Best Warm & Cool Mist Humidifier: LEVOIT Humidifier LV600HH

To humidify a large room up to 750 square feet, you need two things: a large tank for long run times and customized humidity controls to correctly dial the moisture. The LEVOIT Humidifier LV600HH hit all the right notes in our testing. Here’s what we liked:

What We Liked

• Large tank. With a six liter capacity, this humidifier can run 22-35 hours without refilling.

• Accurate humidistat and granular controls. Many humidifiers just have a high or low setting—this model allows much more control, which is important when it comes to large spaces.

• Warm and cool mist. Few models offer both large capacity AND warm mist—this one does and that’s a big plus if you want to humidify a drafty room.

• Remote control. Another nice feature for large rooms—you can use the remote to turn it on or off from a bed or couch.

What Needs Work

• Nooks and crannies to clean. All humidifiers require cleaning—and the Levoit LV600HH is no exception. One negative are the all the little nooks and crannies on this model, which make cleaning a bit harder.

• Needs to be on shelf or table. Like most ultrasonic humidifiers, this model works best when positioned off the floor like on a table.

Best Budget-Friendly Humidifier: LEVOIT Cool Mist Humidifier

If the budget is tight, this is the humidifier we’d recommend: Levoit model’s 4 liter humidifier. It’s basic humidifier that gets the job done. Here’s an overview:

What We Liked

• 4 liter tank. This tank is bigger than most other budget humidifiers, which allows for longer use before refilling.

• Easy to fill and clean. The wide opening on this humidifier makes it one of the easier to fill.

What Needs Work

• Slight buzz when working. While we judged this humidifier to be quiet enough for most folks, there is a slight buzz when it is working—and that might not make the best choice for bedrooms.

• No humidistat. You can’t control how much humidity flows from this model, which means it might over-humidify a space if left unattended.

Best Energy Efficient Humidifier: Venta LW25 Airwasher 2-in-1 Humidifier and Air Purifier

If you live in an area with expensive electricity, this model is the most energy efficient humidifier we tested—it uses just 7 watts of power on the high setting . . . yet still is impressive in humidifying a room. (Most standard humidifiers use about 50 watts of energy on high).

Venta pulls this off by drawing air over disks that rotate. And that produces more humidity with low energy use. Unfortunately, this model is also expensive—meaning you have to pay upfront before you see any energy savings down the road. Here’s an overview:

What We Liked

• Less cleaning required. Most humidifiers require cleaning once a week—this model’s maker says it can go for two weeks.

• Large two gallon tank. Requires less filling—most tanks are one to 1.5 gallons.

• No filters to replace.

What’s Needs Work

• Requires additives. Venta requires a antimicrobial addictive and water softening agent to keep it clean—this adds to the cost.

• Good humidifier, so-so air purifier. In our tests, the humidifier part of the Vents worked well . . . the air purifier, not so much.

• Expensive. This model is quite pricey, so even though it is the most energy efficient, you may have to use it for quite a while for payback.

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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