Everything you need to know about using a humidifier

Getting a humidifier can help you have enough moisture in your home to stay healthy this winter.

What do you need to know about using a humidifier?

As temperatures go down, so do moisture levels. While that’s not always bad, it can increase your chance of aggravating chronic respiratory issues, such as asthma and bronchitis. It can also cause a multitude of other health problems. But getting a humidifier can help you have enough moisture in your home to stay healthy this winter.

What does a humidifier do?

A humidifier increases the moisture in the air to alleviate common health concerns associated with dry air. Once you add water, it draws dry air in with a fan, pushes it through a wet filter and blows the newly moist air into the room. While there are different types of machines, the concept is essentially the same for each.

Types of humidifiers

There are two primary types of humidifiers, which create either warm mist or cool mist:

Everything you need to know about using a humidifier

There are nine details you need to know to select the best humidifier for your home:

Best humidifiers

Aprilaire 500 Home Humidifier With Automatic Control

This evaporative humidifier covers up to 3,000 square feet, uses 12 gallons of water a day and comes with a digital control panel that lets you set your humidity levels. It makes using a humidifier easy and includes everything you need to install it.

Govee Smart Wi-Fi Humidifier For Bedroom

This quiet cool mist humidifier is fit for a room up to 258 square feet with a timer and an automatic shut-off when it reaches your desired humidity level. You can add essential oils to it, and it has a 12.5-cup tank.

Levoit Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

This top-fill humidifier takes essential oils and its humidity level can be set and controlled with a smartphone app. It has a 1.59-gallon tank that lasts 60 hours, covers 505 square feet and has a rapid humidification setting.

Vicks Mini Filter-Free Cool Mist Humidifier

This cool mist humidifier with a half-gallon tank is ideal for a small room and works with Vicks VapoPads. It operates without a filter and has a run time of 20 hours.

Frida Baby Fridababy Three-In-One Humidifier

This cool mist humidifier has an essential-oil diffuser and a built-in night light. It comes with an automatic shut-off, covers 320 square feet and has a half-gallon tank.

Air Innovations Humidifiers for Bedroom

This cool mist device makes using a humidifier easy, with a 100-hour run time, humidity level control and digital display. It’s silent, has an aromatherapy tray, covers up to a 700-square-foot room with a 1.6-gallon tank and has a rotating nozzle.

Levoit Humidifiers for Bedroom Large Room Home

This ultrasonic humidifier blows warm or cool mist and covers up to 753 square feet for 50 hours. It makes using a humidifier simple with its top-fill design and smartphone app that lets you set and control your humidity level with sleep mode, a timer and auto shut-off.

Air Innovations MH-505A High-Performance Humidifier

This quiet ultrasonic humidifier has four mist settings, a digital display, a 1.37-gallon tank and it covers 400 square feet. It’s easy to operate, with a permanent ceramic filter that never needs to be replaced.

Levoit Cool Mist Air Ultrasonic Humidifier

This top-access ultrasonic design makes it easy to fill and clean the humidifier; it’s quiet, runs for up to 60 hours and covers 505 square feet. It also has an automatic shut-off and no light, which is ideal for light sleepers.

[ Miko Ultrasonic Digital Humidifier ]

This sleek humidifier gives you cool or warm mist with a digital humidity level display, a control panel with sleep mode and a timer. It also has a remote control, covers 540 square feet with a 1.2-gallon tank, can be filled with essential oils and has a run time of up to 40 hours.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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