Don't Waste Your Money is supported by our readers. When you purchase an item through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Best Humidifiers

Last updated on August 28, 2023

We looked at the top 10 Home Humidifiers and dug through the reviews from 77 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Home Humidifiers.

Best Home Humidifier

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category.

Anyone who’s struggled through chilly days with cracked lips or burned through jars of lotion during colder months has experienced the effects of dry air. When the air in your home or apartment is too dry, it affects your skin and mucous membranes. This can dry out and irritate your skin, aggravate your sinuses and contribute to coughs and colds. Overly dry air also increases static electricity in your hair and clothes, and it makes cold rooms seem even chillier. Humidifiers reduce these negative effects by adding moisture to the air in your home.

There are several types of humidifiers. Central humidifiers are built into your air conditioning or heating unit, and they generally do a good job of maintaining healthy moisture levels in your air. However, older homes, apartments or homes in very cold, dry climates might need a boost of humidity from portable humidifiers.

Portable humidifiers use different methods to add moisture to cold, dry rooms. Evaporative humidifiers, like the Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Humidifier, Black, are the most common type. They have a reservoir that dispenses water through a wicking filter into a basin, then a fan blows air through the moistened filter to dispense small water droplets throughout the air.

Ultrasonic humidifiers use ultrasonic vibrating diaphragms to force tiny drips of water into your air. They tend to be quieter than other humidifiers.

MORE: The Best Humidifier Filter

Both evaporative and ultrasonic humidifiers need to be cleaned regularly to prevent mold, minerals and bacteria from growing in the water basin. However, some higher-end ultrasonic humidifiers have built-in UV light filters that sanitize your water before it’s exposed to air.

Most modern portable humidifiers use evaporative or ultrasonic technology. Cool mist versions of these humidifiers are also becoming more popular. They emit room-temperature water droplets into the air instead of warm water, making them more suitable for year-round use than steam humidifiers.

After you’ve covered your humidifier basics, there are a few more considerations you’ll want to make before selecting the best unit for your home.

Our Picks For The Top Home Humidifiers

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Best Overall

Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Humidifier

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Pure

Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Humidifier

This home humidifier's compact size and easy-to-fill tank are great for smaller bedrooms or home offices. The 360-degree rotating nozzle is a nice feature that directs humidity where you need it the most. Its unique shape makes it a little harder to clean than other options, but this is still an excellent choice if you don't mind putting in a littl...

Overall Take

Compact SizeThis home humidifier is an easy-to-fill tank with a 360-degree rotating nozzle that's perfect for smaller rooms.

Pros
" The nozzle rotates to direct the mist, and the nightlight can be turned off."
Cons
"While most say this humidifier is easy enough to fill, the small opening may make scrubbing inside the tank difficult."
 Reduces Allergens

Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Humidifier, White

Everlasting Comfort

Ultrasonic Cool Humidifier, White

If you're an allergy sufferer, you'll find relief with this home humidifier. This handy device brings humidity levels above 43% to help reduce allergens and clear out the sinuses. Unlike other models, you won't have to worry about replacing filters with this home humidifier, and you can even use tap water to fill the water reservoir.

Overall Take

Helps With AllergiesThis home humidifier not only helps reduce allergens, but it's also antimicrobial and antibacterial.

 Also Great

Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser

Asakuki

Essential Oil Diffuser

With one of the largest water tanks, this humidifier provides a consistent mist for up to 16 hours. Since this unit utilizes the same eco-friendly and non-toxic materials used to make baby bottles, you'll feel safe turning the humidifier on in a home with pets and small children.

Overall Take

Long Running TimeThanks to its 500-milliliter water tank and low-voltage current, this humidifier is able to run for an astounding 16 hours.

Pros
" It is a pretty large 500ml diffuser with an automatic shut off. This helps prevent overheating when water runs out."
Cons
"A bit expensive."
 Handy Remote

LEVOIT Humidifiers Ultrasonic Humidifier Whisper Quiet

LEVOIT

Humidifiers Ultrasonic Humidifier Whisper Quiet

Using this home humidifier is a cinch thanks to the handy LED screen and the included remote. This unit allows you to choose between a warm or cool mist, which can run as long as 36 hours at a time. Of course, you also have the option of setting the timer for anywhere between one hour and twelve hours, so you're only using the humidifier when you n...

Overall Take

Quiet DesignSleep peacefully when you use this home humidifier, which has an LED panel that turns off at night.

Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
17

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the home humidifiers available to purchase.
10

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

77

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Much Needed, The Spruce, Top Best Product Review, HouseHold Harbor, Indoor Breathing.

218,086

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 10 Home Humidifiers and also dug through the reviews from 77 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Home Humidifiers.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval
Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

The Best Overall

Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Humidifier


Our Expert Score

8.5
6 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

7.8
11,043 user reviews

Our Take

This home humidifier's compact size and easy-to-fill tank are great for smaller bedrooms or home offices. The 360-degree rotating nozzle is a nice feature that directs humidity where you need it the most. Its unique shape makes it a little harder to clean than other options, but this is still an excellent choice if you don't mind putting in a little extra effort.

What other experts liked

The nozzle rotates to direct the mist, and the nightlight can be turned off.
- BestReviews
Reviewers say the best-selling Pure Enrichment Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is a great bedroom pick for a number of reasons: It’s quiet, compact, easy to use, and effective.
- The Spruce
December 26, 2018 | Full review
With a 1.5-liter tank, it’s perfect for bedrooms, offices, and medium-sized rooms.
- Digital Trends
December 20, 2018 | Full review
A silent, yet very effective device, that is perfect for those cold and dry days and nights.
- HouseholdMe
This MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist humidifier by Pure Enrichment can improve the moisture levels in your indoor air quickly and silently, creating a restful environment for you to fall asleep in.
- Hack To Sleep
August 24, 2016 | Full review
The MistAire humidifier reservoir is the ideal size for humidifying most bedrooms, while still being easy to fill by hand.
- Tuck

What other experts didn't like

Though the nightlight is optional, many users find the illuminated power button too bright for a bedroom.
- BestReviews
While most say this humidifier is easy enough to fill, the small opening may make scrubbing inside the tank difficult.
- The Spruce
December 26, 2018 | Full review
Due to its shape, the device can be difficult to clean if you don’t stay on top of the recommended weekly cleaning, though it comes with a brush.
- Digital Trends
December 20, 2018 | Full review
Among the list of biggest issues with the Pure Enrichment humidifier is the leaking.
- HouseholdMe
While the cleaning process itself is easy, you will need to clean it regularly in order to cleanse it of any build-up.
- Hack To Sleep
August 24, 2016 | Full review

The Best Bang For Your Buck

Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser

Our Expert Score

8.9
16 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

9.0
4,837 user reviews

Our Take

With one of the largest water tanks, this humidifier provides a consistent mist for up to 16 hours. Since this unit utilizes the same eco-friendly and non-toxic materials used to make baby bottles, you'll feel safe turning the humidifier on in a home with pets and small children.

What other experts liked

It is a pretty large 500ml diffuser with an automatic shut off. This helps prevent overheating when water runs out.
- Salient Themes
The uniqueness of the design makes this model to stand-out, with wood grain based to fit your home or office perfectly.
- All Top Ten Reviews
June 13, 2019 | Full review
The lid on these diffusers doesn’t snap onto the base, making it a good choice if you have trouble gripping or twisting.
- New York Times Wirecutter
November 1, 2018 | Full review
Made from eco-friendly and premium quality products, this undergoes quality control and state-of-art production system for removing germs. It is extremely safe to use and built of PP materials.
- The Top Pro
It’s equipped with multiple mist nebulizers that are able to spread the scent of the oil, as well as the moisture, throughout the room.
- DeWhite Home
August 21, 2019 | Full review
Even though it has a bright LED light option available in many colors, you can actually display that color in a “dimmer” mode. For those who often find diffuser lights to be too bright, this is a great modification.
- Fresh and Breezy
March 2, 2019 | Full review
Because it uses some nebulizer modes, it releases mists which stay suspended in the air for longer periods for maximum inhalation.
- ensmartech
May 9, 2018 | Full review
You’ll enjoy the multiple nebulizer modes and the built-in safety auto-switch that keeps the diffuser from overheating once it runs out of water.
- Reasons To Skip The Housework
March 19, 2019 | Full review
When we pulled this diffuser out of the box for the first time, we were surprised at how lightweight it is. Yet when we turned it on, it still produced a powerful and steady stream of mist.
- The Best Flushing Toilet
August 20, 2019 | Full review
Another amazing thing about the unit it works as an aromatherapy diffuser, air purifier, and humidifier.
- Buying Hack
March 19, 2019 | Full review
Remarkably, the diffuser can disintegrate water molecules using the 2.4MHz vibrating plate and spread an almost strong or weak mist up to 270 sq. feet while preserving a steady level of humidity.
- We Review
August 26, 2019 | Full review
It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you love it, or else… A 6-month money back guarantee is in place and a full year of warranty.
- Aroma Talking
Our favorite thing about this product is the design. The fact that the light covers the entire top makes it a really attractive diffuser to have in your home, and the fact that you can choose which color light you have on can really help set the mood and ambiance...
- My Essential Remedies
It is extremely quiet and comes with beautiful 7 different LED colours. It has continuous and three timers, you can choose to leave the diffuser ON or control the timer to 60, 120 or 180 minutes.
- Cosmetic News
February 17, 2019 | Full review
This unit is very easy to clean and maintain. It also features a LED light with seven different colors. It comes with an automatic shutoff feature that puts the system to sleep when it runs out of the water.
- Dwell On Joy
April 10, 2019 | Full review

What other experts didn't like

A bit expensive.
- All Top Ten Reviews
June 13, 2019 | Full review
The design of this diffuser isn’t our favorite: it’s larger and flatter than our pick, taking up more space and standing out a little more (and not in a good way).
- New York Times Wirecutter
November 1, 2018 | Full review
The biggest issue with this model is the confusing instructions. Many of the advertised features such as dimming the light are not intuitive or well-explained in the directions. This can leave customers feeling like the product is not true to form.
- Fresh and Breezy
March 2, 2019 | Full review
Not suitable for small rooms because of its quick and powerful dispersal.
- ensmartech
May 9, 2018 | Full review
Some reports of the diffuser breaking after just a few uses.
- Reasons To Skip The Housework
March 19, 2019 | Full review
If you have children or pets, you’ll want to place the diffuser on a surface that’s high off the ground. That will prevent your child or pet from knocking over the diffuser and getting water and oil everywhere.
- The Best Flushing Toilet
August 20, 2019 | Full review
Certain oil brands can cause a ring around the lid.
- Buying Hack
March 19, 2019 | Full review
Awkward refilling with the plug at the bottom.
- We Review
August 26, 2019 | Full review
We don’t like the fact that this product is so big. If you have smaller rooms in your house that you wanted to diffuse scents into, then this product probably isn’t suitable.
- My Essential Remedies

What to Look For

  • Take a look around your home to determine the safest spot for your humidifier. You should make sure to keep it off the floor on a sturdy surface that leaves several inches between the humidifier and your wall and outlets.
  • How much elbow grease are you willing to put into cleaning your humidifier? You’ll need to keep the interior squeaky clean to prevent mineral and mildew buildup. Some options have UV lights to sanitize your water and dishwasher-safe basins to get into every nook and cranny. However, you’ll have to pay more for these features.

MORE: The Best Dehumidifiers

  • Using distilled water instead of tap water can help slow down or prevent mold and mildew growth in your humidifier. It can also help your filter last longer and keep the humidifier other components in better condition.
  • How large is your room or apartment? Some units are best for small to medium-sized rooms. You might have to buy more than one small unit if you need to increase humidity in multiple rooms. Larger humidifiers can help out in multiple rooms or even your whole house.
  • Who will be using the humidifier? You’ll want a whisper-quiet model for your baby’s nursery. If you’re relying on a humidifier to help alleviate symptoms of asthma or allergies, an ultra-hygienic option might be right up your alley.
  • Some humidifiers have very large capacity tanks. This is great if you need a humidifier that lasts through the night without shutting off. However, if filling a large tank will be physically difficult for you or another person using the humidifier, you’ll want a smaller option.
  • How many hours would you like your humidifier to run? Some humidifiers can run for up to 30 hours on low, so you can set it and forget it for half the weekend.

MORE: The Best Small Dehumidifiers

Home Humidifier Rankings

1. Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Humidifier

Overall Score: 9.6
Reviews Included: 9

2. Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Humidifier, White

Overall Score: 9.4
Reviews Included: 1

3. Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser

Overall Score: 9.3
Reviews Included: 18

4. LEVOIT Humidifiers Ultrasonic Humidifier Whisper Quiet

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 1

5. Homech Ultrasonic Cool Mist Home Humidifier

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 1

6. URPOWER Oil Diffuser & Cool Mist Humidifier

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 29

7. Crane Drop Humidifier

Overall Score: 8.8
Reviews Included: 9

8. Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 23

9. Venta Airwasher LW25 Humidifier

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 6

10. Honeywell Cool Moisture Console Humidifier

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 6

More to Explore

Grumbling about the cost of your portable humidifier? Hey, at least you’re not the Crocker Art Museum in Northern California. After the museum’s $100 million expansion project concluded in 2010, they noticed their humidifier was on the fritz. Paintings, sculptures and other historic works of fine art need to be stored and displayed at specific humidity levels to prevent damage, and a faulty museum humidifier can spell disaster. The people at Crocker fought with their original contractors for years, saying that unit’s repeated failures were putting priceless works at risk. They finally scored a win in 2017, when a judge ruled that the contractors had to pony up $770,000 to replace the unit.