 popular room humidifiers before choosing seven to test.

To see which options worked best, we rated one model on a rubric for ease of setup, humidity improvement on high and low (both within 1 hour and after 8 hours), and the amount of water each unit dispensed. We also evaluated them on ease of cleaning, how well the auto shutoff worked on each, and how much value any additional features added.

What to Consider When Choosing a Room Humidifier

Getting the right humidifier for dry air in your home involves considering the differences between a warm air humidifier and a cool mist model, room size requirements, humidistat features, ultrasonic technology, and cleaning considerations. Additionally, for households with young members, it’s essential to explore child-safe options to ensure a secure and family-friendly choice.

Warm Mist vs. Cool Mist Humidifiers

Both cool and warm mist humidifiers add much-needed moisture to dry indoor air, with slight differences:

• Warm mist humidifiers, also known as vaporizer humidifiers, bring water to a boil to inject the room’s air with a little extra moisture. The high heat reduces the risk of bacterial transmission, leading it to be considered slightly healthier. Warm mist humidifiers are also typically quieter to operate since steamy mist naturally rises, eliminating the need for an internal fan. They do require additional cleaning because the boiling process leaves behind mineral deposits.
• Cool mist humidifiers, also called evaporative humidifiers, use a fan to blow air through a damp wick, so they can be noisy when on. Cool mist humidifiers are preferable to warm mist humidifiers in homes with small children since there is no danger of burning little fingers.

Ultrasonic Technology

Ultrasonic humidifiers can disperse a warm or a cool mist, or both. The cool mist option is more common, but some models include an internal heater that facilitates a cool mist in the summer and warm mist in the winter. Instead of using a strong fan, as a standard cool air humidifier might, an ultrasonic humidifier breaks up water droplets into mist using a ceramic diaphragm that vibrates at a frequency too high to be audible to the human ear. Best of all, most ultrasonic humidifiers are whisper-quiet, so they won’t interfere with sleep.

Size

A humidifier that is too small may not be sufficient, while one that’s too large could add so much moisture into the room that droplets appear on furniture and other surfaces. Fortunately, humidifiers are rated by the intended room size.

• Small:A smallroom humidifier effectively treats rooms with less than 400 square feet of floor space. They are often portable and lightweight, making them a good choice for bedrooms, nurseries, kitchens, and other small spaces.
• Medium: Mediumroom humidifiers treat rooms between 400 and 900 square feet and can be harder to move from place to place.
• Large:For a room with 1,000 square feet or more, look for a largeroom humidifier. Humidifiers for large rooms have big water reservoirs and are generally stationary.

Humidistat

A humidistat is a concept similar to a thermostat on a heater, except a humidistat is used to set the desired humidity. The humidifier will then turn itself on and off automatically to maintain that level. Many room humidifiers have a humidistat, though by no means all. Cheaper models may just pump out moisture at a preset level and need to be turned on and off manually. Unfortunately, this isn’t convenient for rooms that are unattended and can lead to over- or under-humidification.

Often, the humidistat is a sensor with a simple dial, and some experimentation is needed before the preferred level is established. Others allow precise setting of the humidity level at a given percentage. Smart humidifiers can even allow this to be set or changed remotely.

Cleaning

Humidifiers need regular care for two reasons. First, it keeps them operating at peak efficiency and should prolong their working life. Second, mold and bacteria can build up on the unit, potentially creating a health hazard. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency general advice is to clean humidifiers every third day, though we would recommend following each manufacturer’s specific instructions for its machine.

Some high-end room humidifiers have cleaning cycles that make life a lot easier. Of course, there is a premium to pay for this functionality. Fortunately, cleaning humidifiers by hand is not difficult, usually requiring just white vinegar, water, a scrubbing brush, and a sponge or cloth.

FAQs

Q. Is it OK to leave the humidifier on all night?

Yes, it is generally OK to leave a humidifier on all night, as long as it has an automatic shutoff or built-in humidistat for safety.

Q. Is a warm or cool mist humidifier better?

Whether a warm or cool mist humidifier is better depends on your personal preferences and needs. Cool mist humidifiers are safer around children and use less electricity, while warm mist humidifiers provide a soothing warm vapor that can be comforting for colds or respiratory issues, though they may not be ideal in homes with kids.

Q. Where should you put a humidifier?

You should put a humidifier on a flat, stable surface a few feet off the ground and away from the wall. This allows its mist to circulate properly throughout the room.

Q. Can you put essential oils in a humidifier?

You should only put essential oils in a humidifier if it is specifically designed for them, meaning it has a dedicated aroma tray or diffuser feature. Adding oils directly into a regular humidifier’s water tank can damage the unit and clog its parts. ​

Q. Can you use tap water in a humidifier?

You can use tap water in a humidifier that has a filter, but depending on your water quality, it may not sufficiently remove minerals and impurities. The Consumer Products Safety Commission recommends the use of demineralized or distilled water to reduce mineral buildup, though some manufacturers disagree, so be sure to check the instructions for your device.

Q. Do humidifiers help with allergies?

Yes, humidifiers can help with allergies by adding moisture to dry air, which soothes irritated nasal passages and reduces congestion. However, maintaining proper humidity levels between about 40 and 50 percent is crucial since too much moisture can promote mold and dust mites, worsening allergies.

Q. What is a humidifier good for?

In addition to helping with everything from dry skin, congestion, and allergies, Evan Scobria, founder of Prime Home Humidity based in Bellingham, Washington, says, “The mist created by room humidifiers protects wood floors and wood furniture from the damaging effects of overly dry air.” In sum, the devices “are an effective remedy for low-humidity home environments.”

Meet the Testers

Amber Guetebier is a self-proclaimed plant nerd and garden writer. While she currently lives in an area with humid summers, the dry winter months wreak havoc on the plants’ leaves as well as her own skin so life without a humidifier is not an option. After testing all of the large-capacity humidifiers, she realized how much time she’s wasted refilling small humidifiers.

Michelle Larson has been a writer and editor for more than 10 years in the fields of health, business, and the home. Because she’d rather spend a little more up front than buy a tool or appliance twice, she strongly believes in the power of research and reviews for finding quality items that are meant to last.

Glenda Taylor is a product tester and writer specializing in the construction, remodeling, and real estate industries. She and her husband own a general contracting company, and Taylor is experienced in both residential and commercial building applications. She tests a wide range of power tools as well as other home improvement, household, and lawn-and-garden products.

The post After Researching More Than 60 Models, These are the 7 Best Room Humidifiers for Dry Air and Congestion appeared first on Bob Vila.

​Read More