Best Overall
Honeywell Cool Moisture Humidifier
- This budget-friendly humidifier is simple but effective at increasing room humidity without making the room too humid.
This budget-friendly humidifier is simple but effective at increasing room humidity without making the room too humid.
- This humidifier doesn’t have an automated shut-off.
This humidifier doesn’t have an automated shut-off.
The Honeywell Cool Moisture Humidifier is a reliable evaporative humidifier that can cover rooms up to 400 square feet, making it ideal for bedrooms and living rooms alike. We liked how easy it was to set up and operate, with three speed settings to choose from. On the lowest setting, this humidifier provides up to 24 hours of runtime before using all the water.
While it doesn’t have an automated shut-off once the water runs out, the water level is easy to monitor thanks to the clear tank. When it’s time to refill, the tank can detach from the humidifier for refilling. When the tank needs to be cleaned, users can either hand wash the container or put the water tank in the dishwasher, so long as they follow the manual instructions—the tank is only dishwasher safe at certain temperatures. The tricky part is drying the tank, and we found air drying was the best method. When it’s time to change the filter, you can find replacements for $27, as of publishing, for a pack of three compatible filters.
We especially loved how quiet the humidifier was when running it. Overall, it’s a pretty simple humidifier, but if you don't need all the bells and whistles, it effectively improves humidity.
How It Performed After Six Months
To test the humidifier’s long-term quality, we ran the device in our kids’ room every night during dry winter months. The humidifier’s noise never disturbed their sleep, and we found it helped combat seasonal nosebleeds. Upkeep continued to be a breeze thanks to its dishwasher-safe parts.
Product Details: Room Size: 215 to 400 square feet | Capacity: 1.1 gallons | Dimensions: 18.58 x 13.03 x 10.39 inches | Run Time: 24 hours
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Key Terms to Know
- Evaporative: Evaporative humidifiers use a fan, wick, and filter to speed up the natural evaporation process.
- Ultrasonic: Ultrasonic humidifiers use ultrasonic vibrations to emit mist.
- Hygrometer: A device that tests humidity levels. Some humidifiers include a built-in hygrometer, and we used our own to compare readings in our tests.
- Diffuser: A feature on evaporative humidifiers that releases scents from essential oils.
- HEPA filter: A high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filter can remove air pollutants that are 0.3 microns in size. Some humidifiers may have air purifying features, but this is not the standard.
Best Splurge
Dyson Purifier Humidify + Cool Autoreact
- This humidifier is a triple threat with the ability to humidify, purify, and cool the air in a room.
This humidifier is a triple threat with the ability to humidify, purify, and cool the air in a room.
- This tower humidifier takes up more space than some of the other products on this list.
This tower humidifier takes up more space than some of the other products on this list.
The Dyson Purifier Humidify+ Cool Autoreact is a futuristic-looking humidifier that both humidifies small- to medium-sized rooms while filtering the air with a HEPA filter. The device can also be set to operate as a fan that can push cooling air around a room.
This is a high-tech option, and we liked the auto-humidify function that automatically sensed the humidity levels of the room and turned the humidifier off when optimal humidity was reached. Because it also purifies the air and operates as a fan, this device can be useful year-round, which helps justify the higher price tag and prevents storage needs during the warmer months.
We found this to be a more challenging humidifier to set up because it doesn’t come with a physical manual of instructions. However, after scanning a QR code and watching a video, setup becomes easier. We liked how quiet the product was when set just to the humidifier function, but it could get pretty noisy when using the air purifier.
To clean the tank, Dyson recommends using its citric acid cleaning kit, which is $28 at the time of publish. While there aren’t wick filters to change for the humidifier, you’ll need to replace the HEPA filter, which is $80 at the time of publish and will likely need to be purchased about once per year.
How It Performed After Six Months
We tested the device in our home using both tap and distilled water. While both seemed to perform the same, we began noticing a white build-up in the tank, likely caused by minerals in the tap water. The device never notified us it needed cleaning by the time we saw it. Though we strongly recommend using distilled water, if you plan to use tap water in this device, make sure to check for buildup more regularly.
Product Details: Room Size: 290 square feet | Capacity: 1 gallon | Dimensions: 12 x 36 x 11 inches | Run Time: 36 hours
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best for Bedrooms
Stadler Form Oskar Evaporative Humidifier
- With a quiet noise level, dimmable LED lighting, and an optional scent diffuser, this evaporative humidifier is designed to contribute to a good night’s sleep.
With a quiet noise level, dimmable LED lighting, and an optional scent diffuser, this evaporative humidifier is designed to contribute to a good night’s sleep.
- The buttons are difficult to find in the dark.
The buttons are difficult to find in the dark.
Evaporative humidifiers have a reputation for being a little noisier compared to ultrasonic humidifiers, but noise is not much of an issue with the Stadler Form Oskar Humidifier. We were impressed with how quiet this humidifier operated during our testing. The device runs at about 26 to 39 decibels. By comparison, 30 dbA could be compared to the sound of a whisper, and 40 dbA is similar to the hum of a refrigerator, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to its quiet operation, the humidifier features LED lighting that can be dimmed with its sleep mode. Just keep in mind, we found the setting buttons hard to find in the dark, so you may need to turn them off before your other bedroom lights. If you prefer to fall asleep to the soothing scent of lavender or eucalyptus, this humidifier also doubles as a scent diffuser.
Note that this humidifier, while stylish, isn’t as easy to clean as some of the other best evaporative humidifiers that have dishwasher-safe parts. You’ll need to hand wash this device about every two weeks. However, we found that the pieces came apart easily and the large, open design made the cleaning process simple as there weren't any hidden spots for buildup to occur.
Other maintenance for this humidifier include changing the filters, which come in a set of two for $16 at the time of publish. Additionally, the brand sells a Water Cube accessory that is meant to keep the water tank fresh for longer. The cube is $18 at the time of publish and needs replaced about once per year.
How It Performed After Six Months
We ran the humidifier constantly during the dry winter months, which required us to fill the device twice a day. We continued to be impressed with its ability to keep clean despite frequent use.
Product Details: Room Size: 540 square feet | Capacity: 0.9 gallons | Dimensions: 9.7 x 11.4 x 9.7 inches | Run Time: Unspecified
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best Budget
Vornado EV100 Evaporative Humidifier
- This is an easy-to-clean humidifier with a clear water tank complete with a carrying handle.
This is an easy-to-clean humidifier with a clear water tank complete with a carrying handle.
- The fan is louder than other options.
The fan is louder than other options.
While the Vornado EV100 Evaporative Humidifier is simple in design, it offers everything you’d need in an evaporative humidifier, from an easy-to-clean and visible water tank to a feature that automatically adjusts output based on humidity levels in the room. If you’d prefer to have more control, there are multiple outputting settings plus three fan speed settings. Keep in mind that the higher fan settings are louder, and this humidifier is noisier than most.
One benefit to this evaporative humidifier is its water tank, which holds 1 gallon and is easy to see the water level. This is important because this humidifier unfortunately has no auto shut-off feature. You’ll need to keep an eye on the machine and shut it off when the water runs out.
On the plus side, the tank is easy to carry, thanks to a handle, and cleaning is a breeze. Between the noise level and lack of auto shut-off, this is best for shared spaces rather than quiet bedrooms or offices. Still, this simple humidifier covers a lot of square footage for the price.
The brand offers a two-pack of wick filters for this machine, currently selling for $16 at the time of publish.
Product Details: Room Size: 300 square feet | Capacity: 1 gallon | Dimensions: 13 x 12.3 x 8 inches | Run Time: 24 hours
Best for Large Rooms
YougetTech Evaporative Humidifier
- This humidifier offers several speed settings and an automated shut-off to better control how you humidify your space.
This humidifier offers several speed settings and an automated shut-off to better control how you humidify your space.
- The humidity adjustment goes up to 99%, which could lead users to accidentally over-humidify the room, which encourages mold growth.
The humidity adjustment goes up to 99%, which could lead users to accidentally over-humidify the room, which encourages mold growth.
The YougetTech Evaporative Humidifier covers up to 1,200 square feet, making it nearly as powerful as whole-house humidifiers. It holds a capacity of about 1.8 gallons of water, and while the run time can last 24 hours on the lowest setting, you’ll need to refill the water tank more frequently if you use a higher speed.
There are seven speed settings to choose from and the humidifier has a top-fill design to make it easier to top up the water. When the water is running low, the humidifier has an indicator light to warn you, and the device will shut off when the water tank is empty.
This humidifier has its own humidity sensor, but users should keep in mind that it offers a humidity adjustment setting from 40% to 99%. This could lead to adding too much humidity to the room, as 30% to 60% is the ideal indoor humidity level.
As far as filters go, this model uses a wick filter that you can wash instead of buying replacements. Over time, though, if the filter gets dirty and cleaning it no longer gets the grime off, a new pack of two filters costs $70 at the time of publishing.
Product Details: Room Size: 1,200 square feet | Capacity: 1.8 gallons | Dimensions: 10.82 x 19.09 x 10.82 inches | Run Time: 24 hours
Best Small
DobeTiny Humidifier
- This humidifier operates quieter than the sound of a whisper, so it shouldn’t disrupt work or sleep.
This humidifier operates quieter than the sound of a whisper, so it shouldn’t disrupt work or sleep.
- This is a basic humidifier without many additional features.
This is a basic humidifier without many additional features.
The DobeTiny Humidifier is small enough to humidify rooms under 250 square feet without drenching them in moisture, and it does so at under 28 dbA, quieter than a whisper. It’s small enough to prop on a desk or dresser, and because it’s an evaporative model, it won’t spray mist and make a mess of your papers and prized possessions.
The water tank can pop out of the humidifier entirely for quick and easy cleanup. This is a fairly simple model; for some people, that is a major benefit. It offers a few speeds that change with the press of a single, basic button. For others who want something more robust with built-in diffusers, hygrometers, and other functions, this won’t be the right fit.
This humidifier requires specific filters, so you’ll need to reorder replacements online rather than finding them at a brick-and-mortar home improvement store. The replacement comes in a pack of one that is selling for $16 at the time of publishing.
Product Details: Room Size: 250 square feet | Capacity: 0.66 gallons | Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 7.9 inches | Run Time: 24 hours