What Kind of Humidifier is Best for Your Baby?
As a parent, my worst nightmare is when my baby has trouble breathing. If your baby is sick, or is suffering from dry air in your region, consider getting a good humidifier to help moisten airways.
Dry nasal passages are breeding grounds for viruses because they can survive best in dry places. Running a humidifier can be a great way to stave off colds and flus.
When you first start shopping for a humidifier, you can easily get lost in the sea of what is on the market. There are some things to consider when shopping and they include knowing what kinds of water a humidifier will take.
Some take tap water and some take distilled. I would recommend using distilled if you can anyway, tap water has minerals that can build up and eventually be a breeding ground for microorganisms.
However, if you must use tap water, make sure to clean your humidifier often with vinegar. You will also want to make sure if the humidifier has replacement filters or wicks. That can be an extra cost when it is time to replace those. If you know you'll be using tap water, it is probably best to get a humidifier with a filter to help eliminate some of the minerals.
Mist Ultrasonic vs. Impeller vs. Evaporative Humidifiers
One type of humidifier available are ultrasonic ones that give you a cool mist by ultrasonic sound vibrations.
There are also impeller humidifiers which use a high speed rotating disk, or fan, to make the mist.
Another kind available is evaporative humidifiers which use a fan to blow air through a wick, or filter.
The first two kinds have been known to put out microorganisms and minerals into the air from the water, but the kinds with wicks and filters do not. If you decide you want an ultrasonic or an impeller humidifier, then just be sure to clean it well between uses.
Review of the Lasko 1128 Humidifier
If you want a sturdy machine that runs efficiently, take a look at this Lasko 1128 Humidifier. This is a great humidifier to get if you want it to disperse into multiple rooms.
This humidifier holds up to 4 ½ gallons of water and is easily removable for filling and cleaning. It has a 9 gallon per day output. It features three different control speeds. I like that it has castors so it can be easily moved once sitting upon a surface.
Your purchase includes one evaporative filter pad. It also features a power indicator light. Because this humidifier is so large, it runs quite loud. You probably wouldn't want to put this in your baby's bedroom, but it will do a great job moistening the air throughout your home.
It does such a good job getting the air moist, you really may not care about the noise. I like that it has two handles with which to carry it, and if you do so, you won't have any leakage issues. I have found that using this unit on high speed for about a week had increased the humidity in my home up to around 45%. This humidifier is user friendly and is a workhorse.
SPT Ultrasonic Humidifier
This SPT Ultrasonic Humidifier is a lot more intense that many others you can get, but it gives you a lot of versatility. First of all, this is not only a cool mist humidifier but a warm one too.
Often, to treat symptoms, one or the other is better for your particular ailment. Having both options in one machine is super convenient.
It has a sleek design with large, user friendly knobs. The carry handle feels very sturdy and is easy to use when transporting. It features an ION exchanges filter that de-mineralizes and treats the water to get rid of calcium and magnesium from hard water. These two things add to a nasty build up.
It runs fairly quiet and features a nozzle that can be rotated 360 degrees for the best adjustment. This machine will moisten the air for rooms 500 square feet and has a 4 liter water tank. It includes cleaning brushes since the parts are a little more complicated than other, simpler humidifiers.
This machine took the humidity in my room from about 20% to 40% in just a few short hours. If you find this machine leaking, you must ensure that the o-ring isn't getting rolled up on itself when you put the tank cap on. This should eliminate leakage issues. At full power, I needed to replace the water about every 12 hours.
Crane Drop Humidifier
The Crane Drop Humidifier not only has a cool design, but works very well and comes in multiple fun colors. This humidifier is good for rooms up to 250 square feet and can give you 24 hours of moisture if you have it on the medium setting.
The best thing about this machine is how quietly it runs. It has an auto shut off feature for added convenience and safety. This would make a great humidifier to put in your baby's bedroom specifically. This will put out 2.3 gallons of moisture and has a 360 degree nozzle so you can direct the flow wherever you want.
I like that the manufacturer claims that it is energy efficient by using less power than a standard light bulb. It's pretty user friendly as well and is easy to fill. If you know that you have severe hard water, you should use distilled. But if it is mildly or moderately hard, then the use of tap water is an added convenience.
Since this humidifier does not require the use of a filter, you should make sure to clean it well between uses. I like how compact this unit is, however I find that the water needs to be replaced almost every day since the reservoir is small.
You should be aware that the higher the setting, the louder the operation. It is a lot quieter than others I've used however. This is a great machine to have for small spaces and does the job quite effectively; you can't go wrong with this one.
Crane Adorable Mist Humidifier
On the whimsical side, and since you are considering a humidifier for your baby, consider getting this Crane Adorable Mist Humidifier. There are many cute animal designs to choose from, including a dog, a bear, a frog, and an elephant to name just a few.
This humidifier is also good for moistening the air up to 250 square feet and has a removable one gallon water tank that puts out 2.1 gallons of moisture in the air per day. This is a nicely compact unit and will be great for small areas.
I like that this machine is quite easy to fill and features a built-in auto shut off for convenience. This is also an energy efficient humidifier and uses much less energy than others on the market.
You should be aware however, that you can't individually adjust the humidity and mist levels. If you don't require varying degrees of moisture though, this will be a good choice for you.
The opening is small so scrubbing the inside of it out is not as user friendly as one would hope. To fix this, I usually only use distilled water to keep the tank from getting gunky. When I do scrub it, I use a bottle brush with a super long handle to get the inside clean. I like that there is no filter to use either so that saves money.
Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier
The last, and most affordable humidifier on our list is the Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier. This machine boils the water to a pure steam vapor that is 96% bacteria free. It has a built in shut off for added convenience and safety, features a 1 gallon water capacity and runs up to 12 hours between fillings.
It runs very quiet and I love the soft glow of the night light. You get 2 different settings to choose from and I like that it features a medicine cup for use with Vicks Vaposteam or Kaz Inhalent for even more symptom relief. The only drawback to this feature is that the cup is a bit on the small side, but just having it makes using it very nice.
Obviously the higher the setting, the louder it gets but it doesn't sound much different than a waterfall feature bubbling, or a pot of boiling water. The two handled design makes it very easy to carry around. The output is vertical and does not have as much versatility in direction. The tank is quite tall so you will want to make sure and fill this in either a very deep sink, or your bathtub.
This would be a good addition to your small baby's room to help with dry air issues. I have noticed that this humidifier gets dirtier more quickly, especially with tap water. As long as you clean it 2-3 times a week with a bit of vinegar and water, it stays pretty clean and will last a long time for you.
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