Dry air in your home can do more damage than you might expect, leaving you with a scratchy throat, dry skin, and even gaps in your flooring due to moisture loss. Humidifiers are designed to add moisture to the air inside your home, and while standard versions may be fine for your bedroom or living room, they won’t be powerful or effective enough to handle dry air concerns throughout your entire house. Luckily, whole-house humidifiers will do just that, and they take up less space than you might think. They also come in several different styles, including standalone units, wheeled models you can transport around your home, and furnace-mounted options that connect directly to your home HVAC system. If you live in an especially dry climate or find your wellbeing suffering due to dry air, a whole-house humidifier could be a great investment.
BEST LOW-COST OPTION
- No installation required
- Easy to use
- No remote
- Fan direction cannot be adjusted
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 22.5 x 12.5 x 17.5 inches
- Capacity: 6 gallons
- Weight: 14 pounds
- Auto Shutoff: Yes
- Square Footage Covered: 2,700
Unlike other options that require installation and plumbing knowledge, this low-cost whole house humidifier is designed to be placed on the floor and begins to work right away.
Plus, at just 14 pounds, it’s relatively easy to move around. Despite the low cost, this humidifier still offers an impressive amount of bells and whistles, including a check-filter indicator and an auto-shutoff feature that engages when your home reaches the desired humidity level.
A bright LED display makes it easy to set your preferred humidity level, and thanks to its 7-gallon water tank this model can run for up to 70 hours before needing a refill.
- Powerful enough for large spaces
- Includes manual controller
- No auto-shutoff
- Somewhat expensive
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 10.5 x 17 x 16 inches
- Weight: 15.5 pounds
- Capacity: 18 gallons
- Auto Shutoff: No
- Square Footage Covered: 4,200
This Aprilaire model mounts directly to your furnace, using a fan to pull heated air directly through the unit. It also has an impressive air flow capacity of 280 CFM (cubic feet per minute), and combined with the 18-gallon capacity, is suitable for homes up to 4,200 square feet in size.
The manual controller allows you to set your preferred humidity level, although this model does lack an automatic shutoff, so keep that in mind. This humidifier does require some experience to install, but if you’re up for it, a handy instructional video makes things a bit easier.
