Here you have our list with best rated humidifiers for bedroom and home, suitable for alleviating allergies, asthma, and respiratory problems. All of them are extremely popular products with thousands of reports by users. Keep reading.
Why using room air humidifiers
I was reading an interview with professor Gordan Lauc molecular biologist at the Biochemistry department of the Faculty for Natural Sciences in Zagreb. He was explaining why air humidification is crucial in our struggle against viruses and here are a few details from the interview.
The main entry points for viruses that are behind respiratory infections are our mouth, nose, and eyes. Normally, these areas are protected duet to the natural humidity barrier created by our bodies. But if we breathe a dry air in an extended period of time, this barrier becomes ineffective and viruses have a free entry.
Also, cold air usually contains less moisture, so in wintertime when we heat the air, it becomes even drier. In such an environment the humidity is around 20% and this is far too low, and such an environment is perfect for spreading of viruses.
It is a known fact that respiratory viruses retreat after the heating season. So when you hear politicians claiming that the respiratory infections will decrease with warm weather, they might be right. After all, they have advisors who are supposed to be from this field and should know how infections spread. But such infections will still be there and they might reappear in the autumn again.
So this partly explains why we need home humidifiers. Frankly speaking, before reading the mentioned interview I did not fully understand the true meaning of having humidifiers at home.
Benefits of air humidifiers
In most homes, the air is usually a few times more polluted than the air outside. This may be dependent on the season as well and, in general, such a polluted air may cause a lot of sleep problems.
I have seen some write about allergy relief, so adjusting moisture in the room can reduce the issues caused by air allergens. Some of the humidifiers may remove particles like pollen, animal dander, and mold spores, and at least some of the harmful gases and bacteria. The added moisture in the air will help with dry and itchy eyes, cracked lips, and make skin stronger.
Have you ever experienced issues with static electricity and sparks on some metal items in the house? This is annoying and unpleasant, and it is usually more present when the air is dry. I have seen some claiming that the static build-up is reduced with such room humidifiers working in the room.
You should know that some of the humidifiers create a warm mist and this may slightly raise the room temperature and make the atmosphere more pleasant. Also, when you have such a vaporizer working, your plants in the room will be grateful and they will look healthier.
Increased humidity on its own will make breathing more comfortable, but some humidifiers also allow for adding essential oils and medical inhalants like menthol extract. This will create the atmosphere even more pleasant.
I have seen statements about benefits for wood furniture, apparently increased room humidity can extend the life of such pieces in the house.
Now just a short note related to the health issues, when you inspect the list with humidifiers below, check also about BPA free models, ETL listed, and CA65 tested. You will see such statements in the specifications of humidifiers in the list.
What types of air humidifiers exist
The focus here is on room humidifiers so typically you will need a smaller version. But even this type can be in various sizes (expressed in liters or gallons), and it is best to know the actual size of the room where the humidifier will be used, and then check in specifications of those that are shortlisted. You should normally always have information on how much space it can cover.
But quite generally, regarding the size you can have:
- Tabletop humidifiers. This is the type you need for a bedroom, they are portable and easy to use and to clean, so you can easily move them from room to room. One is shown in the top picture above, so you realize they take no much space and they look great.
- Console humidifiers. Those are bigger in size, freestanding, movable but only when this is really necessary, and with the capacity to cover larger areas and several rooms. This type is not in the list below.
- Whole-house humidifiers are integrated into your house plumbing installations, so this is a non-movable type and you do not have to think about adding water.
Types regarding the method of work
These humidifiers simply increase the moisture level by dispersing a fog or mist into the area. This is necessary in winter when the heating is on, but also during the summer if you use air conditioning. Here are the most important groups:
Evaporative humidifiers: This is the simplest type with a wick filter that absorbs water from the reservoir, and there is a fan that pushes the air through the filter. This creates a mist that disperses through the room in all directions.
These filters have to be replaced from time to time but they also keep harmful particles and fractions from spreading into the room.
Filter-less impeller humidifiers: In this case instead of filter you have a system that forces water through a screen that breaks water into fine droplets that spreads like a fog through the room. So this is a system without any filtration and purification.
Ultrasonic humidifiers: This type is a bit more advanced and they are more expensive. Water droplets are created by fast vibrations due to high-frequency sound waves directed at a vibrator. Note that these humidifiers and vaporizers are quieter, so this is the type you would want to have if you are sensitive to sounds. Please check also our separate list with ultrasonic humidifiers only.
There are more features and ways to group these items. You will see some that create warm mist, so these are again a bit more expensive, while others do not have such an option.
Also, some use only water but some allow you to add essential oils. You will see some more differences when you inspect the list below.
Here is a short video about a very popular model:
Maintenance & tips
These room humidifiers have to be cleaned occasionally to avoid becoming sources of bacteria and mold. But they do not need lots of maintenance. So use the usual cleaning means to prevent mold and bacteria from developing inside, this can harm your health instead of improving it. Check in the instructions about cleaning steps.
It is best to use distilled or demineralized water simply to save you from more cleaning. I live in the area where tap water is full of limestone so if the same is at your side, better avoid using it for these air humidifiers.
If your humidifier is one of those that have a filter, just follow the instructions and change the filter as recommended by the manufacturer. I have seen some asking if it is safe to sleep with such a thing working in the room, so no worry, it can only be beneficial for your sinuses and throat.
Here is one more video about one of those in the list with ultrasonic technology:
So here is our list of best rated humidifiers for home, all of them the most popular items on Amazon, and here they are ordered by ascending price. You have examples of humidifiers that have collected tens of thousands of reports by Amazon customers, so all is known about them, they have been tried and tested by many people. This means you have plenty of useful information about each of them here, so just follow the links to find out more.
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