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Why Should I Humidify My Air?
Humidifiers offer many benefits for allergy sufferers. Especially during the winter, the combination of dry air and artificial heat can be very harsh on the skin, nose, and throat. Humidifiers solve the problem by restoring moisture to the air.
Extremely dry air can also warp and damage furniture, wooden floors, paint, and other objects in your home.
Humidifiers also help to reduce high heating bills. Dry air feels colder than it actually is, while humid air of the same temperature holds onto heat better and feels warmer.
Humidifiers & Sinus Problems
Humidifiers not only soothe the sinuses, but they actually contribute to sinus health. By keeping the mucous membranes in the nose moist, humidifiers allow the nasal cilia (tiny hairs) to function properly and expel allergens, bacteria, and other infectious agents. Humidifiers can reduce the severity of sinus headaches as well as snoring problems.
Home Humidifiers
Our room humidifiers are designed for use in the home. They're all relatively small and portable, and they work well on a tabletop or on the floor. (Wherever you place your humidifier, watch for the build-up of water, as that could lead to mold
growth.) Before you make a purchase, check the coverage area and make sure that the humidifier is appropriate for the room where you will place it. See the Humidifier Buying Guide for more information.
Ultrasonic humidifiers spray mist into the air using ultrasonic vibrations. These ultrasonic vibrations also kill most microbes in the water. The Air-O-Swiss AOS7135 Ultrasonic Antimicrobial Humidifier is our quietest and most popular humidifier. It's easy to maintain and features digital controls, and you get to choose warm mist or cool mist.
Impeller humidifiers, like the Air-O-Swiss 2055 Air Washer and Humidifier, have constantly rotating discs, which break the water into droplets that are small enough to become airborne. The Air Washer's discs are dishwasher-safe. Please note that while the air washer helps to clean the air by removing large particles like pet hair and dust, its air cleaning abilities are nowhere near those of HEPA air purifiers. We do not recommend using the Air Washer as a stand-alone air purifier, but it works great as a stand-alone humidifier!
Warm mist humidifiers like the Enviracaire EWM-220 Humidifier and the Enviracaire EWM-300W Humidifier boil the water before spraying a warm mist into the air. The boiling process kills 99.99% of mold and bacteria. Formerly known as Slant/Fin humidifiers, these two Enviracaire humidifiers also feature germicidal UV lights to kill microbes. We recommend cleaning warm mist humidifiers at least once a week.
Cool mist humidifiers emit a cool vapor into the air, as opposed to warm mist humidifiers, which emit a warm vapor. The Air-O-Swiss 2055 Air Washer and Humidifier is a cool mist humidifier, and the Air-O-Swiss AOS7135 Ultrasonic Antimicrobial Humidifier gives you the option of cool mist or warm mist.
Warm Mist Humidifiers vs. Cool Mist Humidifiers
In terms of function, there's really no difference between warm mist and cool mist; they both accomplish the same goal of humidifying the air. In general, cool mist humidifiers are a little easier to clean and a little louder than warm mist humidifiers. Also note that some warm mist humidifiers which contain boiling water could be dangerous around small children.
Monitor Your Humidity
If the air in your home becomes too humid, it will encourage the growth of mold and dust mites. We recommend a relative humidity of 40 to 50 percent for allergy sufferers.
You can monitor your humidity with an Acu-Rite Digital Humidity Gauge.
Humidifier Reviews




Quiet
& effective
Reviewed by: willo from Oregon & Massachusetts
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We have used a Slant Fin humidifier for years, having purchased it
upon our doctor's recommendation. Now that we have a child who
brings home germs to share with the whole family, we found ourselves
in need of a second humidifier, having given our first one up to
ease our son's breathing. I considering buying another Slant Fin,
but was won over by the more attractive design of the
Air-O-Swiss.
The biggest advantage of the Air-O-Swiss over the Slant Fin is
noise--the Air-O-Swiss makes much, much less noise. This is a real
benefit for parents who need to be able to hear a coughing child
down the hall! The Air-O-Swiss is much more attractive, too, as I
mentioned, and I like the fine-tuning of the digital controls on
this unit. I have allergies, and getting the humidity above 45%
could be unhealthy for me. My only negative on the Air-O-Swiss is
that we need to refill it much more often. Now, that's a plus,
because it reminds us to clean out the tank very frequently, but it
is also a bit of a hassle as we get only about 1.5 nights out of
filling the tank, and that is running at a relatively low 40%
desired humidity setting.




easy
to use
Reviewed by: D.D. from Lowell, MA
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I'm very happy with my
GF-300. I like the idea of using steam and not cold water to
discourage mold growth. Easy access for cleaning is a big plus. The
unit is very quiet, so, you can use it in any room of the house.




Air-O-Swiss
2055 Air Washer and Humidifier
Reviewed by: from
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I've noticed when I travel to humid places that my skin is softer
and I am not subject to sinus infections, so I decided to buy a
humidifier. I chose the
AOS2055
because of the whisper technology, low energy usage, and (#1
priority) moisture purity. It actually cleans the air as it adds
moisture and it prevents infectious buildup in the reservoir. I
couldn't be more pleased with this unit. Thank you.
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