It’s terrible watching your baby battle a cold. The poor thing can’t even blow their little nose! In addition to trying tools like a nasal aspirator, it can help to add a humidifier to the nursery.
“You can run a cool mist humidifier in the room during sleep to keep the skin on the inside of the nose moist,” said Tanya Altmann, M.D., a California-based pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Babies can get burned from warm-mist humidifiers and vaporizers, so they are a no-no. Read our guide to the difference between warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers.) For this story, focused on babies and young kids, we looked for quiet humidifiers for small rooms.
1
Best Overall
Honeywell Cool Moisture Humidifier
Credit: Honeywell
Pros
- Filter and UV light fight germ growth
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Large tank opening is easy to refill
- Not kiddish, so can go in any room of the house
Cons
- Need to buy filter replacements regularly
This evaporative humidifier uses a wicking filter and ultra-violet light to treat water and help get rid of germs and bacteria. Our Lab pros also loved that it’s super-easy to clean and disinfect, thanks to its dishwasher-safe parts — it’s the only device on our list that doesn’t have to be cleaned by hand. The large opening makes it easy to refill the tank each night.
In our tests, Honeywell’s tank lasted for a full day on the lowest setting, so you don’t have to worry about hopping out of bed in the middle of the night for a refill. The soft fan-like sound is not disruptive and can provide soothing white noise.
To keep this germ-free, you will have to buy filter refills and change out the filter approximately every three months. We like that this humidifier has enough of a neutral look that it could go in any adult room of the house if there comes a time to take it out of your baby’s nursery.
Capacity: 1.1 gallons | Run time: 24 hours on low | Room size: 250 to 400 sq ft | Weight: 8.63 lbs
2
Best Value
Crane Adorables Ultrasonic
Credit: Crane
Pros
- Often on sale for under $40
- Cute designs for a kid’s room
- Option to add a filter
Cons
- Not dishwasher-safe; must be cleaned by hand
This little elephant is an ultrasonic humidifier, which means ultrasonic vibrations generate the cool mist that can clear sinuses and keep air moist. Besides being an adorable addition to your kid’s bedroom, our Lab experts found this quiet when operating. It comes in different designs, including a steam engine and an owl. Although prices may vary, this is consistently a bargain for parents looking to try a humidifier to see if it helps battle cold and flu symptoms.
There’s an optional filter slot (filter sold separately), so while one isn’t required, you can pop one in if you feel your water calls for it. The brand now sells a mini version that holds a half gallon and can more easily fit small spaces, like on a bookshelf, but it’s a little more expensive. Or you prefer a less-kiddie look, the popular Crane Drop Cool Mist version wouldn’t look out of place in a living room or an adult’s bedroom.
Hang on to the user manual for cleaning and disinfecting instructions. You clean it with white vinegar and then rinse it out (like cleaning an electric kettle).
Capacity: 1 gallon | Run time: 24 hours on low | Room size: 500 sq ft | Weight: 3 lbs
3
Best for Coughs and Colds
Vicks SleepyTime
Credit: Vicks
Pros
- Add VapoPads for diffusion
- Also a nightlight with 7 different colors
- Adjust the nozzle to direct the cool mist
- Quiet and compact
Cons
- Filterless is a pro for some, a con for others
There’s a slot in this humidifier for Vick’s VapoPads, and adding that menthol to the air can make this particularly effective for fighting congestion. It won one of our most recent Parenting Awards and is at a great price.
This one is ultrasonic and filterless, a pro for some (no filters to buy or change!), but a con for others who want the water to pass through a filter first. You can always fill it with prefiltered water. It functions as a nightlight with seven color choices to help create a calming bedtime environment. Plus, it’s quiet, lightweight and compact, and includes an automatic shut-off when the water runs dry.
Consumer testers gave it perfect scores for being easy to set up, move around and fill with water. Parents loved being able to adjust the nozzle to direct the moisture. “This delivers solid output with quiet operation and lots of convenient features,” said Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement and Outdoor Director Dan DiClerico. Read the user manual for cleaning tips as the pieces don’t go in the dishwasher.
Capacity: .6 gallon | Run time: 24 hours on low | Room size: 250 sq ft | Weight: 3.65 lbs
4
Quietest
Pure Enrichment MistAire
Credit: Pure Enrichment
Pros
- Quiet operation
- Nightlight mode
- Nozzle that’s easy to direct
- Automatic shut-off
Cons
- Small tank is only ideal for small rooms
If you don’t want the humidifier hum to compete with the sound machine that already helps your baby sleep, Pure Enrichment may be the one you’re looking for. In Lab tests, we found it’s surprisingly quiet while in use and ideal for small rooms due to its compact tank.
This model, which has more than 14,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, is another ultrasonic device that sends cool mist into the room with ultrasonic vibrations. There are two speed settings, a nightlight mode and a nozzle that spins 360 degrees to direct mist wherever needed.
Its automatic shut-off means once the water level gets too low, it will shut off on its own. You’ll need to regularly clean and rinse this model off in the sink.
Capacity: .4 gallon | Run time: 25 hours on low | Room size: 250 sq ft | Weight: 1.35 lbs
5
Best Smart
Safety 1st Connected Smart Humidifier
Credit: Safety 1st
Pros
- Reads and displays the humidity in the room
- Can be controlled remotely via app, or on the machine itself
- Timer can set it to go off or on at certain times or humidity levels
Cons
- Some online reviewers report trouble connecting to the app
The ideal humidity level for indoors is between 30% and 50%, but how do you know how your baby’s room is faring? This Safety 1st ultrasonic humidifier has a hygrometer so you’ll always know the humidity level of the room it’s in. You can read it on the display or in the Connected Family app (iOS and Android), which also lets you adjust humidity levels virtually by turning the power up or down. Some online reviewers reported trouble connecting to the app.
The top-fill tank makes refilling this a breeze. Testers found it simple to use and loved the variety of settings. If you have trouble connecting to the app, it can function without it, but the app does give you more options.
A timer allows you to set this to go on or off at specific times, or triggers it to go off or on when the room reaches a specific humidity level. You’ll need to clean the tank by hand at the sink, and if you use the app, it will send you a reminder that it’s due for a cleaning.
Capacity: 1 gallon | Run time: 24 hours on low | Room size: 500 sq ft | Weight: 5.25 lbs
6
Best Portable
Frida Baby Humidifier
Credit: Frida Baby
Pros
- Small and lightweight so it’s easy to move around
- Can work with the brand’s vapor drops
- Built-in nightlight in a range of colors
- Auto-stop feature turns off machine when water runs out
Cons
- A bit harder to clean than others because of the small size
- Not recommended to add other types of essential oils
There’s an aromatherapy diffuser built into this ultrasonic humidifier. Add Breathefrida Vapor Drops to help clear stuffy sinuses from coughs and colds, they are made to work with this machine. Using other brands of essential oils is not recommended for babies as they can be too harsh. (The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers additional aromatherapy tips for children.)
This is small and lightweight so if your kids seem to take turns getting sick, it’s easy to move this from one bedroom to another. While testing, we found that this model is easy to set up and you can adjust the output level with a twist of the knob. The built-in nightlight features a range of colors to help set the mood.
This humidifier turns off automatically when the water runs out or if the tank is removed. The tank should be hand-washed in the sink. Some online reviewers said that the small tank can be a bit tricky to clean and disinfect.
Capacity: .5 gallon | Run time: 24 hours on low | Room size: 320 sq ft | Weight: 2.5 lbs
