Best Home Humidifier
When it comes to looking for the best home humidifier it really comes down to two things that you need to pick from first:
- Warm air humidifier
- Cool air humidifier
The difference between the two options is just the same as it sounds. Do you prefer a warm and moist air or a cool and moist air?
The decision on the two mostly just comes down to personal preference but there are other fundamental differences in terms of the way the two work that could also bear on the final decision that you make.
Most generally the warm air humidifier units are going to be less noisy but they are only going to be suitable for a one room situation. The cool air units are going to be able to cover a much larger area potentially but if noise is an issue the do have moving parts so they will tend to make more noise than that of the warm air humidifier units.
The one thing that you do need to consider is every humidifier is going to be different but if you understand how they work the decision on the humidifier unit that will be best for you to purchase is going to be made much easier. Let’s talk about the two different types of units now so you have the information that you need to choose between the two options. After you decide on warm or cool air you’ll then be able to take that information and then choose the one that is in your price point.
Warm Air Humidifier
Every warm air humidifier is going to use a heating element in order to heat the water to produce the warm air/steam. Due to this fact it does mean that they are going to be using more electricity than the cool air humidifier counterpart; however, the cost is extremely nominal being no more than what it would cost you to boil a kettle of water for tea. One important thing to note is that the air can turn into a more stifling type of feeling if you overuse the warm air humidifier unit.
Steam/Vaporizer
Simply put and easy to ascertain the water in the humidifier unit is boiled in order to be sent out as steam. The distinct advantage to this is that through the boiling process it will kill off any mold or bacteria that is in the water. A distinct disadvantage is that if you’re not very careful or you have adventurous children or pets there is a real and present risk of burns. These units are very unsuitable when you’re using them and have children. This is a very simple type of humidifier and is more often than not very cheap to purchase.
Warm Mist
The warm mist unit is like the steam units in terms of the water being heated in order for it to be able to evaporate. The core difference is that most of the units are going to cool the air slightly before release so the risk of burns is still present but reduced.
Cool Air Humidifier
The cool air humidifier units do not heat the water like the steam/warm mist counterparts. This completely eliminates the risk of burns so you can safely use these units with children or adventurous pets.
Additionally they are going to use less electricity so your energy consumption will be a little less, will be able to humidify a larger area and will not have the air left with a stifling/muggy feeling.
The one disadvantage that you will find is they are going to make additional noise compared to the other units but not horrible. It really just depends on your level of noise sensitivity. They will also require regular replacement of filters.
Evaporation Wick
The way this works is that a wick or a filter is used to first absorb the water and then a fan is used to evaporate the water. The way this process works is it is a much more natural form of evaporation and that is a nice benefit. What will happen is that as the humidity in the air increases the rate of evaporation naturally begins to go down so for the most part these units are organically self regulating ones. The fan blowing does make a constant noise so that does put a lot of people off to this type of design; however, there are some people that will actually prefer it. They say that the sound that is made is in no way off-putting and actually is relaxing and helps them to get to sleep. It all is a noise tolerance level along with personal preference.
Impeller
With this type of humidifier model the mist is created with a spinning disk. Through this process it is going to generate much lower level of noise than its fan counterpart.
Ultrasonic
The ultrasonic is a more modern type of design and this type of humidifier unit uses ultrasonic sound waves to cause the water to vibrate and then create the mist. These units are virtually silent and are extremely efficient models.
Final Note
Every type of humidifier will require that regular cleaning be done. If you fail to clean your humidifier regularly you’ll end up with mold buildup as well as mildew, bacteria and fungus. You should ideally be changing your water daily.
