The cough and cold season are certainly upon us and dry air in your home can leave your baby feeling congested and uncomfortable.
Winter is when we can all succumb to colds, sniffs and snuffles; but for babies, congestion and blocked sinuses can be disruptive to their normal bedtime routine.
When temperatures drop and we turn on the central heating (even if at a much lower temperature than normal), your baby’s nursery or bedroom can quickly dry out from the heat. If your baby has a stuffy nose, cough or cold, removing moisture from the air can exacerbate their symptoms, preventing them from breathing freely and leaving them (and you) feeling tired and irritable through disturbed sleep.
Whilst by no means a baby essential, many parents have found a baby humidifier to be a beneficial addition to their child’s nursery or bedroom, particularly in the winter months. Here’s what you need to know.
What is a baby humidifier?
A dry room can leave your baby feeling congested, causing a build-up of mucus that can prevent them from breathing freely, especially when lying down. In the winter months or on hot summer days, humidifiers can prevent dry air in your baby’s surroundings, adding moisture back into the room via a soft and gentle mist.
What are the benefits of a baby humidifier?
Humidifiers add moisture back into the air, improving its overall humidity level. In doing so, they can clear your baby’s airways and help them breathe more easily. They can also prevent the air from drying out your baby’s sensitive skin, as dry air can be an irritant for dry skin conditions, allergies and eczema. In the winter months or during the cold season, a baby humidifier can also ease symptoms of coughs and blocked noses, in theory helping your baby drift off to sleep (and stay asleep) for longer.
Things to consider when buying a baby humidifier?
There are a wide range of baby humidifiers to choose from, so here are some things to consider when making your choice:
- Cool or warm mist? - Some baby humidifiers warm the water in the tank before releasing mist, but for use with younger babies, cool mist humidifiers are a far safer choice, avoiding the risk of accidents or burns.
- Room size - It’s really important to choose the right sized humidifier for the size of the room and most humidifiers will come with a recommended room size. Pick one that is too small for your child’s nursery and the benefits will be lost in the wide open space. Choose a humidifier that’s too big however, you could risk undesired condensation, bacteria build up or even mould.
- Ease of cleaning - Baby humidifiers need the water to be changed regularly and the tank unit cleaned to avoid the build-up of bacteria. Some humidifiers are easier to clean than others, so it’s worth checking how easy it is to assemble and disassemble yourself.
- Does it have an automatic shut-off? - Some baby humidifiers come with an auto-shut-off, which automatically turns the humidifier off when the water in the tank gets too low or runs out. Whilst not essential; this is a welcome safety feature and prevents wasting energy unnecessarily.
- Ease of use - You should also consider how easy the humidifier is to use and how it is controlled. Some of the more expensive humidifiers can be controlled remotely via smart devices such as your mobile phone or Alexa whilst others require manual triggers.
- Additional Features? - Some humidifiers include additional features such as a nightlight or white noise sounds or lullabies. Whilst not essential, they can prevent the need to buy additional items for your child’s nursery and offer good value for money.
- Essential oils - Some baby humidifiers also have a diffuser to use with essential oils. It’s important to check any age restrictions on these before you use them with your baby. Some essential oils are unsuitable for newborns and should only be used from the age of three months.
With this in mind, here are the best Baby Humidifiers you can buy today.
Best baby humidifiers at a glance:
- Best for variable humidity levels: Babymoov Hygro Plus Ultrasonic Humidifier - £73.99, Amazon
- Best for value for money: Hubble Mist 5-in-1 Humidifier - £18.50, Amazon
- Best for projection: Vicks Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier - £49.99, Amazon
- Best for smart controls: Asakuki Wifi Smart Essential Oils Diffuser - £29.99, Amazon
- Best for budget-friendly option: Rio Dream Time Aroma Diffuser / Humidifier / Nightlight - £25, Argos
- Best for large rooms: Levoit Classic 300S Smart Humidifier - £79.99, Amazon
- Best for easy-cleaning: Vintoney Cool Mist Humidifier - £19.99, Amazon
- Best for night light: Fridababy 3-in-1 Humidifier, Diffuser & Nightlight - £59.99, John Lewis
- Best for timespan: Crane Drop 2.0 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - £99, KiddiesKingdom
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Babymoov Hygro Plus Ultrasonic Humidifier
Best for: Variable humidity levels
Despite its slightly space-age appearance, the Babymoov Hygro Plus offers a large water tank and five different levels of mist output, ranging from a subtle haze to a more noticeable vapour. You can opt to select these manually, or thanks to the built-in hygrometer, allow the Babymoov to monitor the surroundings and adjust the humidity levels automatically. You can even rotate the spout a full 360 degrees, so you can find an angle that suits your room set-up.
With a substantial 22-hour battery life, it can easily be left to run all night with a quiet noise level that won’t disturb your baby. There’s even the option to add essential oils to use via the built-in diffuser, although this is completely optional. If for any reason the water does run low, you can have peace of mind that the unit will shut off automatically.
We love the multicoloured nightlight with a choice of seven shades including purples, blues, greens and reds. The lifetime warranty is also a welcome addition considering its relatively high price tag.
- Tank size: 2.5 litres
- Run time: 22 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 26.8 x 24.2 x 35 cm
- Additional features: 7 colour nightlight and Diffuser
Buy now £73.99, Amazon
Hubble Mist 5-in-1 Humidifier
Best for: Value for money
If you’re keen to get your money’s worth, then this intelligent smart-controlled five-in-one baby humidifier is likely to be a popular choice. A humidifier, aroma diffuser, Bluetooth speaker, nightlight and digital clock in one, it all comes packaged in a sleek and modern design.
The Hubble Mist humidifier produces a cool mist that automatically shuts off when the water level gets low. You can choose from seven different nightlight colours to soothe, comfort and reassure your baby when the room gets dark, whilst if you connect to a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth, you can even play stream sleep sounds or lullabies as part of your baby’s bedtime routine.
For parents, the backlit digital clock can be a useful (or eye-opening) way to keep track of the time during night feeds, but with a smaller-sized tank, you may find this option less suited to larger nurseries.
- Tank size: 0.4 litres
- Run time: 10 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 24.3 x 15.3 x 13.4 cm
- Additional features: 7 colour nightlight, clock, humidifier, Bluetooth speaker
Buy now £18.50, Amazon
Vicks Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier
Best for: Projection
Most parents will be familiar with the Vicks brand, particularly during the winter cold season, so it’s reassuring to know that the Vicks Sweet Dreams Humidifier is completely compatible with VapoPads with essential oils. Sold separately, the VapoPads slowly release rosemary and lavender scents (for three months plus) or menthol (suitable for three years plus) into the room as they sleep, helping clear their airways and prevent congestion.
With a 3.8 litre tank, this cold mist humidifier can cope with larger rooms of up to 35 metres square and lasts all night long, with super quiet operating levels.
It even has a built-in projector that can display a small starry night, underwater scene or safari images onto the nursery ceiling; a captivating and calming feature to help calm and settle your baby before bed.
- Tank size: 3.8 litres
- Run time: 24 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 33.8 x 28.9 x 28 cm
- Additional features: Compatible with VapoPads
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
Asakuki Wifi Smart Essential Oils Diffuser
Best for: Smart controls
Another baby humidifier that can be controlled via your mobile phone, the Asakuki Essential Oils Diffuser is synced up via an app, allowing you to turn it on, off or switch between mist modes even from a different room. You can even set a timer to determine how long it stays on, rather than leaving it on all night or asking your Smart Home device via voice command.
Whilst it’s worth remembering that many essential oils are only suitable for three months and older, this humidifier comes with two scents included. It also offers an adjustable and gradient mood light in seven different shades - great for creating a subtle glow to navigate the nursery at night.
- Tank size: 0.5 litres
- Run time: 16 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 17.2 x 17.2 x 14 cm
- Additional features: Nightlight and diffuser
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
Rio Dream Time Aroma Diffuser / Humidifier / Nightlight
Best for: Budget-friendly option
It may not offer some of the smarter features such as humidity detection or adjustable mist levels, but this budget-friendly humidifier comes with an elegant design that won’t look out of place in any modern nursery.
Running quietly enough to pop on overnight, the Rio Dream can release a cool mist for six to twelve hours without disturbing your baby. There’s also a choice of seven soft nightlight colours that create a subtle glow in the nursery.
While reviewers welcomed the addition of an oil diffuser, they did find it wasn’t particularly strong.
- Tank size: 0.7 litres
- Run time: 6-12 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 12.5cm x 19.5cm (depth not specified)
- Additional features: Nightlight and oil diffuser
Buy now £25.00, Argos
Levoit Classic 300S Smart Humidifier
Best for: Large rooms
It may not be the most attractive of the humidifiers featured in this guide, but the Levoit is a large-sized baby humidifier, well-tailored to cope well with even the most spacious of nurseries (up to 47 metres squared)
With a quiet operating level, simple cleaning process and long running time, the Levoit is also intelligent enough to monitor its surroundings, detecting the humidity levels and shutting off automatically when the desired levels are reached.
This smart humidifier can be used with essential oils to create a calming bedtime atmosphere, but there’s no nightlight option on this one, a feature which you might miss during those early morning wake-ups in winter.
- Tank size: 6 litres
- Run time: 60 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 7.6D x 9.7W x 13.4H cm
- Additional features: Aroma diffuser and smart controls
Buy now £80.00, Amazon
Vintoney Cool Mist Humidifier
Best for: Easy cleaning
Another compact and affordable model, the Vintoney Cool Mist Humidifier can produce a continuous or intermittent mist in your child’s bedroom or nursery. With a simple white and grey design, it’s modern and non-offensive to have out on display, whilst the two easy-to-open parts are quick and simple to clean.
With a choice of two calming nightlight modes (one constant and one ‘breathing’), this is a quiet model that can run during the night, with an audit shut off if water levels start to deplete.
- Tank size: 0.5 litres
- Run time: 12 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 12.9 cm
- Additional features: Nightlight
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Fridababy 3-in-1 Humidifier, Diffuser & Nightlight
Best for: night light
Create a dream-ready environment for your baby with this three-in-one device. The humidifier cleverly uses the power of ultrasonic vibration to turn water into a cool hydrating mist that runs for up to 12 hours, ensuring your little one has a solid night’s sleep. Simply use the mist adjuster to go from light to tropical rainforest with a turn of the knob.
Not only does it purify the air, but this gadget also comes complete with a range of serene sleep-lulling lighting. The machine will automatically turn off when the water runs out or the tank is taken away.
- Tank size: 1.9 litres
- Run time: 12 hours
- Auto shut off: Yes
- Dimensions: 24.5 x 23.7 x 24.3 cm
- Additional features: Nightlight
Buy now £59.99, Amazon
Crane Drop 2.0 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Best for: timespan
This large 4-in-1 humidifier is ideal for expansive nurseries. It’s easy to clean thanks to a detachable top fill tank that stores an impressive one gallon of water, promising 24 hours of cleansing action.
Adjust the settings with the optional filter slot and find the ideal humidity level for your baby's room. The best thing about the humidifier? The colour-changing night light is complemented by a sound machine offering white noise to send your little one to sleep.
- Tank size: 1 gallon
- Run time: 24 hours
- Auto shut off: No
- Dimensions: 22.86 x 33.02 x 22.86 cm
- Additional features: Colour changing night light
Buy now £99.00, KiddiesKingdom
Verdict
The best baby humidifier for you and your family will very much depend on your room size and preferred usage. That said, there are some humidifiers that really stood out for us.
For complete control and smart humidity adjustment, the Babymoov humidifier is an excellent choice, offering a wide range of innovative features that will benefit most lifestyles and requirements.
The Vicks Sweet Dreams Humidifier is a trusted choice for those wanting to use essential oils, whilst for value for money, the Hubble Connected came with all the features we wanted most, without the significant price tag.
