Choose and Buy Your Air Humidifier Online!

When the air in your home is dry - as it often is in the winter when the heating is on, or in the summer with the air conditioner keeping you cool - you can experience a lot of discomfort from dry skin, chapped lips, sore dry throat or a dry itchy nose. This is especially annoying when you're trying to sleep - waking up throughout the night gasping, and desperately grasping for a glass of water. Humidifiers put moisture back into the air to relieve these discomforts, helping you to breathe more easily.

That's basically it, but there is the added benefit that some humidifiers are fitted with filters, which can trap air-born debris such as smoke, germs and dust, thereby helping to reduce pollutants and allergens - this is especially beneficial to babies and people with respiratory problems.

Air Humidifiers come basically in two types: cool-mist and warm-mist. The technology they use is varied too: evaporative, impeller, ultrasonic and vaporizer. So, depending on the type of technology you prefer, the choice comes down to the personal factors of price, size and design... you want it to be functional, but you also want it to look good in your house - right?!

Prices vary from under 30dollars to over 200 dollars - sizes from table-top models no bigger than a tea-pot to consoles designed for the whole house that are as large as some of your furniture.

And the designs are varied too. Some look like electric waterheaters, some like space-ships. The units designed for children are especially cute, with models that look like kittens, penguins, bears and leopards... keeping your kids happy and healthy.

 A cool-mist humidifier breaks water up into fine droplets and disperses the "mist" into the air. There are three types of cool-mist humidifiers:

1. Impellers - these use a high-speed rotating disk to break the water up,
2. Ultrasonic - these create the mist droplets by use of a vibrating metal diaphragm,
3. Evaporative - these use a fan to blow air through a damp wick or filter.

A warm-mist humidifier is also known as a vaporizer humidifier, and it heats the water to create steam.

Cool-mist humidifiers have been suspect due to the dangers of microorganisms developing in non-purified (tap) water, and then being dispersed into the air along with the mist, causing bacteria, mold, and deposits of minerals as white dust. To combat this, most good brands have built in filters to collect these organisms and deposits. And the use of distilled water is recommended as extra precaution.

Warm-mist humidifiers don't have these bacterial problems because the heating of the water kills off all contaminants. However their filters still have to be cleaned of mineral build-up in the elements and filters. There is a large range of cleaning and replacement accessories that come with all humidifier models, including Demineralization cartridges and Bacteriostatic chemicals.

General good care and maintainance of all models is always recommended - cleaned and dried when not in use, regular control and replacement of filters and water etc., and last but not least, control of the humidity levels when using the humidifier. Too much moisture is not good for you either, but luckily many humidifiers have built in Humidistats to take care of this.

So Many Models

Here's a choice selection from Amazon's extensive range, to help you decide which is the best Air Humidifier for your needs.

Kaz Personal Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier:

This is a popular lightweight Humidifier that's cheap enough to put one in every room, and great for travelling. It's easy to refill and easy to clean. It has a high output and two extremely quiet settings. And despite its small tank it can still run for up to 10 hours on the low setting. It's also filterless, so nothing there to replace or clean, or get clogged up.

 Honeywell HCM645 4 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier

This middle-price-range humidifier boasts "Quiet Care Technology up to 30% quieter". It features auto-shutoff at the desired humidity, or when the tank is empty; and it has 3 moisture output settings. It's also easy to clean, carry and fill. A good, reasonably inexpensive choice for humidifying medium to large rooms.

Vicks Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

While this humidifier is rather spendy, it's worth it. It has many mist levels, a clearly-visible high mist output, and it features a directional-mist-outlet to control the "plume". It has a large water tank, enabling up to 20 hours of operation, and comes with its own filter... a "free" Protec Demineralization Cartridge that removes minerals and other impurities from the water.

 Honeywell HWM-500 UV Warm Moisture Humidifier

This is inexpensive for a warm-mist humidifier, but it is a very efficient and "customer-pleasing" machine. It features filter-free operation, independant humidity control, medicine cup, and "Dual Germ Eliminating UV and Vaporization Technology" that produces up to 99.999% germ-free humidification. It is sturdy, quiet, low-maintenance and easy to clean, and runs up to 24 hours per filling... perfect for medium sized rooms up to 700 sq. feet.

Enviracaire Warm Mist Humidifier With UV Protection EWM-220

This is the top-of-the-range warm-mist humidifier that is worth every cent of the extra cost. It features an adjustable humidity control, a stainless steel hot water resevoir, and humidifies continuously for 24hours without needing to be refilled. UV light and boiling destroys germs and microbes that may be present in the water, and you'll have no problems with "white dust", and no need for replacement filters or cartridges. It's a very successful model with customers and gets a 4 star rating from reviewers.

 You can always have the best of both worlds and choose a "dual mist" humidifier. Here are two of the best models available:

SPT SU-4010 Ultrasonic...

360% adjustable split nozzle produces bi-directional mist for wide coverage. It offers protection against overheating and features an ION exchange filter to demineralize the water. This "virtually silent" model is easy to carry, and with a 4 liter water tank, it's designed for rooms up to 500 sq. feet.

Air-O-Swiss AOS Ultrasonic...

This is a top-of-the-line model with great reviews. It boasts a consistent "near-silent" performance; an output capacity of up to 3.5 gallons a day (suitable for rooms of 600 sq. feet); digital controls for easy operation... and "Intelligent Temperature Control" helps to maintain a constant, ideal humidity level.

HUMIDIFIERS FOR CHILDREN

Babies and children are often extra sensitive to the effects of dry air, and that's what makes a humidifier especially important in helping to relieve their discomforts. Manufacturers are aware of this, and they've created a great range of colorful and friendly designs which all children will adore. Here's a selection to make you smile.

There is no need for you or your children to suffer from dry noses and scratchy throats any more. Add some mist to the air in your home, and you'll all be able to sleep like a baby.

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