Our top picks for humidifiers for your bedroom will make you happier, healthier and less itchy.
Due to aircon and central heating drying the air, from cracked lips and static shocks to asthma, eczema, and sore throats.
Too much humidity isn’t very comfortable either, of course. We don’t want clammy days in the summer or damp mornings in the winter, nor do we want a muggy house. The key is to find the right level of humidity.
It is ideal for air quality to be around 40% relative humidity, and anything over 50% creates a damp, mouldy environment for dangerous bacteria.
You can achieve the right balance with a decent humidifier.
What does a humidifier do?
Humidifiers disperse invisible mist to maintain the appropriate moisture level in your home’s air, keeping it warm or cold depending on your preference.
They ease the symptoms mentioned earlier and help with the flu or common cold and allergy symptoms.
How we test humidifiers
The experts at best boxed mattress look for factors such as the ease of setting up, filling, cleaning, and the intuitiveness of the controls, sound level, and energy consumption. Perhaps most importantly, we compare reviews from different websites and see what customers say about each product.
Right, let’s jump into how we found the very best air purifiers you can buy!
Best Overall: Aennon Cool Mist Humidifier
- Dimensions: 20 x 21 x 29cm (WDH)
- Tank size: 2.8l
- Running time: N/A
- Automatic shut-off: Yes
- Warranty: None
- Price: £
This pocket-friendly and smart-looking humidifier is a great all-rounder, which makes it our top pick. As a result of its auto-turn-off safety feature, it is small enough to be used in a bedroom, even a child’s bedroom. However, it is powerful enough to improve the air quality in the whole house.
It barely makes a sound, so you can leave it on while you go to sleep, and it won’t keep you awake. Furthermore, steam flow strength is easily controlled and regulated. Additionally, you can scroll through a variety of colours and use them as ambient lighting.
As with humidifiers, you can add oils such as eucalyptus to enhance the fragrance of the room.
Easy to maintain
The tank only needs to be filled once a day, and it’s easy to clean. In terms of mist production, this humidifier is much more consistent than some cheaper machines and even some more expensive ones, for the price, it’s hard to beat.
Does using a humidifier have health benefits?
Many health problems can be treated with humidifiers, including dry skin, allergies, and congestion caused by dry air. They can also alleviate snoring while helping you sleep.
A humidifier that is used too much can present problems when humidity levels become too high. For health and comfort, indoor humidity levels between 30% and 50% are considered ideal. Lower than 30% is too dry and risks causing short-term health problems and exacerbating long-term health problems. If the percentage is higher than 50%, bacteria, dust mites, and mould thrive – not to mention the musty smell.
Are humidifiers easy to maintain?
In general, humidifiers require little maintenance, but they need to be cleaned regularly to avoid mould and bacteria. Maintain the smooth flow of mist by checking the mist outlets regularly, cleaning or replacing the filter if your machine has one, and filling it with water.
Are humidifiers safe?
There are ultrasonic humidifiers on our list, including both warm and cold mist options. A warm mist humidifier should be kept away from unsupervised children and pets.
Humidifiers should also be used with distilled or purified water rather than water straight from the tap. Tap water will help promote the growth of pink mould and mineral dust in the machine over time, but there is some debate on this subject.
This shouldn’t be a problem if you clean frequently, but it’s something to keep in mind if you live in an area with hard tap water.
Does a humidifier help with a cough or allergies?
Absolutely! Humidifiers can help ease congestion caused by coughs and allergies because they add moisture to the air. It is essential not to overuse your humidifier since it promotes mould growth, bacteria growth, and dust mite growth, which would worsen your problems. You will find instructions for using your humidifier (and how to clean it) in the instructions that came with it.
What are the main air humidifier skin benefits?
Our skin’s natural oils and hydration are often zapped, leaving our lipid barrier impaired, chapped, and feeling tight. Humidifiers can help restore the skin’s natural functions and regulate underactive or overactive sebum production.
When the temperature changes rapidly, such as when coming inside from the cold into a warm environment, or vice versa, water will evaporate more quickly from the skin. During dry conditions, the humidity drops, further impairing the barrier function.
How close should a humidifier be to your bed?
If you have a cool-mist humidifier, it doesn’t matter. For safety reasons, if your humidifier is a warm-mist humidifier, you should place it at least a few meters away from your bed.
How much should I spend on a humidifier?
An affordable humidifier will cost you between £30 and £50. In our roundup, we’ve featured two products that fall within this price range.
If you’re looking for air-purifying and other fancy tech to help with respiratory problems or allergies, you should expect to pay much more. Some humidifiers indeed use UV light to kill bacteria and cost over £500, but that is the top of the range.
The more luxury models we found are around £100, and they have extra features like larger tanks and are more aesthetically pleasing, etc. It just depends on what you are looking for in your model.
The best humidifier for winter: Vicks VH845
- Dimensions: 14 x 20 x 30cm (WDH)
- Tank size: 3.8l
- Running time: Up to 12 hours
- Automatic shut-off: Yes
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: £
If you’re fighting a cold or flu or feeling run down in general, this machine could be your new best friend. By releasing warm, moist air relieves congestion and sore throats. Adding Vicks to your humidifier will release the menthol aroma you likely remember from childhood.
Given its air-warming properties, the Vicks humidifier may not be ideal for everyday use in summer. That’s why we picked it to be best in the winter.
You have to clean it every day, despite it being easy to assemble and clean, which bothers us. But it has a big tank, auto shut off, and a reasonable price.
Best humidifier for large rooms: Stadler Form Eva Humidifier
- Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 42cm (WDH)
- Tank size: 6.3l
- Running time: Continuous
- Automatic shut-off: Yes
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: £££
An ultrasonic machine with five humidity settings and an easy-to-operate remote control is a more expensive model. With a huge water tank that will require less refilling, it covers a larger area than the others in our lineup (up to 900 square feet), about the size of a large two-bedroom apartment.
Moreover, the Eva gets brownie points for ease of maintenance, and the LED lights can be dimmed or turned off. The Auto-mode – which automatically shuts down the machine if the room is too humid – works very well, and you can add your scent.
The drawback is that you’ll have to shell out for maintenance-related extras, like filtration cartridges, if you want to use the warm mode. Even if you live in an area with hard water, there will be some limescale buildup.
Furthermore, this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing humidifiers we have seen. It’s an imposing piece of equipment.