Dry air is more than frustrating for many people, and it can also make it difficult to breathe at night. For babies, not breathing well can keep them awake because they are not comfortable due to the mucus in their nasal passages being hard if the air is too dry. To help moisten the air, choose the best humidifier for baby, so they are comfortable at night.
Comparison Table
Baby Humidifier FAQs
Image: CC BY 2.0, Aqua Mechanical, via Flickr
These questions help provide a brief overview of humidifiers that parents can buy to ease their babies' congestion, stuffiness, and to moisturize the air.
1. What is a baby humidifier?
2. How do baby humidifiers work?
3. How much humidity should be in the air?
4. How is humidity measured?
How We Reviewed
To create a list of baby humidifiers to review, we did some research on them by reading about how they work and which types are available. We also read the testimonials, and reviews parents left about the brands and models they bought for their babies. After gathering this information, we finalized a list of the best baby humidifiers for our readers.
Overall Price Range of Humidifiers for Babies
The price range for humidifiers suitable for babies’ rooms is about $25 to around $90.
Baby Humidifiers Buyers Guide: How to Choose a Baby Humidifier
If a baby is experiencing stuffiness, frequent colds, or is having trouble breathing at night, their pediatrician may recommend adding a humidifier to their room to add moisture into the air. Along with determining whether you should have a warm or cool mist version in their room, you will need to decide on which type.
Cool mist models are available in two different types, ultrasonic or evaporative humidifiers.
Ultrasonic Humidifiers
An ultrasonic humidifier uses the vibrations from high-frequency sounds to break down water particles into a mist. These models are energy-efficient, quiet, and most of them are small, so they don't take up much room.
They can be more expensive than other models and are more apt to breakdown than traditional evaporative humidifiers. They may also leave behind a fine, white substance on the furniture that’s a byproduct of the mist, but it isn’t harmful to children or adults. It just means extra work to clean it.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Evaporative Humidifiers
An evaporative model creates a cool mist with help from an inner fan. Unlike the ultrasonic models that don’t have filters, an evaporative model contains a filter that catches the minerals before they can go into the air and helps create the hydrating mist.
While you don’t need to worry about white dust because of the filter, the fans on these models can be noisy, they are larger than ultrasonic models, and they use more energy when releasing mist into the air.
To help determine which type to buy, consider these three factors:
Image Source: Pexels.com
Safety
Babies who are just learning to walk or toddlers who are curious about everything could accidentally burn themselves on warm mist humidifiers. They release hot steam, which can burn flesh if small children get near it or play with it. Make sure to keep warm mist humidifiers well out of young children's reach.
Cleaning
It's essential to follow the cleaning and drying instructions that come with the humidifier that you buy. Mold can develop within 48 hours if something gets damp, so you should make sure the machine is properly cleaned and dried to prevent bacteria and mildew from forming. Also, change the water frequently because bacteria can build up when it is stagnant.
Water Quality
It's recommended by many humidifier manufacturers to use distilled water in their models, especially if you have hard water in your area. The mist spreads the minerals present in water throughout the room when a humidifier is in use. While humidifiers will still work with ordinary tap water, using distilled water will help the humidifier perform better and may prolong its life.
So, consider the type of humidifier that you wish to buy and these factors when choosing one amongst the available models.
Best Humidifiers for Babies
We chose these humidifiers because they are some of the best that you can buy for your baby’s room. This information can help you choose the best humidifier for baby.
Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers
If you decide to buy a humidifier for your baby’s nursery, the FridaBaby model produces a cool mist to relieve their stuffiness.
Key Features
This ultrasonic humidifier converts water by using sound vibrations into a cool mist that helps hydrate the air. If your baby has a cold, you can also use the vapor drops from FridaBaby or any aromatherapy quality essential oils in the diffuser to make it easier for him or her to breathe.
It can run up to 12 hours, and it can cover a room that’s up to 320 square feet. The machine also automatically shuts off if the water runs out or the tank isn’t on it. The mist is adjustable, so if a heavier one is needed, it is available. It also has a nightlight with an on or off option, and it can change colors.
Pros and Cons
Here are a few of the things we like and don’t like about this humidifier.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
Limited Lifetime Warranty
PurSteam Ultrasonic Baby Humidifier
This humidifier releases cool mist to help hydrate the air in a baby’s room to help them get a better night’s sleep.
Key Features
The first thing you may notice about this ultrasonic humidifier is that the water level is visible, so you can see when it needs filling and cleaning. It has an indicator that lights up when the water needs topping off, or it shuts down when it runs out of water, or the tank is not on the base.
The off and on switch and knob to change hydration levels is on front of the machine, as is the button to turn on and off the nightlight. The tank holds 2.2 liters of water, and the humidifier can run for up to 17 straight hours. The direction of the mist is adjustable too.
Pros and Cons
Here are the things we like and don’t like about this model.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
Two-year warranty
Pure Enrichment MistAire Cool Mist Humidifier
The Pure Enrichment humidifier is an ultrasonic humidifier that runs quietly despite the fact they use high-frequency sounds to turn water into mist.
Key Features
It can run for 16 continuous hours, hydrating the air in your baby's room or you can move it to other rooms that need more moisture. It has high and low-speed settings to adjust the strength of the mist, along with an adjustment to change the mist's direction.
It has a 1.5-liter tank that can cover most medium-sized rooms or those measuring up to 250 sq. ft. It automatically shuts off if the water level is too low or when the tank off the base. It puts out about 150 milliliters of mist per hour.
Pros and Cons
Here are some things we like and don’t like about this humidifier.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
Two-year warranty
Vicks One-Gallon Warm Mist Dehumidifier
Vicks produces a warm mist humidifier to ease a baby’s stuffiness and let them sleep better at night.
Key Features
If your baby, or you, are congested, use this warm air humidifier to help break it the mucus and breathe easier. It is also suitable for use with Vicks VapoSteam to release medicated vapors to break up mucus making it difficult to breathe.
Unlike most warm misting humidifiers, this one doesn't use a filter and has one gallon, or four-liter, tank. It can run for 24 hours and provides 95 percent bacteria-free mist to humidify the air. This humidifier is light-weight and portable so that it can travel from room to room.
It has two output settings to make the room as comfortable as necessary, and the humidifier turns off automatically when the tank is empty. However, the tank is translucent, so you can tell when it needs more water. It has two handles to lift the tank off the base after it's been operating.
Pros and Cons
Here are some of the features that we like and those we don’t.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
Three-year warranty
Elechomes UC5502 Ultrasonic Humidifier
This Elechomes humidifier offers both warm and cool mists to add moisture to the air.
Key Features
The Elechomes UC5502 is larger size humidifier that holds six liters of water in a translucent tank. It offers both warm and cool mist that is suitable for a large baby’s room. It can humidify rooms as large as 750 sq. ft. It has rotatable dual nozzles for directing the mist to where you want it to go.
To ensure a room is at the desired humidity, this machine has a humidity sensor that allows homeowners or parents to set the humidifier to the setting they want. The humidifier shuts off when it reaches the desired amount, and if the humidity drops, the machine turns back on to start misting again.
It has an LED display with a touchpad on the front of the machine that turns off in sleep mode. It is as quiet and runs at only 34dB when in sleep mode. The mist level, temperature, and other settings can be input on the display or with a remote that comes with the humidifier.
This humidifier is capable of running for 40 continuous hours due to its six-liter tank capacity. It is available in white or black.
Pros and Cons
Here are some of the things we like and don’t like about the Elechomes humidifier.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
30-day money-back guarantee
Vicks Mini Filter Cool Mist Humidifier
Vicks also produces a cool-mist humidifier to help relieve your baby's stuffy nose and congestion so that they can breathe easier.
Key Features
This mini humidifier can provide the cool mist needed in a bedroom or baby's nursery to add moisture to the air. It holds 0.5 liters of water in a translucent tank so that you can check on the water level. The mist is adjustable, so if it needs to be harder or softer, then turn the knob on the front of the machine.
It has a scent pad heater, so it can help release the scent of the VapoPads to help relieve congestion due to colds or allergies. When the humidifier runs out of water, it will automatically shut itself off. When the tank is full, and the setting is on low, it can run for 20 hours.
The humidifier can be bought by itself or with a two-pack or five-pack of VapoPads.
Pros and Cons
Here is what we like and don’t like about this humidifier
PROS
CONS
Warranty
Three-year limited warranty
iTeknic Humidifier
This iTeknic humidifier releases a cool mist so that your baby can breathe easier when sleeping at night or if they have a cold.
Key Features
The iTeknic humidifier is suitable for use all over the house, including in a baby’s room. It runs quietly, so it won’t disrupt sleep as it only runs at 27dB when in quiet mode. The mist levels are adjustable, so if you need to run it on high, you can adjust the level of output.
The high mist output is 300ml per hour from a large capacity tank of four liters or 1.06 gallons of water. It can humidify rooms up to 430 sq. ft. and run for up to 50 continuous hours between water refills. The large opening in the tank makes it easy to clean, so bacteria and mold don’t buildup in it.
The nozzle rotates so that you can get 360-degree coverage in a room. When the tank is empty, or the tank is off the base, the machine automatically shuts off. It has a dustproof sponge that prevents dust from getting in through the base of the machine. It comes with dry burn protection too.
Pros and Cons
Here are the things we like and don’t like about the iTeknic humidifier.
PROS
CONS
Warranty
iTeknic supplies a two-year warranty
Comparison Table
Brand & Model | Type | Dimensions | Weight | Other Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FridaBaby 3-in-1  | Ultrasonic | 9.2H x 9.2W x 9-inches D | 2.45 lbs. | Running Hours 12 hourscontinuous |
PurSteam | Ultrasonic | 11H x 10.2W x 8.5-inches D | 3.1 lbs. | Running Hours 20 hours, 17 continuous |
Pure Enrichment MistAire | Ultrasonic | 9H x 8W x 6-inches D | 1.75 lbs. | Running Hours 16 hours maximum, continuous |
Vicks Warm Mist Dehumidifier | Warm Mist | 14.2H x 7.9W x 12-inches D | 4.25 lbs. | Running Hours 12 hours |
Elechomes UC5502 Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic and Warm Mist | 11.6H x 7.7W x 11-inches D | 5.07 lbs. | Running Hours 40 hours continuous |
Vicks Mini Cool Mist | Ultrasonic | 9.1H x 8.3W x 8.3-inches D | 2.95 lbs. | Running Hours 20 hours |
iTeknic | Ultrasonic | 13.3H x 6.6W x 10.6-inches D | 4.2 lbs. | Running Hours 50 hours, continuous |
Final Verdict
After researching to come up with this list to find the best humidifier for baby, we evaluated them and discovered that the iTeknic Ultrasonic humidifier is the best choice. It is a larger unit with a four-liter water tank, which can run for up to 50 hours straight.
It runs quietly, and the nozzle rotates for 360-degree coverage of the mist to help a baby or adults to sleep better at night. Although the Elechomes humidifier can run up to 40 hours, its tank capacity is larger at six-liters, and it only has a 30-day money-back guarantee for a warranty.
The iTeknic machine runs longer on less water, it has a two-year warranty, and it has most of the features needed to help a baby sleep comfortably throughout the night.
Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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