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Adding moisture to the air in your baby's room can remedy dry skin, coughs and colds, as well as helping babies with respiratory needs to breathe easier, especially during the winter months when heat in your home dries out the air. But not all humidifiers are made alike, and some can even be dangerous in your baby's room. Some rooms are also too humid naturally, and a dehumidifier is what's needed to keep humidity levels safe and comfortable.
To get to the bottom of it all, we talked with Dr. Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, MD, a board-certified pediatrician, who says that humidifiers aren't a must for every household, but are helpful when you live in a climate which has dryer air year round, or during the winter months.
Humidifiers, Dr. Poinsett says, help alleviate congestion and loosen mucus, prevent dry, itchy skin and create a better sleep environment all around. Moisture in the air transfers to your baby's airways and loosens the mucus in your baby's nose, making it easier to remove.
There are two different kinds of humidifiers: cool mist or warm mist, a.k.a. vaporizers. Both Dr. Poinsett and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend the cool mist variety to prevent burns from steam or hot water. Dr. Poinsett also says that the best place for a humidifier is close enough to your baby's crib to benefit from the additional moisture, but not close enough that the mist goes directly onto their face or furniture to avoid mold growth.
Dr. Poinsett gave us a few tips on finding the best humidifier for your room:
- Automatic shut-off: This feature is helpful since the humidifier will likely be running at night in your baby's room. Once the unit's tank runs out of water, it is a good idea to have the humidifier shut off automatically.
- Direction of mist: It's great to have the option to point the mist in a particular direction.
- Range: Does the humidifier work for your room's size? If you have a unit that is too large for the room you risk mold growth, and too-small humidifiers won't do the job properly.
How we chose the best humidifiers for babies
Every humidifier puts out moist air, but the best humidifiers have advantages that appear subtle when you're inspecting a bunch of similar-sounding units. The best humidifiers for a baby's room put out a steady stream of cool air, have a long runtime (at least 24 hours), and are easy to refill and to clean. They should be affordable (most humidifiers run from $30 to $60), and reliable, and ideally have convenient features such as automatic shutoff and adjustable mist sprayers.
It's not a lot to ask for, but finding the humidifiers that rise to the top can be tricky. So we started our search in BabyCenter's Community, winnowing through millions of posts to find the humidifiers and dehumidifiers that parents use and recommend to each other. Once we found those picks, we gave them to our expert editorial team for research and vetting, looking for the models that meet the standards of parents, advocacy groups like the AAP and experts like Dr. Poinsett.
Keep reading to find the best humidifier for baby congestion, the best humidifier for baby cough, and more. And if you have a little one under the weather, perhaps our favorite baby thermometers and nasal aspirators will help.
They have smiling faces and are made to look like animal friends, so these humidifiers have made enormous nursery inroads, but don't mistake their sweet form for lackluster function. These humidifiers produce an ultrafine mist that covers rooms of up to 500 square feet for up to 24 hours despite the unit's dainty size, and have an automatic shut-off feature if the tank runs dry. The mist can be adjusted from low to high, and parents love that the Adorables' tank is low and flat so it fits even under low bathroom faucets and is thus easy to fill.
Heads up
The extra nooks and crannies of elephant's trunks and pig's snouts (there are 15 different animals to choose from) make this humidifier more of a challenge to clean. This humidifier doesn't have a night light, and doesn't play soothing sounds, either.
Parents say
"I love my daughter's Crane Adorables Cool Mist. They are shaped like animals, go all night, and have an easy to replace tank."
Specs
- Measurements vary slightly by model, elephant is Measures 10 3/4 x 10 3/4 x 14 inches
- 1 gallon capacity
- Runtime: 24 hours
Using ultrasonic vibration that turns water into a cool hydrating mist for up to 12 hours, the petite and appealingly simple Fridababy humidifier is ideal for congested babies in smaller spaces: up to 320 square feet, which is a room of approximately 16 x 20 feet. The vent on top can be moved around to direct the mist anywhere you like, and the BreatheFrida's auto-stop feature turns the machine off when the tank is removed or out of water. But best of all is the dreamy ambiance the BreatheFrida adds to the nursery, with a night light that can cycle through ice-creamy colors, be set to glow in one color only, or be switched off entirely.
Heads up
This humidifier is difficult to clean and it beeps when turning on and when the auto-stop feature is activated, potentially waking sleeping babies. This humidifier can be used with essentials oils and Fridababy sells its own branded "vapor drops," but Dr. Poinsett doesn't recommend using essential oils for babies under age 2.
Parents say
"I got the Fridababy humidifier and love it."
"I have the Fridababy humidifier and I love it so much! We have forced heat in my house so it gets super dry. It's definitely a lifesaver."
Specs
- 9 x 9.25 x 9.25 inches
- .5 gallon capacity
- Runtime: 12 hours
Arguably one of the most popular humidifiers for babies on the market, the Crane Cool Mist Humidifier is a BabyCenter community favorite, running for 24 hours solid in rooms of up to 500 square feet thanks to its large 1.2-gallon capacity. This filter-free top fill humidifier is easy to use, easy to clean and convenient; the lid, cap, and the center mist chamber (that twists out easily) are even top-rack dishwasher safe. Kids and babies love that the integrated color changing light gives off a soothing glow in their room at night.
Heads up
The cord doesn't detach from the unit, so you must drag it behind you when you fill the unit up. Though this humidifier can also work as a diffuser for essential oils, they're not recommended for babies under age 2.
Parents say
"Crane cool mist humidifiers have a good reputation and a lot of my friends have used them for their babies."
Specs
- 11 x 11 x 14 inches
- 1.2 gallon capacity
- Runtime: 24 hours
Vicks Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier helps to provide temporary relief from cough and congestion with a big 1.2-gallon tank that produces a fine mist that can relieve sore, irritated throats. You can adjust the mist level from gentle to powerful and keep it running for up to 30 house in medium-sized spaces of up to 400 feet, all of which adds up to strong medicine for coughing babes.
Heads up
This humidifier is made to accept Vicks VapoPads, which contain menthol vapors or Vicks' lavender-y sleep time scent. There's no clinical evidence that sachets or additives are effective in treating congestion, and these add-ins should not be used in children under 2 years of age. You can't adjust where the mist sprays on this unit; it comes out the top only.
Parents say
"I've used the Vick's humidifier and it works great and is very easy to clean which is super important."
Specs
- 9.5 x 9.5 x 12 inches
- 1.2 gallon capacity
- Runtime: 30 hours
- Includes one Vicks VapoPad
Parents love that this humidifier really covers the room with two outlets that dispense a fine mist and rotate 360 degrees; let them do their own thing or point them at your child's bed directly. At a surprisingly reasonable price, the Safety 1st humidifier has many of the same features you'll find in pricier models: auto shut-off, a "water is low" refill warning light, and a filter-free tank that's thoughtfully designed to be easy to clean.
Heads up
This is noisier than many competitors.
Parents say
"We have the Safety 1st humidifier and you can have the mist going two different ways, and you can turn the misters any direction you would like."
"We have a Safety 1st 360 Degree Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier. It's fairly inexpensive and works great! We've been using it in our living room because it's so dry from our heater."
Specs
- 8.5 x 8.5 x 11 inches
- 1 gallon capacity
- Runtime: 24 hours
Bringing humidifiers into the 21st century, the Levoid Cool Mist Ultrasonic is designed to accommodate your family with its companion app. You can set schedules to match your routine, enable voice commands for hands-free operation and adjust the humidity level remotely, as well as setting a target level for your space's humidity (experts say 40-50 percent humidity is about right). It can handle rooms of up to 290 square feet, has a built-in, washable water filter that's easy to clean, and its Auto Mode scans your room's humidity and adjusts its output accordingly.
Heads up
Some say that this humidifier runs loud, and the app is not intuitive to use.
Specs
- 7 x 7 x 12 inches
- 3 liter capacity (.8 gallons)
- Runtime: 25 hours
Favored by parents because it is compact and portable, the Pro Breeze mini dehumidifier reduces humidity in small rooms of up to 205 square feet (which measure about 10 x 20 feet); it's also small enough to sit on a dresser where it is safely out of your baby's reach. Whisper-quiet and efficient, this humidifier works best in temperatures above 59 degrees Fahrenheit and can extract up to nine ounces of moisture per day. An LED indicator lets you know when the tank is full, and auto shut-off activates in case you're not able to empty the unit immediately.
Heads up
Some have reported that this dehumidifier is not as effective in high humidity climates.
Specs
- 6 x 5 x 8.5 inches
- 16 ounce capacity
- Runtime: 24 hours
Designed with no compressor or moving parts, the Hysure Dehumidifier is quiet, but packs a big punch when it comes to dehumidifying a room. This unit is small enough to fit in a well-ventilated area out of reach of your baby while it extracts extra moisture from the room, collecting a maximum of over 10 ounces in 24 hours from rooms of up to 215 square feet. The unit's auto shut-off activates when the tank is full, too.
Heads up
Works best in small spaces, not ideal for larger sized bedrooms.
Specs
- 6.4 x 4.2 x 10.5 inches
- 700 milliliter capacity (23.7 ounces)
- Runtime: 24 hours
Humidifiers are appliances that increase the moisture content in the air of a room that may be drier due to heat running inside a home or drier air outside. Humidifiers can put out a cool mist or a warm mist. While both are great options for adding moisture to the air, in general, according to Dr. Poinsett, the AAP recommends the cool mist variety to prevent burns from steam or hot water.
Dr. Poinsett says the answer largely depends on the climate where you live. In some climates you don't need a humidifier at all; other parents use a humidifier for a few months out of the year; parents of babies who live in very dry climates may use a humidifier daily. If the indoor air is dry with less than 30 percent humidity, you may want to consider a good humidifier.
If your baby frequently suffers from congestion or cold systems, a humidifier may also be something your family could use.
Dr. Poinsett says that using a humidifier safely and effectively is relatively easy, but there are some rules you'll want to follow for safety and optimum efficiency.
- Set your humidifier up in your baby's room close to their crib or sleeping space, but do not allow the mist to fall directly on your baby or on any furniture. Ensure that your baby can not grab or reach the humidifier and that any cords are not in reach of their crib.
- Use filtered or distilled water to help avoid particles building up over time, creating a breeding ground for bacteria.
- Clean your device regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
- Don't use essential oils for children under the age of 2.
The need for a humidifier is situational. Humidifiers aren't always a necessity, but they may help to alleviate congestion and loosen mucus, prevent dry, itchy skin, and create a better sleep environment all around.
Humidifiers can ultimately help your baby breathe easier by moistening the mucus in their nose. However, there are many options out there that advertise using your humidifier as an essential oil diffuser, or sell add-on sachets or liquids you can add to the water. Dr. Poinsett said there's no clinical evidence that these are effective in treating cough or congestion, and they should not be used in children under 2 years old.
Not necessarily. A dehumidifier, the opposite of a humidifier, draws extra moisture out of a room to help create the ideal indoor environment with a humidity range between 30 and 50 percent. You might consider purchasing a dehumidifier if your child has bad allergies or you live in a climate that is particularly moist and sticky without central air conditioning during certain months of the year.
Using a hygrometer, a tool that measures humidity levels in your home, can be helpful in determining if a dehumidifier is necessary for your home, if your humidifier/dehumidifier doesn't come with a built-in hygrometer.
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