Not all humidifiers are built for a large office, bedroom, living room, or guest room.
This article focuses on humidifiers for large rooms and will reveal a couple of fantastic humidifiers built for larger spaces.
You’ll also learn some useful tips to help you select the best humidifier for a large room.
Let’s tackle the basics first.
Why use a humidifier
We all know that low humidity is bad for our health:
From chapped lips, and persistent skin irritation, to a host of respiratory problems including sinuses and terrible coughing bouts, too much air dryness can be hell on health.
And while you can try hacks like adding houseplants to your spaces and leaving the bathroom door open when showering (steam escapes into the room), none is as effective in raising humidification as a humidifier.
Yet, we know that humidity levels indoors will always fluctuate due to seasonal changes.
Indeed, relative humidity can reach 100% during winter making a humidifier all the more essential.
Read on to discover how humidifiers help in lifting humidification (and reducing air dryness).
How do humidifiers work?
A humidifier simply adds moisture to the indoor air to bring humidity to a safe level (30-50% according to the EPA)
They form this moisture using different technologies including heating and sound vibrations (we shall talk about this in detail shortly) then expel it to the environment.
Some even have automated humidity sensors and will fight air dryness in your large rooms without involving you.
Next, we look at the various types of humidifiers in the market today.
Types of humidifiers
Humidifiers employ myriad technologies to produce moisture and as you’ll note, every method has its own advantages and weaknesses.
Take a look:
Ultrasonic humidifiers
An ultrasonic humidifier uses high-frequency sound waves to produce and disperse moisture in the form of ultra-fine mist (warm or cool).
Overall, these types of humidifiers are considered the quietest.
In addition, they are safe for rooms with kids and pets since they won’t burn them – won’t use heat like in vaporizers as you’ll learn below- when they come near the unit.
They, however, lack a mechanism to control the buildup of mineral deposits in the unit (this can hurt its lifespan).
Evaporative humidifiers
They use evaporation to form and emit new moisture. They have filters, a water tank, and fans to facilitate water evaporation.
The units are in general inexpensive and super effective in bigger areas due to the more concentrated mist.
Besides, they generally help reduce the growth of pollutants (evaporation happens without carrying the microbes over) in the room so you’ll be breathing healthier air.
But you’ll be incurring the cost of replacing the filters quite often.
Impeller humidifiers
These employ rotating discs to throw water at a diffuser. The latter helps create and discharge fresh moisture as extra-fine droplets into the air (cool mist).
These units work well too but are quite noisy.
Also common are Vaporizers (they heat water with some allowing you to add an inhalant to combat coughs) and Whole-house/furnace humidifiers (these connect to your home’s HVAC system).
Humidifier for a large room: Buying Guide
Keep in mind the following in your hunt for a humidifier to help relieve cracked skin, allergic reactions, asthma symptoms, dry mouth, and even troubled sleep.
The actual size of the room
They don’t serve equal square footage and it’s important to be sure of the exact size of your large bedroom, office, or children’s room before you go shopping.
Manufacturers indicate the recommended room size for every unit so you should experience little problems here.
Tank capacity
Bigger tank capacity is required – you want it to humidify for more hours without you needing to refill.
Look for an estimate of the number of hours that you can expect the included tank to last at different settings on the label.
The question of sleep
To enjoy sound sleep night in night out, select a whisper-quiet unit (even when operating at maximum speed).
There are some humidifiers for larger rooms that produce nice white noise and I would rather have such.
Something else: you want a model whose light turns dim at night to enjoy a sound sleep.
Some let you switch to the soothing sleep mode option at night.
Assembled features
For an easier time, it’s desirable to have a unit with extras like auto-off (the humidifier goes off as soon as the water volume drops to risky levels to prevent damage) and a humidity sensor (instantly starts to humidify when the air turns dangerously dry).
Others include:
- A diffuser– this will help you introduce refreshing scents for aromatherapy.
- Anti-microbial– this kills bacteria and other microorganisms and is good for your health.
- Remote control– selected digital units come with a functional remote control for operational convenience.
- A humidistat – measures humidity accurately to help sustain moisture at the set level.
Warm mist vs Cool mist humidifiers
Humidifiers forces out cool or warm mist.
Well, here is how they compare:
Apart from bringing a higher concentration of mist, devices that produce warm mist will effectively kill most of the growing bacteria and molds (they often involve heating).
But as I had mentioned, they can scold pets and your young ones if they come to play nearby although again warm moisture makes winters less punishing.
On the contrary, cool mist humidifiers don’t heat and are hence safer for your toddler and furry friends.
But they might not bring the highest humidification while the cool air they promote may help renew the growth of toxins indoors.
In short, none is without fault and the best humidifier for large room for you will depend on not just the type of mist but a combination of all the considerations I have explained in this section.
Best humidifier for a large room Reviews
I had promised to bring you the names of some of the humidifiers that best cover large areas.
Here they are together with reviews of their diverse features and functioning.
URPOWER MH501 Humidifier, 5-L Large Capacity Cool Mist Humidifier
Opening our large room humidifier reviews is this immensely popular MH501 Humidifier for a large room from Urpower.
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The large 5L tank capacity will humidify the whole night without disturbing your sleep- it actually lasts 14 -17 hours depending on the setting.
Plus, it outputs tremendous amounts of mist steadily.
We recommend it for spaces up to 300 square feet.
Features
This large room ultrasonic humidifier offers 3 powerful mist modes – high, low, and medium- and you only need to touch the button to switch to a comfier mode.
The 350ml/h mist volume (maximum) is really strong and should elevate the humidity level in no time.
Sleep is no problem either- it’s very quiet while the lights are very dim in the dark.
It will shut off automatically if the water drains.
The tank is easy to fill to refill too.
You will also love the sleek, decorative design and the smaller footprint.
Pros
- Quite easy to operate.
- Impressively quiet.
- Nice price.
Cons
- The 300 sq. feet coverage is fairly small.
LEVOIT Humidifier for Large Room (cool and warm mist)
A larger 6L tank (1.5 gal) and a functional remote control (so you can adjust the mist without being forced to get up) make this humidifier perfect for massive rooms.
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The built-in sensor helps detect and take care of falling humidity levels.
In short, very few humidifiers will outgun this when it comes to spaces as large as 750 square feet.
Features
This is pretty versatile – it supplies both cool and warm mist – so you can use it throughout the year (engage warm mist when you want to kill germs/bacteria and cool mist to ease symptoms like nasal congestion and when unable to sleep at night).
The convenient controls make it all too easy and you can even set it to moisturize for 1–12 hours (has a timer) so you won’t worry about leaving it on accidentally.
It features three speed settings, all of which deliver solid mist to tackle humidity efficiently in massive rooms (mist at the highest speed feels super strong).
It runs quietly to let you concentrate on the job at hand and fits on desktops, office tables, or nightstands nicely.
It needs a minimum of 2cups (480ml) for safe operation but will still shut down automatically for added safety.
Pros
- Handy display-off feature for a good night’s sleep.
- Can run for 36 hours continuously.
- Super easy to clean (wide tank opening).
Cons
- Nothing major.
Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
For a cool dose of refreshing aromatherapy, consider this everlasting ultrasonic humidifier from Everlasting comfort.
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Clearly built for large rooms, this humidifies rooms up to 500 square feet and moisturizes nonstop for 50 straight hours!
Features
Look no further than this if you’re after a unit that delivers super high mist output and suiting all types of rooms.
You see, it reaches a speed of 270ml per hour (enough to elevate moisture levels pretty fast in larger spaces) and has a small footprint and a narrower profile meaning it can work from practically anywhere.
The knob lets you regulate the amount of vapor it sprays out and has double openings to help mist spread out evenly all around.
Also great is the LED indicator that helps you know when it runs out of water and the button that allows you to turn off the lights at night.
It furthermore features an automatic shut-off switch and an easy-to-refill tank design.
Pros
- Lets you add aromatic fragrances.
- You won’t wake up in the wee hours to add water.
- Saves money (no filters to replace)
Cons
- Not many color options available.
Vornado Evap40 4-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier
As I hinted earlier, evaporative humidifiers produce the maximum amount of moisture so you’re likely to find them best suited for extra-large spaces.
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This has a 4-gallon tank (can run for 24 hours continuously) and gives out enormous amounts of mist particularly when on the max setting.
It’s in our opinion the best humidifier for 1000 square feet.
Features
Quite a simplistic unit yes but it’s brilliantly set up for large room humidification.
To begin with, the humidifier uses the spectacular vortex circulation to push the humidified air to a longer radius- this special action makes humidified air to flow fast throughout the room.
The customizable humidistat means you can have it automatically maintain comfortable humidity levels for your family.
The control panel is super intuitive (if you choose to run it manually) and all the three 3 speeds (and humidity percentage) should adjust without a hassle.
Another thing we liked is the design of the water tanks – they are tough and permit zero leaks or spills.
Pros
- Reasonably priced filters.
- Easy to fill.
- 5-year warranty.
Cons
- Not the prettiest unit.
TaoTronics Cool mist Humidifier for Bedroom Babies
This is another wonderful alternative if you’re searching for a space-saving humidifier for big room.
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Its ultra-quiet nature (will never exceed 32dB which is less than quiet library sounds) make it a dream for larger baby bedrooms/nursery.
The 360° nozzle will drive mist in all directions in areas up to 500 sq. ft.
Features
This is the only humidifier for big room in this list to be FCC certificated (meaning it won’t cause harmful electromagnetic interference) and approved BPA free – exposure to BPA can trigger some health effects on babies.
Can you now see why this is considered to be a safer bet for spaces occupied by babies?
The other big attractions here are the smooth dial control (you select the mist output you wish quickly), smart LED indicator (no guesswork about it being on/off), and a slim, lightweight 1.8L water tank (for easier refills).
Like the rest, the intelligent protection helps safeguard it when it’s waterless.
Pros
- Supplies moisture evenly across the room.
- Straightforward operation.
- Compact unit.
Cons
- No provision for aromatherapy.
Wrapping it up
While a good quality humidifier will help establish a wonderful living environment for you and loved ones, it’s important to observe good practices.
You should for a start strive to keep your chosen humidifier clean- molds and other germs plus possible white buildup may be injurious to your health if inhaled.
In addition, install new filters as instructed in the owner’s manual to maintain optimum efficiency (if you select one using filters).
Then, use distilled water only where advised- this has reduced amounts of unhealthy mineral particles.
Lastly, don’t put it on unnecessarily; too much humidity can be hazardous too.
