When you hold that perfect little bundle in your arms for the first time, you automatically know that you want to do everything you can to ensure your baby has everything he needs in life.
There’s no mountain too high to climb, no crib too expensive. You’ll do anything to make sure your precious baby has all it needs—including the best baby humidifier in the world.
Humidifiers? Are you freaking out because you didn’t know you even needed a humidifier in your baby’s nursery?
Well, here’s the thing: You do. Why?
Because dry air creates babies that are more susceptible to stuffy noses, making it easier for illness and infections to take hold in your wee one. And no one wants to deal with a sick, stuffy baby. That's definitely something you want to avoid at all costs.
Your options
There are several different types of humidifiers on the market. The kind you choose is up to you, but you can find:
- Warm-mist humidifiers - These are the least expensive kind of humidifier, and use a heating element to turn water into steam that is then dispersed throughout the room. Just be aware the heating element is dangerous to babies and small children, so they're generally not recommended for nurseries.
- Ultrasonic humidifiers - The most technologically advanced humidifier you can get, this uses high-frequency sound waves to vibrate the water so fast that it turns into a cool, fine mist. They are super quiet.
- Impeller humidifiers - These humidifiers utilize a spinning disc to disperse cool water into the air.
Buying tips
So, what should you look for in order to find the best humidifier for baby? It’s not too complicated! You should look for a model that is:
- Easy to clean
- Effective
- Easy to use
- Quiet
- Programmable
Before we dive in, here's an overview of your best options.
Quick comparison: Best baby humidifiers
Humidifiers | Features we love | Rating | Buy it now |
|---|---|---|---|
Ultrasonic Cool | - 16 hours of continuous use | ||
URPOWER Cool Mist Humidifier | - Has 7 color changing | ||
Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier | - Can run for up to 24 hours | ||
Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier | - Kids love the design | ||
Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto Shut-Off | - Very quiet | ||
Avalon Premium 5 Liter Ultrasonic Digital Humidifier | - Uses zero-noise technology |
Without further ado, here are a few of the best baby humidifiers on the market!
Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
We’re big fans of cool mist humidifiers, since they aren’t as large a breeding ground for bacteria as warm-mist versions.
This one also wins points by being almost completely silent in its function. If you’re new to the parenting game, you should know this is a huge plus, since a sleeping baby should never be awoken – unless there’s an emergency, like a tsunami or asteroid on a crash course with earth.
This humidifier is also great because it will run for quite a while on just one tank of water, usually about 16 hours. So, you can run it all night without having to worry that it will run out of water. If it does run out, it has an auto shut-off feature too, so it’s not a big deal.
Another thing we really like about this model is its nightlight feature. That’s always great to have in your baby’s room, since you don’t want to stub a toe when you try to go in and look in on your little one at night and cause a ruckus that wakes up your baby!
This model also doesn’t require a filter, but you can use a demineralization filter if you have hard water.
Pros
- Super quiet
- Night light feature
- Cool mist
Cons
- Small water tank
- Only comes in one color
- Can be hard to clean
Our favorite feature
The thing we liked best about this humidifier is how easy it is to use. You fill it up, don’t have to mess with filters, and can just run it to your heart's content. That’s definitely a plus in a baby’s nursery!
URPOWER Cool Mist Humidifier
This one isn’t just a cool mist humidifier – it’s an essential oil diffuser too! It has a water tank with a 100-milliliter capacity, which allows it to run continuously for about 6 hours.
Another great feature of this humidifier is that it has adjustable mist settings, allowing you to control how much or how little mist you want in either continuous or intermittent mist.
The 7 different colors available also help to enhance the nightlight feature and set a calm and quiet mood in your nursery, which is really conducive to a more relaxing bedtime routine.
As far as safety is concerned, this model has a programmable automatic shut-off feature, which is really nice so you don’t have to worry about creeping into your little one’s room in order to turn it off when it runs out of water.
It’s also compact enough that it would make a great travel humidifier for family vacations or overnight trips away from home.
Pros
- Very quiet
- Small and compact
- Night light feature
Cons
- Small, not for large rooms
- Small tanks, less continuous use
Our favorite feature
The best thing about this model is definitely all the settings. For such a small humidifier, it gives you a lot of control over the mist, the time it runs and the lighting. You can dim the light or make it brighter, and you can choose to use the oil diffuser or not. It offers a lot of variety is a small package!
Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier
This humidifier really has it all! It’s very high quality, is easy to clean and refill.
The tank is also large enough that it can be used continuously for about 8 hours on high and up to 24 hours on the lowest setting!
The sound that comes from it? Like the whispers of angel’s wings, it’s so quiet at its lowest settings. But, if you ramp up the settings higher, the noise just becomes a pleasant, relaxing white noise in the background, which some babies really like.
There are 3-speed settings that allow you control over the moisture output and the noise.
Another great feature to this humidifier is the price. Babies are expensive, but a great quality cool-mist humidifier like this doesn’t have to break the piggy bank. Plus, it won’t cost a lot to run by using up a lot of electricity since it’s cool mist.
When you add in the germ-fighting power of the ultraviolet light included, it also gives you peace of mind that germs that plague other humidifiers won’t be a problem here.
Pros
- High quality
- Inexpensive
- Quiet
- Includes germ-killing UV light
Cons
- Has a fan that creates noise
- Not ultrasonic
- Requires a filter
Our favorite feature
Overall, the best thing about this humidifier is the peace of mind it gives you with the UV light to kill germs. One thing you need to be very careful about when you’re using a humidifier is to make sure it’s not growing mold that can be sent out into the air along with the cool mist. You still need to clean this humidifier regularly, but having a little extra backup to help control germs is always a nice feature for a nursery.
Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
These humidifiers are, in a word, adorable. They really live up to the name! They come in nine different animal designs, so you’re bound to find one that fits into your nursery theme, which is part of the reason we’ve featured them in this best baby humidifier list!
The other reasons this one is so great?
Well, this is a compact humidifier but still manages to cover a small space pretty well – up to about 250 feet, actually! It has a relatively small tank at just one gallon, which makes this feat that much more impressive.
It’s also really easy to use, which is a plus. You’ve got enough going on with a baby that you don’t need to worry about some complex piece of machinery. It has simple controls that get the job done!
As far as noise is concerned, this humidifier isn’t completely silent, but it comes pretty close.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great moisture output
- Low noise
Cons
- Small tank
- Must be on completely level surface for use
Our favorite feature
The best thing about this humidifier is by far the different designs. You can get everything from a dog to a unicorn to a dragon! It’s cute and makes a functional device in your child’s room into decoration. Really adorable – not in name only!
Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto Shut-Off
When you’re looking for the best humidifier for baby, this one definitely needs to be on the list.
This is a warm-mist humidifier with a nightlight and a medicine cup for creating a medicated mist when your little one is under the weather.
It also has two settings for comfort, an automatic shut-off feature and the element in it boils water in order to create a pure steam vapor that is 96% bacteria-free.
The tank on this humidifier has a one-gallon capacity, so you can use it for up to 12 hours on just one filling, which is nice.
It’s also very quiet to operate and doesn’t require a filter.
Pros
- No filter required
- Easy to clean and fill
- Affordable
- Medicine cup for soothing treatments
Cons
- Creates some noise
- Will heat up room from warm mist
- Cannot turn off nightlight
Our favorite feature
What we like best about this humidifier is that it can run for so long on just one tank of water. On average, you can get about 20 hours of continuous use from just one fill up, which is sort of amazing in the world of humidifiers.
Avalon Premium 5 Liter Ultrasonic Digital Humidifier
If you’re looking for the best cool mist humidifier and best warm mist humidifier, then you've found it!
This hi-tech humidifier can be either cool or warm mist! It’s ultrasonic, which means you won’t hear a peep from this quiet-as-can be marvel of modern technology.
It also has multiple settings so you can set the humidity level to your own preference – either on the touchpad or with the remote control included, which can come quite in handy when you’re trapped under a sleeping baby in the glider.
This humidifier may be small, with just a 5-liter tank, but it has a 360 mist outlet for full coverage of your room and a 12-hour timer too, which means it can last all night long.
This model also has a replaceable filter that helps to keep germs and bacteria from causing illness in your home.
Pros
- Cool-mist and warm-mist humidifier
- Large tank
- Quiet
- Easy to use
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires a filter
- Emits blue LED light
Our favorite feature
Overall, what we liked best about this humidifier are the choices it gives you. If you need cool mist, you’ve got it! Need warm mist? No problem! It’s easy to use and switch between settings too, so it’s like getting two humidifiers in one. You just can’t beat that, and it’s one of the only humidifiers you can find that actually provides that feature on the market today. And an honorable mention here for that remote control – genius!
Choosing the right humidifier for your baby’s nursery is a big deal (along with finding the right crib, crib soother, and mattress).
Humidifiers are simply a must for any nursery, since adding extra moisture to the air helps babies sleep better through the night, helps to keep your baby healthy, and can provide a nice amount of white noise to help you and your baby sleep all night long.
They make a great baby shower gift because they are simple and thoughtful and any mom would be happy to get one!
There are just so many products on the market that it can be hard to find the right one for you. Hopefully, this has helped you to find the best baby humidifier for your little one.
After all, the goal is to keep them healthy, happy, and breathing free so you can attain the holy grail of parenting – a good night’s rest!
Featured image: Aqua Mechanical
