Kiddofreedom

Best Humidifier for Baby Congestion

As a caring parent, you’re always looking for the best products to elevate your baby’s quality of life. At this point, you’re out in the market shopping for the best humidifier for baby congestion. You’ve asked what humidifier is best for baby congestion over and over again, but there’s so many answers that you’re now feeling overwhelmed.

In these best baby humidifier for congestion reviews, you’ll learn whether your baby actually needs a mechanical decongestant and what type of humidifier they need if they do. I’ll also guide you on how to check the humidity levels in the baby room and even tell you what moisture levels work best for babies. Finally, I’ll list down a few recommendations that are worth your dollar.

5 Best Baby Humidifiers for Baby Congestion

 

Jump in with me and let’s assess how much humidification punch each recommendation ultimately packs.

1. Taotronics Cool-Mist Humidifier for Babies with Congestion Review (Best Overall)

 

Best Humidifier for Baby Congestion

Looking for a medium to large room humidifier than moistens the indoor air in the nursery while capturing impurities from tap water?  To remove sediments and other impurities, the unit uses an in-built ceramic filter/microporous cartridge filter. This water filter also reduces odors. Be sure to change this filter every 4-6 months.

The base measures 8.07″ x 5.31″, and it’s 11.81″ high, about 2″ shorter than the Crane. The Taotronics weighs 3.5 lbs, 1 pound less than its nemesis the Crane below.

This portable humidifying system boasts a 4L water tank (1.06 gallons) vs 3.8L for the Crane cool-mist. But while the Crane offers 24 hours of cool, misty streams of air, the Taotronics doesn’t last over 10 hours. You’ll probably wake up mid-sleep to refill.

This library-quiet humidifier (Taotronics say so) features two misting nozzles. You can rotate each nozzle to face a direction of your choice. That makes this the best humidifier for twins who sleep in the same nursery in different beds. Adjusting the knob at the base of the unit helps control the amount of mist spilling into the baby’s sleeping space.

I like that this unit features two nozzles and not one like most models. Plus, it offers an extra feature — an LED indicator that lights up to announce low water level. Additionally, the unit offers a waterless Auto Shutoff feature, a nightlight, and a sleep mode that dims the LED display.

What’s more, the unit offers a humidistat. No need to buy a hygrometer separately. Room coverage? It moisturizes up to 322 square feet, significantly smaller coverage than the Crane at 500 sq. ft.

Pros

Purifies tap water and removes odors

Two 360-degree rotatable cool mist nozzles instead of one

Looks sturdy and well-made

An LED water level indicator

Displays temperature and humidity on an LED screen

Large tank size

Unbelievably quiet ultrasonic operation

Cons

Pricier than its competitors here, but it offers way more features

Filter needs to be changed every 4 to 6 months

Not easy to clean

Few baby room humidifiers offer as many features at that price point. Even though it’s not super easy to clean, I consider the Taotronic Cool-mist to be the best baby congestion humidifier overall.

2. Vicks Mini Filter-free Cool Mist Ultrasonic Baby Humidifier Review

decongesting humidifier

If you like easy-to-maintain products, the Vicks Mini Cool-mist ultrasonic baby room humidifier is a great option. That’s because this small-room ultrasonic cool-mist-producing humidifier doesn’t have any kind of filtration media. You won’t spend your hard-earned bucks on filter replacement.

At 8.3″D x 8.3W” x 9.1″H and weighing in at just 2.95 lbs, this model is extremely compact and portable. It’s the perfect choice for when you want to travel light.

The product features a ½-gallon semi-transparent water tank that lets you track the water level in the tank. But you don’t have to sit there all day monitoring the water level. The product offers Auto Shutoff feature that notifies you when the tank is empty.

While its capacity is small, the Vicks Mini pumps out cool mist for roughly 20 hours on low.

Being a ultrasonic model makes the Vicks Mini run extremely silently. Even on high, a light sleeper shouldn’t be disturbed.

Additionally, you can use the Vicks Mini with Vicks scented sleep-inducing strips that produce soothing vapors. But I advise you not to use any kind of scented strips with this humidifier model if you have a dog. Many dog owners have reported asthma-like symptoms in their pet after using Vicks VSP-19 VapoPads for menthol vapors or VBR-5 that produces a nice rosemary or lavender scent.

Colors? Blue or green tank.

 

Pros

No costly filter replacement

Easy to usage, refills, and cleaning

Attractive price tag

Automatically shuts off when the tank is empty

Features an integrated scent pad heater

Small, very light, and extremely portable

Translucent 0.5-gallon tank so you can easily monitor water level

Cons

Small tank needs constant refilling on higher speeds

Vapors from Vicks VapoPads not dog-friendly

Overall, this is a decent, affordable product that should help soothe your baby’s congestion. Best of all, it’s a filterless baby room humidifier. But that also means water with mineral deposits can damage this unit. Plus, the humidifier won’t filter out air pollutants in your baby’s sleep area.

3.Pure Enrichment MistAire Cool Mist Ultrasonic Baby Congestion Humidifier Review

decongestant humidifier

 

 

Like the Vicks Mini, the Pure Enrichment MistAire is small (8W” x 6D” x 9H”), light (1.75lbs), and features a nearly transparent tank. Though its dimensions are similar to those of the Vicks Mini, the Pure Enrichment MistAire is a bit lighter.

Using ultrasonic cool mist technology, this 1.5L baby congestion reliever consistently moistens the air in medium sized rooms for up to 16 hours on low. Its speed settings let you adjust mist direction 360 degrees. That nozzle flexibility lets you point moistened air away from electronics, pets, and furniture and toward the nursery where it’s needed.

The speed settings also allow you to dictate how fast the unit blows inflamed throat-soothing cool mist into the nursery. At a capacity of 1.5L, the tank is slightly smaller than Vicks Mini’s 1.8L/o.5 gallons holding capacity.

Removing the water tank automatically shuts down the unit thanks to the Auto Shutoff function. The same magic happens when the tank becomes empty.

Additionally, this humidifier converts into a nightlight that gives a soft, relaxing glow to the baby’s sleep area. The nightlight is optional, and that’s nice. You can turn the nightlight off if your baby finds the glow too bright or distracting.

Pros

Affordable (similar price point to Vicks Mini’s)

Great for misting medium baby rooms

Easy to use and refill

Extremely lightweight and portable

Auto Shutoff function

360-degree misting nozzle

5-year warranty

 

Cons

Tank may not last through a dry winter night on high

Not the easiest to clean

One gripe I have is that the Pure Enrichment MistAire isn’t as easy to clean as others. Additionally, run time isn’t exciting.

4.Crane Cool-mist Ultrasonic Congested Airways Baby Humidifier Review

baby humidifier

The Crane Cool-mist moisturizes large baby rooms, up to a square footage of 500. That’s a 25 feet x 20 feet room, quite a large area. With a capacity of 3.8 L, this large room baby congestion humidifier offers 24 hours of non-stop cool mist on the lowest setting. You never need to wake up at some ungodly hour to refill.

Its tear-drop design seriously boosts its aesthetics. Dimensions-wise, the Crane measures 8.6″ x 8.6″ x 13.4″, and it weighs 4.5lbs. While the Crane isn’t as compact as the Vicks Mini or Pure Enrichment MistSAire, it boasts a pretty low foot print. It should easily fit under a standard kitchen or bathroom sink. I assume you have a whole-house water purification system that pumps out impurities-free water.

The unit’s pointed top doubles as a carrying handle. But it’s not the best-designed humidifier handle I’ve seen. I feel like the device could suddenly slip off my hand, breaking into smithereens! Small wonder Crane doesn’t recommend carrying the device by this handle.

Mist shoots out from the top. I placed a hand on the opening, and I could feel moist air shooting out, evidence that the humidifier works. A removable mist lid lets you direct moisture to any direction you choose.

Unlike comparable options, this humidifier is constructed using anti-bacterial material that reportedly reduces bacteria and mold growth by up to 99.96%. While the unit doesn’t have a filter, you can buy a demineralization filter (search for HS-1932) that easily screws into the humidifier’s water tank. Additionally, this humidifier disassembles and assembles almost effortlessly. And I find cleaning it a pretty straightforward affair.

When the water in the tank runs low, the Auto Shutoff feature jumps into action, powering off the unit. But some users have noticed weaker moisture production when the water level drops. If that happens to you, there’s nothing wrong with the humidifier — just add some water.

Also, some reviewers complained their Crane humidifier created puddles on the floor. I agree. Mine oozes droplets via the cone at the top, but it never too much dampness.

Pros

24-hour run time

A streamlined design that revitalizes the interior decor

Easy to clean with 360-degree misting nozzle

Suitable for large rooms up to 500 square feet

Great price for that humidifying coverage

Made of anti-bacterial material

Large enough water tank

A demineralization filter can be screwed into the unit

Cons

Not easy to refill due to poor handle design

May puddle the area around its location

Maybe noisy on highest humidifying speed

Verdict: The Crane is a decent and reasonably priced large baby room choice. But it’s nosier than most ultrasonic options on high. But it’s nothing more than white noise that lulls the baby to the land of nod.

*Be sure to sanitize the tank with vinegar as instructed by the manufacturer. The user manual details everything.

5. Safety 1st 360-Degree Purple Cool-mist Ultrasonic Humidifier Review

best baby humidifier for congested airways

Like the Taotronics, this medium size humidifier saturates baby rooms through two cool mist outlets that are rotatable 360 degrees. It’s a filter-free model so you won’t need a perpetual filter replacement budget.

Since it uses dual-nozzles, the Safety 1st cool-mist ultrasonic baby nursery humidifying mini-system is another great choice for twins. But your babies don’t need to have been born on the same to enjoy the amazing air moisturizing benefits of this insanely affordable unit!

Weighing in at just 2.2 lbs and with a height of just 10.2″, this unit amounts to a real small footprint. Compared to the other options I’ve reviewed here, the Safety 1st cool-mist has the smallest base at 7.5″ x 7.2″.

With a 2.5L capacity and a 24-hour run time on low, you likely won’t need to refill midway through the night. Compared to the Vicks Mini at 1.8L and Pure Enrichment at 1.5L, you’re getting more tank capacity at a significantly low price point. The tank is easy to fill, too, and cleaning it is easy.

Using ultrasonic humidifying technology, it offers pretty quiet operation. And an Auto Shutoff function turns the unit off immediately the tank runs out of water. Additionally, an indicator light comes on to let you know it’s time to replenish the tank.

Pros

An incredibly low price point

No savings-sucking filter replacement

A long run time of 24 hours on low

Whisper quiet ultrasonic operation

Reasonably High tank capacity (2.5L) relative to pricing

Cons

Refilling the unit can be somewhat challenging

The tank is pretty small

 

I pick the Safety 1st Cool-mist kids room humidifier as the best budget choice.

 

How to Choose the Best Baby Humidifier for Congestion

Choosing the best product for whatever purpose is often challenging. But finding the best product for some extremely specific use can be extremely challenging. The best air moistening device for a baby with asthma may not necessarily be the best option for a baby with congestion.

But do babies with congested airways need a humidifier in the first place? Are there any benefits to be had by young little ones if they have this type of system installed in their space? What humidity levels should you allow in the nursery or baby room? How do you check the amount of moisture in the air indoors? I’ll answer these and other relevant queries in this baby congestion humidifier buying guide.

What’s Baby Congestion?

Congestion is when a baby has a blocked nose and airways as result of mucus accumulating in these air passages. You know your child may be enduring a congested stuffy nose when they breathe with difficult or have noisy breathing. They may also cough, wheeze, and grunt and even have some trouble feeding. I’m a mom, and it’s pretty easy to tell when my baby’s airways are congested.

Humidifier Benefits: Why Use a Humidifier At All?

According to medical news today, a humidifier is among the most useful devices you can own. Running a humidifier in your home can make water-loving houseplants grow more vibrantly. Additionally, wood furniture and floors also become more durable if they’re in a space with optimally saturated air. Aside from that, humidifying the air to above 35% prevents statistic electricity from building up in the air. We all know how electric charge builds up in homes during the dry winter months.

Winter air can be extremely dry in some areas, and home heating systems push hot dry air into the room, making a bad problem worse. No wonder people experienced dry hair, dry or cracked skin, and even dry lips during the winter. One huge benefit of operating an air moistening device indoors is that it helps eliminate these dry hair and cracked skin problems.

But can a humidifier help soothe congested airways in babies? YES…

Humidifiers Soothe Blocked, Stuffy Baby Noses and Airways

Dry air also tends to make reduce lubrication in the airways. According to Mayo Clinic, dry indoor air can cause cracked lips, bleeding noses, and parched sinuses. This organization also says that humidifiers are one of few strategies that can help soothe dry sinuses and bloody noses. Additionally, cool-mist humidifiers can ease respiratory disease or cold symptoms.

Medical News Today jumps in and states that using a humidifier may help reduce snoring by lubricating dry airways. And if you want your baby to have more productive cough, put a humidifier to work in their room. Running a humidifier adds moisture to to the sufferer’s airways, making the cough more productive. A more productive cough is one that unclogs blocked airways by clearing up trapped phlegm, says Medical News Today.

There’s more. Research suggests that humidifying indoor air in the baby room or wherever else you want may minimize the risk of catching influenza. According to researchers in the study, moisturizing indoor air past the 40 percent mark deactivates the infectious viral particles that cause the flu.

Taken together, these humidifier benefit claims suggest that gifting a good humidifier to a baby with a congested nose can be helpful. However, you MUST understand that humidifiers regardless of the growing heap of claims made about them aren’t medical devices. That means these machines aren’t designed to eliminate your pediatrician or family physician. It’s always a good idea to consult a licensed medical professional before buying a humidifier for your baby especially if they have asthma or allergy.

How to Choose a Baby Congestion Humidifier (Buying Guide)

Let’s see what thoughts dominate your mind at this time. Warm-mist humidifier or cool mist humidifier? Evaporative humidifiers or ultrasonic humidifiers? Every parent who’s shopped for a good congestion-clearing humidifier for their baby knows just how much information a simple Google Search returns. The shopper encounters heaps of good and crappy posts along with beefier stacks of inconclusive research.

In the end, it’s total exhaustion permeated with confusion. And for a few unlucky ones, a product that sucks. One they want to throw away and forget about this whole issue of getting sticky phlegm out of their baby’s airways. Hopefully, this congestion-easing humidifier shopping guide will help you cut through the noise and pick the best humidifier for the money with complete confidence.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Know Your Baby Room’s Relative Humidity

Start at the very beginning — measure your baby room’s humidity levels. How do I measure the amount of moisture in the baby nursery? Use a hygrometer. The ThermoPro TP50 digital hygrometer happens to be extremely popular on Amazon. It’s what I use, and so far no complains. This small tool measures both the space’s temperature as well as relative humidity.

Use this tool to decide whether your baby needs a humidifier or not. If the humidity in their room is below 30%, the air in there is uncomfortably dry and craves humidification. Conversely, if the humidity sits above 50%, the air is overly humid and you may want to dehumidify it.

Once your baby’s humidifier arrives, install it and use the hygrometer to monitor humidity in the baby room every day. Why daily? It’s because humidity is a function of temperature. When it’s hot outside like during the summer, relative humidity increases and when it’s a freezing cold winter season, indoor environments get unbearably dry.

Alternative Method Estimate the Baby Room’s Relative Humidity

Maybe you’re not ready to buy a hygrometer now for some reason. And this little tool is pretty inexpensive by the way. How can you measure the room’s humidity level without using a hygrometer? You can use the ice cube method instead.

How to Measure Your Nursery’s Humidity Without Using a Hygrometer

What you need:

Some ice cubes, 2 or 3 cubes should suffice

A water glass

Procedure to Follow

Find the right place to conduct your little humidity measuring experiment. Don’t perform the experiment in the kitchen or in a room you’re painting. That’s because paint fumes or cooking odors can end up giving you skewed room humidity results.

Step 1: Grab the glass put the ice cubes inside.

Step 2: Add some water, just enough.

Step 3: Stir the ice cubes for a few seconds.

Step 4: Allow the contents to stand for 3-4 minutes.

Step 5: Read and interpret your results.

Read your results means inspect the glass and see if there’s moisture on its exterior or not. Here’s how to interpret the results from the ice cube method:

*If you see zero moisture on the outside, it means the air in the baby room is too dry and needs improvement. The baby nursery most likely needs a humidifier.

*If you notice condensation on the outside of the glass, the space’s relative humidity is likely too high.  You probably should install proper air conditioning or a good dehumidifier in there.

2. Understand What Humidifier Type Your Baby Needs

Baby humidifiers and indeed all humidifiers fall into two broad classifications: cool-mist and warm-mist humidifiers. Both types of humidifiers work and are useful as far as humidifying indoor air. However, there are a few noteworthy differences between cool mist and warm mist baby humidifiers.

Warm-mist vs Cool Mist Humidifiers: Similarities and Differences

What’s the difference between warm-mist humidifiers (also called steam vaporizers) and cool-mist humidifiers? The main difference between warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers is that warm-mist options heat up water using an element, forming a warm mist while cool mist humidifiers disperse cold water into the room, moisturizing the air.

Another difference is that warm-mist humidifiers are generally less complex construction-wise, which is why they’re cheaper than cool-mist types. Additionally, steam vaporizers are typically quieter than standing-cold-water-only humidifying machines. What’s more, warm mist types tend to last longer than cool mist ones. One more difference: warm mist humidifier usually make the room feel warmer, which means you may end up turning the thermostat down and saving energy and money.

Between warm mist humidifiers and cool mist ones, cool mist machines are what you want to use in your baby’s room. That’s because cool mist options are much safer than warm mist ones since they’re not scalding steam and boiling water mini-factories!

The downside of cool mist humidifier types is that if you fail to clean them properly, the holding tank can easily and quickly become a cozy home for pesky nursery allergens including mold, dust mites, mildew, and even bacteria. To sidestep this issue, experts advise that the tank be cleaned 3 times each week and given a good rinse using purified water. You never encounter this potential air pollution problem when using a warm mist baby humidifier since when heated water turns into steam, pathogens such as bacteria are killed.

Warm Mist Humidifier or Cool Mist Baby Humidifier When Temperatures are Low?

Warm mist humidifiers spew out warm steam into the space they’re instructed to humidify. And as stated above, warm steam tends to warm rooms, lowering the homeowner’s or renter’s energy bills. For that reason, warm mist choices may be a great option for when temperatures fall drastically.

However, according to the FDA, warm-mist humidifiers for babies and adults can cause swelling in the user’s nasal passages, making breathing somewhat more difficult. That’s why it’s a bad idea to install a warm-mist humidifier in the nursery to decongest them when their breathing systems clog up.

Yes, I get it, some baby humidifier reviewers and even experts recommend warm-mist units for babies with congestion. But the FDA and a whole host of other recognized experts including Mayo Clinic don’t think using a warm-mist humidifier is a good idea. I’d just stick with cool-mist options when it comes to improving humidity levels in the baby room.

Evaporators, Impeller, and Ultrasonic Baby Humidifiers

Impeller humidifiers, evaporators, and ultrasonic humidifiers are all types of cool-mist humidifiers. With an ultrasonic baby congestion humidifier, the room gets a cool air-hydrating mist with ultrasonic vibration.

To create the cool mist, ultrasonic humidifiers rely on a nebulizer, a vibrating diaphragm. Ultrasonic humidifiers are some of the quietest out there. Do you know why ultrasonic options are quieter than most? It’s because they don’t use a noisy fan. Small wonder most baby nurseries have a ultrasonic humidifier rather than other types.

Evaporators are another type of portable room humidifier. Evaporators work by using fans to blow moisture into the space being humidified. But before the moisture exits the singe-unit system, it’s blown through a wet wick or moistened filter. As the air passes, it collects some of the moisture from the wick, and a cool mist results. Evaporators aren’t super quiet as they run a fan to do the job.

Finally, we have impeller humidifiers. Impeller baby room humidifiers feature a rotating disk that throws water onto a diffuser. The diffuser then converts the water into tiny droplets that finally get expelled out of the portable humidifier. Just like evaporators, impeller humidifiers are noisy to some extent because rotating discs can’t operate silently, obviously.

So, if your baby or grandchild is a light sleeper, gift them a ultrasonic humidifier since this type runs super quietly. This is also the kind of humidification machine you want in your bedroom.

If you plan on humidifying the baby room plus other rooms at once, consider installing a central humidifier. But central humidifying systems can be quite expensive.

3. Give a Thought to the Humidifier’s Features

Some humidifiers come with a built-in hygrometer called a humidistat. Go for a unit that offers this a digital control panel that communicates humidity numbers if you can afford it. I find that most baby room humidifiers with a humidistat are for addressing dry air problems in large rooms, though.

One thing you’ll appreciate about an option with a humidistat is that it you can set a certain humidity level to maintain in the room. And once the unit humidifies the indoor air up to that point, the humidistat shuts the device off.

Auto Shutoff Feature

The market also offers baby congestion humidifiers that turn off automatically as soon as they detect an empty tank. Wouldn’t you want an option with this feature? Other humidifiers feature a timer that lets you decide how long you want the device to run before it shuts itself off. My bedroom humidifier, a Honeywell, allows you to program it so it moisturizes the air right from when I hit the sacks and stops when my alarm goes off in the morning. I love the convenience this feature provides.

Air Filtration Feature

If your baby has asthma or allergies, it may be helpful to give them a humidifier with an air-cleaning prefilter. Such a humidifier doubles as an air purifier that filters out asthma allergens such as pet dander/animal dander, seasonal pollen, mold spores, dust particles, and other airborne particles. Understand that humidifier filter replacement adds to the total cost of operating the unit.

Demineralization Cartridge

And if your water isn’t 100% pure, consider buying a humidifier with a demineralization cartridge. Such a humidifier purifies the water from the tank before it’s distributed back into the room. The demineralization process takes out unwanted mineral contents thereby reducing or eliminating altogether white dust. White dust comes from hard water. Filters must be replaced regularly to maintain product effectiveness.

Germ-killing Feature

If your baby doesn’t suffer from asthma and allergies and you suspect their in their room is full of pathogens, use a humidifier with UV-C light. A humidifier with a UV germicidal light (ultraviolet humidifier) deactivates or neutralizes bacteria and viruses by directing ultraviolet light on them. But since UV humidifiers product ozone, I don’t recommend them for nurseries even if the UV-C function is optional. That’s because even seemingly insignificant amounts of ozone can still exacerbate asthma symptoms.

Essential Oils Diffuser

No matter what anyone says, never use essential oils with cool-mist humidifiers. Remember we agreed cool mist options are the most suitable choices for babies with stuffy noses or a cold. Humidifier users have found that using essential oils tends to cause damage to the tank. And in some cases, the humidifier may stop working properly.

4. Baby Humidifier Design

Let’s now talk about humidifier design. Some humidifiers have a removable water tank that’s put back into the humidifier base after refilling. The water sits in a tank and is progressively released to replenish the base below.

Other humidifier designs come in a top-fill design, and the beauty of this design is you never have to take off the water tank for refills. The design allows you to pour water into the unit using a container such as a pitcher. If lifting the water tank and lowering it back into the base sounds like too much work, or if you have weak hands (arthritis), choose a unit with a fill-from-the-top design.

5. Learn to Correctly Size a Humidifier

So, how do you size a baby room humidifier or any humidifier for that matter? To know the right humidifier size for your baby’s room, know the room’s square footage. Then, choose a humidifier that rated for that room size.

Some personal humidifiers moisturize really small spaces, as small as 25 square feet. The opposite extreme is console humidifier models designed to humidify vast areas, spaces as large as 1,000 square feet. That could be your stuffy basement, huh? Large room humidifiers come with large volume water tanks and product huge amounts of moist air. Also, large room humidifiers don’t need refills as frequently as small humidifiers do.

But for small rooms and medium-size spaces such as baby rooms/nurseries, consider choosing a table top humidifier. A tabletop option is smaller and more compact, typically uses less electricity, and is generally more affordable than a large-room humidifier.

However, small-size humidifiers can be a real pain when it comes to replenishing their water tank. The smaller the humidifier, the more frequent the refills. Manufacturers usually indicate the recommended room size for each humidifier model. So, read humidifier descriptions and reviews closely.

6. Decide Where You’ll Place the Baby Humidifier

Tabletop humidifiers are a great option for a baby room since you can easily position on a high dresser to prevent your baby from access them. *Remember to keep the cords out of reach of children. Find a creative way to tuck the cords away. Avoid models that are placed on the floor, especially if the humidifier produces hot vapor.

7. Consider the Costs Involved

Consider how much you’ll need to part with upfront to acquire the humidifier. Some humidifiers cost as low as $40 while some cost upwards of $500. As is the case with most products, cheaper options aren’t typically the finest choices. But it’s also true that the most expensive nursery humidifiers aren’t always the most efficient or the smartest choice.

Make sure you know how much electricity the model you’re eyeing consumes. Good thing is that most humidifiers these days are Energy Star rated and use significantly less power than older, non-Energy Star rated humidifier models.

If you want a model that offers air filtration as well as water purification, be ready to buy replacement filters regularly. And of course, old humidifiers do need to be replaced at some point. All these cost numbers are an aspect you can’t ignore.

Risks Associated with Using a Humidifier

Air humidification delivers a battery of amazing benefits for babies and adults. However, there’s a few potential risk to be aware of as a loving and caring parent, grandparent or caregiver. Here are 3 ways a humidifier can harm a user:

1. Dirty Humidifiers Can Spew Contaminated Water Vapor

Beware dirty humidifiers as they can cause more problems than they solve. A dirty water tank can quickly become a safe haven for disease-causing germs. If you’ve been wondering whether running a humidifying system in your baby’s room can make them sick, know it certainly can.

Dirty water heats up and becomes breathable water vapor, and this vapor may contain tons of germs. And who wants to inhale moisturized germs when indoor air already teems with viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens? Who wants to dump more pollution into their indoor air when the EPA says that indoor air can be several times more polluted than the air outdoors.

So, be sure to keep the humidifier in the baby room or nursery clean. Also, don’t let water to stay in the tank for too long. And if the humidifier you’re using features water filters, make sure to replace them according to the manufacturer’s advice.

2. Too Much Humidity Can be a Bad Thing

Parched winter air can worsen dry, sensitive sinuses. That’s why you should take steps to obtain an effective humidifier for your baby and the rest of the family. But too much humidity in the room can be a big problem.

Why is excessive moisture in indoor air a bad thing? It’s because excessive moisture levels in indoor air can cause breathing to feel like a herculean task. Also, overhumidifying the air gives common allergens such as mildew, mold, bacteria, and dust mites the perfect environment for growth and reproduction. These living allergens thrive best in wet or damp environments. There’s always someone needing help with removing mold in their basement. And part of the problem may be that their basement humidifier may be causing moisture accumulation on ceilings and walls, which encourages mold growth.

3. Humidifiers Can Cause Steam Burns to Playful Babies

Babies may be peace-loving beings, but they aren’t always calm and immobile. Sometimes, they’re toddling all over the place touching this and touching that. If they place their tiny hands over humidifying units that work by heating the water in the tank, they can get severe steam burns.

Just in case your high school chemistry has become a little rusty over the years, steam burns can cause greater harm than even boiling water. According to the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois, water expands 1600 times its initial volume at the point it transitions to steam.

Water turns to gaseous form at that point, and since being in a container (tank) prevents it from expanding, the only option it has is to escape from that container under pressure. Water vapor under pressure has tons of latent heat of vaporization. Latent means hidden but still there, huh?

That’s why water vapor causes more severe burns than boiling water. And that’s why heat-dependent humidifiers are the best choice for babies and children, whether their noses are blocked or not.

But there’s also the ever-present risk that a spill may seriously burn your child. Warm mist humidifiers or steam vaporizers are examples of heat-dependent humidifiers.

9 Simple Rules Governing Proper Use of a Congested Baby Humidifier

  1. Consistently monitor or track the baby room’s humidity levels.
  2. Change the water in the tank with clean (preferably distilled water/demineralized water) every third day since the last change.
  3. Be sure to clean your baby’s humidifier at least 3 times each week.
  4. Swap out clogged up disposable water filters as regularly as needed/per manufacturer’s instructions.
  5. Avoid well water, tap water, and hard water. Instead, use purified water such as distilled water as it contains zero or very little mineral deposits.
  6. Use your humidifier as per the producer’s user manual.
  7. Be super careful and watchful when using certain types of humidifiers, especially heat-based humidifying systems. Make sure babies and young children are under adult supervision every time they’re playing near such a machine.
  8. Replace your humidifier if it gets too old or if mineral deposits have built up inside over time.
  9. Use your humidifier a little less often or shut it down for durations of time in case the place around the machine gets excessively damp. If it’s warm outside and the air inside feels uncomfortably humid, consider putting the humidifier in storage and use a dehumidifier or air conditioner instead.

Baby Congestion Humidifier FAQs

1. Can a Humidifier Help Ease Baby Congestion?

Yes, the right baby room humidifier should be able to decongest blocked airways. Such a humidifier may also help improve baby nasal congestion symptoms. Such symptoms include sniffling, thick and sticky and sometimes discolored nasal mucous, poor feeding, coughs, and difficulty breathing according to Healthline.

2. Can a Humidifier Make My Baby Sick?

Yes, it can make your baby sick in certain circumstances. If you don’t clean the water tank as regurly as recommended (thrice a week), it’ll soon start breeding bacteria and other germs. And if you’re using a heat-reliant humidifier, your baby might end up inhaling bazillions of germs as water vapor.

3. What’s the Best Humidity Level in a Baby Room?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the sweet spot as far as relative humidity exists between 30-50 percent. When the relative humidity in a room surpasses 60 percent, it’s considered too high. If the relative humidity in the baby room is lower or higher than the recommended range, that can cause problems.

Low relative humidity can lead to itchy eyes, dry skin, and irritation in the throat and nasal passages. On the other hand, high relative humidity often causes condensation on walls, ceilings, and other places and surfaces. Excessive dampness on these surfaces promotes mold growth while aiding bacteria and dust mites to multiply and thrive.

4. Can I Use Tap Water or Well Water in My Baby’s Congestion Humidifier?

You can, but that doesn’t mean you should. Tap water and well water may look clean, as it often does, but that’s no indication the water is germ-free or has no impurities. If you want your little lovely baby to breathe only purified vapors as a way of easing congestion, USE purified water. Most people choose to use distilled or bottled water.

5. Cool-mist Vs Warm-mist Baby Congestion Humidifier, Which is Better?

Both warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers demonstrate remarkable effectiveness when it comes to moisturizing the air. However, cool mist humidifiers come better recommended mainly because they’re safer. When it comes to decongesting a baby, some studies have found that warm-mist humidifiers don’t help cold symptoms all that much.

Other research has found that cool-mist humidifiers may help ease cold-caused congestion.  However, there’s need for further research to really quantify the benefits. In the final analysis, cool-mist humidifiers are better than heated humidifiers for the simple reason they’re effective and more baby-friendly.

6. Are There Any Risks to Using a Humidifier in the Nursery or Baby Room?

Yes, using a humidifier in your baby room comes with a few risks. Dirty water in the humidifier tank or reservoir may contain germs, pathogens, or minerals that might end up polluting the air in the room.

7. How Often Should I Clean My Baby’s Humidifier?

Experts in the air humidification world advise users to make sure they clean their humidifier with a disinfectant at least thrice a week.

8. How Often Should I Change the Water in my Baby Congestion Humidifier?

It’s best to change the water in your baby congestion humidifier on a daily basis. Consider using distilled water rather than well water or tap water. Why? Because these water sources tend to have certain mineral deposits that may end up as indoor air pollution.

8. Is a Humidifier Good for Baby Congestion?

Yes, healthcare and medical experts say that using a humidifier may help clear up baby congestion. Humidifiers add as much moisture as your indoor air needs to stay properly saturated. And optimally moisturized air soothes congested airways, improving the baby’s quality of life.

9. Which Humidifier is Best for Baby Congestion?

Go with the best cool-mist humidifier you can afford. Many parents have bought the xxx for their baby and left great reviews on Amazon. And a growing number of good grandparents are buying decongesting humidifiers for their grandchildren as worthy gifts. If you read my best congestion humidifier for babies reviews higher up in this article, I wager you’ll find a coo-mist pick that works for your kiddo.

10. Which is the Best Baby Humidifier Brands on the Market?

The indoor air humidification market offers quite a few good brands. Some of the best humidifier brands include Dyson, Honeywell, Crane, Vicks, HoMedics, Hunter, Rowenta, Vornado, Essick, Stadler Form, CVS, and a few others.

Author: Esther Moni

I'm Esther Moni, a proud stay-at-home mom and a psychology graduate of the United States International University (USIU) . I hate it when anyone calls me a housewife, because what does housewife even mean? Being a mother of two babies and a pup, Bailey, as well as being Ricky's wife tires me to no end, but I still manage a smile at the end of it all. And when my boys aren't done doing mischief, I juggle writing a post on parenting or baby gear performance for this blog and running my little counselling office based out in Nairobi. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/esther.moni/">Visit my Facebook profile here</a>, and this is my <a href="https://ke.linkedin.com/in/esther-moni-3841b573/">LinkedIn profile</a>, and here's my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKcVb3NNDrURDH8C0KiAE1g/">nascent youtube channel.

Esther Moni

I'm Esther Moni, a proud stay-at-home mom and a psychology graduate of the United States International University (USIU) . I hate it when anyone calls me a housewife, because what does housewife even mean? Being a mother of two babies and a pup, Bailey, as well as being a wife tires me to no end, but I still manage a smile at the end of it all. And when my boys aren't done doing mischief, I juggle writing a post on parenting or baby gear performance for this blog and running my little counselling office based out in Nairobi. Visit my Facebook profile here, and this is my LinkedIn profile, and here's my nascent youtube channel.