Breathing in dry air can be very uncomfortable for babies. Their tiny noses make it easy for the low humidity to dry out and irritate their narrow nasal passages, which can leave them with nasal congestion and noisy breathing. You can humidify the air in your baby’s room to prevent or significantly minimize this occurrence.
A top pick for the best humidifier for babies is the portable Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, an aesthetically pleasing yet powerful device.
Humidifiers work by adding moisture to the air to prevent dryness. The cool mist humidifier uses a fan to evaporate water into the air, while the warm mist humidifier operates with a heating element that boils the water and makes steam. Babies can be burned or irritated by the warm mist humidifier, which is why the cool mist option is generally recommended for children.
When using a humidifier, if the device’s capacity is too small, there will be little or no benefit. If it is too big, mold growth risk may irritate the baby’s airways and even cause skin rashes. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping your indoor relative humidity at 30%-50% as bacteria have difficulty growing in this range. Most portable or tabletop humidifiers can deliver this range.
The goal of the humidifier is to soothe but not spread disease. However, parents sometimes complain about their humidifier triggering allergies or respiratory conditions in their babies. Humidifiers that are hard to clean are often responsible for these conditions. When choosing your ideal humidifier, ensure it has an easily accessible or wide tank opening that makes it easy to clean. You can also consider models that are easy to take apart, wash and disinfect. To learn more about cleaning features, check out the humidifier for babies buying guide from BestReviews.
Checking your baby’s room at intervals because you aren’t sure the humidifier is providing the right humidity level is a telltale sign that the manufacturers didn’t build your device with convenience in mind. One convenient or user-friendly humidifier feature is the automatic shutoff option that includes a sensor to determine when the water levels are low, so you don’t have to worry about monitoring it constantly.
If you are looking to avoid allergies or respiratory conditions, such as asthma, in your baby, there are ultraviolet humidifiers that sanitize the water before converting it to mist. Another popular option is the antibacterial humidifier that uses silver, a natural antimicrobial agent, to inhibit bacteria, mold or mildew growth. There are also humidifiers with climate control features to prevent over-humidifying that causes mold growth.
Cool mist humidifiers are the go-to device for babies, but this humidifier could be noisy, which may affect the quality of your baby’s sleep. With ultrasonic technology, this is no longer a problem. Cool mist humidifiers operate with this system to ensure they produce little or no sound in the process.
Some humidifiers may include a night light and calming sound features that lull your baby to sleep and improve their sleep quality. Other functions include a diffuser for aromatherapy, a humidistat to determine the actual humidity level and a timer to program the start and stop times of the device.
Humidifiers come in different sizes, and additional features often mean extra cost. For standard humidifiers with small tanks, expect to pay as low as $30. On the other hand, a high-end model with a larger capacity and add-ons can cost as much as $100.
A. Humidifiers are often used in the cold season because of the low humid conditions, but that isn’t the only time they are helpful. In places where the air is dry, you may also need to humidify the air.
A. Humidifiers such as the ultrasonic cool mist humidifier can regulate the humidity level for a long period, which means you can leave it in your baby’s room all night without fear of possible harm. A humidifier with a smart mode that allows it to toggle on or off can be used all night to soothe your baby.
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
What you need to know: This cool mist humidifier is almost noiseless, so you don’t have to worry about it disturbing your baby.
What you’ll love: This humidifier can reliably run for up to 16 hours. It also includes an automatic shutoff, so you don’t have to worry about it running empty. Additionally, the combination of the whisper-quiet operation and night light improves your baby’s sleep quality.
What you should consider: The mist settings have just two options.
Where to buy: Sold by Buy Buy Baby and Home Depot
Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
What you need to know: You can adjust this humidifier to different speed settings to suit your baby’s needs.
What you’ll love: This humidifier includes an antimicrobial base that can significantly reduce mold or bacteria growth, which also makes it easy to clean.
What you should consider: It is not compatible with essential oils. You may need a diffuser if you want to combine cool mist with aromatherapy.
Where to buy: Sold by Buy Buy Baby and Home Depot
Guardian Technologies PureGuardian H1510 Ultrasonic Humidifier
What you need to know: If you need a humidifier that can run for a long time, this 100-hour ultrasonic humidifier is a great choice.
What you’ll love: It comes with Silver Clean protection embedded in the tank to dispel mold and mildew growth. The humidifier also includes an easy-to-fill tank and a low-water indicator that tells you when it’s time to refill.
What you should consider: This humidifier doesn't have a timer, and it is on the expensive side.
Where to buy: Sold by Buy Buy Baby and Home Depot
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Ayotola Ogunsipe writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
