Our 7 Favorite Humidifiers for Home, Travel & More (2026)

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Everyone remembers the moment they realized they need a good humidifier—maybe even the best humidifier. For WIRED contributor Lisa Wood Shapiro, it was New York City's second-longest drought on record. Her skin cracked, the inside of her nose hurt, and air quality monitors showed her indoor humidity at 32 percent. For Matthew Korfhage, it came much sooner, amid dry-aired Portland, Oregon, summers that made Burt's Bees lip balm into a citywide party favor. As wildfires become a health-ruining annual promise, this situation hasn't gotten better since.

Parched interiors have dangers beyond chapped skin. According to medical literature and the recommendations by Harvard’s School of Public Health, indoor humidity can slow the spread of respiratory disease such as Covid-19 and influenza. Ideal indoor humidity should be between 30 percent and 50 percent. There’s a lot those little humidifiers can do.

But the road to humidifiers is slicked with good intentions. If it's too hard or tedious to clean and maintain, chances are you'll join our countless neighbors and abandon yours on the stoop: “Free. Still Works!” That's why WIRED's number one pick, the BlueAir Invisible Mist Humidifier ($150), is also the humidifier that best removes the little chores involved in keeping your humidifier in good shape, including a dishwasher-safe reservoir. Others integrate beautifully into your living space, like a HoMedics Natura Small Plant Humidifier ($160) that doubles as green decor.

Still, the minerals in water are an issue. If you have hard water, your humidifier might produce a film of white-dust mineral buildup; that is why so many models recommend distilled water or come with filters. For more on how to improve your indoor air quality, check out our guides to the Best Air Purifiers, Best Space Heaters, Best Dehumidifiers, Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors, and Best Fans.

Updated April 2026: We've added the Molekule Glow Smart Humidifier to honorable mentions, streamlined and rearranged the top picks, and ensured accurate links and prices throughout.

Compare Our Picks

| WIRED | TIRED | Recommended water | Fillability | Dishwasher safe tank? | App, voice control? | Mist | Air sensor? | Filter? | Warranty | | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| Blueair Invisible Mist Humidifier | Multiple fill options; antimicrobial wick filter to capture minerals and pollutants | N/A | Tap | Tank with handles or top pour-through | Yes | Yes | Invisible | Yes | Yes, with optional subscription | 1-3 years | Dreo Humidifier 524 | User-friendly app; color correlated settings | Filter needs to be bought separately | Purified or distilled | Top fill tank | No | Yes | Adjustable | Built-in humidistat | Yes, but sold separately | 1 year | HoMedics Natura Small Plant Humidifier | Bamboo material and pot for plants; built-in humidistat and an easy-to-see digital display | Isn’t app compatible | Tap or distilled | Top filler or pull-out tank | No | Yes | Adjustable | Built-in humidistat | Demineralization cartridge included | 2 years | HoMedics Ultrasonic Humidifier CMTF14 | Petite and portable; built-in seven-color glowing nightlight | N/A | Tap | Tank | No | No | Visible | No | Demineralization cartridge | 2 years | Carepod One | Inexpensive; has a timer for four, six, and eight hours, along with three levels of mist | No sensor, auto mode, heat, or sterilization | Distilled or filtered | Remove tank to fill | Yes | No | Visible | No | No | 1 year | Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify | An air purifier and humidifier in one sleek appliance | The water tank holds only 3 liters of water | Tap | Tank or top pour-through | Yes | Yes | Invisible | Both air sensor and humidistat | 1 year with optional subscription | 1 year | Dreo Smart Humidifier 735S 11L | Nearly three gallon tank means fewer refills; 100 hours of constant humidifying | The tall tower tank might be difficult to fill from certain faucets | Tap | Tank or top pour-through | No | Yes | Visible | Humidistat | Demineralization cartridges | 1 year |

Recommended With Reservations

Carepod Mini for $150: When turned on, the Carepod Mini looks like a Brita Filter that's also an electric tea kettle. And you’ll think this too because of the Carepod’s unique oscillator that moves the water around inside the clear plastic tank. And unlike the larger stainless steel parts of the larger Carepod models, the Carepod Mini is not dishwasher safe. However, like all Carepod models, the Mini doesn’t have a filter because Carepod recommends using filtered water, putting the water-purifying duties on the user. I would prefer a model with a filter option. Still, the Mini is easy to clean with mild soap and water, unlike some humidifiers that require special descaling solutions. I like what Carepod is trying to do in the humidifier market space, but I almost tipped the whole thing over when I instinctively picked it up by the handle that only lifts up the top part. Still, I found the percolating water effect to be soothing and it does a good job of providing a steady flow of mist. I elevated my Carepod Mini because of its slightly sideways mist flow. I put it on a ceramic plant stand because Carepod warns against placing the Mini directly on wood or furniture because of possible water damage. And while I still do not understand the benefits of Carepod’s oscillator, it looks cool.

Dreamwell Humidifier from Blueair for $190: Blueair’s DreamWell Humidifier has several features to make this one of the easier humidifiers to use and maintain. Blueair makes the DreamWell in both 1- and 2-gallon tank sizes. WIRED tested the 1-gallon model. The DreamWell has mood lighting (warm, normal, and bright), along with a scent pod that can be filled with a few drops of essential oil, which turns this humidifier into a sleep aid. Its understated design blends into most interiors. Similar to Blueair’s Signature air purifier, reviewer Lisa Wood Shapiro found the DreamWell’s control panel difficult to see in bright light. What the control panel lacks, Blueair’s advanced app makes up for. Blueair has a “welcome home” function that uses geolocation to turn the humidifier on 15 minutes before the user walks in the front door. In using the feature, the user needs to plug in their mode of transportation: walking, biking, public transport, or car. There’s also an option for drying the wick, the humidifier’s machine-washable filter, which starts automatically when the tank is empty. The DreamWell comes in Coastal Beige or Stone Gray and is the ideal size for a small bedroom. For larger rooms, go for the 2-gallon DreamWell. And while the tank is only 1 gallon, the fill-top option makes for easy refilling.

Molekule Glow Smart Ultasonic Humidifier for $130: The Molekule Glow is small and quiet, with a gentle, sub-40-decibel sound like a babbling brook, and a dim green glow—suitable for a midsize room. Its tank is detachable for easy filling. It's good to run gently for a day, can be timed for turn-on and shut-off, and is easily controlled from your bed with an intuitive phone app. It is, in short, perfect for bedroom humidification, and it blends easily into a cool minimalist aesthetic. Indeed, its humidifier spot top looks a little like a blank, cartoon smile. It's friendly. Compared to our previous top bedroom pick, the Blueair Dreamwell, the price is also friendly. But the smart app is needed for any features beyond setting the humidity level, and filters aren't part of the bargain. As of the end of March 2026, the device is already out of stock after a January release.

Levoit Dual 150 Ultrasonic Cool Mist for $44: This Levoit model is priced at the most affordable end of the spectrum, and advertises itself as appropriate for aromatherapy as an essential oil diffuser. But unlike other aromatherapy-ready humidifiers, the Dual 150 doesn't offer pads on which to apply the oil—meaning any aromatherapy is applied directly