HONESTLY REVIEWING SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST HUMIDIFIERS
With so many different brands, products and types of humidifiers on the market, you can easily get overwhelmed by the amount of choice that you have.
To make your decision a little easier, we have taken the time to review a selection of best-selling humidifiers as well as a few of our own personal favorites.
We’ve taken the time to truly examine these appliances to give you the best possible honest and useful reviews.
WHY PURCHASE A HUMIDIFIER?
Working to add moisture back into the air of your home, especially during cold and dry months, a humidifier offers homeowners numerous health, home and beauty benefits. Here are some of the main benefits of getting a humidifier into your home:
- Preventing colds
- Reducing nose bleeds
- Moisturizing your skin
- Reducing snoring
- Preserves your voice
- Helps prevent breakouts
- Helps you sleep more comfortably
- Hydrates indoor plants
- Prevents wooden furnishings from cracking and chipping.
WHEN SHOULD YOU USE A HUMIDIFIER?
You should use a humidifier whenever excessively low humidity occurs in order to achieve a healthier balance of moisture in a room or building. Moisture in a room is essential for staying healthy and can help alleviate dry skin, chapped lips, cough symptoms and more. Most homes will suffer from an imbalance of moisture, especially during winter months, and so most people can benefit from purchasing a humidifier for their home.
Easy To Use Humidifiers
We’ve taken an unbiased look at some of the world’s top-selling humidifiers. From quality to performance, we will tell you both the good and bad that these appliances have to offer.
EVAPORATIVE HUMIDIFIER
The simplest type of humidifier is an evaporative humidifier (also known as a wick humidifier). This type of humidifier consists of just three major parts: a fan, a wick and a reservoir.
An evaporative humidifier will suck air into the unit using its internal fan. This air will then pass along a water-saturated wick filter which has absorbed water from the reservoir. Once this process has taken place and the air is moist, it will then be pushed back out into the room to circulate and give the room a better balance of humidity in the air.
Advantages of an Evaporative Humidifier:
- Cost efficient
- Easy to use
- Covers large areas relatively easily
STEAM HUMIDIFIERS
Steam humidifier, works by heating water to produce steam, which is then released into the air to increase humidity levels in a room. These devices typically use a heating element to boil water, creating steam that cools down before being emitted.
Advantages of a Steam Humidifier
- Quickly raise humidity levels
- Valued for their effectiveness in humidifying large areas
- Often effective for cold and flu relief
ATOMIZING HUMIDIFIER
Another type of humidifier an atomizing humidifier operates by breaking up water into tiny droplets or mist particles and dispersing them into the air. This type of humidifier uses a nozzle with high-pressure air to create a fine mist. The mist is released into the room, increasing humidity levels and helping to alleviate dryness in the air..
Advantages of an Atomizing Humidifier
- Effective in smaller spaces
- Valued for their quiet operation
- Ability to produce a visible mist without using heat
Humidifiers Best For Large Spaces
Aprilaire 500M – Bypass Humidifier 12 GPD with Manual Humidistat
Almost immediately after installing the Aprilaire 500m I noticed a distinct difference around the house. This unit is excellent value and was absolutely superbly. My home is around 1100 square feet, and this humidifier has had no trouble making the whole place a little more comfortable. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, this unit can work in homes of up to 3000 square feet.
GeneralAire 5500 - Whole House Electrode Steam Humidifier
The GeneralAire 5500 features an automatic digital humidistat that controls the blower motor of the furnace. This unit can cover a home up to 5500 square feet. Steam is the purest form of humidification and ensures you aren't introducing any harmful bacteria or mold into the air in your home. I felt that this was the cleanest option for our family.
Humidifiers Best For Small Homes
Aprilaire 400 Humidifier from Bypass – 17 GPD with Automatic Digital Humidistat
The Aprilaire 400 is for use in a home up to 3000 square feet. It’s a powerful unit that really has no trouble reaching the whole house. Best of all, as mentioned, the model’s efficient water usage means that, unlike other humidifiers I’ve looked at, this one does not drain water. The machine stops the water flow when a cup in the unit gets filled on the bottom. Other units will keep this water flow going even when there is no need.
GeneralAire 3200A - Whole House Evaporative Humidifier, Automatic
The GeneralAire 3200 Automatic is suitable for homes up to 3200 square feet. It is able to have the bypass and/or the solenoid valve installed on the left or right side so it versatile for different homes. This is a solid Aprilaire Humidifier with simple maintenance requirements.