Best Portable Humidifier: MOVTIP Portable Mini Humidifier

The best travel humidifier for you depends on what you need—are you looking for a small, portable model with night light? What about a model that works via USB power, where a power outlet may not be handy?

Other travel humidifiers are designed to work with water bottles.

If you need a portable humidifier with a night light, we’d recommend this model: MOVTIP’s portable mini humidifier. We liked the overall compact size (it holds 500 ml of water) yet has enough capacity to run for four hours (on high setting).

What We Liked

• USB powered. That’s nice because many hotel rooms now have USB plugs on the nightstand. 

• Super compact size (roughly 4″ wide and tall.).

• Auto-shut off.

• Cotton swab filter.

• LED night light has 2 modes—steady or flickering (like a candle). We thought the latter was too distracting, but we know some folks find it soothing.

• Great for tropical plants.

• Works with tap or mineral water.

What Needs Work

• Not rechargeable. No battery. That’s right—this humidifier just works via USB power. 

• Small tank (500 ml) = short run time. In real world testing, this humidifier runs for about 4 hours. Not bad, but not designed for overnight use. Then again, if you are using this humidifier to add moisture to a vehicle or small room, it will probably do the trick.

• Doesn’t work with distilled water.

• Can’t use essential oils.

Best Travel Humidifier For Car: MADETEC Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

This humidifier is much like the model we recommended above with one major difference: it is narrow enough to fit in a car cup holder. At 2.7″ wide, it fits nicely in most vehicles (the average cup holder is about 3″ wide). And yes, this humidifier works via USB, so you can power it up via a USB port in your car. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Quiet!

• LED night light.

• 7 colors of LED light—yes, you can choose from various colors for a cool effect.

• Compact, cute design. This humidifier is about 5″ tall and less than 3″ wide.

• USB power supply—great for travel or in-car use.

• Auto-shutoff.

• Easy to use—just one button controls all the functions.

• Two modes: continuous spray or a spray every three seconds.

What Needs Work

• Not rechargeable. This humidifier does not have a battery, so it must be powered to work.

• Mist volume could be greater. While we thought the mist level was adequate, we see reports from others who wished it put out more volume.

• Filter (a cotton tube) must be replaced occasionally. But the unit does include an extra filter, which is nice.

• 230 ml capacity = doesn’t last long before needing to be refilled. We got about three hours of use in continuous mode (the maker claims it can last 5 hours). Your mileage may vary depending on how dry the environment is.  

• Not recommended for use with essential oils.

Best Water Bottle Humidifier: Pure Enrichment MistAire Travel-Ultrasonic Cool Mist Water Bottle Humidifier

When travelling, finding a bottle of water is usually easy—and this humidifier by Pure Enrichment turns any water bottle into . . . well, a humidifier. Since it has no tank, it is very compact and weighs less than 2 lbs—perfect to fit in a travel bag or backpack.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Works all night without refilling.

• Easy to use.

• Quiet.

• Affordable.

• Auto shut-off.

• Simple controls. Mist volume can be controlled.

• Cleaning brush and storage bag included.

• Night light is bright.

What Needs Work

• Night light is too bright. Yes, it is nice, but too bright says some folks.

• Using distilled water keeps it clean . . . but that sometimes can be hard to find in the right size water bottle.

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.

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