We have reviewed the best whole-home humidifiers. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot. Or you can scroll down for detailed product reviews.
Contents
What Is a Humidifier?
A humidifier is used to maintain the moisture level inside your home. It is important to have a good moisture level inside the home because it reduces health risks due to respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and sinusitis. By adding moisture to the air inside your home humidifiers also keep you comfortable instead, and preserve the wooden furniture inside your home.
There are two types of humidifiers. Point-of-use humidifiers are used to control the moisture level in a single room or a small area. Whole-home humidifiers are meant to control the moisture in a larger area covering several hundred square feet, and, as the name suggests, an entire house as well.
What Are the Types of Whole-Home Humidifiers?
Whole-Home humidifiers can be classified into three broad categories:
Bypass: Bypass Humidifiers use hot air from the HVAC system of the house to create moisture by passing it through water
Fan-based: This kind of humidifier you got a fan built into the system to blow air across a water panel which is then sent into the HVAC unit of the house Tu to maintain the moisture level in all areas.
Steam-based: As the name suggests the humidifiers generate steam by boiling water and then blow the steam across different areas of the home through the help of a blower.
They can also be classified as per their working systems:
Drum: Drumbeat humidifiers use a fabric belt Run over a rotating drum to capture moisture above the source of water which is then circulated across the entire house
Spray Mist: Spray Mist humidifiers spray the moisture in the AC duct as and when the AC or furnace comes on
Flow-Through: These are similar to drum-based humidifiers, except that they used in an evaporator instead of a rotating drum.
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Features to Look For in a Whole-Home Humidifier
Area Covered
While for small houses whole-home humidifiers that cover 1000 to 2000 square feet would be enough if your house is a larger one you might consider getting a more powerful machine that is capable of covering more than 4000 square feet such as the Honeywell HE360A
Runtime
If you are living in an area where humidity is an issue you would ideally want a humidifier that can run for a longer period without having to do any kind of maintenance. While some humidifiers can work at a maximum stretch of 24 hours only there are others that can run up to 48 or even 72 hours at a stretch
Installation
While small humidifiers are typically easy to install and can be done by yourself, for larger humidifiers you might need professional help and you may also need to buy a separate installation kit altogether. Consider whether you will be able to install the humidifier on your own or you would need help.
Maintenance
Does the humidifier have an auto cut-off system or do you need to keep watching the settings at all times? How long before the wicking filters need to be changed? Are spare parts easily available? you may need answers to all of these questions before deciding to buy a humidifier unit.
Capacity & Size
The capacity and size of the humidifier refer to the size of the tank which holds the water (which is necessary to create moisture used by the humidifier to moisturize the air in the house).
There are models that can hold only three gallons of water, and then there are others at the larger end of the spectrum which can hold up to 9 to 10 gallons as well.
If your house is larger in size than average, consider buying a humidifier that can hold more water but also check whether the tanks are easy to fill and clean. If the tanks are not easy to fill then it can be a major pain area for you going forward
Budget
The cost of the humidifier will always be a factor in making the final decision.
Make sure to not make this buying decision purely based on budgetary constraints because a humidifier that is simply not large enough to cater to the requirements of your home, even though you may have spent a good amount on it, will end up being nothing but an eyesore and a hole in your pocket.
Take careful note of the size, capacity, and square footage parameters of the model that you are buying before making any decision.
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Best Whole-Home Humidifiers
#1 LEVOIT Humidifiers for Large Room Bedroom
This is one of the top-selling models of whole home humidifiers on Amazon. this model is able to provide both warm and cool mist which is rare among all whole-home humidifiers. While the warm mist keeps the home bacteria-free, the cool mist helps to keep your body hydrated during the summers.
This model is intelligent enough to understand humidity variations in the house and is able to quickly adjust humidity levels as per the settings without you having to intervene. another great feature is that it will automatically shut off if the water level in the humidifier is too low.
The humidifier is able to service 700 square feet home for 36 hours continuously without having to add water. It’s a great choice for average-sized apartments and condos
This humidifier is equipped with an intelligent remote control which allows you to adjust the settings as per a scheduled time so that you can be worry-free and program the humidifier in advance.
The machine features a wide tank that is easy to clean. You can add Aroma oils as per your liking to improve the smell in the house.
Pros
- Both Warm and Cool Mist
- Intelligent enough to auto-adjust humidity settings
- Good for average size Apartments or condos in the range of 750 square feet
- Remote control for sugar scheduling the humidifier activity time
- Wide tank for easy cleaning
Cons
- There are a few complaints of humidifier Breaking Down after a few months of use
- No self-cleaning function
#2 AIRCARE MA1201
The AIRCARE MA1201 is one of the most value for money options for large homes of size above 3600 square feet. The humidifier boasts of a 3.6-gallon tank which allows it to have a 36 hour run time capacity for even a large house.
It has a useful digital display with 4 fan speed and auto mode. the humidity settings can be customized as per your requirement and comfort and the humidifier also has an auto shut off feature if the water level goes below a certain point.
Another useful feature is an indicator for refilling and checking the filter of the humidifier so that you are always on top with maintenance. it has casters at the bottom so that it can be moved around easily inside the house and is portable. the single bottle design of the humidifier makes it compact and lightweight.
Pros
- High value for money quotient
- Great for large homes of size 3600 square feet and above
- Digital display with 4 fan speeds and auto mode
- Auto shut off mode and we feel as well as check filter indicator
- Portable compact and lightweight
Cons
- A few users complained of the unit being too noisy
- The wicking filters in the humidifier need to be changed quite frequently
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#3 Honeywell Cool Moisture Console Humidifier
This is a cool way type of moisture control humidifier that has 3 preset humidity levels, auto cut-off, and several other features that make it a very attractive choice. The humidifier has two 1.5-gallon water tanks that are wide and therefore easy to clean and fill up.
The device has wicking filters to automatically clean up the water, remove impurities and dust.
Pros
- Cool wave humidifier with auto cut off feature
- Two large 1.5-gallon tanks which are easy to fill
- Wicking filter for cleaning the water in the tank
- “Tank empty” and “Humidity reached” indicators on the display
Cons
- Honeywell does not sell the replacement wick filters which can be a problem over the long term
- Complete the design was clumsy and awkward
#4 AIRCARE MA0800
The AIRCARE MA0800 is Available into size settings one with a 2.5-gallon tank for 2600 square feet home, and the other with a 3.5-gallon tank for 3600 square feet homes. It has digital controls and auto Unity settings with 3 preset motor speeds and a quiet setting for when in use during the night time
Like others in this list, this one also has an auto cut off and “Check filter” light as well as the “Refill-water” indicator for ease of use.
Pros
- Two size settings for 2600 sq. ft and 3600 sq. ft homes
- 3 motor settings and quiet setting for night time usage
- Auto cut off check filter light and refill water indicator
- Large and wide 2.5-gallon water tank for easy water replacement and cleaning
Cons
- A few users complain that the machine stops working after a couple of seasons of usage
- The fan noise is too loud as possible uses
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#5 Aprilaire 700 Automatic Humidifier
The Aprilaire 700 Is a heavy-duty humidifier which is made for sizes up to 4200 square feet and can provide an evaporation capacity of 0.75 gallons per hour this is among the highest in its range.
This humidifier has a truly automatic control which modulates the humidity in your home automatically without having to muck around with settings and preset levels.
It can even provide relative humidity and temperature indication in manual mode. The humidifier produces very little noise for its size.
Pros
- Truly automatic controls wherein you don’t have to manually set humidity level at all
- The humidifier is great for usage in homes of size 4200 square feet and has a 0.75 gallon per hour evaporation capacity
- Low noise level for its size
Cons
- The product is large-sized and is not very easy to install
- It also wastes a lot of water and is not very eco-friendly
#6 Honeywell Home HE360A1075
The Honeywell Home HE360A1075 Optimise humidity by using a flow-through mechanism. The way in which this machine works to humidify your home, it does not require any storage of water and is therefore very clean to use, and does not have the problems of maintenance required in other humidifiers.
This unit can be used in homes of size 4200 square feet and it produces 18 gallons of moisture every day. It has an adjustable speed humidistat.
Pros
- Flow-through humidifier keep the unit clean
- Does not require any storage of water
- Large size; can be used in homes of up to 4200 square feet
Cons
- Installation kit needs to be bought separately
- Wastes a lot of water; not very eco-friendly
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Conclusion
The right humidifier for your home can make life a lot more comfortable and protect your home from dryness, diseases such as bronchitis and sinusitis, and the decay of all your wooden furniture.
Humidifiers come in various shapes and sizes and it makes a lot of sense to invest the time in examining the right science capacity and Square footage parameters of a humidifier before buying it.
In this article, we have presented humidifiers that can cater to sizes from 700 square feet right up to 4200 square feet so that there is a product for you if you are living in a condo, or even if you are living in a large size bungalow. each of these products can bring the right amount of moisture level to your home given that you make a selection based on the right size parameters.
