The 7 Best Steam Humidifiers of 2023

Photo: Boneco

When choosing a humidifier for your home, the first decisions you have to make is the type to buy. But of all the different types available, the steam humidifier is one of the most popular options.

Steam humidifiers are the types that will first heat the water to its boiling point, which then vaporizes it to create the mist. This means that with the best steam humidifier, you will add moisture to the air and warm it up a bit, making it very ideal for cold weather.

These machines will also remove bacteria and germs from the water for a healthier mist and pack a myriad of many other health benefits. Here we aim to make it easy to choose the best model with reviews and a buying guide.

7 Best Steam Humidifiers – Review

IMAGE	​PRODUCT	​FEATURES
	1. Vornado HU1-0062-43 (Best Overall)	Vortex action Auto refill notification 3 steam settings Aromatherapy ready
	2. Aprilaire 800 (Best For Whole House)	6,200 square feet coverage 6 output levels Dual sensors Steel housing
	3. Vicks V105SG (Best Portable)	Compact and portable Budget-friendly Large nightlight Auto shut-off
	4. Boneco AOS S450 (Best Aromatherapy Humidifier)	Aromatherapy container Clear mist technology Intelligent features Auto-cleaning mode
	5. Honeywell HM750A1000 (Efficient On-Demand Humidifier)	On-demand humidification Automatic filling HumidiPro digital humidity control Duct or wall mountable
	6. Vicks V150SG (High-Performing Baby Nursery Humidifier)	Protective steam guard Nightlight included Dual scent pad technology Auto shut-off
	7. Emerson HSP2000 (Sturdy Whole House Humidifier with Flushing Timer)	Flushing timer Stainless steel assembly Thermal switch Low noise operation

1. Vornado HU1-0062-43 – Best Overall Steam Humidifier

Photo: Vornado

• Water Tank Capacity: 2 gallons
• Coverage Area: 1,000 sq. ft.
• Essential Oils Diffuser: Yes

The vortex action of the Vornado HU1-0062-43 is what makes it our best overall steam humidifier as it ensures you will get superior humidity circulation throughout the room. And despite its relatively smaller size, this 2-gallon model still covers up to 1,000 square feet.

You will never have to guess when the unit runs out of water as it has some a handy auto refill notification that will notify you when you are running low on water. Also, this humidifier has a 12-hour timer that allows you to set and leave it running throughout the night.

The settings can be easily customized when using this model as besides being able to choose from 3 steam settings, you can also dispense your favorite essential oils as it is aromatherapy ready. You can also be sure that you will have an easy time when it comes to operation as there are some simple touch-sensitive controls.

The display on this Vornado humidifier seems a little too bright, which can distract you when trying to sleep, but you can always cover up the lights when sleeping.

Pros:

• Superior humidity circulation action
• Notifies you when tank is empty
• Easily customizable settings
• Ready to diffuse essential oils
• Convenient and easy to use controls

Cons:

• Display is a little too bright

2. Aprilaire 800 – Best Steam Whole House Humidifier

Photo: Aprilaire

• Water Tank Capacity: 34.6 gallons
• Coverage Area: 6,200 sq. ft.
• Essential Oils Diffuser: No

Aprilaire 800 is an impressive whole house humidifier covering up to 6,200 square feet, making it ideal for almost any home out there. Apart from the wider coverage, it is also a high capacity humidifier that will put out up to 34.6 gallons of moisture into your air every day.

There are 6 different levels of moisture output that will ensure you can easily customize the steam output to suit the weather conditions and your specific preferences or moods. With the dual sensors, the humidification process will be completely automatic, so you can set and live it.

Overall, this is a highly durable model as it has a genuine steel housing that makes it almost indestructible to guarantee many years of exceptional service. Users can also be sure this will be a convenient model as it does not require purified water.

Aprilaire does not seem to pay a lot of attention to the humidistat quality as it is not very sturdy, but it is still quite useful when it comes to regulating the humidity levels.

Pros:

• Wider coverage area
• Highly durable housing
• Several output levels
• Completely automatic humidification
• Does not require purified water

Cons:

• Wanting humidistat quality

3. Vicks V105SG – Best Portable Steam Humidifier

Photo: Vicks

• Water Tank Capacity: 1 gallon
• Coverage Area: 300 – 500 sq. ft.
• Essential Oils Diffuser: Yes

At just 1.9 pounds and 12.3 inches long, the Vicks V105SG is super easy to carry around, and is hence out best portable steam humidifier.

Besides being portable, this is also our cheapest model and will be a good buy for anyone looking for an inexpensive room humidifier.

With the wide tank opening and water level marker, this will also be an easy model to refill. Apart from humidifying the room, this unit is also aromatherapy ready for diffusing essential oils, and it includes a large and soothing nightlight. And with the automatic shutdown, it will be a safer model to use.

The 1-gallon capacity is one of the smallest on our steam humidifier reviews, but for a portable unit, it is still more than enough. Better yet, the reservoir is still enough to keep the humidifier running all night.

Pros:

• Easy to carry around
• More affordable
• Highly pleasant nightlight
• Shuts down automatically when empty
• Easy to refill

Cons:

• Smaller capacity

4. Boneco AOS S450 – Best Aromatherapy Steam Humidifier

Photo: Boneco

• Water Tank Capacity: 3.5 gallons
• Coverage Area: 860 sq. ft.
• Essential Oils Diffuser: Yes

Boneco AOS S450 is the perfect humidifier for you if you are looking for a machine that can diffuse essential oils as it has a nice fragrance container that will allow you to enjoy a relaxing aromatherapy.

This unit uses clear mist technology to allow the steam to exit warm instead of hot, making this machine safer for use around kids. The operation is also guaranteed to be easy with the intelligent features that include a multifunctional digital display.

Cleaning up the humidifier is effortless as it has an automatic cleaning mode. And despite not having a filter, this unit will still produce a cleaner mist that is free of germs and bacteria.

When compared to other models, the Boneco AOS S450 seems a little louder, but the sound is not annoying and is something you can live with. Also, the water level indicator window is hard to see, but this will not be a big deal as the unit has automatic shut off.

Pros:

• Includes a nice container for essential oil
• Steam exits when warm for safety
• Simplified automatic cleaning
• Multifunctional digital display
• Eliminates germs and bacteria

Cons:

• A bit loud
• Indicator window is little hard to see

5. Honeywell HM750A1000 – Efficient On-Demand Humidifier

Photo: Honeywell

• Water Tank Capacity: 22 gallons
• Coverage Area: Larger rooms
• Essential Oils Diffuser: No

The best steam humidifier is always one that will allow for on-demand humidification like Honeywell HM750A1000 as it means you can keep the air in your house moisturized without having to do anything.

Apart from the efficient and fast on-demand humidification, this is a high capacity unit for large rooms or the whole house that will put out up to 22 gallons of mist every day.

Controlling the humidity levels is also an automatic process as this models makes use of a HumidiPro digital humidity control. And because it will be connected to your water supply system, it will fill up automatically.

You can mount this unit on both walls and ducts, and so it will give you more flexible mounting options. When compared to other similar models, you will also get a quieter operation with this one.

This unit needs installation, which means more work for you. But the good news is that if you follow the provided instructions, the process should be straightforward.

Pros:

• Quick and efficient humidification
• Fills up automatically
• Precise digital humidity control
• Flexible mounting options
• Relatively quieter operation

Cons:

• Installation is a little tedious

6. Vicks V150SG – High-Performing Baby Nursery Steam Humidifier

Photo: Vicks

• Water Tank Capacity: 1.5 gallons
• Coverage Area: Small/medium rooms
• Essential Oils Diffuser: Yes

Vicks is famous for their top quality humidifiers, and this model is all about delivering maximum performance and reliability. It achieves this with the protective steam guard design.

This is an ideal humidifier for the baby nursery as it will include a larger nightlight to soothe the little ones as they sleep. Also, it has dual scent pad technology to help dispense soothing vapors as the baby sleeps.

For safety, it has an automatic shut off function that will ensure it will shut down automatically when the tank is empty. Despite the smaller size, this unit will produce enough mist for small to medium rooms for up to 24 hours.

A manual on/off switch would have been a nice addition to this steam humidifier as it would make it easier to operate. However, you can still switch it on and off by plugging or unplugging it, which should not be a big deal.

Pros:

• Designed for maximum performance and reliability
• Very ideal for nursery
• Pleasant nightlight
• Shuts down automatically when empty
• Accepts 2 pads for soothing vapors

Cons:

• No manual on/off switch

7. Emerson HSP2000 – Sturdy Whole House Humidifier with Flushing Timer

Photo: Emerson Thermostats

• Water Tank Capacity: 13 gallons
• Coverage Area: 1,400 sq. ft.
• Essential Oils Diffuser: No

Emerson HSP2000 is a sturdy whole house humidifier that is built with a stainless steel assembly to ensure maximum durability. This unit also includes a handy flushing timer that will flush it out after every few hours to prevent mold build-up.

You can be confident that this unit will never distract you when sleeping as it runs super quietly. Also, there is a thermal switch that will switch the furnace blower on and off automatically.

Regulating the humidity levels will be more precise and quite easy with this model. And to ensure that you get an even easier time, this humidifier takes little effort to setup.

Being the priciest item on our steam humidifier review, some users might find it a little beyond their reach. But for a full house humidifier, the price is still acceptable.

Pros:

• Flushes automatically to prevent mold build up
• Run more quietly
• Sturdy overall build
• Handy thermal switch
• Fairly easy to install

Cons:

• Relatively more expensive

How to Buy the Best Steam Humidifiers

Photo: Vicks

1. Types of Steam Humidifiers: Room Model or Whole House

You will need to decide whether you want a steam humidifier that can humidify the entire house or just one room. This choice depends on your specific needs, but each of the two types has its merits and demerits.

Room Model

Room steam humidifier models are designed for humidifying single rooms like bedrooms and offices as they will not have a very wide coverage. These models are more compact and highly portable to allow you to move and use them in different rooms.

The room models like the Vicks V105SG will also not require any permanent installation or complicated setup, which makes them super easy to use.

However, they have a limited runtime and coverage when compared to the whole house types. And they will also often have smaller tanks that are typically under 5 gallons, which means they need more regular refills.

Whole House

The whole house steam humidifiers like Aprilaire 800 are larger and more powerful models that are designed to spread the warm mist throughout the house. This eliminates the need to have a different humidifier in every room.

These models will cover spaces up to 10,000 square feet and will also have more advanced features and sturdier build to ensure they will serve you longer. Also, these units have a relatively lager tank capacity.

For the drawbacks, they tend to be more expensive and will be a little more hectic to maintain when compared to the room models.

2. Water Tank Capacity

If you opt for the stand-alone humidifiers with a built-in water tank, you will also need to check the capacity as it will determine how often you will need to refill the appliance.

You can get a model with as little as one gallon tank or even less while some more expensive ones will have massive tanks that can hold tens of gallons.

Large tanks are more convenient as they will reduce the frequency of refills. But also keep in mind that water use differs among different models, and so some will use up the water relatively faster regardless of the tank size.

3. Mist Output

The amount of mist that the unit will put out into your air also matters as it is what determines its effectiveness and efficiency.

Mist output is largely dependent on the water tank capacity, and so for many units the two will be the same. However, for the whole house systems that will be connected directly to the water supply in your house, you need to check how much mist the unit can put out every 24 hours.

There is no right or wrong mist output as it depends on just how dry the air is and your preferences, but something that can put out at least 5 gallons of mist every day should be good enough.

4. Coverage Area

The exact coverage area of the humidifier will also matter as it will determine whether it will be adequate for your room or entire house.

For room humidifiers, the size of your room should help you decide the right model to buy. That said, some users will be okay with 100 to 500 square feet coverage provided by the Vicks V105SG, while others might want something larger than this.

However, if you want something for the whole house, you need something that will cover at least 1,000 square feet like Vornado HU1-0062-43, but the actual model you need depends on the size of your house.

5. Noise Level

Noise level is a big concern when choosing a steam humidifier because you do not want something that is too loud as it will make it hard to sleep.

Hence, as you pick up a model, you need to check the noise rating. Here something with under 50 dBA noise rating should be quiet enough for you.

Read More: The Best Quiet Humidifiers

6. Extra Features

The best warm steam humidifier for you is one that will include a few extra features to enhance its functionality and versatility.

These extra features are however not necessary for the appliance to work but are still very useful. They will include things like an essential oil diffuser, built-in timer, automatic sleep mode and a remote control.

7. Ease of Use and Cleaning

The humidifier you choose needs to give you an easy time when it comes to the use and cleaning. Some simple and easy to understand controls will ensure you can easily choose your preferred settings.

A removable tank with a wide opening and can fit under a facet will also give you an easy time as it makes water refills a breeze. And to make cleaning easy, the surface should be easy to wipe down and the removable parts should be dishwasher-safe.

Conclusion 

Steam humidifier will not only keep your air moisturized but also warm it up a bit to make the house even more comfortable. And now finding the best steam humidifier is all about picking one model from our list.

From our reviews, the Vornado HU1-0062-43 is our best overall model thanks to the efficient vortex action and customizable settings.

But, if you want something small and portable that also does not cost much to buy, the Vicks V105SG should meet your needs.