Humidifiers can be an absolute game changer during the colder weather months when the climate of your home is dry. Dry air can be absolutely brutal on cold and flu symptoms and can lead to not breathing as easily. Moisture helps break up the phlegm in nasal passages and can lead to sleep improvement in infants and children. Humidifiers are becoming more of a staple in nurseries for this very reason. But it is not simply babies that can benefit from cool humidifiers, adults can add a humidifier to their nightly routine in order to promote better sleep due to open passages and less snoring, and better skin due to the moisturization in the air. Humidifiers are most excellent in decreasing the spread of germs that usually happens in dry spaces, and helping address primary cold and flu season symptoms such as blocked nasal passages and bad coughs. The list of benefits of humidifiers is truly endless, but in speaking with people we have found that many people feel utterly lost when knowing what kind of humidifier to purchase. This is completely understandable, and with so much out there on the market, a simple internet search may feel overwhelming.
Not to fear though, we’ve done significant research and want to do everything in our power to make choosing the perfect humidifier an easy experience. To start with, if you know of nothing else when taking to the humidifier market, be aware of the terms cool mist and warm mist. The biggest discrepancy between the various humidifiers on the market is the difference between a cool mist humidifier and a warm mist humidifier. You may be wondering about the significant differences. Not to worry, we’ve laid it all out here so you can move forward with your most informed foot forward.
A Cool Mist Humidifier
A cool humidifier utilizes room-temperature mist in order to add moisture to the air. They are great for year-round and are just as effective in the wintertime as they are in the summertime. Cool humidifiers rely on two different technologies called evaporative and ultrasonic. Evaporative humidifiers use a fan to increase the rate at which water evaporates in the air in order to create a fine mist. An ultrasonic humidifier alternative uses vibration in the water to create a mist. While evaporative humidifiers may be on the cheaper end of the spectrum, ultrasonic mist humidifiers do not require using a filter which can mean that they are more affordable in the long run, as you won’t be having to purchase and replace a filter every two to three months.
Ultrasonic humidifiers usually are whisper quiet, which is another feature that makes them the better choice as most humidifiers are on all night long while you sleep and shouldn’t be loud or wake you up. They also have the ability to be smaller since they do not rely on a fan. Many cool mist humidifiers are ideal for larger spaces, as they add humidity to the air without using up too much electricity.
A Warm Mist Humidifier
A warm mist humidifier utilizes a heating element and hot water in order to create moisture and humidity. Warm humidifiers require hot water to be used and released into the water through steam. This boiling technique is good for killing bacteria in the water tank but is not always the safest if you have young children and pets due to the risk of it toppling over and spilling boiling water. They also do not always make the most practical choice in large spaces because they utilize more electricity. Warm humidifiers are great during the winter when you’re house is a little chilly as they can ass an extra level of heat to the air. The heat also helps increase higher levels of saturation due to moisture.
Overall, we tend to think that cool ultrasonic mist humidifiers tend to be the best option for a family and pet-friendly environment. They also do an excellent job still of creating enough moisture and humidity in a room to fight off bacteria and the spread of germs that can happen in dry spaces. Research shows that it is the humidity, not the temperature that helps alleviate cold and flu symptoms. Some research has been done that even claims that the added heat to humidifiers doesn’t actually help cold symptoms. This checks out because, by the time the water vapor reaches your lower airways, it’s the same temperature regardless if it began hot or cool. At the end of the day, you know what you and your home’s air need. So as you’re checking out the humidifiers on the market, we hope you feel more informed about what to choose as your tool to ease coughing and congestion during the drier months.
