Close your eyes and imagine a world of gentle whispers and cozy snuggles. The air is as pure and refreshing as a morning breeze. As a parent, you want nothing but the utmost comfort for your little bundle of joy. A baby approaching the toddler stage and trying to take few steps, is always the most adorable sight at home. But contacting an infection that restricts them to bed could turn joy to panic, especially when caused by cold. 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 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 humidifiers is best for toddlers with cold and congestion?
Picking humidifiers type for toddlers, you must be careful with selecting what is best for your kid. 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 since the warm can be harmful to the child.
Cool mist humidifiers force water to dissipate into the atmosphere without using heat. 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 cool mist for your child’s cold.
Also reads: Best humidifier for nosebleeds
Attributes to consider when choosing the best humidifiers for toddlers 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) Honeywell HCM350W cool mist humidifier
Special features: Filtered cool moisture, durability, ultraviolet and evaporative technology
This reasonably sized evaporative humidifier features curves all around, giving it a slick and attractive look. The Honeywell HCM350W Cool Mist Humidifier is built with a relatively large tank of about 4L that comes with a handle that makes it very easy to remove for refills.
The device is built to be extremely quiet, even when running at the highest speed, which I found to be the case during the three weeks I tested the unit.
The humidifier has a filter to prevent white dust from being released with the mist when non-distilled water is used. Filters for this device lasted me about 4-6 weeks.
In cold weather, running at high speed, the Honeywell HCM350W can raise a 625-square-foot apartment to 25% and peak at 35% in warm weather. For the most effective performance, I recommend using it in rooms less than 400 square feet.
Pros:
- Quiet operation
- Easy to clean
- Large tank
- Accurate filter
Cons:
- Doesn’t support essential oil usage
- Doesn’t have an automatic shut-off
- Expensive filter replacement
2) Crane 4-in-1 Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Special Features: Auto shut-off sensor, filterless, clean control, and one-gallon tank
Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier will meet your expectations if you’re looking for a very easy-to-run and maintain unit that won’t cost you a fortune.
The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is like a teardrop, which grants it the title of the most adorable humidifier on this list. But there are many reasons I like this unit. The water tank sits on top of the unit and features a transparent casing, making it easy to monitor the water level. The mist nozzle can rotate 360 degrees, allowing you to send the mist in your desired direction.
The design includes an auto shut-off function restricting the device from working without water in the tank. It has a 4-liter tank capacity, so it is limited to a room of about 500 square feet, although it is much more effective in a 200-250 square foot room. It has noiseless operation except for the bubble burst that comes up occasionally.
Pros
- Auto-off
- Budget-friendly
- Very quiet operation
- Detachable cord
- Cleanable tank
Cons
- No timer function
- No humidistat
3) Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier
Special features: warm mist humidifier, 1-gallon tank capacity, good housing keeping top 5 humidifiers to buy in 2019, product dimensions; 12 x 7.9 x 14.2 inches, item weight; 4.25 pounds, aromatherapy
This humidifier is completely filter-free, removing the stress as well as the expense of using a filter, which, as a result, leads to a lower running cost compared to filter-used humidifiers. It is strictly warm mist in design, and we’d say it pretty much does what they say it does, in the temperature of mist released. With a 1-gallon water tank size, this product would give a reasonable runtime, while producing enough moisture to affect the environment.
Deep from the array of Vicks humidifiers, this device carries the trademark look of a Vicks product, coming with a completely transparent water tank, sitting on the remaining plastic body. Controlling the mist output rate is done through the use of an analog button, and its whole setup is designed to achieve portability as well as mobility.
The humidifier can last for up to 24 hours of runtime on the lowest setting, which is enough to keep your hands off the product for at least a day, and is also very quiet while functioning. This makes it suitable for bedrooms and baby’s rooms, primarily due to their noiseless sleep nature, and it also has the auto mode to back it up for should water run dry in the tank.
The auto mode immediately shuts off the device to avoid overheating, and then you go on to clean the device (which is very easy by the way), before refilling. It comes with a special chamber that makes it compatible with the Vicks Vapor steam or essential oil, depending on your choice, which helps relieve congestions while adding fragrance to the air.
Pros:
- filter-free, auto-shutoff,
- long runtime,
- easy to clean,
- 3-year warranty,
- quiet operation,
- mobile and portable enough to be moved around,
- essential oil compatible for aromatherapy,
Cons:
- more suited to distilled water use,
- prone to leakages.
4) LEVOIT Humidifier for Toddlers
Special Features: smart humidity sensing, Aromatherapy, combine ultrasonic mist, and sleep mode
LEVOIT Humidifier offers everything you might want in a powerful humidifier and more. The device is white and modern-looking, and while, thanks to its large tank, it takes up a lot of space, you get a humidifier that will work in large areas and for up to 50 hours straight without the need to refill the tank, which I find incredibly convenient. You can forget that you own a humidifier but still enjoy the effects of its work.
I also found the Warm and Cool Mist feature very useful, as it allowed me to control the ambiance of my home better. The LEVOIT Humidifier for Bedroom Large Room Home covers a floor area of 753ft² and, according to the producer, provides speeds 4× faster than similar devices. In my tests, it did a great job of increasing the humidity in most of my living spaces in less than two hours, and my home is just under 650ft².
I must also mention the customizable humidity settings that offered me an easy way to adapt the humidity levels to my needs. You can choose the perfect humidity for kids or your house plants, which will be a considerable advantage for both natural and plant parents. The device can raise RH by 10% in 20 mins, offering quick relief if you’re struggling with flu symptoms.
Pros
- Very quiet
- Customizable humidity settings
- Big tank
- Remote control
- Essential oil diffuser included
Cons
- Rather expensive
- Considerable size
- Not easy to clean
5) Pro Breeze Dehumidifier
Best Features: The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is a small, effective, and highly silent device that can remove up to 9 ounces of moisture daily and has a vast 17-ounce water tank capacity.
When you are looking for a dehumidifier for your bathroom, the first apparent features you are looking for are small size and portability. The Pro Breeze is an excellent dehumidifier in tiny, humid spaces like the bathroom. Despite its small size, it has a relatively big water tank (17 ounces) and can remove up to 9 ounces daily!
One of this dehumidifier’s best features is its energy-saving, ultra-quiet sophisticated Peltier technology, which lets you use it day and night without making loud noises. With a power output of only 23W per hour and ultra-quiet operation, this dehumidifier is a cost- and energy-efficient way to lower humidity in your house.
The dehumidifier also has an auto-off feature that ensures it switches off automatically to prevent spills and an LED indicator that illuminates when the water tank is full.
This dehumidifier is perfect for use in bathrooms since it can efficiently remove the excessive humidity that frequently accumulates in constrained areas and promotes the growth of germs, mold, and mildew. Removing too much moisture from the air can also prevent water damage to walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.
Read more: The 5 best air purifiers for mold
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is a fantastic option for anyone searching for an effective, portable small-space dehumidifier. This dehumidifier can assist in enhancing air quality and guard against harm brought on by too much moisture, whether you need to lower humidity in your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, or RV.
Pros
- Compact and Portable
- Energy Efficient
- Large Water Tank Capacity
- Ultra-Quiet Operation
- Automatic Shut-Off
Cons
- Limited Dehumidification Capacity – Designed for small spaces of up to 225 square feet
- Manual Water Tank Emptying
- Limited Temperature Range – operates optimally within a narrow temperature range of 59°F to 90°F
- Limited Coverage – The dehumidifier is designed for small spaces
Also read: Best humidifier for croup
Final Verdict: Best Humidifiers for toddlers and baby congestion
The Honeywell HCM350W cool mist humidifier is the best out there that we would recommend for your toddler, it is very easy to assemble and 100% comfortable for your daily use.
The Crane 4-in-1 Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier comes out next after and we rank it so due to it using ultrasonic cool mist technology, which is safe for your child.
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