Just like the best units for your home, the best office humidifiers will put moisture back into the air to help ease irritated sinuses and dry skin. They’ll also be the right size and capacity for your intended space — but when humidifying an office in particular, you’ll also want to make sure that the one you choose is quiet and compact, so it won’t distract you or your coworkers. (For that reason, there’s often a lot of overlap between the best humidifiers for the bedroom and those for the office.)
First, figure out how large of a space you’re looking to humidify. If you’d like a little more moisture around your desk or cubicle, a personal USB unit should do the trick. However, for full-room or whole-office humidifying, you should calculate the square footage of your workspace before you start shopping. Some of these larger units have the necessary mist output to tackle spaces of up to 2,700 square feet — and their large water tank capacities mean less frequent refills. Auto-shutoff can be a nice perk for offices as well, and all the picks below have it. Finally, consider if you want a filter or filterless design. Filterless models are easy and cheaper to maintain in the long run, but filtered models can reduce minerals going into the air (minerals that might otherwise leave a white dusting on your desk).
The following five humidifiers are powerful, well-rated, and quiet enough for focused hours of work — and there’s even one that purifies the air at the same time.
1. The tried-and-true one
- Intended square footage: 500 square feet
- Water tank capacity: 6 liters
- Dimensions: 11 by 7 by 13 inches
The Everlasting Comfort cool-mist humidifier has more than 40,000 reviews on Amazon and an overall rating of 4.3 stars. Its filterless design, quiet noise output, strong mist, and 50-hour run-time on a single fill are all features that make it convenient for an office. It even has an essential oil tray if you’re looking to add a little aromatherapy into your space. Finally, its controls are intuitive and the upright design saves space on a desk or side table — not bad for a unit that’s less than $80. At less than 30 decibels (as loud as a whisper), it shouldn’t be too distracting. It also features auto-shutoff.
One reviewer wrote: “I live in a very dry climate. I use this in my office at work and love it! It keeps my skin hydrated and my eyes moist so I do not need to use eye drops all day.”
2. The desktop one
- Intended square footage: 65 square feet
- Water tank capacity: 250 milliliters
- Dimensions: 3.4 by 3.4 by 6 inches
Keep the area around your desk less dry with this portable personal humidifier. It’s compact so it won’t take up too much space on your desk, and it’s powered by a USB cord you can plug into your laptop or phone-charging brick. It’s quieter than 40 decibels, and the nightlight is optional to minimize distractions. A single button controls both mist output settings, so it’s easy to use. Plus, there isn’t a filter you need to replace and it automatically shuts off when the water tank is dry. Get it in your choice of white, black, or gray.
One reviewer wrote: “Purchased this humidifier for my office, as the heat is always up way too high, making the air really dry! [...] From the first day I filled it, it worked amazingly. [...] It automatically turns off when it is out of water. No loud noise or buzzing!”
3. The one for large spaces
- Intended square footage: 755 square feet
- Water tank capacity: 5.5 liters
- Dimensions: 10.4 by 7.2 by 12 inches
Looking to humidify a large office, a waiting room, or a space with multiple cubicles? This Elechomes humidifier is suited for rooms as large as 755 square feet. Even though it’s powerful, with a 5.5-liter tank, it’s still whisper-quiet at 32 decibels — and it can put out your choice of warm or cool mist. It’s got on-device buttons (with a dark function to minimize distractions) as well as a remote control. This one has changeable filters, making it a good option if you want to reduce minerals in the air. It also features auto-shutoff.
One reviewer wrote: “This humidifier is my favorite of the three I bought (actually returned one brand to buy a second one of these). It is very easy to fill with water and it puts out like a storm! I actually bought two, one for my home and one for my office.”
4. The whole-office one
- Intended square footage: 2,700 square feet
- Water tank capacity: 22.7 liters
- Dimensions: 17.5 by 12.5 by 22.5 inches
As per its name, the AIRCARE whole-house humidifier has enough power and a large enough tank to humidify a whole house — or a whole office. It’s suitable for spaces up to 2,700 square feet and can run for up to 70 hours on a single refill. Plus, it automatically shuts off to save energy when the desired humidity level is reached. (It also shuts off when the tank runs dry.) While the higher settings are admittedly pretty loud for those sitting right next to the unit, reviewers reported that the lower settings are “reasonably quiet.” This one has filters that need changing (an indicator will let you know when, but the brand recommends approximately every 90 days).
One reviewer wrote: “I am using this humidifier in an 1830 square feet office, and it works quite well. [...] Overall I am rating this 5 stars, because of the sq/ft - price ratio can not be beat!”
5. The humidifying & purifying one
- Intended square footage: 438 square feet
- Water tank capacity: 1.9 liters
- Dimensions: 7.68 by 7.68 by 21.85 inches
For those who are also looking minimize odors and allergens in the air, there’s this two-in-one air purifier and humidifier. The base unit has a three-stage filter (pre-filter, activated charcoal, and HEPA) to remove unwanted smells and potential irritants, while the humidifier module sits on top to add water into the air. In terms of noise, it “sounds like a quiet fan,” according to one reviewer. It comes with an optional night light for distraction-free use, and it has auto-shutoff.
One reviewer wrote: “I love that this product has both air purifier and humidifier. Works great my sinus definitely feel better with this product.”
