Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Humidifier, White

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.

• 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