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The Top 5 Best Humidifiers For Babies

The Top 5 Best Humidifiers For Babies
Latest posts by Keith Lindner (see all)

Before you have a baby, they don’t tell you everything you’re going to need for them. OK sure, they tell you to stock up on months’ worth of diapers and advise against wipe warmers and argue in favor of a Diaper Genie, but they never seem to cover all of the bases. And the they I’m talking about if every parent you know, so feel free to place all of the blame on them.

Because no one lets you know about the best humidifiers for babies or the fact that yes, you will find yourself awake at 2 A.M. with a congested baby and bags under your eyes that just don’t belong there. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the top five humidifiers for babies, because if your friends and families with kids aren’t going to have your back, we totally will.

Of course, first, you’ll need to identify the sort of instances where you’ll actually need a cool-mist humidifier for your baby’s nursery since the Vicks vaposteam rub your mom suggested just isn’t going to cut it every time.

Granted, at times, all that your little one will require will be some of that magical cream rubbed on their neck and feet to deter congestion that makes your heartbreak, but other times, you’re going to need to bust out one of the big guns. And in this case, it would be a humidifier for baby.

The Top 5 Best Humidifiers For Babies

Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

The Crane Drop cool-mist humidifier is an excellent choice for your baby’s nursery and since it’s a whisper-quiet gadget, you will not have to worry about your baby waking up in the middle of the night every time the humidifiers leaves to steam. Something I really love about this cool mist humidifier is that it’s portable and I can even use it when I leave the baby at my mom’s place too.

Since you may not know how a humidifier work, we are here to teach you everything and make you a pro when it comes to saving your little one from bacteria, dry skin, and cold symptoms.

How It Works

After filling the 1-gallon cool mist humidifier with water, you can walk away with the safety and knowledge of knowing that it has an automatic safety shut-off. It can run for up to 24 hours, putting out 2.5 gallons of water in its cool mist that works to decongest your baby, without needing to replace any kind of filters in the machine.

Although it’s mostly silent, the Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier does let out a faint noise that can sometimes be soothing to babies, acting as the white noise that a lot of fans provide, but without the cold air blowing around your baby’s bedroom.

Special Features:

The great thing about the Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is that it uses cool air, and it’s not a warm mist humidifier, so when placed in your baby’s room, it won’t end up attracting all kinds of bacteria, as warmer mists sometimes do with humidifiers.

It is also super quiet, which can be great if your baby is a light sleeper, prone to waking up as soon as someone flushes a toilet in the house. You know the type – they force you to live on your tip-toes in the nighttime hours at home in order to get their good night’s sleep.

The Downside:

For some, it might be too quiet, since a lot of the time, babies thrive on white noise. Instead of having a fan or white noise going at the same time as a humidifier in the baby’s room, it would be super convenient to have a humidifier that also lets out a low hum that could potentially make up for the sound. 

Vornadobaby Huey Nursery Evaporative Humidifier

The Vornadobaby Huey Nursery Humidifier is an amazing humidifier for your baby’s nursery that humidifies the air using evaporation. The tank is spill-free and requires one gallon of water every day and the best part is that it illuminates when it’s supposed to be refilled. Also, as a bonus, this cool-mist humidifier is lockable, because let’s face it, babies love buttons!

How It Works:

With a power cord wrap and spill-resistant basin, the Vornadobaby Huey Nursery Evaporative Humidifier is all about convenience for the parents operating the thing.

It provides up to 12 hours of airflow mist to a bedroom at a room temperature setting, as opposed to heating the water held inside of the 32-ounce basin. And since it isn’t ultrasonic, there is no risk of dealing with the telltale fine white dust particles.

Special Features:

As most parents know, whether they’re new at the gig or seasoned veterans, baby proofing is something that you just can’t avoid. So to have a humidifier for your baby’s room that already comes with childproof locks and capabilities is definitely an added bonus.

It also has an easily removed bottle that you can fit under pretty much any faucet to refill with water. Have you ever tried to change out the water of a humidifier that you need to pull a water basin out of? It’s not cute to have a sopping wet carpet.

The Downside:

I care about my kid’s health as much as the next overprotective mom, but that price isn’t something I’m crazy about. Although you get what you pay for, and in some cases, the more you spend, the higher quality your baby’s humidifier will likely be, that doesn’t make it any easier to shell out a lot of bucks for a machine that may be used one week out of the year.

Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier

The Honeywell cool-mist humidifier kills the bacteria in the room, and thanks to the Evaporative technology you can’t over humidify the room when using this humidifier for baby. When you add this device in your baby’s nursery, you will be able to prevent a stuffy nose, sore throat, and cold symptoms, all thanks to a few liters of water every day.

How It Works:

Covering up to 1,000 square feet per 24 hours of use, the Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier is self-regulating, as it pumps out moisture as needed, judging by the amount currently in the room where it’s placed.

It also provides a cool, invisible mist after sucking in dry air and letting it out in a cool mist that is devoid of bacteria after going through the filter and water system inside of the humidifier.

In order to prevent the growth of mold inside of it, you should wash it often and you can also add vinegar in order to prevent it. After all, this happens to all of the best baby humidifiers too!

Special Features:

The biggest question here is, how is it germ-free, right? The simplest answer is that the Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier has UV technology that helps to kill up to 99.9% of fungus, mold, and bacteria that pass through its filter. It also features an easy-to-hold handle which makes replacing the 2 liters of water much easier than trying to handle it in one place, while carrying excess water to get rid of it.

The Downside:

Sometimes, being able to actually see the vapor coming out of the machine is the evidence needed to feel confident that it’s doing what it should be doing and with the Honeywell, you don’t see that telltale mist shooting out and up from the humidifier.

Granted, you still know it’s doing what it should be, as you can literally feel the cool mist, but seeing it is a whole different thing. 

LINKYO Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier

linkyo cool mist humidifier

The LINKYO Cool Mist portable humidifier has a sleek design and it allows it to be put in even the smallest corner of your baby’s nursery. This is not a warm and cool humidifier, but it’s just a cool-mist humidifier that will prevent your little one from getting a common cold and will keep bacteria out of his/her reach.

The cool mist is also perfect for winter times when you are heating the room and the air becomes dry and it can also be used as an aromatherapy diffuser with some essential oils like lavender (which helps babies relax!)

How It Works:

As another cool mist humidifier, the LINKYO Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier works to expel water vapors into the air that are the purest possible, without any white dust added to the vapor that warm humidifiers sometimes create.

Covering up to 200 square feet and with a 2-liter tank, the adjustable settings allow you to run the humidifier all night if need be, and when it comes to a sick baby or a little one just in need of some help getting rid of that congestion that makes them sound like they’ve been smoking longer than your Aunt Marge, that’s plenty necessary.

Special Features:

Aside from the self-described “ultrasonic technology” that enables the humidifier to use cool water, as opposed to hot water vapors, the LINKYO also as a rotating design, along with colors to create a fun effect in your kid’s room and make them less weary of this strange new robot taking up space while they’re battling a cold. It also has a huge mist output that shoots out a lot of mist at once, enabling it to cover ample space each time.

The Downside:

Although there is a switch to turn off the LED lights that come off the humidifier, there is a constant blue light that stays on and can be almost too bright. On the one hand, it’s nice to have a built-in nightlight, but on the other hand, some kids get much too distracted by such things when it’s time for bed and not time to come out and ask for that third glass of water.

Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier

Vicks has definitely made a great job in creating awesome humidifiers for babies (including the Vicks warm mist humidifier). This starry night cool mist humidifier provides easy sleep for your little one even when he/she grows, and it’s super helpful when they get a cold since it helps moisturize the air and decongest the stuffy nose.

How It Works:

The Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier might feature that elusive cool mist aspect that so many of the best baby humidifiers seem to possess these days, but it also has the ability to add the cooling congestion relief that comes with Vicks medicines.

But instead of doubling up with some baby Vicks vapor steam, the humidifier comes with a Vicks VapoPad scent pad heater to place the pads on in order to add to the soothing effects that the cool mist humidifier provides on its own.

Special Features:

Having a working humidifier that’s good for your baby is great and everything, but having stars projected onto the nursery ceiling is an added bonus for a baby who might find the images relaxing. There are also two settings, both of which are silent enough to barely hear, which can be a good thing for some parents who still have the baby sleeping in the same room as them.

The Downside:

Refilling humidifier filters is never fun and unfortunately, that is the main downside for the Vicks humidifier. The filters typically last a week, which isn’t bad, but replacing them every week can certainly get tedious. 

FAQ’s About Baby Humidifiers

What’s the difference between cool mist and warm mist humidifiers?

Cool mist humidifiers have filters that entrap bacteria in it, whereas warm mist humidifiers use steam to kill the bacteria in the room. Cool mist humidifiers are better when it comes to putting into a nursery, since they moisturize the air and help in case of coughs and common colds, and are silent too!

Is it okay to have the humidifier on all night long?

Yes. Basically they are developed to last all night long which why you will need 1 liter of water. On the plus side, if you are concerned about mold in the room, a warm mist humidifier will be excellent to put.

Can you use tap water in a humidifier?

Yes, but it might not be safe due to the minerals that the water consists. It’s always better to use distilled water in order to prevent any health risks.

The Verdict

Obviously, in this case, Vicks won the contest of the best baby humidifier out there right now. Not only is the price optimal, the cheapest one being $38, but it also has the added bonus of containing Vicks medicine, which a lot of parents swear by.

And at the same time, it remains a cool moisture humidifier, which is another plus. Sometimes, more expensive does not necessarily equate the best option, and in this case, that is certainly true. If you take care of the humidifier and utilize all that is has to offer, you’re pretty much set.

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  1. Biti says:

    Wow, it’s really awesome reviews. I saw too many reviews but your reviews are totally unique and informative. I read your whole post and really glad to read your whole post and enjoy. All of the humidifiers are adorable but I would choose the Crane Adorable Cool Mist Humidifier Owl. My daughter’s room has Owls all over it and this humidifier would fit right in. I love that it also adds soothing moisture to the air. Miss my favorite Humidifier.
    By the way, thanks for sharing this post.

    • Rowan says:

      Thanks Biti,

      So happy you love the reviews! Love that you love the Owl decor — so cute, right! Humidifiers can be functional and cute.