A baby approaching the toddler stage and trying to take his or her first few steps, is always one of the most adorable sights to behold in the home, but contacting an infection that restricts them to bed could turn that joy quickly to a panic, especially when it is caused by cold which is very common in winter periods. It can be battled efficiently by having one of the best humidifiers for toddlers in your home.
Cold is a widespread and unhealthy condition for kids and newborns and could cause irritations and infections like baby congestion. In cold seasons, the air is often dry and itchy; you know what thrives in itchy dry air? Viruses and bacteria. This is the reason why we recommend a humidifier because it increases the amount of water vapor in the air, therefore removing the dryness and along with its viruses and bacteria.
What kind of humidifier is best for babies with cold and congestion?
When it comes to picking the humidifier type for babies, you must be careful with selecting what is best for your kid, which is why we’ve decided to answer this question. There are generally two types of humidifiers, which are the cool mist humidifier and the warm mist humidifier.
Although both types add moisture to the air efficiently, they do so differently. Doctors have recommended the cool mist humidifier as the best humidifiers for children since the warm mist humidifier can be harmful to the child.
Cool mist humidifiers force water to dissipate into the atmosphere without using heat, while warm mist would heat the water before releasing it into the atmosphere in the form of steam. One might feel that warm mist humidifier would do better when placed in children’s room because it would also keep the child cozy and warm at night, but the cool mist is just as effective in dealing with cold, baby cough and congestion.
A warm mist humidifier could be dangerous in the nursery because they can spill hot water or burn your children’s skin if they get too close to the steam. They are also generally more expensive, and this is why we recommend the warm mist for your child’s cold.
Also reads: Best humidifier for nosebleeds
Attributes to consider when choosing the best humidifiers for baby cough and congestion
- Heater type:
when it comes to using electrical devices in the home, safety is the most concern, and as earlier said, the best type of humidifier for toddlers is the cool mist humidifier. Due to it not using hot steam to warm the air. We recommend the cool mist as the best nursery humidifier.
- Noise level:
For your kid to have the best sleep experience while being kept healthy, the humidifier your purchase should work tranquilly. Some low-cost humidifiers use poor quality fans that release a loud noise into the room, while better-quality makes use of quieter fans, although they are more expensive and the best types of humidifiers make use of no fans at all and instead rely on ultrasonic humidification.
Cool mist humidifiers are also quieter than warm mist humidifiers because there is no background bubbling and hissing noise that comes as a result of the device heating the water.
- Mold development rate:
Generally, cool mist humidifier requires more cleaning than the warm mist humidifier because molds thrive better under more cooler and moist condition. In the warm mist, the devices boil the water, and at such high temperature, molds cannot survive. If you, therefore, need a humidifier that you can afford not to clean regularly, you should probably go for the hot humidifier type then.
- Auto-shut off function:
you would probably want this in any of the humidifier product you purchase because it ensures that the nursery is never overheated. The auto-off feature monitors the degree of heat in the atmosphere and regulates the amount of mist it releases. As a result, i.e., when the atmosphere is too cold, more mist is released and vice versa.
Top 5 Best Humidifiers for toddlers
1) Aprilaire 500M whole House Humidifier
Special Features: Standard control monitors, Health certified, durable and skin care
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The Aprilaire 500M is built to cover really large rooms, meaning that you don’t have to place it in your newborn’s room or close to them for it to be effective, ensuring their safety and service to the whole house.
It is also water efficient, as water comes from the top and flows over the water panel, but stops flowing when a holding cup gets filled at the bottom. This ensures it does not drain water continuously unless there is a problem.
The humidistat connected to the furnace (a temperature probe placed outside the house), helps the humidifier calculate the appropriate humidity after which it performs a corresponding action, i.e., increasing or decreasing the rate of mist release. It works well with thermostat, and overall we highly recommend this device to solve your dry air problem.
2) Pure enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic cool mist humidifier
Special Features: Automatic shut off, optional night light, and ultrasonic cool mist technology
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This is an excellent ultrasonic cool mist humidifier that would reduce the congestions and allergies of your child significantly. It holds a fair amount of water and can run all night for two nights before refilling is needed (approximately 15 hours in total) making you not have to go and refill the water tank at the middle of the night.
The humidifier is also incredibly quiet when running, meaning you wouldn’t have to bother about the noise disturbing your child’s sleep, although it gives an occasional echo of water, not dripping but a soft cascade which sounds more like white noise.
Like most humidifier, it would need to be cleaned frequently, but you can find it difficult to do so due to some nukes and crannies being impossible to reach, making it a significant disadvantage. Over time molds could accumulate and make it unsanitary. The automatic shutoff system turns off the machine when there is no more water in the tank.
3) Vicks VUL520P Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier
Special Features: Filterless, Soft glo nightlight, quiet operation and Variable humidity control
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This is an excellent unit that has a perfect size for a nursery, is easy to fill, and works great, making a moderate difference in the air. It is very quiet, and the tank of water runs for at least 10hours. Although is requires frequent cleaning (weekly), it is relatively easy to clean.
The humidifier does well in dealing with congested noses and cough that makes an especially rough night for your kids. Its effect is rapid, ensuring that your child sleeps throughout the night undisturbed, free from cough and breathing problems. The compact size of this device makes it very portable; it fits in small surfaces which makes it easier to position it just right.
4) Levoit Cool Mist Humidifier- Best humidifier for baby congestion
Special Features: Whisper quiet, Adjustable mist level, Aromatherapy, and ultrasonic technology
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This is a portable and stylish ultrasonic mist humidifier that works efficiently when placed in a small room. Although after a while molds start to develop, it is easy to clean though you would have to be more patient around nukes and crannies. When water in the tank runs out, filling it isn’t much of a problem also.
For those of us out there that are extremely light sleepers, do not worry as this humidifier works quietly and wouldn’t disturb, ensuring you don’t get interrupted at nights. It comes with a little square tray pad at the bottom for essential oil, in case you would love a bit of fragrance alongside the mist it releases and a small brush for cleaning.
The Levoit cool mist humidifier is also effective against bloody nose, doing your child a lot of good to reduce the bleeding rate to a great extent.
5) PurSteam Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Special Features: Whisper quiet, Unique wooden grain design, durable and multiple mood lightening
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This humidifier comes in petite sizes but lets out an outstanding amount of steam. The sound is low and soothing, and most kids would probably enjoy the night blue light. It generally helps your kids sleep better even if they don’t have a cold or cough. The product is easy enough to use that it’s not a pain to set up every night after which you just let it do its job.
After filing up the water tank of the humidifier, it can run for about 14 hours a day, and there would still be a couple of inches of water left by the end of the day. It is silent and gets the job done while being very small and portable enough to be placed comfortably in the home without taking up much space.
Also read: Best humidifier for croupFinal Verdict: Best Humidifiers for toddlers and baby congestion
The Aprilaire 500M whole House Humidifier is the best out there that we would recommend for your toddler, it could just be installed in the home and let to serve the entire house which is an outstanding advantage because you would not have to purchase another unit for each room.
The Pure enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic cool mist humidifier comes out next after the Aprilaire and we rank it so due to it using ultrasonic cool mist technology, which is safe for your child. The mist expelling rate is also beneficial and could rival the Aprillaire. Its quiet operation is also helpful at nights.
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