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11 Best Warm Mist Humidifiers – (Reviews & Guide 2023)
Personal humidifiers add moisture to the air inside your home. Proper humidity helps to maintain better skin condition, make it easier to breathe, mitigate allergy symptoms and much more!
Warm mist humidifiers are a particular type of humidifier that use hot water, steam or vapor to add moisture to the air. This unit is especially effective in cooler climates, and many people prefer it over cool mist when dealing with colds, flu, allergies and so forth.
Our mission with this guide is to help you determine which is the best humidifier on the market for you. We also strove to answer all of the questions common to first-time buyers.
Comparison Chart: Best Warm Mist Humidifiers of 2023
In our comparison chart, you’ll find some basic information about all the humidifiers that are further down in our review section. We reviewed and ranked them from top to bottom based on their overall features, performance, health, safety, ease of use and warranty. You can find this same order reflected in our reviews, so that it is easy for you to reference.
6 Liter Capacity: Featuring a stunning 6L large tank and 360° adjustable dual nozzles, this amazing humidifier is perfect for large rooms and spaces – humidifying up...
This sleek model from Elechomes is our choice as the best warm mist humidifier of 2023!
Many products look like a humidifier—something that you prefer out of sight. But this Elechomes 3-in-1 humidifier is attractive and can blend in nicely with just about any modern decor.
It has a six-liter tank, which provides up to 12 hours of function each day. The tank is detachable, so you can fill it elsewhere and return it to the machine. The handle is a bit on the small side, and we’d prefer something a bit sturdier for larger hands when carrying a full tank.
The blue-on-black LED digital display is lovely and easy to read whether a room is well-lit or dark. The touch controls are accessible, and the model even has a remote so that you can adjust it from afar.
Elechomes promises whisper-quiet operation, and it delivers for the most part. Except that when the electrical relay switch kicked in, it was a bit too noisy for our liking when watching television.
Overall, this is a superb warm mist humidifier that we’re excited to recommend.
BONECO designs excellent humidifiers, and the 7135 model in particular was arguably our favorite warm mist units all things being equal. But all things were not equal. The sticker price is often about twice what you can buy the Elechomes model at, and that was the deciding factor.
Another potential issue is the visual design. The BONECO 7135 looks like a humidifier. That may not be an issue in a bedroom, but in a central living area, a design with a little more style is always preferred.
If you overlook these complaints, then this ultrasonic model is quite effective and dependable. It has a large 3.5-gallon tank that lets you moisturize the air in an area as large as 650 square feet.
It also delivers on the whisper-quiet operation promised in the marketing. Our team never noticed periods of noisiness when a switch or some other component kicked in as we did with some models.
The digital display and easily accessed buttons are another aspect that make this the best warm mist humidifier. It provides you an accurate reading of the relative humidity in the area, and the machine can enable and disable the warm mist as needed in order to maintain a desired level.
WARM MIST HUMIDIFIER – Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier helps to ensure proper humidity levels in your home. Indoor humidity levels between 40-60% can help relieve cough...
There is a lot to like about this small and relatively inexpensive machine from Vicks. It really does provide tremendous value. It is among the best warm mist humidifiers for babies and it is also among the best warm mist unit for allergies or when you are under the weather with a flu or whatever.
The cost may be subsidized to some degree as it also works with Vicks VapoSteam treatment. While we’re a fan of this medicine when not feeling well, however using it is completely optional, and the humidifier works just fine without it.
As many of the consumers have pointed out, the biggest downside with this unit is that it has no humidistat or hygrostat control. If you intend to use it all the time, then you may need to buy a Vicks humidity monitor that’ll further enhance your overall cost.
Warm Mist Humidifier: This Ultra Quiet Filter Free Humidifier Produces a Soothing, Visible Warm Mist to Make You & Your Home More Comfortable. It Helps Counteract the...
The Honeywell HWM705B is an excellent alternative to Vicks humidifier in terms of cost but also due to built-in medicine cup. You can use medicine from Vicks or any other brand to get the same kind of relief when dealing with allergies or cold.
This warm mist product tends to be a bit pricier than the Vicks model, but the difference in sound is the real reason why we chose Vicks over Honeywell. This machine produces a bubbling sound that may be irritating to some people especially at night.
If bubbling sounds aren’t a deal-breaker, then we really like this warm mist humidifier for a small room or a medium-sized room. It can even run for up to 24 hours without refilling, but using the two higher settings will require you to refill much often. Another cool thing is an onboard light that provides a helpful reminder.
Crane warm mist humidifiers are great when it comes to performance and value for your money. However, the most common problems to pop up with this unit are that it tends to experience a lot of buildup and is not usually easy to clean. It wasn’t just us alone. We noticed a lot of similar complaints online, and this flaw is what bumped it down further on our list.
This is intended to be a compact unit, and so we won’t complaint about the smallish tank. It is rather easy to detach, carry, fill and reattach. No water filter is necessary, but we do think that having one or perhaps using distilled water will avoid some of the buildup issues that this model experiences.
A feature we really like is the antimicrobial material, which kills bacteria. This is a convenient feature for people who are away from the home for long periods. This humidifier also has a dispenser that you can use for medicines, essential oils and so forth.
The Optimus U-32010 is the first non-ultrasonic humidifier model on our list. It uses a patented wicking vapor system, which works quite well but obviously lacks cool mist function.
So, which is the easiest humidifier to clean? This model would have to be our top choice. We really like its tank design overall. The ease at which you can remove, clean, fill and reattach it is quite nice. A larger tank would be preferable, but it isn’t a deal-breaker since you can still get about 12 hours of operation out of it.
While we wouldn’t call this humidifier whisper quiet, it is quiet enough for use in the bedroom when sleeping or in the living room when watching television or listening to music.
Another nice touch that makes this an easy to use humidifier are indicator lights for when a refill is required or the filter needs to be replaced. It is worth noting that while we didn’t experience this firsthand, many people online complain that replacement filters can be a little hard to find.
This is the second Optimus model in our review so far. One of our biggest complaints with the other model was its small sized tank. The U-32000 exacerbates that problem further with a 1.5 gallon tank—about 0.2 gallon even less.
On the other hand, it is cheaper than its bigger brother while still possessing many of the characteristics that put that model in the discussion for the best warm mist humidifiers.
The Optimus U-32000 is also very easy to clean. Its tank is well-designed overall, and you should have little problem detaching it, cleaning it out, refilling it and reattaching it back again. It can run longer on a full tank than the larger model, but that’s just because it disperses less warm mist into the air.
Although not whisper-silent, it is quiet and suitable for bedroom use. We also like the refill indicators that alert us that a tank needs refilling from across the room.
If you are looking for the best warm mist humidifier for small room, you should consider PerfectAire PAWM1. It is a compact unit that is perfect for bedside, small offices and so forth.
Being an ultrasonic unit, you will probably assume that it can also produce cool mist, but it does NOT. We didn’t detract points for this considering the focal point of this comparison guide, but in light of overall value, we think that this feature should have been there.
Apart from this issue, it is a wonderful little machine that provides all of the great benefits that you can expect from a warm humidifier. It is very simple to clean and refill. With an indicator light, you exactly know when water is required. Even better, the unit automatically shuts itself off when no water is remaining.
A potential deal-breaker for some is the bright light on knob that you cannot turn off or dim. It is particularly noticeable in a dark room even if you change angle of light facing away from you.
WARM MIST HUMIDIFIER – Honeywell Warm Mist Humidifier helps to ensure proper humidity levels in your home. Indoor humidity levels between 40-60% can help relieve...
The Easy to Care model from Honeywell may be the best warm mist humidifier for large rooms!
This is a superb warm air unit in many ways—including price—and we’d love to have it ranked much higher on our list. The reason we don’t is that because of few problems that popped up. After extended use, we not only had to use vinegar but get in there with a toothbrush to get all of the grime out.
Another issue is the non-detachable tank and the unit isn’t convenient to move when filled. We’d recommended filling it with a pitcher or similar dispenser.
If you can overlook those issues, then this is a wonderful humidifier overall. We love the aesthetics and overall design. It doesn’t look out of place in any room. It’s quiet enough for bedroom use. It has a cup for aromatherapy oils or vapor treatments. It has an automatic shut-off feature too.
This vaporizer from Sunbeam is among the best warm mist humidifier for allergies. If you’re seeking a compact unit that you can use wherever you are when you need it, then this is a good option.
Another aspect that puts this product in the discussion for best steam vaporizer is the price. It’s cheap enough that it is still worth purchasing if you’ll only use it a few times a year.
We do have a couple of concerns that keep it from being higher on the list. One is that the product isn’t child-safe. Warm steam humidifiers are a risk around children in general, but this one is particularly hot.
Another issue is that whether this has a dedicated automatic shut-off mechanism is unclear. It is supposed to stop working when the water runs dry, and it did in our experience. However, there are a lot of reviews online complaining to the contrary, so we’d avoid unsupervised usage.
HOT STEAM VAPORIZER: Crane’s warm steam vaporizer has a 1 gallon tank and runs for up to 15 hours. It's effective up to 250 square feet
The last of our humidifier reviews is an alternative to the Sunbeam model.
This Crane model is compact and simple to use. It is relatively inexpensive. It works well in small spaces, so we really liked it as a personal humidifier in the bedroom or office.
Compared to the Sunbeam model, it doesn’t produce nearly as much steam. That limits its usefulness beyond your personal area. On the plus side, it is much less of a burn risk, and we didn’t note any of the not shutting off or overheating issues that were associated with the Sunbeam model.
That said, the built quality is a little dubious. It feels cheaply made. Many people have complained about unit failure within the first couple of weeks—at least still during the easy return period. This is an inexpensive item, but so is the Sunbeam, which seems to perform better in this regard.
Quick Features:
Run Time: 15 hours
Tank Size: 1.0 gallons
Space Coverage: small rooms
Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.5 x 6.8 inches
Weight: 2.50 pounds
Filter Availability: No
Essential Oils Usage: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
What We Liked
Compact
Easy to use
Great for allergies
Relatively inexpensive
What We Disliked
Build quality
Not enough steam
A Complete Buying Guide for Warm Mist Humidifiers
Why Select Warm Mist Humidifiers?
If you are searching for humidifiers, you may have encountered two types of units on the market, i.e. cool mist and warm mist. What differentiates them is the kind of operation each one performs.
Cool Mist: With cool mist products, the water is forced out using a fan in form of tiny particles to add moisture in surrounding environment. This type is best suited under hot weather conditions and usually during the summer season. These units are also easily adjustable in terms of intensity of mist and direction of its output.
Warm Mist: On the other hand, hot mist units create vapors by heating water inside the unit. These vapors are later released in the atmosphere automatically in form of hot mist. With warm humidifiers, there’s no need of fan to push out vapors as they tend to move in upward direction naturally.
Cool Vs. Warm Mist: When compared to cool units, the warm mist products are much quieter and offer a soundless operation. Nowadays, there is a wide range of both types of units available on the market at multiple price points. Each product has a different price based on size, technology, safety, usability and overall features provided to the consumer.
Jack of all Trades: In the end, the right choice of humidifier is heavily based on your personal preferences and requirements. Between the two types, there is no clear winner as both of them are used in contrasting seasons of the year. If you need to use both cool and warm mist functionality, it is highly recommended to buy an ultrasonic unit that covers everything under the sun. When it comes to humidifiers, these are the most popular pick as you can easily switch between hot and cool action with just tap of a button. They have all the bells and whistles turned on and take user experience to the next level. However, they do cost a pretty penny as more features always equate to a higher price.
Cost Factor: In case you want to buy a product that only provides the warm mist, you can significantly decrease the cost. These units are very easy to clean as they don’t get contaminated that easily. Their function of releasing vapors is extremely pure that leaves behind all harmful toxins, allergens, dust particles, spores and bacteria within the water.
Caution: When using warm mist units, you should be always cautious about few things that we will explain in detail in our risk and side effects section. You must never leave the unit unattended for long periods of time especially if you have kids or babies around. With hot mist products, there’s always risk of leakage or spills that can pose a threat of hot burns. However, you can greatly minimize these dangers by following proper precautions and guidelines.
What is a Warm Mist Humidifier?
The warm mist humidifier, also known as vaporizer come in various sizes and technologies. It offers a super quiet operation that helps other members of your family remain undisturbed. When looking for the right option, you may have across items that use multiple safety and clean slogans. The critical features such as filters, ease of cleaning, hefty tank size, multiple settings, safety and long warranty make big part of your purchasing decision.
Some prestigious brands went above and beyond when it comes to user experience, safety and quality of product features. If you have come this far, you may have checked out our top-rated list above. We handpicked these products for many good reasons and all of them perform a decent job across the board.
What are the Important Features to Consider When Buying a Hot Mist Humidifier
The biggest factor to consider when selecting the warm mist unit is your room size. If you want a product for family in a large living room, then pay attention to those products designed for large rooms. Most brands indicate the square footage up to which they are appropriate.
Ventilation is an important factor as well. If you’re using the humidifier in a highly ventilated area, then you will generally need a product rated for a higher square footage than the room in question.
Note the particular room and usage as well. Many people use warm steam humidifiers in the bedroom. Depending on your sensitivity, noise level matters. It is also worth noting to see if a product comes with any LED lights that you cannot disable or at least dim.
Even the highest quality warm mist units can be inherently risky around children because they can burn you. Some products are more of a risk than others, so keep this in mind when picking your favorite model as well.
Please note that most products either provide warm mist or cool mist function. You also have the option of buy a warm mist ultrasonic humidifier that can also switch to a cool mist mode when required. Hot mist is just better for cooler months, but it is nice to have the cool mist option for the time when summer months start.
With warm humidifiers you get a variety of environmental and health benefits that prove not only good for you but your whole family as well. It creates an allergen-free and bacteria-free environment for you to breath fresh air. The technology behind a good unit ensures a healthy atmosphere by impeding entrance of spores and molds inside the air.
Here are some of the key aspects that’ll make shopping a lot easier.
Heating Technology:
No matter what type of brand you finally choose, their heating technology is more of less the same. The device works by just heating water available in the tank and release hot mist or vapors in the surrounding zone. However, you do have complete control to either decrease or increase the quantity of vapors using knobs or buttons on top of humidifier. Behind the scenes, this process actually works by controlling amount of heat passed on to water. This is an essential feature, since you’ll never want to buy a product that creates too must hot mist to saturate your home air with moisture.
Auto-Turn Off:
What else you need with a warm mist humidifier is auto-shut off feature. With this handy feature, your unit turns itself off automatically when water gets low or is about to ran out. This technology greatly minimizes the risk of damage to your device by overheating or burning of critical components. It is never a good idea to vaporize small quantity of water at bottom of tank, since majority of dust particles usually settle down at the base.
Cleaning:
There is only one way to sustain all the quality benefits of steam humidifier by taking good care of your device. In absence of maintenance, it can start to malfunction and ruin your investment. When ordering any product, the key thing to look for is ease of cleaning. You definitely want to keep your unit clean in order to maintain a hygienic environment. The harmful spores and particles must be blocked with either filter or should remain at base of tank so that you can later remove and clean it with convenience. The cool thing with good hot mist humidifier is that all these parts are easy to access, remove and clean.
Portability:
In terms of portability, warm mist units outrank cool mist due to their overall size and weight. Majority of these products are manufactured with portability in mind, since these are not meant to be used for an entire house or just one large room. You can easily pick up and place the vaporizer at your desired location. There can be few exceptions, however majority of hot mist units are compact, easy to handle and highly portable.
Tank Size:
No matter which product you choose, one thing is for sure that you need to refill it after certain amount of use. When shopping for an ideal option, try to find warm mist humidifiers that come with relatively large tank or provide minimum 12 hours of use. In our opinion, a good unit provides at least 24 hours of run time before you finally dry out. It really avoids the hassle to keep refilling water from time to time. If you are someone who likes to truly sit back, relax and enjoy luxury of warm mist, try to buy one that comes with maximum efficiency.
Essential Oils:
Not all warm mist humidifiers support this function, however it is really a nice touch. With essential oils, you can enhance your mood and improve home environment with beautiful fragrance all around. Different type of oils provide their own health benefits and also improve overall value of your chosen product. When purchasing, the key thing is that it should work well and last a long time.
Noiseless Operation:
The coolest thing about hot mist vaporizers is the ability to operate without generating any noise. It literally beats cool mist in this category because it does generate some noise due to moving fan. If you are someone who loves pin drop silence and do not want to disturb others, warm mist units are the perfect pick. You may hear little noise of boiling water just like you do in the kitchen, however this buzz is almost negligible. Even better, you can get rid of that noise too by selecting a lower intensity to generate hot mist.
Keep out of reach of Children:
Being lightweight and easier to handle are some of the big factors to consider when buying a warm mist vaporizer for your home. It is because you should always keep them out of reach of children. Being a steam production machine, each unit carries probable danger to cause burns in case of accidental spill or getting tilt over. Even hot mist can result in steam burns when it gets in direct contact with skin. Easy transportation can make it a lot easier for you to keep it safe and out of reach of infants or children.
How We Tested and Selected Top Warm Mist Humidifiers
The sheer number of products out there on the market makes selecting the right humidifier quite a challenge. Our aim was to test as many products as possible over a certain period of time.
Answering which is the best humidifier on the market involves a lot of sub-questions and personal preferences. Which is the easiest to clean or the best for small rooms is important to a lot of people and so we tried to put each warm mist humidifier review into context.
Our team also uses standalone hygrometers and other measuring equipment in order to ensure that these machines were accurate. In cases where a humidifier just offered a low, medium and high setting, for instance, we measured to determine what those settings actually meant in practical usage.
Who Should Use a Warm Air Humidifier?
Anyone can benefit from a humidifier.
In the colder months, humidity levels drop, and that lower humidity is exacerbated by heating your home. This can lead to dry skin, make it harder to breathe and generally make you uncomfortable.
Some of the great benefits of warm mist include easier breathing, reduced allergy and asthma symptoms, cold and flu relief, smoother and softer skin, etc.
An ideal relative humidity will also make you feel warmer. That means that you won’t need the thermostat set quite as high and can actually save some money, which can offset this cost.
Can a Humidifier Make You Sick? Risks and Side Effects for Health
Neither cool or warm mist humidifiers can make you sick unless improperly handled.
There are two primary concerns: over-moisturizing and contaminating the air.
Too much humidity is not ideal either and it can actually cause problems for people with asthma and breathing conditions. For an average person, the concern with over-moisturizing is about lessening indoor air quality because you create an optimal environment for mildew, mold and so forth. (source)
Even the best warm mist humidifier can contaminate your air if it is dirty. This is why ease of cleaning and antimicrobial features are so important to use. Just be sure to clean your humidifier regularly, do not allow water to stagnate and you’ll be fine.
Wrap Up
We hope that we’ve answered all of your questions and pointed you in the right direction!
Keep in mind that if you are seeking warm mist humidifier for a baby or a particular breathing disorder, then you should consult with a physician before making a buying decision.
One final note: Most ultrasonic humidifiers can serve as both cool and warm mist units, and this is a nice option to have for when the weather gets warmer.
Paul is a compulsive tinkerer and inventor who loves writing about latest machines technology. He is especially inclined towards home improvement, exercise and outdoor equipment that every sports enthusiast and house dweller would love to get their hands on.
This is a superb warm air unit in many ways—including price—and we’d love to have it ranked much higher on our list. The reason we don’t is that because of few problems that popped up. After extended use, we not only had to use vinegar but get in there with a toothbrush to get all of the grime out.
