2. Best overall
5. Best looking
6. How we test
7. Our experts
8. FAQs
9. More info
Investing in one of the best humidifiers is an easy and effective way to improve the air quality in your home or workplace — especially if you live in a hot, dry climate. Humidifiers release moisture into the air, often in the form of water vapor, to increase relative humidity. This in turn can help relieve dry skin and nasal congestion, and in some instances, ease some of the symptoms of allergies and respiratory conditions.
But exactly which humidifier should you invest in?
To help you find the right appliance, we have tried some of the best humidifiers from top brands like Levoit and Dyson. We have looked at their design, durability, price, smart features, ease of use, and performance, as well as portability, ease of maintenance, and energy consumption. Here is our roundup of the best humidifiers we have tested.
But if have the opposite problem and want to get rid of excess moisture in your home, take a look at our selection of the best dehumidifiers on the market.
The quick list
The best humidifier overall
This stylish humidifier beats the competitors with excellent performance, ease of use and smart features — and it doubles as a fan. It is, however, relatively expensive.
Best humidifier for bedrooms
Easy to use, whisper-quiet and thoughtfully designed, the Levoit LV600HH is a great choice for medium to large bedrooms. Its auto settings could be more accurate, though.
Best for easy cleaning
This no-fuss humidifier comes with a connected app, aromatherapy option and large LED display, as well as a spacious and easy-to-clean tank.
Best looking humidifier
This HoMedics ultrasonic humidifier boasts stylish looks and a large yet compact build, and it comes with essential oil tray pads.
The best humidifiers we recommend in 2024
Why you can trust Live Science Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best humidifier overall
✅ You are looking for a stylish appliance: Most humidifiers look bulky, but this one boasts a sleek design.
✅ You want a UV sanitizer: It purifies the water before releasing the vapor, getting rid of bacteria and minerals.
✅ Your room is on the small side: It works best in spaces up to 172 square feet.
❌ You want to cover large spaces: This dehumidifier is designed primarily for small rooms.
❌ You are on a budget: It is one of the most expensive models.
Amazon reviews give the Dyson AM10 an average score of 4.2 out of 5, however 70% of them are five star reviews. Positive reviews commented on how well the ultraviolet light worked to kill bacteria in the water, as well as how easy it was to use. Negative reviews cited that the machine is quite complicated to set up and clean, and others commented on how small the water tank was.
This sleek appliance is one of the best humidifiers we have tested, and our all-time favorite, too. During the Dyson AM10 Humidifier review, it impressed us with its sleek design, ease of use, and great performance. True, it is one of the most expensive humidifiers on the market, but the Dyson AM10 can give you a good run for the money — and it doubles as a fan so it will not sit dormant in the summer months.
This top-quality humidifier features 10 levels, and will look good in any office or living area space. With some great functions, it enables you to set it for sleeping, while an auto mode gives you a choice of your preferred humidity level. However, its water tank is relatively small — only holding 3.75 quarts.
One of the best things about this Dyson Humidifier is that before the water gets vaporized it purifies the water, getting rid of bacteria and minerals with its ultraviolet light. This is one of its best qualities, especially for those who are worried about the air quality in their house. It’s easy to refill the water and our tester found that it ran continuously for 12 hours before it needed to be refilled. This model is better for smaller rooms up to 172 square feet.
Unlike other humidifiers we’ve tested, the Dyson AM10 Humidifier doesn’t have multiple mist settings. Instead, it asks you for your preferred humidity level. The appliance will run until your target is reached and adjust the moisture output from there. Humidity levels can be set to between 30 and 70 per cent. However, this humidifier also aims to regulate your desired temperature and will change according to the temperature in the room. Our tester also noted that the noise on any level was never louder than her air conditioner.
This Dyson humidifier is a great investment piece, even despite its high price tag.
- Read our full Dyson AM10 humidifier review
Best humidifier for bedrooms
✅ You want an ultra-quiet appliance: It will not distract or wake you up.
✅ Your bedroom is on the large side: It works best in spaces between 430 to 753 square feet.
✅ You want to switch between warm and cool mist: It can fit the temperature in your room.
❌ You want to cover large spaces: This dehumidifier is designed primarily for small rooms.
❌ You are on a budget: Although it offers good value for money, it is not the cheapest option.
Customers on Amazon gave the Levoit LV600HH humidifier an average score of 4.5 out of 5 and mentioned its humidity levels and remote control the most. Positive reviews cite its high output of mist and how easy it is to clean, while negative reviews mention that the warm mist can get quite hot and how the auto setting isn’t accurate.
Easy to use, extremely quiet, and packed with features, the Levoit LV600HH is a great choice for large bedrooms and studies. This sleek-looking humidifier includes three mist settings, an essential oil diffuser for aromatherapy, and a dual nozzle that twists 360 degrees.
As a smaller model, it’s ultra-quiet but is capable of holding a large amount of water, which means that it can run for up to 36 hours.
This humidifier is great for larger rooms that measure between 430 to 753 square feet. The built-in water tank is see-through, which means that you always know how much water you have left in your tank. Able to sit on your worktop or tuck under a table, it’s a little tricky to fill up. However, this humidifier is ready to use as soon as you get it out of the box, with nothing to set up aside from filling the water.
With a small LCD display on the front, it also has various buttons that enable you to control the mist level, humidity and how long the humidifier will run for. The mist function has three settings going from low to high, while the humidity button enables you to change the percentage of humidity in the air. During our Levoit LV600HH humidifier review, we found that even on the highest mist level, the humidifier didn’t need a refill until the next day, running for more than 17 hours. Meanwhile, the nifty remote control means that you can control the humidifier from up to 16 feet away.
- Read our full Levoit LV600HH humidifier review
Best humidifier for easy cleaning
✅ You want a low-maintenance appliance: Its top-fill design and transparent tank make it easy to clean and refill, and it can run for up to 60 hours.
✅ You want smart features: It comes with a handy app.
✅ You like aromatherapy: It features an essential oil diffuser.
❌ You have a small room: This dehumidifier is designed primarily for rooms between 215 and 505 square feet.
❌ You need to place it close to the wall: Its humidity sensor may not work properly.
The Amazon reviews for the Levoit Classic 300S humidifier scores an impressive 4.6 out of 5 with many happy customers commenting on how quiet it is and how easy it is to clean, because of its wide opening at the top of the humidifier. Negative reviews focused on how the humidifier was too sensitive and that the auto mode didn’t work as well as other models.
The Levoit Classic 300S is a great no-fuss humidifier for those who do not want to spend hours cleaning their appliance. This compact appliance impressed us with its ease of use and multiple smart features. It connects to the VeSync app, which enables you to control the mist levels and notifies you when it needs cleaning.
During our Levoit Classic 300S humidifier review, we also found it was easy to maintain. This medium-sized sleek model is equipped with a clear water tank that sits on the top, giving you a clear indication of how much water is left.
Perfect for small or medium sized rooms, the humidifier will need some assembling, but it's not a complicated affair. With a large LED display, it clearly indicates the humidity level, while the buttons for mist levels, night mode and humidity levels sit around this. The connecting app is easy to download and connects via WiFi. Once downloaded, the app enables you to switch between the manual, auto and sleep modes. You can also set a timer and change the humidity levels via the app.
This humidifier is easy to clean and its humidity levels perform well on both the high and middle mist setting, climbing to a 68% level within two hours on the highest setting. Another quiet model, it will last for 19 hours on a high setting, but 60 on a lower setting. However, the built-in humidity sensor is quite sensitive and the model does need to be cleaned regularly to avoid bacteria getting into the water.
The aromatherapy option is a nice touch — with six drops of tea tree oil added to the aroma pad, we created a beautifully scented air that lasted in our room for hours. However, we need to point out that six drops is more than the recommended 2-3 drops.
- Read our full Levoit Classic 300S humidifier review
Best looking humidifier
✅ You are looking for a stylish appliance: Humidifiers do not tend to look good, but this is a rare exception.
✅ You want to put it in the bedroom: It is whisper-quiet, and it can run up to 70 hours.
✅ You like aromatherapy: It features an essential oil diffuser.
❌ You need to move it around a lot: This dehumidifier is quite bulky and flimsy.
❌ You want smart features: No connected apps or wide connectivity.
User reviews for the HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe Ultrasonic humidifier are largely positive, with the product scoring 4.1 stars out of five on Amazon. Users note that it is one of the most attractive appliances they have seen, and it is extremely quiet so doesn’t keep them awake. However, some do think that it is slightly overpriced considering it is not smart-enabled.
If you’re looking for a humidifier that seamlessly blends into your home without being an eyesore, the HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe is a great option. This stylish, sleek appliance can hold 1.47 gallons of water, has a run time of up to 70 hours, and can cover large rooms up to 426 sq ft.
The HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe boasts many useful features. For example, its three cool mist settings let you adjust the output to fit your space exactly how you want it. These can be controlled using the intuitive buttons on the front of the humidifier. There is also the option to set an auto-off timer for four, eight or 12 hours.
During our Homedics TotalComfort Deluxe Ultrasonic Humidifier review, we found it to be whisper-quiet. It measured around 13dB — which is equivalent to leaves rustling in the wind — so you will hardly notice it in the background if you are trying to work, or when you are asleep at night. In fact, it also has a built-in nightlight and an auto-shutoff mode when the tank is out of water.
The humidifier does feel a little bit flimsy (which surprised us for the price), and leaked a bit when we tried to transport it into another room with water still in the tank. However, it is an efficient machine that does a good job of improving indoor humidity, and it has the added benefit of looking good too.
How we test
How do we test humidifiers on Live Science?
Every humidifier in this guide has been tested to the exact same standards, using the same processes.
We start by noting the humidity level of a closed room. We fill each humidifier’s tank to the maximum and let it run on the highest setting (also noting how long it takes to empty the tank). While the machine is running, we measure the noise level of the machine in decibels. After an hour, we measure and take note of the humidity level in the room. This is repeated at the two hour mark, or when the tank is empty. This process is repeated for each mode the unit has, such as lower mode and night mode.
Our testing also takes into account the size of the unit, whether it emits cool or warm mist, the cost, ease of use, availability of additional parts, ease of cleaning and the energy use on the lowest and highest settings. Finally, we check online user reviews to see what people think, and we test for any persistent problems or defects that we read about.
As per our testing policy, we fully disclose all our findings in our reviews.
Our experts
We spoke with members of the Environmental Protection Agency to confirm the latest research and findings on humidifiers, as well as advice on how to maintain a humidifier so that it performs smoothly.
FAQs
What should the humidity be in your house?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, people should keep their indoor humidity below 60% — ideally between 30% to 50%.
More info
Where should I place my humidifier?
Where to put your new humidifier depends on the conditions of each room in your house and what you hope to achieve by using one. For instance, if you struggle with snoring, then it would make sense to put your humidifier in your bedroom. Humidifiers in the bedroom should be kept at least three feet away from the bed to avoid disturbing you while you sleep, although you might want it temporarily closer if you’re battling a respiratory infection. Some humidifiers have LED displays and run louder than others, so you might want to place it somewhere the lights aren’t directly visible from the bed and far enough away that the sound isn’t disturbing.
Remember that humidifiers are releasing moisture, so you want to keep them at least a foot away from walls, furniture or curtains to avoid causing water damage, and direct the mist outlet towards the center of the room to enjoy the benefits. If the water is condensing on a surface before it can reach you, the humidifier will be less effective. This one foot rule also applies to floors and carpets; it’s best to keep your humidifier at least one foot above the ground to avoid puddling. Ultrasonic humidifiers in particular are prone to puddling, as they release miniature water droplets as opposed to evaporating the water. The elevation also allows the mist to reach higher and therefore disperse further within the room.
If you have bought a humidifier for a baby’s room or nursery, then ensure that the humidifier and power cords are kept out of the baby’s reach to avoid accidents.
How to maintain your humidifier for optimum performance
The best humidifiers are great at ensuring the air quality and humidity levels in your home are kept at the best possible levels. There are some best practice guidelines you should follow to ensure they are running at their best, and we spoke to an expert, Tim Carroll, a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency, to get his breakdown of how to care for your humidifier:
• You should empty the tank of the humidifier, wipe all of the surfaces dry and refill the water in portable humidifiers daily. This will help to reduce the growth of microorganisms.
• Try to use water with a low mineral content in order to prevent the build-up of unwanted minerals in the tank. This will also reduce the potential dispersal of minerals into the air.
• You should aim to clean portable humidifiers every third day.
• Clean and dry the humidifier thoroughly when storing the product or when it is being used infrequently.
• Do not humidify to indoor relative humidity levels exceeding 50 percent.
• Do not allow the area around the humidifier to become damp or wet.
• Follow any specific manufacturing instructions regarding use, cleaning, and maintenance.
