Sleeping in an environment that’s too dry can lead to dry skin, a scratchy throat, and nosebleeds. If you live in a dry climate or notice these symptoms develop during the winter, you might benefit from using an air humidifier in your bedroom. Humidifiers help moisten the air in your bedroom during the winter months, or year-round, depending on where you live.
Adding a humidifier to your bedroom can even support better health and strengthen your immune defenses. As Dr. Raj Dasgupta explains, “Using an air humidifier can reduce nasal dryness and limit excess mucus production. It may also help soothe throat irritation, especially when you’re feeling under the weather.”
To help you find the best humidifier to alleviate your dry weather woes, my fellow product testers and I at Mattress Clarity tested a range of top-rated models and picked the ones that stood out for performance, ease of use, and overall value. We also created a comprehensive buyer’s guide based on our hands-on experience to help you understand what to look for and how to maintain the perfect humidity level in your bedroom for better sleep.
Over the past seven years, the Mattress Clarity team has tested more than 500 mattresses and 150 sleep accessories, helping over 35,000 people (including 5,919 in 2024 alone) find the right bed and sleep products for their unique needs. Our reviews are rooted in a rigorous, real-world testing process developed through years of experience.
Read on to discover which air humidifiers earned a spot on our list.
Our Verdict: What’s the Air Humidifier of 2025?
I chose the Crane Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier as the best overall pick because it combines performance, ease of use, and coverage at an affordable price. Its intuitive design earned top marks for user-friendliness, and it’s easy to maintain despite a few hard-to-reach spots in the tank. With coverage up to 500 square feet, the Crane is perfect for both small and medium-sized rooms.
The Best Humidifiers of 2025
- Crane 1 Gal. Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier – Best Humidifier Overall
- Honeywell HUL520B Mistamate Cool Mist Humidifier – Best Humidifier for Bedrooms
- Vornado Lucerna – Best Filterless Humidifier
- Virtuvi Cloud Humidifier – Best Humidifier for Large Rooms
- Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier – Best Cool Mist Humidifier
- Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier – Best Smart Humidifier
What Matters Most in an Air Humidifier
When searching for the best humidifiers for everyday use, we developed a hands-on testing methodology focused on the features that impact comfort, convenience, and long-term usability. We tested each unit at home, evaluating how easy they were to operate, maintain, and live with.
- User-Friendliness – Ideally, your humidifier should be simple to set up and operate without frustration. We timed how long it took to go from unboxing to active use, favoring models with intuitive controls and quick, no-fuss startup.
- Noise – Since humidifiers often run while you sleep, quiet operation is a must-have. We used a decibel meter to measure sound output on all settings and also tested each unit overnight to assess whether it disrupted sleep.
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Regular maintenance keeps a humidifier running safely and effectively. Our testers cleaned each model by hand, looking for accessible designs and tank openings that made routine cleanings hassle-free.
Our Best Humidifiers Video Review
Crane 1 Gal. Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier – Best Humidifier Overall
Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
This teardrop-shaped humidifier offers up to 24 hours of soothing mist, ideal for medium to large rooms.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.50 / 5
Crane’s Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier was the obvious pick for the best humidifier overall because it balances performance, ease of use, and coverage for a price tag of $60 (and often cheaper when it goes on sale). My fellow product tester Nicole Davis gave the Crane high marks across the board, including a perfect 5/5 for user-friendliness, thanks to its straightforward design.
“It has one knob that you turn to adjust the mist settings,” Nicole said. “The light is green when turned on and red when it needs water. Overall, this humidifier is very intuitive and easy to use.”
Nicole also rated it a 4/5 for cleaning and maintenance. While she noted a few hard-to-reach spots in the tank and the lack of an included replacement filter, she found it easy to maintain overall.
“Like all humidifiers I’ve used, there are a few areas that are hard to reach, but an old toothbrush works fine to get to them,” she said. As for filters: “It doesn’t come with one, but the replacements are easy to find on Amazon and install quickly.”
Another standout feature of the Crane humidifier is its generous coverage and large tank size, earning it another 5/5 rating for its capacity.
“We use this in my kids’ 150-square-foot room, and it does a great job of combating dryness at night,” she said. “The packaging says it covers up to 500 square feet, so it should perform well in almost any space.”
With strong performance in every category, the Crane Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier offers an excellent value that’s hard to beat for most bedrooms.
Honeywell HUL520B Mistamate Cool Mist Humidifier – Best Humidifier for Bedrooms
Honeywell HUL520B Mistmate Cool Mist Humidifier
Compact and whisper-quiet, this ultrasonic humidifier is built to keep bedroom air moist without taking up much space.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.40 / 5
Vornado Lucerna – Best Filterless Humidifier
Vornado Lucerna 3 Alchema Ultrasonic Humidifier
The Lucerna offers filter-free humidification with vortex circulation for more consistent coverage in small to medium rooms.
If you’re interested in buying a humidifier but dread having yet another appliance to clean and maintain, the Vornado Lucerna might be just what you need. As a filterless unit, the Lucerna eliminates the ongoing cost and hassle of replacing filters, making upkeep even more convenient. Its sleek, filter-free design earned this humidifier a 4/5 or higher in categories like user-friendliness, cleaning, and noise, making it my top pick for the best filterless humidifier.
Right off the bat, product tester Kate Meier was impressed with its capacity and ability to cover 600 square feet of space and awarded its coverage a perfect 5-star rating.
She also gave it a strong 4/5 for cleaning because its filterless design allowed her to skip a step in the maintenance process. However, she pointed out that the size of its water chamber made it hard to completely clean without a special brush.
“There is no filter on this humidifier, which is nice because you don’t have to replace anything,” Kate said. “The only negative about cleaning this humidifier is that the water chamber is quite large and the opening to get into it is quite small, so in the event you have some kind of mold spot, you’d need to use a long-handled brush. Otherwise, instructions are to just use mild detergent and water.”
The humidifier also earned a 4/5 for noise, with Kate recording a maximum sound level of 34 decibels. “The humidifier has two settings, low and high,” Kate said. “Both settings were registering at between 31 and 34 decibels when I sat on my bed and the humidifier was about 4 feet from me. So while this isn’t silent, it is far from disruptive or noisy.”
Kate also praised its straightforward interface, awarding it a perfect 5/5 user-friendliness score. “You fill the tank, place it on the base, plug it in, and hit the ‘humidifier’ button. So simple,” she said.
One last thing to keep in mind about the Lucerna is that the tank doesn’t completely secure onto the base. Kate found this out the hard way when she tried to move it by grabbing the tank and not the base, and wound up with water on the floor. If you have small kids or pets that might knock into it, beware!
Vitruvi Cloud Humidifier – Best Humidifier for Large Rooms
Vitruvi Cloud Humidifier
Stylish and powerful, the Cloud Humidifier from Vitruvi humidifies rooms up to 600 square feet with a sleek, minimalist design.
Many budget humidifiers can only cover small spaces like bedrooms and offices. However, if you find yourself suffering from symptoms caused by dry air throughout the day, it might be worth looking into a whole-house humidifier that can cover your entire living space. Fortunately, the Vitruvi Cloud Humidifier is capable of providing wide-reaching moisture in spaces up to 600 square feet and has a solid runtime. It also earned a 4 out of 5 or higher in every category we tested, including noise, user-friendliness, cleaning, and coverage.
Product tester Nicole Davis awarded the Cloud a perfect 5/5 for both cleaning and coverage, praising its smart, low-maintenance design.
“The water reservoir is dishwasher-safe, which is awesome,” she said. “It’s also really easy to disassemble to clean the other parts. I also appreciate that its filterless design makes maintenance easier and more affordable over time, with no need to worry about buying and replacing parts.”
Nicole also gave the Cloud 4/5 for noise because it measured just 32 decibels during use. “The Vitruvi is not loud by any means, but it hums a bit,” she said. “I like a little white noise, but keep that in mind if you prefer a very silent sleeping environment.”
User-friendliness also scored well, despite its six-button control panel not being the most beginner-friendly at first. Nicole noted that once you get the hang of it, you can customize your experience with different timers that last between 8 and 24 hours, which was a nice addition.
Although it comes at a premium price point ($235 before any promotion), the Cloud’s combination of large room performance and hassle-free maintenance makes it a worthy investment for anyone looking to humidify a bigger space.
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier – Best Cool Mist Humidifier
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
A best-selling ultrasonic humidifier known for its simplicity and reliable performance in small to medium rooms.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.40 / 5
Cranking up the humidity might not sound appealing if you tend to sleep hot, but that’s where a cool mist humidifier shines. Instead of warming up your room, it quietly adds moisture while keeping things refreshingly cool. The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is my top pick for hot sleepers and warm climates alike, as it earned a 4 out of 5 in key categories like noise, cleaning, and user-friendliness during testing.
Aside from keeping things cool, this ultrasonic humidifier is also relatively quiet, making it an appropriate option for any bedroom or sleep environment. Product tester Sosha Lewis gave this humidifier a 4/5 for noise. When she used a decibel meter to see how loud the humidifier got, Sosha noted a consistent 32 to 33 decibels, which is comparable to very low hum.
“It was very quiet and didn’t disturb me at all,” Sosha said. “I would sometimes forget it was running.”
She also gave it another 4/5 rating for cleaning and maintenance. Like a handful of other options on this list, this cool mist humidifier doesn’t use a traditional filter, which means you won’t ever have to worry about replacements being hard to find or going out of stock. The only drawback, according to Sosha, is that there are some hard-to-clean areas.
“Overall, I found the tank easy to clean, but the base was a little more difficult because of the smaller components,” Sosha said.
Finally, Sosha also gave it yet another strong 4/5 for user-friendliness. During testing, it only took her 40 seconds to get up and running, meaning it barely went over the coveted 30-seconds-or-less benchmark.
Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier – Best Smart Humidifier
Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier
This Wi-Fi-enabled humidifier offers app and voice control, perfect for tech-savvy users who want automated humidity control.
If you’re a tinkerer at heart like I am, you might prefer your gadgets to come with a few more bells and whistles to experiment with. Luckily for you, smart humidifiers exist to elevate your bedroom humidifying experience. The Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier is one such humidifier that excels in user-friendlines, cleaning and maintenance, and coverage, scoring a 4/5 or higher in each category.
Our product tester Caine Wilkes was impressed with how easy it was to navigate the humidifier’s multiple settings and sync to the Dreo mobile app. According to Caine, most folks should be able to have it up and running in under a minute, which is why he gave it a near-perfect score of 4.5/5 for user-friendliness.
“I found it very easy to use overall,” Caine said. “There are four controls, but everything is clearly labeled. The app makes operating it extremely easy and intuitive, too.”
Caine also appreciated how easy it was to clean and maintain the Dreo HM311S with frequent use. He gave it a perfect 5/5 for cleaning and maintenance, noting that he didn’t need any extra tools to give it a thorough washing.
“Cleaning is a breeze, the tank is smooth and easy to clean and the bottom has very few crevices,” Caine said. “No tools are needed, and the humidifier comes with a little brush for hard to reach spots.”
Caine was also impressed with the coverage of the Dreo humidifier, awarding it another 5/5 in this category for its impressive 300-square-foot range. He noted that he had no trouble humidifying the various rooms he used it in.
One thing to note about the Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier is that while it doesn’t require a filter, the company recommends using distilled water for the longevity of the machine and quality of the air.
Dreo also offers demineralization cartridges in 3-packs, but they cost nearly $20. If you decide to use the extra demineralization cartridges, the Dreo app will notify you when they need to be replaced. Pretty smart, right?
Other Humidifiers We Researched
While these humidifiers didn’t quite make my list, they still have features that may appeal to some shoppers. See which models just barely lost to the ones featured in our roundup.
- Levoit Dual 150 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier – At just under $40, it’s hard to beat the Levoit Dual 150 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. This humidifier is relatively easy to clean and comes with a two-year warranty, which is a steal at this price point. However, I left it off my main list because it lacked some of the improved features of the other options available.
- Vicks Filter-Free Cool Mist Humidifier – The Vicks humidifier’s filterless design and expansive coverage of 600 square feet might appeal to some buyers. However, it didn’t make the list because of its higher-than-average cost and somewhat complicated setup.
How We Tested the Best Humidifiers
Our product testing team put each model through a hands-on, real-world testing process to find the best humidifiers for everyday use. We evaluated performance in the context of how these devices function in actual bedrooms and living spaces, focusing on ease of setup, daily maintenance, and noise levels.
User-friendliness
To assess how intuitive each humidifier was, our testers timed how long it took to go from unboxing to active use, without reading the manual unless it was absolutely necessary. The most user-friendly models were those we could plug in, fill with water, and power on in under 30 seconds, thanks to clearly labeled buttons and straightforward controls.
On the other hand, humidifiers that required multiple attempts, guesswork, or more than a minute to start the humidification process were considered less user-friendly.
Noise
Since you’re likely here because you want to find a humidifier for your bedroom, our team put noise level at the forefront of our evaluations. To measure sound output, we used a decibel meter app and tested each unit on all available settings, then calculated an average score for consistency. Humidifiers that operated below 35 decibels received a 4/5 rating or higher.
Beyond the numbers, we also ran real-world overnight tests. Our reviewers slept with each humidifier running to see whether the sound was distracting in a typical bedroom setting. Models that faded into the background and didn’t interfere with sleep naturally ranked higher. Meanwhile, louder or more noticeable units were marked down, even if they performed well in other areas.
Cleaning and Maintenance
To see how easy it would be to maintain and live with every humidifier, our product testers personally cleaned every unit as part of the review process. We thoroughly washed and inspected all surfaces for ease of access, taking note of how practical routine maintenance would be for the average user.
Humidifiers with wide, open tanks and minimal hard-to-reach areas stood out for their simplicity. These models didn’t require any special tools and could be wiped down and reassembled in just a few minutes. In contrast, some units had narrow openings, awkward shapes, or small components that made cleaning noticeably more difficult.
We rated each humidifier based on how easy it was to clean thoroughly and regularly without added frustration. Only the models that made ongoing maintenance straightforward earned a spot on our list.
What Else Is Important When Buying an Air Humidifier?
Beyond performance and design, there are a few key factors to keep in mind when choosing a good humidifier for your space. See what details can make a big difference in long-term satisfaction below.
Cost
Different types of humidifiers come in a wide price range, typically starting around $30 for basic models and reaching over $150 for smart home-compatible humidifiers with premium features. The best humidifier for you depends on your budget and what features matter most. While higher-end models often deliver better durability, quieter operation, and easier upkeep, many budget-friendly options still perform reliably, especially in smaller rooms.
If you’re looking to reduce costs, focus on models that offer the essentials: quiet performance, steady mist output, and hassle-free cleaning. Plenty of compact, affordable humidifiers cover these basics without compromising functionality.
If you’re willing to invest a little more, pricier units often include helpful extras like built-in humidistats and humidity sensors to regulate moisture levels, automatic shutoff for safety, and even essential oil diffusers compatibility for added comfort.
Capacity and Room Size
When shopping for an air humidifier, you need to ensure that the model you select is powerful enough for the size of the room you plan to use it in. For small to medium-sized bedrooms, most top-fill or portable humidifiers should provide adequate coverage.
However, if you need to humidify a larger bedroom, open-concept space, or living room, look for a unit rated to handle 500 to 600 square feet or more. These units can ensure even moisture distribution and prevent dry spots, which can be common in underpowered models.
Water tank capacity goes hand-in-hand with room size in determining your humidifier needs. A larger tank means the humidifier can run longer (typically through the night) without a refill, which is ideal for uninterrupted sleep. However, a larger water tank means a bigger footprint overall.
If you’re humidifying a larger room, it may also be worth considering an energy-efficient model with EPA Energy Star certification. These models use less electricity while still maintaining healthy humidity levels.
Warranty
A solid warranty adds peace of mind, especially if you plan to use your humidifier regularly or are spending money on a higher-end model. Many units come with a standard one-year warranty, but some premium brands offer extended coverage. Be sure to review the fine print to see what it includes, as some warranties only cover manufacturing defects, while others may provide replacement parts or full unit replacements. Added protection is particularly valuable for models with electronic components or Wi-Fi features that may be more prone to issues over time.
Best Humidifiers FAQs
Is it good to sleep with a humidifier in your room?
Yes, sleeping with a humidifier in the room can improve air quality and alleviate symptoms like dry skin, irritated sinuses, and congestion, especially in dry climates or during winter.
Should I put hot or cold water in my humidifier?
Most manufacturers recommend using cold or room-temperature water to prevent burns and extend the life of the unit. Using hot water can damage some models and increase the risk of mineral buildup.
Can you use tap water in a humidifier?
Yes, but using distilled or demineralized water is better because it reduces mineral deposits and white dust. Tap water may also lead to quicker buildup and potential mold growth if not cleaned regularly.
What kind of humidifier is best for congestion?
A warm mist humidifier is typically best for relieving congestion, as the heated mist can help loosen mucus and soothe irritated airways. However, cool mist models are also effective and may be safer for children.
Is it safe to breathe in humidifier mist?
Yes, as long as you regularly clean the humidifier to prevent bacteria, mold, and mineral buildup. A dirty humidifier can release harmful particles into the air and worsen respiratory issues.
What is the difference between an air purifier and a humidifier?
An air purifier cleans the indoor air by removing particles like dust, pollen, and smoke, while a humidifier adds moisture to the air to relieve dryness.
What is a dehumidifier?
Like its name suggests, a dehumidifier is a device that removes excess moisture from the air to reduce humidity levels. It’s especially useful in damp environments to prevent mold, mildew, and musty odors.
What are humidistats and hygrometers?
A hygrometer measures the relative humidity in the air, while a humidistat automatically controls a humidifier or dehumidifier to maintain a desired humidity level. Some humidifiers include one or both to help ensure your indoor air stays within a comfortable and healthy range.
Recap: Best Humidifiers of 2025
| Mattress | Award |
| Crane 1 Gal. Drop Cool-Mist Humidifier | Best Humidifier |
| Honeywell HUL520B Mistamate Cool Mist Humidifier | Best Humidifier for Bedrooms |
| Vornado Lucerna | Best Filterless Humidifier |
| Virtuvi Cloud Humidifier | Best Humidifier for Large Rooms |
| Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier | Best Cool Mist Humidifier |
| Dreo HM311S Smart Humidifier | Best Smart Humidifier |
