The Best Humidifiers For Combating Winter Dryness, According To Reviewers

Tired of waking up with a sore throat, dry eyes and parched skin? Then look no further.

Wintertime is notorious for its chill and its blankets of snow. But a less discussed effect? Its incredible dryness, which only multiplies amid increased indoor heating. This dryness can cause a host of issues ranging from skin dryness, sinus congestion, dry eyes, snoring and decreased quality of sleep. In fact, it can even affect the well-being of plants and wooden furniture!

Amazon

While you wait out winter, a good quality humidifier can help ease the discomfort of bone-dry air indoors, helping release moisture into the air that’ll help keep your skin and body healthy. The other occupants of your household — including pets — will appreciate this, too!

Read on for some of the best affordable humidifiers available online, as vouched for by reviewers who depend on them to get through winter more comfortably.

1. A tabletop bestseller with 81,000 5-star ratings and a 1.7 liter tank

Amazon

Designed for use in medium to large rooms up to 250 square feet, this bestseller moisturizes dry air for up to 25 straight hours and sports a 360-degree nozzle so your space will receive even, balanced humidity year-round. (You can also direct the nozzle to anywhere that needs some focused moisture.) It’s designed to be whisper-quiet so you and your family can sleep uninterrupted, and reviewers love its optional night light feature. It’s surprisingly chic, too: “I love that this humidifier looks very contemporary,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “Not a ‘medical’ looking device at all.” It’s also BPA-free and comes with a five year warranty from the manufacturer!

Promising review: "This humidifier has been a life saver for me during these dry winter months. I always wake up with a stuffy nose and chapped lips and this little thing has saved me. I’ve been using it for 3 weeks now on my nightstand and it’s helped me so much. It last all night 8+hrs without me having to refill it and is super quiet." — Hannah Y

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

2. A compact, ultra-quiet pick with a 6 liter tank with built-in filtration

Amazon

Pleasingly compact while holding an impressive 6 liters of water, this popular humidifier is a standout option for large rooms or apartments up to 400 square feet. It's designed for intuitive, easy use: You can choose your preferred mist level and program its on-time through a simple control dial, and its 360-degree rotating nozzle shuts off automatically when it gets low, so you can sleep and go about your day without having to monitor the device. Reviewers’ favorite part about this humidifier? How blissfully quiet it is. It also doesn't require a filter, which saves you money over time. Another perk? It comes with a lifetime warranty.

Promising review: "This humidifier is wonderful. It’s ungodly cold here & the air is so dry, your lips chap. This humidifier changes all of that. Best part? It’s SILENT. I love it! You can do your usual activities or nap & have humidified air throughout without worrying about the noise or water level. It has different settings for different time intervals. It is very convenient & easy to use!" — Trisha

Get it from Amazon for $44.81.

3. A highly-rated option from a viral brand that doubles as a diffuser

Amazon

This Levoit humidifier can increase a room’s humidity by an impressive 10% in 20 minutes for quick, soothing relief. Plus, it can also work as a diffuser: Just add 10-15 drops of your essential oil of choice to the base to boost your space’s ambiance and enjoy some easy aromatherapy. It’s also super easy to clean and refill, according to reviewers, because of the wide opening at its top.

Promising review: "I have been using the Levoit Dual 150 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier for two full years and it has been the BEST humidifier I have ever owned, and I've had quite a few! I strongly recommend using this humidifier in your bedroom EVERY night, especially during the winter months when dry indoor air is a contributor for sinus problems and dry throats. The unit is nice and quiet, and very reliable, I merely fill it up every morning in the winter and then I just let it run without ever turning it off!! I am convinced this has been the best product I've ever bought on Amazon. Thanks Levoit!" — ken2020

Get it from Amazon for $38.97 (available in two colors).

4. A cool floor humidifier for large spaces that changes color

Amazon

Not only does this humidifier deliver in terms of functionality, offering an 8 liter tank that can handle large rooms and apartments for up to two days straight, but it’s also downright cool — and surprisingly pretty. “This is the coolest humidifier you’ll ever own,” one Amazon reviewer wrote, gushing about its top-fill construction, its remote (it’s “great when you are already in bed when you realize you forgot” to turn it on, she explained), its huge water capacity, its customizable humidity and mist volume, and its color-changing ambient mood lights. These lights are more of a selling point than you might expect: “In addition to humidifying my room, it adds beauty. The light and the colors add a beautiful glow,” said another reviewer. “It looks almost like a lighted aquarium!” You can also add essential oils to its fragrance box for some aromatherapy.

Promising review: "This humidifier has a lot of great features! It holds a lot of water so you don’t have to constantly refill it. The remote is handy and easy to use. It’s quiet, and the different colors are really cool. It gets the job done. Here in the northeast it gets very dry in the winter when the heat is on, and that causes problems with my eyes. This humidifier has eliminated that problem." — Anna Safir

Get it from Amazon for $84.97.

5. An option that lets you set up your exact preferred humidity level

Amazon

This 6 liter humidifier lasts up to 60 hours, so you can truly set it and forget it. In addition to its convenient top-fill design, three mist levels, quiet output and automatic shut-off, it also lets you check your space’s current humidity levels in real-time — and choose the exact level of humidity you want for a truly controllable, personalized experience. You can also add essential oils to its aromatherapy tray to enjoy it as a diffuser!

Promising review: "I absolutely love this humidifier! I now own two of them. One in my daughters room and one in mine. We especially need these during winter around here. They are a life saver for dry skin. I replaced another one that worked fine because this one is just so easy to use and fill. I am so happy that I can just lift the lid and add more water. My old one had to be flipped upside down and made a mess everywhere. It displays what level humidity you want the room to be and turns on and off accordingly. We usually run them for the 8-10 hours over night. I don’t have to fill this one as often either because it isn’t constantly running and making my room too humid. It also has a pretty light running up the side that you can change the color of. I love everything about this humidifier and would purchase again and recommend to anyone. Please make sure to follow the directions and remove all of the packing tape and foam." — Denise L Tonetti

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.

6. A Levoit option you can control from your smartphone anytime, anywhere

Amazon

You can control this Levoit humidifier from your smartphone — which you might especially appreciate if you have pets or family at home and ever need to adjust humidity levels remotely or set a schedule in advance. Its built-in sensor keeps humidity levels at a comfortable 40–50%, and it can run for up to 60 hours to treat areas up to 505 square feet. It also has an aromatherapy feature and a night light.

Promising review: "The winter air is very dry and that is not good for our nine parrots or us. We bought this humidifier based on others' recommendations and since we bought our 1st, we have bought 2 more. The moisture in the air is almost instantly noticable. The birds are more calm (their skin gets dry also under all those feathers). Absolutely recommend this machine on functionality alone, but the remote features are amazing also!!!!" — Faith I

Get it from Amazon for $79.99.

7. A hardworking, whimsical cloud humidifier that’s perfect for nightstands

Amazon

This sweet cloud-shaped option is designed for kids, but it can do everything adult-designed humidifiers can: Its 1.8 liter tank quietly moisturizes rooms up to 250 square feet for 24 hours, and its mist control knob and 360 degree nozzle lets you easily customize your desired amount of moisture and its direction. It also works as a soft glow night light, with seven colors to choose from.

Promising review: "My skin gets so dry in the winter so I wanted a humidifier but HATE how they look.. this one is perfect as it still does the job- and does it well- while looking cute on my bookshelf! It doesn't take up much space but still will run for hours on end which is perfect for over night! There is a little bit of noise but just the fainted almost mist sounding noise that you can't even here from ten feet away" — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.