5 Best WIRED-Tested Humidifiers for Home and Away (2024)

i start writing Here’s a roundup of WIRED’s humidifier reviews during New York City’s second-longest drought ever. In November, my radiator clanked, bringing heat to my 100-plus-year-old apartment in Brooklyn. and according to my Indoor air quality monitormy humidity is hovering at 32%. The inside of my nose is as dry as my skin. My house plants need more water than usual. A wildfire broke out in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, requiring more than 200 firefighters. All this indicates that it is very dry here.

Indoor dryness is more than just chapped lips or a dry nose. According to recommendation Harvard School of Public Healthindoor humidity can slow the spread of Covid-19. The ideal indoor humidity should be between 40% and 60%. and Research Higher ambient humidity and higher temperatures have been shown to also inhibit the spread of influenza. These small humidifiers can do a lot.

Nonetheless, the first discarded appliance I saw on my neighbor’s porch was the humble humidifier. Often, they come with a Paddington Bear style tag that says “Still valid!” I’ve also seen them thrown away in the trash. I’m also guilty of getting rid of more than one humidifier. I gave up when I couldn’t seem to clean the rough brown film on the bottom of the tank. I started out with the best of intentions by filling them with the recommended distilled water, but eventually I would switch to tap water. I got better and cleaned my last humidifier properly with water and citric acid bought at a spice store. Still, minerals in the water are still a concern. If you use hard water, your humidifier may develop a layer of white dust; this is why many models recommend using distilled water or having a filter. I went through an entire dry hot winter because I didn’t want to use a humidifier.

All humidifiers in this review were tested with heating in my 100+ year old apartment. I’ve been looking for a user-friendly humidifier that can fill a medium-sized room with the ideal amount of humidity. I didn’t want to lug a tank of distilled water up the stairs; I also wanted one that was easy to maintain. I’m always looking for a stronger, more sustainable relationship with my humidifier. Maybe you want that too.

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