Remember those times during winter when your baby easily contacts a cold? It is really worrying when he or she actually has one. In such moments there are really no medications that can eradicate the cold completely at that tender age, then you might want to get the best humidifier for infants because it causes immediate relief from almost all cold ailment.
Several products are ranked among the best baby humidifier in the market that you could explore but only with the proper foreknowledge. This article contains baby humidifier reviews and a final verdict on the best nursery humidifier products you should go for.
So briefly, what are humidifiers?
Humidifiers release moisture into the air which is really important during dry winter periods. This moisture can help your baby in breathing properly as well as solving dry or irritated skin chapped lips, sour throat, dry sinuses, stuffy noses, and baby cough.
There is a high tendency of baby congestion happening during this periods, and also they fall quickly to infections and sicknesses that are often rampant in cold seasons. This shows the need for a humidifier to create the optimal thriving environment and sleeping conditions that will also allow your baby to sleep comfortably.
What kind of humidifier is best for baby?
Although there are many other types, but the best humidifier for babies in the market today are of 2 types, and they are
-
Warm Mist Humidifier:
This kind of humidifiers works by heating water to create warm steam out of it. This slightly warm steam is not at room temperature. Hence warm mist humidifier adds some warmth to the nursery room when used.
Just like we have it in the popular inexpensive Vicks filter free humidifier, the warm mist humidifier produces humidity of the likes of the one found outdoor.
-
Cool mist humidifier:
This kind of humidifier doesn’t add any form of heating to produce mist. Instead, they make use of an electronic method like the ultrasonic vibration technology to convert water into vapor or mist.
Cool mist humidifier is often the most recommended for babies because they are experts in relieving dry air symptoms like the dry skin, dehydration and difficulties in sleeping due to heat
Henceforth, all humidifiers produce water vapor into the surrounding dry air but they achieve this purpose differently and therefore the reasons for their different uses in different circumstances. The table below shows the comparison of the two major types of humidifiers that are best for babies.
| Technology | Mist Duration | Tank Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levoit Humidifier | Ultrasonic | 36hrs(260ml/hr) | 4.5L |
| Tekjoy Premium | Ultrasonic | 24hrs(280ml/hr) | 2.5L |
| Victsing Upgraded Humidifier | Ultrasonic Vaporizer with Anti-bacteria Stone | 14hrs(200ml/hr) | 3L |
| Pure Enrichment Mistaire | Ultrasonic | 16hrs(210ml/hr) | 1.5L |
| Vicks Mini | Ultrasonic Filterless | 20hrs(240ml/hr) | 0.5L |
what kind of humidifier is best for baby cough?
Cool mist humidifier is extremely productive when it comes to throat itching and all form of blockage in the passage of breathing and speaking. Inhaling a cool humid air would go a very long way to clear all forms of irritation that are caused by microbes.
This is because most of the microbes that cause itchy throat and cough are often inactive in the presence of fresh moisture.
Therefore, since room temperature generally raises the chances of cough, cool mist humidifier remains the best option for baby cough.
What kind of humidifier is best for babies with cold and congestion?
Anything congestion or cold has to be from sinus and throat infection. warm and cool mist humidifier doesn’t only fix congestion causing sickness, it also goes as far as relieving all forms of sinus irritation.
As recommended by medical professionals, either warm or cold mist humidifier is the best option when it comes to cold treatment. Hence, you should consider either of them as the best remedy congestion.
Unlike the best humidifier for croup, cool mist humidifiers is the most recommended humidifier when it comes to congestion. This has much to do with safety just in case warm mist humidifier could results into burns on your baby. Other functions of cool mist humidifier are the treatment of flu-like sneezing, croup, and other allergies. It is also a specialist in rehydrating dry and chapped skin that may lead to skin infection.
I must also emphasize that cool mist humidifier has the capacity of relieving most of the infant’s allergic reaction. In most cases, you may only need to just use the cool mist and your baby will be back up and healthy.
Why?
It is simply because most of the allergic reactions of babies to the environment are often what only needs a moisty air. That’s why cool mist is often recommended as a pretreatment before considering the warm mist humidifier. And i must bring to your notice that warm mist never imply hot steam and the temperature of warm and cold mist are almost the same.
Conclusively, you don’t need just one type of humidifier for your baby. Rather, you need to first use the cool mist humidifier as a pretreatment. Better still, you might want to consider going for the unit with double options i.e., cool and warm mist humidifier.
Here’s how to choose a humidifer for the nursery
On this note we would only be reviewing and emphasizing more on the best cool mist humidifiers for infants. But before that, let’s look at the things to look out for in a best humidifier before making a purchase
Things to consider when selecting the best humidifier for baby
- Ease of maintenance:
Before you purchase a humidifier for your infant at home, you should ensure that it can be easily uncoupled for cleaning. After a while when using a humidifier, there is a tendency for molds and other organisms to grow in the water container or outlet of the humidifier if it is not cleaned properly.
This should be avoided at all cost because infants are still young, therefore have really weak antibodies and could easily get infected by the pathogens released by the humidifier. Since you must ensure the humidifier is germ-free at every moment, purchasing an easy to clean good humidifier is advisable.
- Humidifier mode of dispersing moisture:
Several types of humidifiers exist based on their method of humidification. The ultrasonic cool mist humidifier produces mist utilizing ultrasonic sound vibrations, and the impeller warm mist humidifier makes use of a fan or disc rotating at very high speed to create the mist. These two humidifiers are known not to disperse materials from their water tanks into the indoor environment.
All in all, it is really advisable to go for the humidifier with ultrasonic or evaporative humidification when purchasing for infants.
Why? some humidifiers tend to release the residue in the tank alongside the water into the air. This may be dangerous for the infant in that it may leads to another form of respiratory ailment
- Presence of a filter:
humidifiers with filters would be able to keep out unwanted pathogens from getting into the air but if left unclean and without proper maintenance, it could become a source of ill health. Therefore, although it is safer to go for a humidifier with filter, you must be ready to take proper care of it.
- Area of effective coverage:
the size of the room you want the humidifier to operate in would determine the size of the humidifier to purchase. But for a baby’s nursery room, a machine that covers a 100 square foot area may be suitable. Intend using it in a larger room, then you would know what kind of humidifier to purchase and for a larger size.
- Built-in diffuser:
for a newborn’s nursery environment, having an inbuilt diffuser in the humidifier ensures that not only does the room retain its moist, it also has a pleasant smell that could have health benefits or simply ease congestions. You might be required to purchase a specific diffuser depending on the product brand and model.
Top 5 best Humidifier for babies
1) LEVOIT Cool Mist Humidifiers – Best cool mist humidifier for infants
Special feature: whisper quiet, adjustable mist level, stylish design and Aromatherapy
[image code=”B07C96NK8P”]
This is one of the best nursery humidifiers is specifically designed for easy refills, and with a 4.5L water tank, it could last for 40 hours before needing a refill. The mist nozzle is elevated to prevent moisture from collecting on the humidifier surface.
It also gives the mist dispersion an extra boost into the air. With the nozzle’s 360 degrees’ rotation, there is total mist circulation in no time, and also with the presence of a diffuser you can add a few drops of fragrance to the aroma box and enjoy your favorites scent in your home.
It is a great humidifier, and I’ve been running for two days, at high on the first day and medium the second day, and not had to refill. It is very quiet and looks great.
2) Tekjoy Cool Mist Humidifier – Best for a baby cough and dry throat
Special feature: Automatic shut off, long lasting relief, Quiet-touch panel, and comfortable lifting handle
[image code=”B07F6R3KQM”]
This makes use of the ultrasonic method to disperse cool mist into the atmosphere. It is excellent for skin, sinuses and it also put moisture back in the air without much frustration. There are safety features also included for homes with kids and pets and you can choose between 3 timer settings according to your convenience.
From stuffy nose to dry skin, this cool mist ultrasonic humidifier provides up to 24 hours with maximum output. The vaporizer is designed to perfectly complement both living and working space for a comfortable stay.
The mist has no noise at all and great for sound sensitive babies. It comes with a cleaning brush that could be easily used when things get clogged, and it has a great size and ability for light to be turned off at nights for babies that are sensitive to lights.
3) VicTsing Cool Mist Humidifier – best for allergy
Special feature: Efficient mist output, Automatic shut off, and dial knob mist control
with an adjustable mist output, you can easily control the humidity level for maximum comfort. The cool mist prevents dry eye, scratchy nose and throat, offer sound sleep and reduce static electricity when it’s dry in winter periods.
It also has an intelligent LED indicator which turns green when it is working properly and red when it begins to run out of water. The VicTsing automatically shuts off when running out of water and stops misting when the water tank is removed
This is a quality product and a quiet one too, I wish it had a bigger water tank, after 12 hours the tank is empty. It mover humidity up from 36% to about 46% in about 2 hours.
4) Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier – Best ultrasonic humidifier
Special Feature: Ultrasonic cool mist technology, AC power adapter, and Optional night light
[image code=”B013IJPTFK”]
This powerful and aesthetically pleasing tabletop humidifier is packed with smart features that make it the perfect solution for improving the air quality in any room.
It packs a 1.5-liter tank delivers a moisture output of 150 milliliters per hour and could work for up to 16 hours, making it the perfect solution to relieve the symptoms associated with dry air. Really nice product with cool mist at an affordable price and works nice and quiet at night.
The whisper quietness of this ultrasonic unit is often accompanied by occasional echo of water. It’s mist dispenstion is adjustable in such a way that you can have an heavy mist at night and a moderate one during the day.
5) Vicks VUL520P Mini Filter germ-free Cool Mist Humidifier – Best for congestion
Special Feature: Variable humidity control, Filter-free, and Nightlight
[image code=”B011OXUY8O”]
This product was actually provided as complimentary from influenster but is very superb in that it works perfectly and noiseless. It is very easy to use, and when tested in a 10 X 10 room, it performed excellently. It was also made very easy to clean because of the chances of mildew growth in the tank
the Vicks Mini Filter-free cool mist humidifier comes in 2 colors- pink and blue which provides the same function. This unit supplies soothing, visible mist for temporal relief of a cough and baby congestion for better breathing and a more comfortable sleep. It is designed for low maintenance operation, requires no filters and is ultra-quiet.
Knowing someone who has asthma and is especially bad during the cold months even with several heat pumping from the apartment radiators. The sleeping trouble was due to a dreaded tight chest feeling, but when he started using this humidifier, it made an enormous difference. The waking up in the night which brings about wheezing eventually stopped.
Final Verdict: Best cool mist humidifier for a Baby
The best humidifier for babies to purchase would be the Tekjoy cool mist humidifier because of the edge it has over others i.e., having a diffuser, long lasting relief and the quiet touch panel. When tested, I could see the steam coming out and when it was disassembled, the ease of reassembling it is very confortable. It is the best value for the price in all dimensions.
The Leviot cool mist humidifier comes in second according to the editor pick. It also possess a diffuser and the same properties as the rest. Moreover, it has a large capacity of water tank than others and the adjustale mist level beats its competitors.
