Thinking about buying a humidifier but not 100% what a humidifier does or when you'll need one? Our humidifier buying guide covers all you need to know about these useful devices. From humidifier types and their benefits to extra features and where to place a humidifier in a room to get its full effect, read on to discover all of our expert tips.

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What Is a Humidifier?

A humidifier adds cool or warm moisture into the air to help prevent dryness in your home and can be effective for treating symptoms caused by the flu or common cold.

Benefits of a Using Humidifier

Moisturisation: Humidifiers are primarily used when the air in your home becomes dry, more commonly during the cold winter months when the air is harsh and during summer when you find yourself running the air conditioner regularly.

Relief of Cold Symptoms: Dry air can cause your nasal passages to clog. When humidifiers add moisture into the air, they can help clear up any blockage in your throat and nose, letting you breathe easier.

Better Sleep: Humidifiers help the air in your room feel less dry, cutting down the amount of times you get up for water throughout the night and letting you sleep more soundly. If you find yourself snoring due to congestion or allergies, a humidifier can help clear up your congestion, resulting in better sleep.

Healthier Skin: Dry air can make your skin and scalp dry out, causing cracking, wrinkling or flaking more easily. Having a humidifier will allow your skin to stay moisturised for longer.

Tip: To ensure your respiratory problems don't worsen, be sure to check your manufacturer's instructions as well as your doctor's recommendations to confirm you are using your humidifier correctly.

Types of Humidifiers

The type of humidifier that you choose will depend on your preference, budget and room size.

Humidification Method

Evaporative: An evaporative humidifier pulls air in and creates mist by blowing the air over a wet filter. Fans power the humidifier, helping it push the humid air into the room.

Steam: Steam humidifiers are electrically powered and heat water by turning it into steam. They then cool the steam before emitting it into the air. Steam humidifiers can cause burns, so be sure to keep them away from children.

Ultrasonic: An ultrasonic humidifier produces mist by using high-frequency vibrations to transform the water into a fine mist. A fan then blows the fine mist into the air. Ultrasonic humidifiers tend to be quiet, making them a good option for light sleepers.

Mist Settings

Cool:A cool-mist humidifier uses a filter to trap minerals and any impurities in the area. It then allows a cool mist to evaporate into the room. Due to the filters being used constantly, cool-mist humidifiers do require the filter to be changed and cleaned more often. If you live in a warmer climate, this type of humidifier is a good option for you.

Warm: A warm-mist humidifier creates a warm and soothing mist. Humidifiers that produce warm mist are great for anyone with cold or flu symptoms. The added bit of warmth makes them perfect for cold winter months.

Dual: Some types of humidifiers are capable of producing both cool and warm mist, giving you the flexibility of using one unit if you live in an area that experiences both cold winters and hot summers.

Features

Adjustable Humidistat: A humidistat helps monitor the amount of humidity in the air. If you opt for a humidifier with a built-in adjustable humidistat, you are able to set it to your desired humidity level.

Automatic Shutoff: Some humidifiers offer an automatic shutoff, allowing the humidifier to shut off automatically when the desired humidity is reached or when the water tank is empty.

Room Size & Distribution

The size of your room will play a role in the type of humidifier you get. Humidifiers range in sizes; there are humidifiers for small rooms, medium rooms, large rooms, extra-large rooms, or even the entire home.

Tip: The humidity in your home should stay between 30% and 50%.

Humidifier Size

Tabletop:Tabletop humidifiers are great for single rooms. They are small enough to be portable, making them a great option for travel or to store away easily when not in use. They have refillable tanks and require frequent refilling. They can easily sit on a table of any size.

Tip: Try using filtered, bottled or distilled water to stop your humidifier from producing dust.

Tower: Tower humidifiers sit on the floor, have a tower-like shape and are ideal for small to medium rooms. They have larger tanks than tabletop humidifiers and do not have to be filled up as often.

Console:A console humidifier is large enough to add moisture to your entire home. They can be transferred from room to room and have a larger water reservoir, ensuring that each room can be impacted by the humidifier. Humid air is heavier than dry air – if you put your console on the second floor in your home, it should cover the first floor as well.

Tip: Enjoyed this article? Then you should also check out:

• Beat the Heat With a Portable Fan This Summer
• Too Hot to Sleep? Here's How to Stay Cool at Night
• Things to Look for When Buying a Ceiling Fan