Ultimate Humidifier Buying Guide - Things to Consider When Buying a Humidifier

Our skin, respiratory system, overall health, and well-being, not to mention our possessions, can be affected by the air we breathe in, especially dry air.

Using technology to control the amount of moisture in the air is the current remedy for dry air. Humidifiers serve as a remedy to dry air problems by adding moisture to the air to get rid of dryness.

According to mayoclinic, humidified air can help prevent dry sinuses, bloody noses, and cracked lips, and it can also help the symptoms of colds, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems

Making a choice when purchasing a humidifier may be very difficult, with so many options available on the market. You can start your search by looking at this ultimate humidifier buying guide.

Without further Ado, let’s head right into it!

Things to Consider when buying a Humidifier – Ultimate Humidifier Buying Guide

When purchasing a humidifier, here are the things to consider before deciding:

First, you need to know the types of humidifiers on the market and get the one that suits you and the climate of your region.

Types of Humidifiers

Here are some types of humidifiers;

Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers are best suited for places and regions that are warmer. These types of humidifiers work by adding mist to the air without increasing the temperature, instead, they cool the temperature.

They work by allowing the mist to be released into the air and pass through a filtration system to remove and neutralize all impurities before it is released into the air.

They are inexpensive and very easy to maintain. However, you need to do routine check-ups and cleaning to remove mineral deposits left by hard water or mold build-up caused by the usage of hard water.

These humidifiers release a pleasant mist into the air. The water passes through a filtration system before leaving the humidifier to neutralize all impurities. Humidifiers with cool mist are also inexpensive and simple to maintain.

Failing to do so may cause contamination of the water on the humidifier and bacterial growth. These bacteria are subsequently mixed with the water and pollutants are then released into the air, which may cause health issues.

Buy >> Cool mist humidifier on Amazon here

Warm Mist Humidifiers

Warm mist humidifiers are effective in combating cold hence, they are suitable for cold climates as they help reduce cold and flu symptoms while improving the quality of air.

They work by using a heating element to warm up the water in the humidifier, turning them into vapor before it is released into the air.

This process makes it very difficult for molds to build up within the humidifier. However, people with kids avoid these kinds of humidifiers, as they may cause health hazards when children come in contact with them.

Buy >> Warm mist humidifier on Amazon here

Evaporative Humidifiers

Evaporative humidifiers are very similar to cool mist humidifiers. They are much safer around children and pets, as they don’t have to heat the water to create mist.

Instead, they have a fan that helps spread the moist air into the room through a moist wick filter. They are very affordable to buy and easy to maintain.

They offer undetectable, pure hydration without generating white mineral dust. The system’s fan will make a quiet operating noise, similar to other cool-mist humidifiers. This noise can help some people relax while it may be strange and discomforting for others.

There is a chance of bacterial and mold growth in the humidifier since the water is not heated. Using distilled water and routine system cleaning can help stop this.

Buy >> Evaporative humidifier on Amazon here

Vaporizer Humidifiers

Vaporizer humidifiers combine the features of a cool and warm mist humidifier together to give you a cost-effective but optimum performance and effectiveness in improving the quality of air indoors.

Vaporizers emit visible steam. The good thing is you can select between warm and cool mist. Sounds interesting, right? Yes, it is!

The downside to these humidifiers is that they are not quite an energy efficient and may cause white mineral dust to accumulate in the humidifier and then spread into the room.

Buy >> Vaporizer humidifier on Amazon here

Ultrasonic Humidifiers

Ultrasonic Humidifiers are available in both cool and warm mist. They use a vibrating metallic diaphragm to break down water into tiny droplets, w

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hich are then spread into the air indoors.

They are silent, energy efficient, and portable. This makes them the ideal humidifier for the bedroom and in the baby nursery.

The absence of filters in ultrasonic humidifiers reduces maintenance and cleaning expenses. Since they don’t need to steam or heat water to produce mist, they are considerably safer than traditional humidifiers.

However, there are chances of bacteria and mold growth that would be transmitted into the room, as with any humidifier that does not boil the water to produce a mist.

Buy >> Ultrasonic Humidifier on Amazon here

Choosing the ideal humidifier for your needs should be much simpler now that you are more knowledgeable about the various types of humidifiers.

However, before buying a humidifier, keep the following in mind:

Size

One of the most crucial aspects in selecting a humidifier is determining whether you want humidification for a specific room, area, or the entire house or space.

The size of the space might help you estimate how much moisture a humidifier will need to provide and hence get the humidifier that fits that space.

Whether it’s a whole room, a full building, or simply your own private office space, figure out how many square feet the area is and get the specific size of humidifier that best suits the space.

Whole house humidifiers may not be easy to move around, which is why you should consider a portable humidifier that suits the space you want to use it.

Also, another thing you want to look out for is portability; portable humidifiers are easy to move around. This can be very helpful, as you could use them in the sitting room during the day and move it to the bedroom at night.

Humidistat

Humidifiers help to regulate relative humidity; they also help maintain the humidity level in a room so it doesn’t go beyond and cause excess wetness.

These devices sometimes come built-in with humidifiers and this is one feature to look out for when buying a humidifier. This would allow you to turn off the humidifier when the humidity level in your room is high or low.

Some can turn on automatically whenever the relative humidity in your home falls below a certain limit or level.

Humidifiers with built-in humidistat may be quite more expensive than regular humidifiers, but they are worth the extra bucks as you don’t have to worry about your humidifier overshooting with mist and causing wetness in your room.

Maintenance and cleaning

Cleaning and maintenance of humidifiers can be easy or hard depending on the filter and capacity of the water tank.

Humidifiers with removable tanks are simpler to clean than the fixed ones; however, a low-quality filter that needs to be cleansed frequently will be a headache for you.

Furthermore, the humidifier you purchase shouldn’t put a persistent strain on your finances. The ideal option is a humidifier that consumes less energy while in use, like cool mist humidifiers or ultrasonic humidifiers.

Also, the chances of warm mist humidifiers producing mold or bacteria are very low when compared to cool mist humidifiers, making them very easy to clean and maintain.

But, you should know the risks associated with warm mist humidifiers around kids and pets. If you don’t have kids or pets running around, then a warm mist humidifier may be the best for you.

Ease of use, Runtime, and Capacity

The frequency and simplicity of tank refilling are important considerations to take when purchasing a humidifier.

It is way easy to refill humidifiers with detachable water tanks that require removing several parts to refill.

It also matters how simple it is to refill the tank and also how frequently you do it. Humidifiers with wider top valves are simpler to refill compared to models whose tops must be detached.

The highest amount of water a humidifier’s tank can contain after being refilled is referred to as its tank capacity. The runtime describes the maximum number of hours a humidifier can operate after each refill, and it is often stated in gallons or liters.

Another crucial aspect to consider when purchasing a humidifier is its capacity to store water. A humidifier can run for a longer period if its tank is larger. The less time you’d need to spend continuously refilling it, the better.

The tanks of most portable humidifiers with a good water holding capacity can stay up to 12 hours after a single fill before the need for refilling. This means you can fill the humidifier just or twice and use it for the whole day.

Smart Features

You want to look out for some smart features when considering buying a humidifier. These features help you better control your device and come with ease to operate it.

When choosing a humidifier, keep in mind certain qualities that make it smart. Your life will be made much simpler by features like remote control, auto on and off in case of falling.

Other features like mobile app support, child-lock safety, and Alexa integration are some notable smart features to look out for when buying a humidifier.

A remote control can help you control and operate your device even when you’re far away from the humidifier. Likewise, its mobile app support function. Integration with Alexa, Siri, or a voice assistant takes controlling your humidifier to a whole new level.

The timer support function is also very important, as you can set your timer to automatically shut down within a specified time range. You can do this while you’re away at work, so you don’t come home to dry air.

Alexa integration, mobile app support, remote control, timer, and auto shutdown functions are great features you should look out for before buying a humidifier.

Noise and Energy Consumption

Energy consumption and noise level are two important operational factors to consider when buying a humidifier. Humidifiers with low noise levels are ideal for use during the night because of the low rate of noise produced.

While some people may find noise from humidifiers soothing, it helps others relax and sleep better at night, but if you’re not that kind of person, you’d want to go for humidifiers that produce less or no noise.

Cool mist humidifiers are the best when it comes to energy consumption, as they consume less energy than other humidifiers. They also produce less noise too, but you need to also consider the risks associated with cool mist humidifiers.

Cool mist humidifiers produce more pollutants and molds if you use hard water because they don’t heat the water in the reservoir before creating mist.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you’re searching for low noise levels, ultrasonic units are usually your best bet. To get a better understanding of these noise levels and how a humidifier works, check and read customer reviews to get a clearer picture.

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In Conclusion

Although humidifiers are typically inexpensive, the factors mentioned above may work together to influence the cost of the humidifier you choose.

The larger the humidifier and its tank, the added features and functionality to aid your ease of use, the more you may have to pay to get the humidifier.

Before purchasing a humidifier, take the time to consider whether your needs are in line with the reasons mentioned above.

Also, before purchasing a certain model or brand of humidifiers, ensure to check and read users’ or customers’ reviews on the product. This would give you a better understanding of the product and how it works.

A simple hack here is to always go to read the bad reviews and 1-star ratings on the product to know the frustration of people using the product already as good ratings and reviews may not give you a peak into the problems people are having with the humidifier.

Ultimate Humidifier Buying Guide – Things to Consider When Buying a Humidifier