Could the wrong humidifier pose a threat to your health?

And which one should you buy to get the most value for your money?

To find out, we bought 16 different humidifiers with our own money from well-known brands like Levoit, Blueair, Pure Enrichment and Dreo.

We ran 107 tests in total to determine their effectiveness at humidifying a room, their water evaporation rates, energy consumption, sound generation, particle pollution, and how easy it is to clean them.

If you don’t feel like reading, check out my video with our recommendations for those looking for a good humidifier:

Many people complain online about white dust appearing on surfaces when using ultrasonic humidifiers, but my main concern is that the dust will get into your lungs.

Most humidifiers can raise humidity levels, but some will do it while filling your room with ultrafine particles. So you’ll end up solving a problem by creating a new one.

That is why, if there’s one thing I want you to take from this guide, it’s that you need to use distilled water if you choose to use an ultrasonic humidifier.

Best value for most people: DREO 306 3L

An ultrasonic humidifier with good performance, quiet operation and low energy consumption.

Dreo HM306 Living Room

The 306 is an ultrasonic humidifier from DREO that is small enough to sit on your bedside table and quiet enough not to disturb your sleep. I bought the black version for $42.88, but it’s even cheaper in white, selling at $39.99.

I tested 8 humidifiers under $50, and the 306 offered great performance for its price – running at full power, it increased humidity by 6.4% within an hour.

DREO HM306 Humidification Peformance

We tested the levels of particle pollution generated by this ultrasonic humidifier running with tap water vs. distilled water, and the results were shocking.

DREO HM306 Particle Pollution scaled

Due to its particle pollution, we only recommend this DREO 306 if you will run it with distilled water because you don’t want to breathe in that white dust.

Dreo HM306 Distilled Water

In terms of features, it has a humidity sensor, auto mode, real-time humidity readings on screen, an LED light AND you can add essential oils.

Dreo HM306 Humidifier

By the way, the cost savings of the 306 will carry over the long term: it only consumes 23.6 watts when running at full power so it would add $35.32 to your yearly energy bill using it 10 hours/day over the winter season.

CONS

The water won’t reach temperatures high enough to eliminate bacteria, so you MUST change the water every day, clean the tank every 3 days, and clean the entire unit every 2 weeks.
Depending on where you live, using distilled water might end up costing you more $ in the long run. Distilled water is cheap in the U.S. but not so much in places like the UK.
The 306 has no app support, so if you want to control your humidifier with an app, you should check out the DREO 311S.

PROS

It’s highly affordable. You can find it as low as $25.99 during Black Friday deals.
If offers better performance (6.4% humidity increase in one hour) than more expensive humidifiers like the $949.99 Dyson PH03 (4.6% increase).
It only took us 8 minutes to clean it fully – and this is a big benefit because you will need to clean it every 2 weeks at most.
Yearly running costs are low compared to most other units we tested thanks to low evaporative rates and low energy consumption.

Humidification performance:– Humidity increase: 6.4% in 1 hour
– Water evaporation: 0.162 mL/h
Humidifier technology:Ultrasonic
Mist temperature:Cool
Water tank capacity:3 liters
Maximum noise level from 3 ft. away:35.7 dBA
Monthly water consumption (10 hours per day):30 liters
Distilled water cost (3-month winter season):$32.57
Maximum electricity consumption:23.6 watts
Cleaning time:8 minutes
Maximum level of PM2.5 pollution (with tap water):503.2 µg/m3
Run time (low speed):30 hours
Dimensions:7.6 x 10.2 x 7.6 in (19.3 x 25.9 x 19.3 cm)
Weight:2.71 lb (1.2 kg)
Manufacturer’s warranty:1 year
Country of origin:USA
Country of manufacture:China

Best for large spaces: Levoit 6000S

An evaporative humidifier with a powerful enough humidification performance and bucket capacity perfect for your whole house.

Levoit 6000S Basement

The 6000S is a large humidifier from Levoit that looks like they grabbed the top half of the Core 600S air purifier and stuck it into a large water tank with wheels.

It’s a good option for large spaces because the tank holds 23 liters of water, so you can run it for a long time without needing to refill it along the way.

Levoit 6000S Bucket

In terms of features, you get humidity sensor readings, auto mode, sleep mode and app connectivity, so you can control it remotely from your phone wherever you are.

Levoit 6000S Controls

It uses evaporative technology with a fan that forces air over a moistened filter that also captures particles, so you can use the 6000S with tap water.

Levoit 6000S Particle Test

It’s energy efficient considering the size. At full power, it increased humidity in our test room by 9.7% in 60 mins while pulling 22.8 watts – similar to the little DREO 306!

Levoit 6000S Power Consumption scaled

CONS

The 6000S is the second most expensive humidifier we tested – it costs $249.99 and this will be out of budget for most people.
The use of a fan means it is the second loudest model on our list, reaching 49.3 decibels at full power. But you can set it to speed 2, and it will stay below 45 dBA.
It takes pretty long to clean it in full. We spent 20 minutes to get into all the nooks and crannies, and then spent an additional hour between cleaning and drying the filters on Dry Mode.

PROS

It’s safe to use it with tap water, so you won’t need to buy distilled water and particle pollution will be minimal.
If offered excellent humidification performance (9.7% increase in one hour) without consuming a lot of electricity (22.8 watts at top speed).
The tank holds 23 liters (or 6 gallons) of water, so it doesn’t need to be refilled too often – perfect for large rooms or open plan spaces.
It can be taken apart and collapsed into a small cube when you don’t need it.
You get app connectivity through the VeSync app.

Humidification performance:– Humidity increase: 9.7% in 1 hour
– Water evaporation: 0.406 mL/h
Humidifier technology:Evaporative
Water tank capacity:23 liters
Maximum noise level from 3 ft. away:49.3 dBA
Monthly water consumption (10 hours per day):94 liters
Distilled water cost (3-month winter season):$0
Maximum electricity consumption:22.8 watts
Cleaning time:1 hour and 21 minutes
Maximum level of PM2.5 pollution (with tap water):0.9 µg/m3
Run time (low speed):72 hours
Dimensions:12.7 x 12.7 x 26.8 in (32.3 x 32.3 x 68.1 cm)
Weight:13.2 lb (6 kg)
Manufacturer’s warranty:2 years
Country of origin:USA
Country of manufacture:China

Best vaporizer for sinus problems: Livatro 3L

A vaporizer humidifier that releases warm mist and is super easy to clean.

Livatro 3L TV Room

The Livatro 3L is a vaporizer humidifier that releases warm mist and that I have been referring to as ‘the kettle’ at home due how it works… If you suffer from sinus problems, know that the Livatro can produce very warm mist, reaching up to 56 degrees Celsius in our tests – way hotter than other models.

Unlike the ultrasonic or evaporative humidifiers I’ve recommended so far, this vaporizer humidifier boils the water to produce very warm mist.

Livatro 3L Vaporizer

The boiling process also kills any bacteria that may be present in the water or the tank itself, minimizing the risk of mold growth or bacteria being released into the air.

Livatro 3L Bucket

And unlike older vaporizer humidifier models, the Livatro is easy to clean. In just 5 minutes, we could clean it inside and out with diluted citric acid.

Livatro 3L Total Cleaning Time

At full power, it increased humidity by 11% in 60 mins, ranking 4th for performance. And it generates minimal particle pollution, so you can use the Livatro with tap water.

Livatro 3L Humidification Performance

CONS

As you can imagine, considering we call this ‘the kettle”, it is pretty power-hungry, pulling 452 watts at full power.
The water will literally boil inside, so this can be a hazard to children and pets. However, I need to mention that the Livatro comes with several safety features to prevent accidents.
It’s more expensive than most ultrasonic humidifiers, ranging from $149.99 for the 3L version and $269.99 for the 6L version.

PROS

It’s the 4th-best humidifier for humidification performance in our list – running at full power, it managed to increase humidity in our test bedroom by 11% within an hour.
You can use it with tap water, so no need to spend on distilled water.
It only took us 5 minutes to fully clean the removable stainless-steel tank and the body of the device.
You get various safety features, including a manual lid lock, an automatic switch-off function when the lid is open, and a tip-over switch that automatically cuts off power when the Livatro reaches a 45-degree tilt.

Humidification performance:– Humidity increase: 6.4% in 1 hour
– Water evaporation: 0.162 mL/h
Humidifier technology:Vaporizer
Mist temperature:Warm
Water tank capacity:3 liters
Maximum noise level from 3 ft. away:35.1 dBA
Monthly water consumption (10 hours per day):75 liters
Distilled water cost (3-month winter season):$0
Maximum electricity consumption:452 watts
Cleaning time:5 minutes
Maximum level of PM2.5 pollution (with tap water):7.2 µg/m3
Run time (low speed):12 hours
Dimensions:21 x 30.9 x 26.8 cm
Weight:9.7 lbs (4.4 kg)
Manufacturer’s warranty:1 year
Country of origin:China
Country of manufacture:China

Best humidification performance: Levoit LV600S

An ultrasonic humidifier that produces both warm and cold mist, and managed to outperformed all other humidifiers in our list.

Levoit LV600S Living Room

The Levoit LV600S is an ultrasonic humidifier with both cool and warm functions. It comes with auto mode, app connectivity and the option to add essential oils – so you get all the bells and whistles for $109.99.

In our tests, the LV600S showed powerful humidification – it was able to increase humidity by 15%, going from 40% to 55% in one hour.

Levoit LV600S Humidity Increase vs Price

It produced the highest levels of pollutants across all models we tested when running with tap water – you should use your LV600S with distilled water.

Levoit LV600S Particle Readings scaled

It features an onboard humidity sensor, auto mode, sleep mode, a timer button and the possibility to add essential oils to the aroma box on the side.

Levoit LV600S Controls

And you can also connect it to your phone via the VeSync app, which allows you to monitor humidity and set schedules and timers remotely.

Levoit LV600S App

CONS

As with every other ultrasonic humidifier, you must use the LV600S with distilled water to avoid white dust buildup.
It generated the highest levels of pollutants across all models we tested when running with tap water (879.4 µg/m3 PM2.5).
It’s the second most expensive humidifier to run in the long term, based on the use of distilled water and the high electricity consumption (278.3 watts).
It was one of the humidifiers that took us the longest to thoroughly clean (26 minutes).

PROS

It offers the most powerful humidification performance across all the humidifiers we’ve tested.
For less than $110 you get lots of features like auto mode, sleep mode, app support and even the option to add essential oils.
You get both cool and warm mist settings. You get app connectivity through the VeSync app.
You can connect it to your phone through the VeSync app.

Humidification performance:– Humidity increase: 15% in 1 hour
– Water evaporation: 0.295 mL/h
Humidifier technology:Ultrasonic
Mist temperature:Cool & Warm
Water tank capacity:6 liters
Maximum noise level from 3 ft. away:35.7 dBA
Monthly water consumption (10 hours per day):36 liters
Distilled water cost (3-month winter season):$39.09
Maximum electricity consumption:278.3 watts
Cleaning time:26 minutes
Maximum level of PM2.5 pollution (with tap water):879.4 µg/m3
Run time (low speed):50 hours
Dimensions:11.6 x 7.7 x 11.3 in (29.4 x 19.5 x 28.8 cm)
Weight:6 lbs (2.7 kg)
Manufacturer’s warranty:2 years
Country of origin:USA
Country of manufacture:China

Special mentions

If you can’t find these models in your country, I’ve got a couple special mentions to share with you.

Blueair H35I Humidifier Living Room

Blueair H35i Smart Humidifier

The Blueair H35i is an evaporative humidifier that doesn’t need distilled water, is highly energy efficient and sits between the Dreo 306 and the Levoit 6000S in terms of performance.

You will need to budget for filter replacements every 6 months and it has gotten mixed reviews from users who’ve had issues with it not turning on after a while — we haven’t experienced anything like that but worth flagging.

Dreo Smart Humidifier 713S TV Room

DREO 7136S Smart Humidifier

The DREO 713S is an ultrasonic humidifier with a similar powerful performance and smart features to the Levoit LV600S but with a cheaper price of $89.99. 

Just remember that you’ll need to use it with distilled water to avoid breathing in particulate matter from the minerals and bacteria in your tap water.

How to get the most about your humidifier

To close this guide, let me share three tips about using a humidifier at home:

Be vigilant of humidity levels and don’t let them go beyond 60%.

The EPA recommends keeping your humidity level between 30-50%. And according to Airthings, when humidity levels are higher than 60%, “mold and mildew start to grow.” 

And if that doesn’t put you off, know that excess moisture indoors can cause rot in wooden furniture or floors, lead to cracks in brickwork and paintwork, and even damage the foundations of your house.

When using a humidifier, you MUST change the water every day.

Not only that, you should also clean the tank every 3 days AND clean the full unit with every 2 weeks with diluted citric acid or distilled white vinegar. 

Yes, I know this may sound obsessive, but we tested using humidifiers without following this routine and noted tiny drops of mold growing inside the tank after just a few weeks.

If you choose an ultrasonic humidifier, make sure to use distilled water.

Most of the manufacturers already recommend distilled water in their manuals, but I’ve read enough Reddit threads and Amazon reviews of people complaining about white dust build-up to know that many of you will probably want to just use tap water. 

If that is you, then I would suggest choosing an evaporative humidifier instead so you don’t even have to worry about it.

And if you are set on buying an ultrasonic humidifier, then remember that tap water introduces pollutants to the air that will go straight to your lungs – not just the surfaces of your furniture.

If you want to support the work we do here at HouseFresh, if you decide to buy one of the humidifiers I recommended here today, consider using the affiliate links in the buttons throughout this guide. Using these links helps us earn the money we need to keep the website running at no extra cost to you.

And please drop any questions you may have in the comments below and I’ll respond personally as soon as I can.