Humidifiers are of most use in arid countries and well-sealed modern homes with air conditioning, which is very drying. It’s also worth noting that a humidifier won’t be as practical if your home has poor insulation, old-fashioned floorboards with no carpeting or you leave your windows open all year long. This is because outdoor air already has a relatively high level of natural humidity. and what’s outside comes inside. The Elechomes HTJ-2119 Ultrasonic Humidifier requires virtually no setup. After opening the box, you simply need to fill the tank, plug in the base, and place the water tank and the nozzle on top. If you live in a hard water area, Elechomes recommends that you use distilled water in the humidifier, or you can buy an optional water filter. Furthermore, there’s an anti-scale pad in the bottom of the machine, and a spare one in the box, which helps to prevent the build up of limescale. This should be cleaned every three months or so.

Every humidifier in this guide has been tested to the exact same standards, using the same processes. Elechomes 5.5L Large Room Humidifier SH8820 design and features – Simple and easy to use, it does what you need it to The Elechomes SH8820 is an excellent value ultrasonic humidifier that comes with a full gamut of features. At 26.5cm x 18cm x 30.5cm, this humidifier is a perfect size for both floor or desktop use. We especially like its simple Apple-esque styling, the clearly etched lettering on the touch sensitive control panel, the ingeniously simple uni-directional vapour spout with integral aroma diffuser, and the way you can fill its ample 5.5-litre water tank without having to lift it out. Small wonder it’s one of the most popular humidifiers in the USA. 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. 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.

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There are lots of factors you'll want to consider when buying a humidifier, most importantly: how often will you be using it and for what purpose? Whether you're looking for a machine to humidify a large room or a smaller version for your desk at work, the capacity, runtime and square footage will tell you everything you need to know. Most humidifiers on this list hold around a gallon of water in their water tank and runtimes range from 6 to 70 hours. If you're looking for a machine that you can leave on all day every day with minimal refills, then you'll want the one with a higher runtime and capacity most likely. But if you're just looking for a humidifier to get you through the night, a smaller capacity and runtime may be okay, especially if it means a lower price point. The square footage a certain model is able to cover will also tell you if it will work in the space you have in mind because, like air purifiers, humidifiers work best in small, enclosed spaces. The tank is small enough to easily fit under a shallow bathroom sink. Our tester tried the Elechomes HTJ-2119 Ultrasonic Humidifier in her bedroom and was able to fill the tank in the bathroom closest to her room instead of carrying it to and from the kitchen.

With its glossy plastic body, the Elechomes 5.5L Large Room Humidifier SH8820 sports a simple design. Measuring 264 x 182 x 305mm, this mid-sized box won’t take up too much floor space, and you could easily fit the humidifier onto a counter if need be. Second, you can turn on the Heat mode, choosing from three levels. Heating the water brings two benefits: it kills bacteria and it pushes warm water into the air, making it more comfortable during the winter months. It’s recommended that you aim for around 50% humidity in any room, to provide the optimum level of comfort and to keep skin healthy. Increasing humidity means that your heating would have to warm the water in the air, which might take longer in a more humid environment than a dry one – but the temperature will drop more slowly as a result, increasing comfort. 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.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's an efficient machine that does a good job of improving indoor humidity, and it has the added benefit of looking good too.

The TruSens Humidifer has a water softening filter for tap water that works to reduce both build-up and white dust. Each filter lasts for an average of four months. The humidifier also has a UV-C light, which is designed to kill any bacteria in the mist. The large water tank, which holds 2.1 gallons of water, allows the humidifier to work for up to 80 hours before it needs to be refilled. The tank’s LED will glow a bright red color when the tank is out of water or when the water softening filter needs to be replaced. As a tester, I was happy to discover that the humidifier’s lid is removable for ease of cleaning and refilling the device, and the portable humidifier has a carry handle as well. The timer can be set for 2, 4, 8, or 12 hours, and it can be used as a cool mist humidifier or the user can take advantage of the warm mist options. The device works quietly the remote control SensorPod can be used to gauge the room’s humidity level, and then adjust the humidifier’s settings and control the power. 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. Clean and dry the humidifier thoroughly when storing the product or when it is being used infrequently.Maintains humidity accurately, but it’s better suited to rooms smaller than the quoted maximum size in my tests In practice, all of these humidifiers will raise the indoor humidity but we found cool mist humidifiers to be the best option on the market. In our testing, cool mist humidifiers were far less energy demanding than warm mist (avg. 40 watts cool vs 260 watts warm), and considerably easier to clean. Benefits of Using a Humidifier