Best OEM Humidifier Filter: Honeywell Replacement Wicking Filter A

When you live in a dry climate, having a humidifier in the house is essential to comfort. Yet even the best humidifiers come with two major challenges: cleaning and maintenance. 

When it comes to maintaining an evaporative humidifier, changing and caring for the filter is a big piece of the puzzle. The filter or wick needs to be replaced every one to three months, says Honeywell, one of the biggest makers of humidifiers.

Honeywell divides its replacement filters into sizes based on letters. The size A filter fits the very popular HCM-350/HEV355, HCM-710 & HCM-315/HEV312 models. 

One important tip: consider flipping the filter over every time you use it. This will extend the life.

What happens if you don’t change the filter? Well, all sorts of nasty stuff can grow in a humidifier . . . and filters/wicks also lose their effectiveness over time. 

For the best original equipment maker (OEM) filter, we’d recommend Honeywell’s Replacement Wicking Filter A. Yes, an OEM filter is made by your humidifier’s manufacturer—and it is probably the best way to confirm compatibility. 

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Works well.

• Lasts longer than generic versions. This filter is rated for use for 1-3 months. In independent tests we found in researching this article, we discovered that generic filters have a shorter life span—this depends on how dry your house is, how much the humidifier runs, etc.

• Kills 99.99% of mold, algae and bacterial growth.

• Treated with an antimicrobial layer (the blue part).

What Needs Work

• Pricey. Yes this pack is for a single filter—if the budget is tight, you may want to consider the generic filters we’ll review next.

Best Budget-Friendly Filter: Colorfullife 3 Pack Humidifier Wicking Filters For Honeywell

Changing your humidifier filter is an important part of humidifier maintenance . . . but these things can get pricey! Good news: we found an alternative brand filter (Colorfullife) that does a good job—at a price that is much easier on the wallet.

What We Liked

• Compatible with a wide range of Honeywell models (that use the series A filter).

• Works like the original filter/wick.

• Good quality.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• No anti-microbial coating. That is probably one of the best advantages of an OEM filter. However, if you use distilled water in your humidifier and keep the wick dry (by not letting water sit in the humidifier), the difference is negligible.

• Doesn’t last as long? This is the big debate with generic brand filters for humidifiers—and we would agree that some independent testing suggests the filters don’t last as long as the OEM filters. But how much less? That is hard to nail down. Even if this filter has a 10% shorter life, it is still much less expensive in the long run. Bottom line: after using both the OEM and this filter in our Honeywell humidifier, we think they are very similar in terms of quality and longevity.

Best Humidifier Filter Panel: Aprilaire 35 Replacement Water Panel

Aprilaire makes the most popular furnace-attached whole house humidifier on the market today. And one of the key tasks in maintaining this humidifier is to replace the filter panel once per season. 

This filter panel is an OEM panel for the Aprilaire models 350, 360, 568, 600, 600A, 700, 700A, 760, 768; 

What We Liked

• Easy to install.

• Top is marked (so you know which side goes up).

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Filter is fragile and can be damaged in shipping. Be sure to check it over carefully when it arrives!

Best Alternative Filter Panel: Tier1 Humidifier Filter Replacement for Water Panel 10

While we recommend Aprilaire’s OEM filter panel for their furnace-attached whole house humidifiers, sometimes it can go out of stock. In that case, the Tier1 Replacement for Aprilaire Water Panel 10 would be a decent substitute. It works well and is good quality.

What We Liked

• Made to same size specs as the OEM filter panel.

• Made in the USA.

What Needs Work

• Pricey. Yes, this generic filter sometimes runs more than the name brand filter panel. Go figure!

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!