The 12 Best Humidifiers Reviewed

To get straight to the point: this is probably the best cool mist humidifier you can find for cold and flu season.

Though it won’t necessarily alleviate your symptoms to the same degree that an oil-diffusing or Vicks-compatible machine would, it is certainly capable of opening and moistening your airways while killing those nasty germs you just might be spreading to those around you.

It will even combat germs as they enter your home, preventing you and your family from getting infected in the first place.

Best Cool Mist Option for Colds and Flu

Our actual choice for “Best Humidifier for Colds and Flu” is the Vicks V745A, because it offers the aid of Vicks products along with the healing and germ-killing effects of warm mist.

If, however, you specifically want a cool-mist machine and still want to fight off infection, this is a great option. Compared to warm mist humidifiers there’s less chance of airway inflammation, and they’re much safer for use around children. The cool mist from this machine cannot burn anyone.

How it Filters the Air

Its antimicrobial filter design and ultraviolet sterilizer work to kill germs in the air as well as the water you place inside the unit.

The Honeywell HCM350W works by first passing water through the UV light to kill any bacteria and mold already present. You may be surprised to know that there is often a certain level of microorganisms in tap water, and that number can grow as water sits stagnant in your humidifier.

After killing off those germs and spores, the machine pumps the water into the antimicrobial filter, where air is sucked through and blown out, moistened, using a fan.

As the air is pulled through this wicking filter it, too, passes through the antimicrobial membrane which serves to trap and kill any germs already floating around in the room.

Are you one of those people who like to fall asleep to the calming ambiance of a softly glowing nightlight? Well, you’re in luck. The Pure Enrichment has one built-in and will also prevent your throat and sinuses from drying out during the night.

You can activate the nightlight by pressing the “on/off” button multiple times to cycle through the available settings. The first turns it on, the second activates sleep mode, and the third press of the button turns the machine off.

Like the sleep mode built into the Levoit LV600HH, it will switch the fan to its lowest setting to reduce noise and turn on the nightlight. For many people, this is preferable to the sleep setting on the URPOWER humidifier, which only turns the fan down and does not activate any sort of nightlight.

Tiny but Effective

Though its tank has the smallest capacity of all the humidifiers we’ve chosen, the Pure Enrichment has a quite decent maximum run time.

In fact, it beats out both the Vicks V745A (with a maximum run time of 12 hours) and the TaoTronics TT-AH001 (which can keep going for up to 15 hours). This machine, on the other hand, can operate for sixteen hours at a stretch when set to its mist-only output. Like all of the other humidifiers on our list, it will turn itself off when its tank is empty.

Use this in a small room – somewhere around 8 by 8 feet up to 12 by 12 feet. We don’t suggest using it for rooms much larger than that, because it simply isn’t powerful enough to cover that large an expanse adequately.

Despite its single mist output setting, users report that this machine is quite capable of keeping their small rooms within a reasonable humidity range.

Like the Essick Air AirCare EP9800, this humidifier is capable of providing an adequate level of moisture to a large or extra-large room of approximately (and possibly exceeding) 1,000 square feet overall. At a little over 30 by 30 feet, that’s pretty big.

Compared to other humidifiers, this one is pretty basic and without many options to choose between, but Vornado makes up for that with a unique vortex-like air distribution pattern. The fan and other mechanisms inside this machine are designed very differently than those of most others.

Most other machines simply blow the humidified air straight out of the vent or spout (depending on the size of the machine you are working with). To help spread the humidified air around your room instead of relying on air currents from other sources, many of the smaller machines have angled spouts.

Vornado decided to go in a different direction with this model. It creates a vortex of air that spins as it comes up and out of the machine, basically throwing the mist in all directions so that it reaches further. This is really what sets the Vornado apart from its competitors: it will humidify your air more evenly than any of the others.

Are you one of those people who doesn’t like to leave decisions up to some machine? Do you like to program your electronics and also want the ability to quickly change those programs when convenient? If so, this highly customizable humidifier for mid-sized rooms may be just what you need.

First, let’s talk about its versatility. Thanks to its built-in humidistat, you can set this machine to your desired humidity level by percentage. Essentially, you simply select how humid you would like your air (between 40% and 80%) and sit back while the machine does the rest of the work – turning on and off as necessary to provide your preferred moisture level. This is especially useful if you have to maintain a particular humidity level for the safety of reptile and amphibian pets or exotic plants.

Mist-, Time- and Humidity Control

Another nice feature is that you can reap the benefits of either cool mist and warm mist depending on your needs. You can also control the amount of mist coming out of the machine and whether or not it emits light (a very helpful feature at night). You can also place it on a timer to turn off automatically after a certain number of minutes or hours. You can check the current humidity level, your set level, and the strength of your mist on the bright blue LED screen.

Using easy-to-read graphs and numbers to portray this information, the Levoit LV600HH lets you see all you need to know from clear across the room. This is especially helpful since you can control the settings without having to get up. Using its remote control, you can alter any of the above-mentioned parameters and then some. You can even activate sleep mode from the comfort of your bed.

Aromatherapy Support

As an added bonus, since this machine’s cool mist setting uses ultrasonic technology, it is capable of accepting and dispersing essential oils for aromatherapy. Whether you want to inject a soothing peppermint in the air to calm your airways when you are ill, or you just like to add the scent of lavender for a restful night’s sleep, you can perfume your air as you please.

Anyone thinking about purchasing this humidifier should know, first and foremost, that it’s made specifically for small rooms. In fact, we wouldn’t recommend it for any space over 120 square feet in size.

The thing about small rooms is that we don’t often have a lot of storage space in them. You will probably want to make the most of every square inch in a small space, and this humidifier helps you do just that.

Design Matches Purpose

Measuring 14 inches tall by 8 inches wide and 5 inches deep, this is not the smallest humidifier on this list. In terms of total volume, the TaoTronics TT-AH001 is, technically, smaller. Overall size isn’t what’s important to most people with little room to spare, though. Even though the TaoTronics machine is smaller, it may actually be more difficult to find an adequate space due to its shape.

This UPOWER humidifier is nice and slim, so you can pop in on a shelf without having to worry about it falling off. This saves you from the need to make space on an end table beside your bed or your computer desk. All you’ll need to do is install a 5- to 6-inch deep shelf on the wall and set it there.

Since the mist flows outward from the front of the machine, you can even set it on a bookshelf without worrying about moisture damaging the shelf above it. The output does point slightly upward, though, you may want to set it as close to the edge of the shelf as possible.

Humidifies Quickly

The high flow rate at which the mist is released from the oversized exit vent is superior to that of most (if not all) of the other humidifiers on this list.

Since most other small humidifiers have smaller spouts or nozzles with openings less than half an inch wide, this one is likely to moisturize the air much faster. If you often prefer to quickly boost the moisture in a room and turn the humidifier off when you’re elsewhere, this just might be the best option for you.

The ability to add Vicks products to this humidifier is what sets it apart from most others and makes it exceptionally beneficial during cold and flu season. The soothing menthol scent of Vicks products, as well as their other medicinal properties, will alleviate symptoms and aid in a speedy recovery.

This is not the only humidifier on our list capable of working with Vicks products, but it is the only one that does so with a cool mist.

If you take a look at the Vicks V745A, you’ll see that it is also capable of emitting Vicks-laced moisturized air, but it only does so with a warm mist. You’ll also see that we chose the latter as our favorite for colds and flu. While we stand by that choice – since warm air is known to be more relaxing for airways and to promote the breakup of mucus – the cool mist Vicks V4600 also has its place when it comes to colds and flu. In fact, we prefer it for people with asthma and other airway problems.

We also prefer it for children’s bedrooms. Warm mist humidifiers like the V745A come with a slight risk of burning. Since the water is literally boiled to create hot steam, it is possible to scald yourself if you handle a warm mist humidifier improperly.

If you plan on using a humidifier during flu season in a small room or with an unattended child, this is the one we recommend.

Better Than Average

If you take a quick look at other small-room humidifiers (such as the Pure Enrichment MistAire and URPOWER options), you will see that they typically have only one to three mist output settings. You can adjust the output on a continuous scale from a little to a lot using the dial on the front of this machine to suit your preferences exactly, even without a built-in humidistat.

We have to say, though, that the TaoTronics TT-AH001 is also made for small rooms and offers a superior level of customization. It’s a little bit more expensive, though, and is not capable of using Vicks products. Nor, in fact, is it capable of using essential oils to infuse scent into the air.

It’s one thing to need a small humidifier for your bedroom or office when you have a common cold or the flu. It’s something else entirely to have such chronically dry air in your entire home that your plants are withering, your wooden furniture has lost its luster, and your entire family suffers from dry skin and bloody noses.

In homes with widespread dry air issues, a large humidifier is what you need. This unit from Essick Air boasts the ability to humidify a space of up to 3,600 square feet and, for that and several other reasons, has been chosen as our favorite whole-home humidifier.

First, let’s talk about the expanse of space it can cover. The typical home covers about 1,200 to 2,000 square feet per floor, give or take. Being able to humidify 3,600 sq. ft means this unit is perfect for single floors of large homes or multiple floors of mid-sized homes. It will also work in mid-sized warehouses and large open-plan offices. If you have a somewhat smaller space, we’d suggest taking a look at the Vornado, since it’s designed to take care of about 1,000 square feet.

Large and Effective

Overall, the machine is large, so you’ll want to be certain you have a place to set it. For optimal performance, you shouldn’t place it directly against a wall, because it pulls dry air in from all sides before sending humidified air out the top. All of this should be considered before making your purchase. That being said, people who have the space to accommodate this unit won’t be disappointed.

The humidifier is outfitted with a large wicking filter. What does this mean? Basically, the water soaks into the filter through which the fan pushes air, releasing water in tiny droplets.

This wicking filter allows the machine to run without heat (so there will be no steam coming from this machine) and it serves to absorb impurities from the air and water. This allows you to use hard water directly from a tap (or hose) without worrying that fine white dust of formerly dissolved minerals will slowly coat the surfaces of your home or workplace.

With Added Convenience

Its handy caster wheels allow you to wheel this machine from one location to another without having to lift it, which is a good thing considering how much it weighs.

Do you want to be able to set your humidifier to maintain a particular humidity level and not have to worry about it until it needs to have more water added? Though that is possible on options like the Vornado (which has a confusing dial that doesn’t really specify the percentage of humidity you want in the air), this Essick Air allows you to choose a humidity level on its LCD screen. The machine then monitors the air, turning itself on and off as necessary to maintain that level.

When you take a look at the other small-room humidifiers on this page, you may notice that they share one major similarity – simplicity. This one, however, breaks that mold somewhat.

The only small-room humidifier on our page with advanced functions, this unique machine from TaoTronics gives you precise control over the humidity levels in your small rooms. It includes a humidistat that measures the amount of moisture in the air, giving you a digital reading of that level (as an RH percentage) on its large LED screen.

You can also see which settings you’ve selected, including misting level/speed and a timer. You can set the timer to turn the machine off after a certain amount of time. Alternatively, you can set the machine to “auto” so that it will turn itself on and off to maintain the selected humidity level.

Activate the nightlight by pressing the “sleep” button. The sleep function will also turn off other indicator sounds so you can rest peacefully. Since the machine normally beeps when the water level is getting low, TaoTronics decided to make the nightlight glow with different colors to indicate when it’s running out of water, normally glowing green but switching to red when it needs a refill. Of course, you won’t see this light while you’re sleeping, but you will notice it in the morning, when you get up to use the bathroom, or if are simply using the sleep mode to add a subdued glow to a dark room.

Whenever the light turns red or you hear a beep, you can easily add water by removing the tank itself. A handle on the top of the tank makes it even easier to carry (especially when it is full). Simply replace the tank once you’ve refilled it and you’re on your way to cool, comfortable air in no time.

One small downside to this humidifier is that you cannot add essential oils or any other type of aromatherapy to it. Many other ultrasonic cool-mist humidifiers allow you to do those things, which is important to a lot of people. This one, however, is not equipped to handle essential oils and might just malfunction if you try to use them.

If the essential oil issue sounds like a deal-breaker to you, you will have to check out a few mid-sized humidifiers, since none of the other popular, top-selling small-room models we selected are compatible with essential oils. Of the mid-sized options, you may want to look into the Levoit LV600HH and the Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Humidifier.

Perhaps you’re looking to humidify a large space, but have arthritis or some other issue that prevents you from easily transporting and refilling the heavy water tanks found on most big humidifiers. If 13 liters of water sounds like it would be far too heavy for you to carry (even a short distance), we’ve found just the right plus-sized humidifier for you.

This is because the Honeywell HCM-6009 has two removable tanks instead of one. Also adding to its ease of use is the fact that it has wheels. You can unplug and wheel the entire machine to wherever you have a sink or, at least, closer to a room with a water supply. Then, remove the two 6-liter tanks, lift them to the faucet, fill them, and replace them into the machine, after which you can easily wheel the machine back to its original location. Not only are each of the tanks much lighter than a single water reservoir would be, but you can also get them to the sink quite easily and you don’t have to fuss around with fill nozzles and inlet spouts.

You can program the humidity level you’d like to have in your room using a dial. The machine will turn itself on when the level dips below your indicated desire and turn off again when that level is reached. The lowest available level is somewhere around 40% whereas the highest level is about 80%. Since no actual numbers are indicated on the machine, these are assumptions made using industry standards.

Unfortunately, this machine does not have the patented vortex-like air circulation that the Vornado does. Still, its powerful fan pushes out moist air for quite some distance and spreads it around the room fairly well.

Though this, the Vornado, and the Essick Air humidifiers are all advertised as being ideal for large and extra-large spaces, we have to recommend sticking to the Essick Air AirCare MA1201 if you are planning to humidify an entire floor of a home.

For large rooms of about 800-900 square feet, however, the strong fan of this Honeywell should perform just fine.

Though it may seem a little out of the ordinary to combine the functions of a humidifier with a table, Essick Air has managed to address a very important market – people with large spaces but little extra room.

If you have an open-concept home but still find that the home itself is a little smaller than what you need for what you have, you’ll probably understand how it’s possible to have too little room in a large area. Though you may have managed to fit your furniture and other belongings into your home, you might now find that the addition of a large humidifier messes with your entire floorplan. So what do you do?

One solution is to get a humidifier which doubles as a table. The Essick Air AirCare EP9800 works similarly to other large humidifiers, but with one major difference. Instead of sucking dry air in from the side or front and spouting moisturized air out through the top, this machine pulls air in from the back and sends it out from the sides. What is neat about this humidifier is that, although it may not send air out in a vortex which spreads itself around the room, the fact that the air is forced out to the sides instead of upward helps spread it out in all directions.

Since it uses the back and sides to suck and blow air, you won’t want to place this machine too close to your furniture. Still, you can plunk it at the end of your home bar, kitchen countertop, or even set it out on its own to hold a houseplant or two. Using it in an office environment? Even better! You can set it wherever you like and use it to hold a snack station, a coffee machine, a printer, or an assortment of business cards.

Set your desired humidity level by pressing the humidity button and cycling through options ranging from 40% to 65%. You can also adjust the speed between 9 settings depending on how quickly you’d like to reach your desired humidity level. Another of its interesting features is more aesthetic than functional, but still worth noting. You can quickly and easily change the appearance of this unit by swapping out the tile that makes up its tabletop. Any 12 by 12-inch ceramic tile will do the trick, allowing you to color coordinate with any décor.

Are you ready to tackle cold and flu season? If not, don’t worry – this Vicks humidifier certainly is. Several factors about this humidifier make it an excellent choice for this specific purpose, including the fact that it produces warm mist.

Let’s take a minute to look at why we chose it as the Best for Colds and Flu (even ahead of the other Vicks humidifier on our list) and, if we have any space left at the end, we’ll discuss some of its other good attributes.

Just like the other Vicks humidifier on this page, the V745A is able to utilize Vicks vapor products. Just pop some vapor mist in the special receptacle and it will begin to infuse the air with the soothing scent you probably associate with Vicks Vapo-Rub. Not only will this scent help your airways relax and induce them to open, but it is also medicated to help alleviate cold and flu symptoms. As you’ll see, though, this model has one huge advantage over the V4600. Warm mist.

Use of Warm Mist

Warm mist is considered the best option for people who are dealing with cold and flu viruses because it helps to keep airways clear. It also helps break up mucus much faster than cool mist.

We must take a moment to point out, however, that warm mist can also inflame air passages. Though this shouldn’t be an issue for most people wrestling with cold and flu bugs, it can be problematic for people whose airways are prone to spasming, including those with asthma and harsh allergies.

That being said, the airway-opening effects of the vapor mist will partly negate this problem, too. If you are still concerned, you can always choose the Vicks V4600 instead.

Warm mist also helps to kill germs. Germs are pulled in through the inlet air vent, then exposed to boiling water before the humidified air is released. Additionally, warm mist tends to raise the humidity in a room more quickly than cool air.

Overall, this humidifier is a fast-acting, germ-killing, airway-soothing dream machine when it comes to cold and flu symptoms.

Do you want to fill your home with the wonderful scent of cedarwood and vanilla over the holidays, or make it smell like lavender to wind down for bed each night? Maybe you want to use your favorite germ-killing or fatigue-fighting oil to get you through your day. Whatever the reason, whatever the scent; you can use your essential oils in this mid-sized humidifier without worrying that they might damage the diffuser.

If you’ve read through the rest of the reviews on this page, you will have noticed that only the Levoit LV600HH is also designed to work with essential oils. That machine, however, is not as slim as this one, nor is it as easy to use. Additionally, the Levoit is more expensive. That being said, unlike the Levoit, this one does not have a timer nor a humidistat.

One simple dial controls most of the settings on this machine. You can turn it on and off using the dial and adjust the intensity of the steam along a continuum of a little to a lot. The dial does not, unfortunately, indicate a pre-set humidity level; the machine will not turn on or off to maintain a given amount of moisture in the air. Some other machines on our list do have dials that control the humidity level, but this one only regulates the amount of water vapor produced.

If you want something with the ability to use essential oils, your best choice comes down to a question of preference. Do you demand the ability to program your humidifier and see a digital readout of the humidity level? If so, you should turn your attention to the Levoit. If, on the other hand, you prefer something simple and need to slide it into a small space, you will probably want to stick with this model from Everlasting Comfort.