The best humidifiers of 2024, tried and tested

Investing in the best humidifier is one of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to help minimize the spread of harmful pathogens in your space. Seriously. Humidifiers are great, as they give your skin that dewy glow and your hair some added volume. They may even help keep that embarrassing snoring down. However, their benefits to your health and wellness don’t stop there.

“Humidity levels impact your everyday life by affecting your health, sleep and home’s structural integrity,” says Dr. Steven Madhavan, a longtime public health emergency officer and JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health graduate. Therefore, humidifiers play an important role. “An environment below the recommended humidity levels may lead to drying of the skin, nose and throat, leading to nose bleeds, sore throat, skin rashes and dermatitis,” he says. “Heated dry air may prolong the lifespan of many circulating viruses. Dry air may lead to eye irritation, eye strain and fatigue.”

So, with the help of humidity readers, timers and an energy monitor, we spent several weeks testing 12 popular humidifiers and smart humidifiers from brands like Levoit, Dreo and Pure Enrichment to help you bring moisture back into your home or office. Winter is coming, but one of our top three picks should see you through those dry months and beyond.

Best humidifier: Dreo HM713S 6-Liter Smart Humidifier

We’ve had the Dreo HM713S Smart Humidifier in our living room for almost a year now, and we can honestly say it’s a game-changer in many ways. First, it’s not a small unit. Next to its rivals, this humidifier has a relatively big footprint. It’s also quite heavy and tall — not so tall that it’d be a floor unit but tall enough to possibly block your view of the TV if it’s on your coffee table. However, it’s surprisingly easy to maintain once you set it up.

Its sizable 6-liter water tank has a collapsible handle that makes it easy to fill, carry and place back on the unit, even when full. We’ve used other 6-liter humidifiers, and none of them had a tank that was as easy to handle as this one. It’s also fairly straightforward to clean for a big humidifier. The only thing to nitpick here is the lid, which has slightly curved upward at its two corners over time — not enough to compromise the water inside but enough to bug us when we’re looking at it.

We also love its on-device screen, app and smart home controls. Its physical touch buttons on the front panel are very responsive, intuitive to use and, just like the rest of the appliance, robust, giving you on-the-fly access to most setting changes. As for the Dreo app, we can honestly say it’s one of the best smart appliance apps we’ve ever had the pleasure of using. As a bonus, it also expands the humidifier’s functionality.

Going back to the front panel, it boasts an LED display at the top and a dynamic ambient light at the bottom that works as a night light and, more importantly, a humidity indicator. Sure, you can check the ambient humidity level on the LED display, but a glimpse at the humidity indicator lighting will quickly tell you if your space has low humidity (it turns orange), high humidity (it turns blue) or the perfect humidity level (it turns green). It’s such an elegant and thoughtful design element.

The Dreo HM713S delivered the best performance of all the humidifiers we tested, which is why it’s taken our top spot. With a coverage area of up to 740 square feet, it handled small and medium rooms in our home with ease. It increased the humidity level in our small room by 3% in just 10 minutes while running on low mist and by 7% when set to high.

In our medium-sized space, the humidity level jumped 6% in 30 minutes and remained consistent after an hour of the unit running on low. And that’s while keeping the noise down at 28 decibels. We switched to high mist in the same room, and the humidity level rose 7% within the hour; however, at that point, the humidifier was making a bit more noise at 36 decibels.

Despite its highlights, we were slightly disappointed by its misting longevity. The manufacturer gives it a 60-hour rating, which makes sense as it can hold 6 liters of water, but it only lasted roughly 58 hours on low during our testing. The silver lining is that that’s not necessarily bad, it’s just not quite up to the brand’s claim. That’s more than two days of not needing to refill, which is far longer than the Levoit Classic 300S Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier, whose 6-liter tank lasted about 39 hours on low. It’s important to note that its power consumption is slightly higher at 0.0246 kilowatt hours, but that’s about on par with a ceiling fan.

Small nitpick aside, wait until you hear about its features. Apart from the aforementioned dynamic humidity indicator, the Dreo HM713S also has a dual aroma tray you can fill with two different essential oil scents, and you can switch from one to the other just by sliding a panel. It’s also compatible with Dreo’s demineralization cartridge, but you do need to purchase that separately as as a bundle.

Our favorite feature is that it can do warm and cold mists, making it more versatile than other humidifiers. We used to have a Vicks warm humidifier for when battling the seasonal flu, but since getting this model, we’ve retired it. We only wish the warm mist was warmer.

Best budget humidifier: Dreo HM311S 4-Liter Smart Humidifier

Don’t let the adorable design of the Dreo HM311S fool you: For a compact humidifier, it’s a powerhouse in performance and features. It’s also built to last, which isn’t surprising considering Dreo’s track record for robust and well-made home appliances. For a $50 smart humidifier that’s often discounted at Amazon, it feels solid and is made of high-quality plastic.

The touch control panel feels durable as well, not to mention responsive and intuitive. There was no need for us to read the manual since the buttons you need for most of the setting changes are clear and easy to use, including dedicated buttons for Auto and Manual modes. The Auto mode button even lets you toggle the target humidity level. The only thing missing is a button for Sleep mode, which would have been handy. Then again, there’s the Dreo app for that.

Speaking of which, it’s nice to have a centralized app for all Dreo appliances. If you own several, you can access them all in one place. And believe us, this app is well designed. It expands your Dreo appliances’ functionality, is user-friendly and doesn’t suffer from bugs that many third-party smart home appliance apps have. On it, you can change the humidifier’s mode or mist speed, set schedules and routines, switch to Sleep mode and toggle things like the display and ambient lights. Plus, it’ll show you the humidity levels in the past 24 hours and 30 days, as well as when it’s time to clean the unit or refill the tank.

Regarding the humidifier’s design, it has a clear water tank that’s easy to fill and an auto shutoff that activates when the tank is empty. It also has a wide nozzle that can be tilted 15 degrees to the front and 15 degrees to the back. And by wide, we mean an almost 4-inch slit that allows it to be more effective in spreading moisture in the air.

Despite that wide nozzle, the Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier lasted us up to 41 hours on low mist, even though the company advertises a 32-hour rating. That’s impressive, considering it only has a 4-liter capacity. Putting that into perspective, the 6-liter Levoit Classic 300S Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier only lasted 39 hours on low.

Designed for rooms up to 300 square feet, it also delivers performance nearly on par with its 6-liter rivals. In a small room, it raised the humidity level 4% within 30 minutes on low and 11% within an hour on high. In a medium-sized room, the humidity level jumped 3% in 30 minutes on both low and high mist speeds. It’s not as quiet as others we tested, but with an average of 34 decibels, it likely won’t disturb your sleep unless you’re a very light sleeper. It’s also energy-efficient with an energy usage of 0.0173 kilowatt hours during our testing.

Cleaning is easy too. All the parts are simple to remove, and there’s a small brush provided. It took us less than 10 minutes to clean after 50 hours of usage. Dreo also provides a video tutorial, which makes the process even easier.

You might assume that something as affordable as this couldn’t come with that many features, but you’d be wrong. Its ambient lighting, which gives the water tank a sort of magical glow, serves as a night light and humidity indicator. As with it’s larger cousin, the HM713S, if the humidifier’s built-in hygrometer detects low humidity, it turns orange. If it detects high humidity, it turns blue. And when the humidity is just right, it’s emerald green. On top of that, it boasts an aroma tray that comes with a pad and compatibility with the Dreo demineralization cartridge, which you can purchase separately to reduce mineral deposits and buildup.

We have zero doubt you’ll be impressed with the budget-friendly Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier. And on the off chance you’re not, it’s covered by Dreo’s 12-month warranty.

Best small humidifier for bedrooms: Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

With a sleek, dare we say “water forward” droplet-style design, the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is a stunner out of the box. It’s also easy to set up. Just rinse out with water, fill, plug in and turn on. And as we mentioned above (because we can’t mention this enough), it’s extremely quiet, emitting the barest whisper of a hum.

While this humidifier has a smaller tank than our other top picks at 1.7 liters (and that’s the large version of this model), it easily runs overnight for the promised 16 hours. But the upside of that smaller tank? It’s easy to fill in the bathroom sink (so no trip to the kitchen is necessary) without getting water everywhere.

The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier lost points for taking over an hour to get even the smaller rooms we used for testing to the optimal moisture levels. It made those points back, though, because it kept the moisture level consistent without steaming up the room. Because this humidifier seemed to perform best in a small room or bedroom (about 400 square feet) versus larger spaces, we couldn’t give this the title of best overall, but it is a great addition to a desk or nightstand.

While this humidifier was easy to clean, many reviewers noted they used only distilled water to keep the humidifier even cleaner. (Distilled water also has several other benefits for humidifier use.) After over a month of testing, we did not notice any buildup from tap water, but it could be an issue over a longer period of time.

What we love about this for bedrooms and kids’ rooms is the night-light functionality that makes the whole machine and tank glow a gentle blue tone. While some of the other units have dimming lights, this one was the softest, giving off a subtle glow that reviewers note “make the product very soothing.” This felt like a special feature that went above and beyond an on/off light.

The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier also had the best warranty of our top three, at five years. Couple that with its quietness and nighttime features, and this is the pick for any bedroom.

How we tested

We wanted to get to the core of what would be most important to someone looking for a humidifier, with functionality, durability and value being paramount. The testing process for these humidifiers, therefore, was comprehensive.

We tested each machine multiple times in different-sized spaces and observed everything from their ease of setup and use to their efficiency, effectiveness and even noise level. We took notes on the setup process, which humidifiers were difficult to clean and maintain, and more importantly, how long they took to raise humidity levels in different room sizes. We also tested their extra features, if they had them, and looked at their warranties.

We evaluated each machine using the following primary criteria.

For a fair assessment, we also considered the following secondary criteria.

How to choose the right humidifier for your needs

If this is your first time purchasing a humidifier, fret not. Humidifiers may come with loads of benefits, especially to your family’s health and wellness, but they’re simple as far as appliances go and not too complicated to understand. This means that choosing one isn’t as involved as purchasing an air-conditioning unit or an air purifier.

That said, there are still a few important considerations to keep in mind before you hit that buy button.

Room size matters

First and foremost, you need to know how big of a space you need to cover. Most 4-liter and 6-liter portable humidifiers in our guide can cover medium to large spaces up to 500 square feet. However, if you only need one for a small bedroom, you may want to stick to a smaller model or one with an adjustable mist speed since you don’t want to over-humidify.

Keep in mind that the size of a humidifier and its tank capacity aren’t necessarily indicative of its coverage area. Some massive humidifiers, like the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde, have a smaller coverage area than many of its 6-liter tabletop rivals.

Check its performance

How well a humidifier increases the moisture in an area is vital, but other factors like how fast it can do so and how consistent it is also matter, as does its tank capacity. After all, how long a humidifier lasts on a single full refill is an important part of the equation, especially if your plate is full from all the work, errands and living you have to do.

We also recommend checking its power consumption. Humidifiers tend to consume a lot less energy than a fan or a coffee maker; however, since you’d likely need to run them all day every day during the driest months, getting one that’s energy efficient is a good idea.

Factor in noise level as well. Humidifiers tend to be quieter than air purifiers or fans, but if you plan on putting one in your bedroom to breathe easier while you sleep, you may want something that’s whisper-quiet.

Of course, apart from reading reviews and our guide, the only way to truly assess a humidifier’s performance is by using it for at least a week. Many humidifiers come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, but that depends on the manufacturer. So be sure to also check the warranty information.

Is it easy and intuitive to use?

We prefer our humidifier to be a set-it-and-forget-it kind of appliance, one we can set up easily and quickly, and count on to work in the background without requiring much involvement from us. And trust us, so will you. When choosing the best humidifier for your home, make sure you get one that is easy to use and intuitive. If you’re smart home savvy or like to control things with your phone, maybe get one with app support and/or smart home integration.

Be sure it’s easy to clean and maintain

Expanding on the previous point, find one that’s also relatively easy to clean. As mentioned earlier, the EPA recommends cleaning your humidifier every three days with regular use. However, Madhavan says, “This recommendation is a baseline, and certain types of humidifiers may require cleaning more frequently. It is best practice to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation or that of your physician, as some people, such as transplant patients, may be immunosuppressed or have other medical conditions that put them at high risk of developing a severe infection from dirty humidifiers.”

You’ll therefore want something you can quickly yet thoroughly clean. If you’re concerned about bacterial growth, consider one with “special coatings on the tank or use UV light to prevent the growth of bacteria,” Madhavan says.

In addition, decide early on how often you’re willing to refill the water tank. We’ve invested in small humidifiers that only have enough water to last a day, and we’re very familiar with the frustration of having to refill them daily. At the lowest mist speed or strength, a 4-liter water tank typically lasts about 40 hours and a 6-liter one lasts around 60 hours.

Is it the best value for you?

Even if you have a big budget, you still want to ensure you get a lot of bang for your buck. Remember that an $80 humidifier can be as effective as a $150 one, and a $45 one may even be enough for what you need.

Warm or cool mist?

“Deciding whether they prefer a warm mist versus a cool mist humidifier, [the latter of] which is safer in a home with children and pets,” according to Madhavan, is another important consideration.

Many humidifiers deliver a cool mist. However, if you want something that will alleviate cold or flu symptoms, you may get a lot more relief from a warm mist. We personally prefer having both. Luckily, there are models out there, including our top pick, that deliver both.

Watch those humidity levels

The EPA currently recommends having an indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%. However, Madhavan also says that this recommendation “may change, as there is growing evidence recommending 40% to 60% humidity.”

Since most humidifiers can go over 60%, you need to make sure its running within the recommended levels. That’s because extremely humid conditions can cause issues as well.

“When humidity reaches high levels, our ability to cool the body is less effective, placing a person at risk for heat-related illnesses and, in severe cases, organ failure,” he says. “It can lead to the loss of electrolytes, leading to muscle cramps. High humidity may aggravate respiratory conditions such as allergies and asthma by providing conditions to facilitate the growth of mold, dust mites and bacteria.”

Other humidifiers we tested

We had high hopes for the Levoit Classic 300S Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier since it appears on several other best-humidifiers lists and enjoys a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. Turns out, it is a great humidifier, featuring a robust build, solid app support and low power consumption.

The on-device touch controls are responsive with fairly intuitive buttons while the tank is easy to fill and the nozzle boasts a 360-degree turn. It also has an auto-shutoff when it detects an empty water tank. Further, we found it to be quieter when running on low at only 31 decibels and having a lower power consumption of 0.0141 kilowatt hours than the smaller Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier.

Its performance is another thing to write home about, raising a small room’s humidity level 4% on low and 9% on high in 30 minutes during our tests.

Sadly, everything the Levoit Classic 300 has to offer is also overshadowed by the Dreo HM713S 6-Liter Smart Humidifier, which costs just $10 more. It struggled to keep up when covering medium-sized rooms and only lasted about 39 hours on low mist, despite its 6-liter capacity. Its night light is also less elegantly executed, and the machine has fewer extra frills.

What’s more, Levoit doesn’t have its own app. Instead, it relies on a third-party app called VeSync, which is buggy and not the most user-friendly. The one thing we do appreciate about the app, however, is that it displays humidity levels in a very detailed graph, based on what the humidifier’s built-in hygrometer detects. This graph allows you to easily track humidity fluctuations in your space.

If you have a smaller space you’d like covered and don’t think you have use for extra features, the Levoit Classic 300S Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier is still great. And it might be worth that $10 you save.

This humidifier was our previous top pick but was supplanted by the Dreo HM713S Smart Humidifier for this update. We originally put this humidifier through all the paces, trying it in different rooms of varying sizes, and it stood out as a top performer. It was simple to get up and running out of the box and was easy to clean without a lot of mess.

The highlight might just be how boring it is. If a humidifier is grabbing your attention, then it’s just not doing its job. The TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier is truly a set-it-and-forget-it machine. During our testing, the humidifier cranked out over 24 hours of optimal humidity, staying right at 35% (which is in line with the EPA’s recommended humidity levels — and we cross-checked with our external reader). It took only an hour to get to those optimal levels, and humidity levels never spiked across 24 hours of use. We found avoiding a steamy room crucial to our vetting process, as some humidifiers can lead to sticky atmospheres.

This workhorse cranked humidity for over 24 hours without a hiccup (including refilling the tank) multiple days in a row, which was impressive for how compact it is, compared to larger (and less attractive) models. Since the EPA recommends that humidity in homes remain between 30% and 50%, and our testing took place during a particularly dry week in the Northeast, we looked at how long it took to hit 35% humidity and how long it stayed there. The built-in reader on this humidifier was consistent with our external gauge readings and flawlessly managed to maintain a healthy level in the room without any futzing.

From the get-go, the TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier was a breeze to use. It was packaged so that the unit was easy to remove and assemble, and it was filled and misted in short order. The bulk of this humidifier is the tank (which lights up — more on that later) so it takes up minimal space.

It was also a standout when it came to cleaning, which is huge if you’ve ever dealt with a gross, moldy humidifier filter or tank. The reusable filter is permanent (read: You don’t have to buy replacements and change it all the time). It does need to be soaked in vinegar once a month, or more depending on how hard your water is, to keep it clean. If you have hard water, you probably know that it contains higher amounts of dissolved calcium and magnesium. While this isn’t harmful, it can leave buildup on household fixtures — like your humidifier. It’s easy to remove the filter from the cap where it’s attached to the tank to clean it, though. With handles on the top and bottom, this was an easy humidifier to refill, and it didn’t spill water on the floor (or us) in the process.

And the TaoTronics won’t be distracting while you sleep, as the light display has a night mode that dims, leaving just a tiny green light. Or if you prefer a night light, the tank can be illuminated, creating a soft glow in the room. It’s also extremely quiet.

The only negative is that the machine, while not aesthetically unpleasing, is available only in white, which may be an issue for some decor schemes. However, at less than 50 bucks, if you’re looking for a plug-and-play humidifier you can mostly set and forget unless it needs refilling and the occasional filter cleaning, the TaoTronics Cool Mist is an excellent choice.

The Vicks V5100NS has a solid, attractive build and larger tank capacity and is a humidifier you want in bigger spaces. This is a hardworking machine that quickly increases air moisture, easily filling open spaces — we tested it in a space that was roughly 500 square feet — in just over an hour (one hour and 10 minutes, to be exact). During that time, the Vicks V5100NS raised the humidity to 35%, according to the off-board humidity reader we used to gauge accuracy.

With a tank that holds 1.5 gallons (or 6 liters) of water, this humidifier required no assembly and, once full, was ready to crank out over 20 hours of 35% humidity in one go on a very dry day in a 200-year-old home (not exactly a lab but probably very much like your life).

With adjustable misting functionality, you can make the Vicks spray in any direction you like, such as away from delicate furnishings and decor or toward plants. And it’s very quiet while in use, only noting the faintest, barely audible hum during our testing. It also held steady at 35% humidity and never made the space feel sticky or steamy.

What held this filter-free humidifier back was a slight difficulty in cleaning the tank. You can only reach it at an awkward angle making it challenging to scrub. Also, the spray can be a lot when turned to high humidity. You’ll want to put the Vicks V5100NS on an elevated surface to avoid condensation if you have hardwood floors or anything that can easily damage or warp. Because of the heavy misting, trust us: This is meant for larger rooms. When we tested in smaller spaces, humidity levels started to spike.

Out of two Honeywell humidifiers we tested, this one was the higher scorer and a strong contender for runner-up status. This machine was kind of a beast in the best possible way and would be a good choice for creating moisture in a larger space. It stayed consistent overnight and kept several rooms comfortable during our tests.

This machine felt bigger than it actually needed to be, though, with two unwieldy top-fill tanks, but it was extremely sturdy. Initially, we dragged the tanks to the sink to fill, but then (a revelation!) we realized it was much easier to fill them up by bringing a pitcher of water to them. No more awkward struggling with a wet tank. With a three-year limited warranty, it’s a good investment. We also liked that it’s available in both Black and White, because options are a good thing.

Not only is this humidifier the cutest of the products we tested — we tried out the fox, but the chicken, frog, Hello Kitty and other character versions are adorable as well — but it’s easy to use. We loved the looks for kids (and kids at heart), along with the lack of sound and bright lights that could keep little ones awake.

The simple dial allows for easy adjustment of humidity, and the humidifier runs efficiently and is easy to set up. Since it doesn’t need a filter, the machine should be cleaned with a water-and-vinegar mix fairly frequently depending on use. We really liked the ease of this charming humidifier, but it does take well over an hour to reach the desired humidity rate of 35% in a bedroom. It never made the room overly steamy, however, which we awarded points for.

The smallest humidifier we tested, this machine has a tiny 1-liter tank that gives off low humidity for eight hours. It really wasn’t able to provide a high humidity level in a room larger than a bathroom, or maintain a consistent humidity level, all of which cost it points.

We’d classify this as more of an essential oil diffuser than a humidifier, and what we liked about it was it was quiet; had a stylish, clean design; and gave off a soft light that changes colors. You can also add essential oils for a relaxing spa experience in your bedroom or bathroom. For the record, we loved this tiny machine for the aforementioned purpose, but it’s not ideal for someone looking to alleviate breathing issues and add major moisture to their home.

This humidifier has great looks but wasn’t the best build right out of the box because of the confusing instructions, which we found overly wordy and complicated compared with the instructions for the other units. However, the humidity went straight to 37% in the rooms we tested, and stayed there, per our external reader and the humidifier’s own reader. It ran super quietly, emitting very little noise for almost two days set to low.

This machine got low marks due to the difficulty of cleaning. It was hard to get the water out of the base, and much of it ended up on our clothes and the floor. It was also challenging to fill without making a mess, and we spent quite a bit of time with a towel cleaning up after this humidifier (at least it’s only water!). For the price, it did not seem well built.

What we liked about this machine is how fast it raised the levels of humidity in the rooms we tested it in and how easy it was to adjust those levels with the simple front-facing dial. Set to low, it kept going for an incredible almost-40 hours!

The humidifier comes in black only; has a simple, stylish look; and is easy to use right out of the box. Unfortunately, the build felt really flimsy compared with the other humidifiers we tested. The water tank sat very loosely on the base, and when people walked by, it rattled a little. That said, it was super easy to clean and got the job done, and we like it for the price.

While some of the machines we tested ramped up the room humidity quickly, this one really cranked it up fast, getting to 35% humidity in under an hour. But it felt like it didn’t stop blowing steam and made the room feel overly humid. While it didn’t have any lights that were distracting, it was the least aesthetically appealing humidifier we tested. It ran for a solid 24 hours but was too strong, and it was difficult to adjust the levels of humidity.

The biggest points detractor, however, was the build on this humidifier, which was surprisingly shoddy. Whenever we picked up the machine, the bottom would fall off and clatter to the floor. The bottom was supposed to be removable for easy cleaning but was actually super awkward to deal with.

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