Humidifier guide

A humidifier can relieve itchy eyes, sore throat, and cracked skin by adding moisture to dried-out air. In addition to these health benefits, a humidifier can also reduce static electricity, peeling wallpaper, and cracks in paint and furniture.

Humidifier features

Choosing a humidifier involves trade-offs among efficiency, cost, noise, and convenience. Our tests also show that you can't tell how well a humidifier will work. Here are the humidifier features to consider.

Ease of use

A tabletop or console humidifier should be easy to move and clean. The tank should fit easily beneath your bathroom faucet. Some consoles have no tank. You need to fill them directly. For evaporative models, Digital control humidifier with LCD display is highly recommended.

Some humidifiers have a dial or digital humidistat that shuts off the unit when it reaches a preset humidity level. Models without a humidistat can raise the humidity enough to cause condensation on windows. Also, too much humidification can promote growth of mold, bacteria, and dust mites. If the humidifier doesn't have a humidistat, we recommend you buy a separate hygrometer that can monitor humidity levels in a space. Be aware that most humidifiers won't let you set the humidity below 30 percent, a level that can cause window condensation when outside temperatures drop below 20° F. That means you might not be able to use the humidifier when the weather turns very cold.

Noise

Ultrasonic humidifiers are quiet .Some warm-mist tabletop models make little or no noise except mild boiling and hissing sounds. Comparably sized evaporative models we tested emitted 45 to 50 decibels on their low setting and even more on their high setting. For large areas, consider buying a quiet ultrasonic console model. Alternatively, buy an evaporative model and place it away from sleeping areas. You'll spend less than warm-mist tabletop models.

Timer

You can program some tabletop and console models to turn on at a set time so that your room is at the right humidity when you get home. But this convenience might pose a problem: Water that sits in the tank for hours can breed microbes if you don't dry the humidifier thoroughly between uses.