Best Humidifier for Asthma and Allergies

Last updated on Oct 12, 2021 Humidifiers
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Scientists usually point at dry air as the primary cause of dry skin and irritated sinus passages. In this regard, doctors recommend the use of humidifiers to alleviate these conditions. This is especially important if you are already battling asthma or indoor allergies. In response to these challenges, we have identified the 5 best humidifier for asthma and allergies.

Another point to note is that you have to be mindful about how much moisture is being introduced into the air. This is because too much moisture can become a breeding ground for dust mites and the growth of molds which can significantly affect people with asthma or allergies. 

You should therefore consider a humidifier that has a humidity monitoring feature. This will allow it to detect when it has provided enough moisture to the air. It should thereafter switch off the device when it has provided enough moisture to the air. This prevents the introduction of excess moisture to the air.

Summary of the (5) best humidifier for asthma and allergies

Product nameWinix L200 Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist HumidifierMilin LED Digital humidifierKeebar Bedroom HumidifierBONECO - Digital Steam Humidifier S250Nulaxy Ultrasonic Mist Humidifier
Built-in humidistatYesYesYesYesYes
Anti-bacterial featureYesYesNoYesYes
Area coverage600 ft2300 ft2300 ft2430 ft2-
Tank size7.5 liters4 liters3.5 liters3 liters4 liters
Run time120 hours40 hours60 hours-30 hours

Do humidifiers help with asthma?

Yes, humidifiers do help with asthma. Low humid conditions considerably affect individuals with asthma. When the air is dry, the nose membrane and throat become dehydrated. This leads to the inflammation of the airways. Thus, triggering asthma symptoms that could become hard to manage. However, a humidifier releases moisture into the air, making the sinuses and throat hydrated. This eases and improves the breathing of the affected person. 

What are the Humidifier benefits for asthma and allergies?  

Humidifiers add moisture to the dry air. This helps prevent common colds and flu. According to the CDC, colds and flu can trigger asthma. Flu can worsen the swelling of the nasal passage and increase mucus production. This leads to the tightening of the air passages causing asthma attacks and breathing may become a problem. 

Similarly, breathing in moist air can relieve the symptoms of allergies. Take an example of allergic rhinitis. This is characterized by inflammation of nasal tissues, nasal congestion, and irritations. A humidifier will help you moisten the sinuses and reduce tissue inflammation. This provides relief from allergy symptoms. 

Is a cool mist or warm mist humidifier better for asthma?

Cool mist and warm mist humidifiers equally help improve asthma and allergy symptoms. Your choice among these two is a matter of comfort and affordability. Warm mist humidifiers release visible steam vapors into the air. They reduce mineral dust accumulation, bacterial aeration and are less expensive. However, warm-mist humidifiers are not energy efficient. Furthermore, they require frequent cleaning. 

For the cool mist, they are usually easy to clean and are less noisy. If you happen to be using hard water, cool mist humidifiers that do not have filters usually release white dust and microorganisms into the air. Any humidifier you choose should have qualities that can help you improve your allergy and asthma symptoms. 

What is a good humidity level for asthma?

According to National Asthma Council Australia, the ideal indoor relative humidity should be between 30 to 50%. They state that humidity levels below 30% lead to very dry air. When the air is dry, it increases the chances of catching the flu, which can trigger asthma. This is because airborne viruses tend to survive longer in dry cool environments. On the other hand, higher humidity creates a favorable environment for dust mites and mold growth. These two can trigger asthma and allergy attacks. Therefore, when using a humidifier, ensure the relative humidity is within 30-50%. 

Can humidity worsen asthma?  

As discussed above, when humidity falls out of the required range, it triggers asthma. When the relative humidity is less than 30%, chances are high to catch the flu. Flu aggravates the swelling of the sensitive airways and intensifies the production of mucus. A combination of the two leads to the narrowing of the air passages. This may worsen asthma as breathing becomes more difficult. 

How to choose a humidifier for asthma and allergies?

  • Humidistat. When choosing a humidifier for asthma and allergies, you should ensure the humidifier has a humidistat. This helps you to continuously monitor and regulate the indoor humidity to ensure it stays within 30-50%. When the relative humidity keeps within that range, you are less likely to experience any asthma or allergy attacks.
  • Easy cleaning. Humidifiers can make asthma worsen and trigger allergies, if not cleaned properly. This is because dirty humidifiers harbor bacteria and fungi. These are then released into the air. When in the air, fungi induce allergic respiratory reactions. Similarly, fungal antigens can trigger or worsen asthma.
  • Anti-bacteria features. When choosing a cool-mist humidifier ensure it has anti-bacterial features such as ultraviolet lights (UV light). This helps reduce germ growth in the water tank. Ultimately, this will reduce the chances of bacteria being introduced into the air. 
  • Area coverage. The humidifier you choose should match the size of your room in terms of coverage. This helps you maintain a balanced relative humidity throughout the room. Measure the square feet of the room you intend to place your humidifier and use this as your basis. The different brand manufacturers usually add a label of the area coverage of the unit on its packaging or product description.

5 Best humidifiers for asthma and allergies

1. Winix L200 Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier

This humidifier can help you deal with asthma and allergies. Winix L200 features a 7.5-liter tank. This allows it to humidify your room for 120 hours with one fill up. The unit offers both warm and cold mist options. You only have to select the one you prefer. This unit also comes with a top-fill design. This means you can fill the tank through the top. Besides, the tank has handles making it easy to carry and clean. It is designed for rooms of up to 600 square feet in size.

Winix L200 is equipped with Ultraviolet (UV) technology. This kills up to 99.9% of bacteria found in water. Similarly, it comes with demineralization capsules. These prevent minerals from building up in the humidifier. The unit also features pre-soaked aroma pads. You can add either lavender or eucalyptus aromatherapy and create a relaxing and nice aroma.

Why Winix L200 Ultrasonic Humidifier is good for asthma and allergies

  • Ultraviolet technology. This technology helps prevent the growth of bacterial and fungus (mold) within the water tank. If allowed to grow, they may be released into the air. This could increase the severity of asthma. Moreover, adults prone to respiratory conditions can develop allergies from mold spores. So, the UV technology will prevent fungi growth, thus keeping asthma and allergy prone individuals safe.
  • Easy cleaning. The water tank is wide enough to put in your hand and have it cleaned. Cleaning the tank would help prevent the growth of mold in the tank. Mold spores can trigger allergies, especially to those who are allergic to them. Therefore, the chances of mold growth in the tank are limited if you can easily clean your water tank.
  • Area coverage. Winix L200 can humidify rooms of up to 600 square feet in size. This means anyone within this room size can be assured of moist air. Ultimately, your nasal membranes will not dry up therefore affecting the air passages which could aggravate asthma or allergies.
  • Humidistat. This helps you regulate indoor humidity. It will not drop too low or high, both of which trigger both asthma and allergy symptoms.

Pros

  • 5 humidification levels
  • Humidistat
  • Easy cleaning
  • Auto shut off
  • Quiet operation
  • Convenient to refill

Cons

  • The spray nozzle is not adjustable

2. Milin LED Display Germ-free humidifier

Milin LED Display Germ-free humidifier
Milin HM002 Humidifier

This humidifier can help you prevent asthma and allergies. Milin LED digital humidifier comes with a sterilizer that removes up to 99.9% of germs. The sterilization can be customized or left in standard mode. Under standard sterilization, the humidifier will perform sterilization for 30 minutes on low and medium mist setting and for 1 hour on high. It is effective for room sizes of up to 300 square feet.

The humidifier carries a 4-liter large capacity tank. This allows the humidifier to work for up to 40 hours on low settings. The tank has a wide opening, which makes cleaning and refilling easy. It also has an 8-hour timer. You can schedule the humidifier to operate for a specified amount of time. The unit is equipped with a humidistat that helps monitor and regulate the indoor humidity levels.

The humidifier is quiet and generates about 26 dB on its lowest setting. This means you can use it in your bedroom. The auto shut-off feature automatically stops the humidifier when the water in the tank is almost used up. The low water indicator and a beep alarm help alert you to refill the unit. This helps prevent the humidifier from possible damage.

Why Milin LED Digital humidifier is good for asthma and allergies

  • Humidistat. Milin LED digital humidifier has a built-in humidistat. This helps you monitor the current humidity levels. With the humidistat, the humidifier will ensure the humidity levels stays within the range of 30-50%. This means you will not breathe in dry air that could set off any allergies or asthma. Furthermore, you will not have instances of excess humidity in the air which favor the growth of mold and dust mites that trigger allergies.
  • Easy cleaning. Milin LED digital humidifier has a wide opening, which makes cleaning easy. This means the humidifier will not harbor fungi and bacteria which may be introduced into the air. As discussed above fungal antigens trigger or worsen asthma.
  • Sterilizer. The humidifier comes with a 3-in-1 sterilizer that kills germs and other microorganisms. This makes the released moisture free from any antigens that could bring on asthma or allergy symptoms.

Pros

  • Sterilizer
  • Timer
  • Humidistat  
  • Quiet operations
  • Easy to refill

Cons

  • Slightly expensive
  • Loud on the highest setting

3. Keebar Bedroom Humidifier

Keebar Humidifier
Keebar Humidifier

Another humidifier on our list of best humidifier for asthma and allergies is the Keebar Bedroom Humidifier. This humidifier can do good for asthma and allergy prone people. This unit operates silently as it generates less than 40 dB noise. Besides, it can humidify a room size of up to 300 square feet. This means if you use it in the bedroom or office it can effectively cover the room in addition to not being noisy.

Keebar humidifier is equipped with a humidistat. This uses sensors that monitor humidity changes. The humidifier automatically stops working when humidity exceeds the required levels. It will restart its operations when the humidity drops below the preset levels.

This humidifier carries a 3.5-liter water tank. This allows the unit to operate for up to 60 hours on low mist settings. The dual 360 degrees rotating nozzle on the humidifier ensures equal mist distribution in the room.

The Keebar bedroom humidifier comes with 2 control methods. You can use a touch panel or remote control to adjust the mist levels, schedule the device, and preset the relative humidity. The unit is easy to refill and clean and it will automatically shut off when it runs out of water.

Why Keebar Bedroom Humidifier is good for asthma and allergies

  • Easy cleaning. The humidifier is equipped with a wide water tank. This allows you to easily use your hands to effectively clean the water tank. In this regard, no germs or fungi will grow within the tank. This will limit fungal aeration. Thus, preventing allergic respiratory reactions induced by fungi.
  • Humidistat. The humidifier uses a humidistat to monitor indoor humidity levels. You can predetermine your preferred humidity levels. The humidifier will operate by maintaining these settings. This will help to prevent humidity from dropping low or becoming excess. So, the air will not be dry, to favor airborne viruses such as flu. Flu blocks the air passage, making breathing a hassle for asthma patients. This also worsens asthma symptoms.
  • Tank capacity. Keebar has a wide tank of 3.5 liters. This enables the humidifier to work for up to 60 hours on low settings. With this tank capacity, you are assured of moist air all day & all night. This means the nasal sinuses will keep moist, preventing allergy or asthma symptoms.

Pros

  • Auto shut-off
  • Remote control
  • Timer
  • Quiet operation
  • Humidistat
  • Large tank

Cons

  • No antibacterial features

4. BONECO - Digital Steam Humidifier S250

BONECO - Digital Steam Humidifier S250
BONECO S250

This is a warm-mist humidifier, which means no bacteria is emitted into the air. The humidifier is recommended for room sizes of up to 430 square feet. The water tank capacity on this humidifier is 3 liters. This enables the unit to emit 7.2 liters per day.

The humidifier works by heating the water to the boiling point and releasing the steam into the air. Since the water is boiled, no bacteria and fungi will be released into the air. You can also slightly increase the room temperature with this humidifier due to the generated steam.

The unit comes with a built-in humidistat. This allows you to continuously monitor the surrounding humidity levels. The unit has a reminder that alerts you when the water in the tank is low. The humidifier is equipped with a touch-sensitive control panel. This allows you to adjust the settings. It also works silently generating a maximum noise of only 42dB.

Why BONECO - Digital Steam Humidifier S250 is good for asthma and allergies

  • Boils the water. The humidifier boils water in the tank to release the moisture into the air. This means all microorganisms are killed or inactivated. Therefore, you will be protected from asthma and allergy-triggering organisms such as molds.
  • Humidistat. You will always be updated with the indoor humidity levels. The humidifier will work to ensure the room humidity stays within the required range. This will help prevent the growth of flu viruses which can worsen asthma. Also, it will prevent the growth of mold, which prefers high humidity. By maintaining the proper humidity range, you will improve your asthma and allergy symptoms. 
  • Large tank. Boneco S250 carries a 3-liter water tank. This allows it to output 7.2 liters per day. So, anyone within a room size of up to 430 square feet will breathe in moist air for an extended time. This will thus avert the sinuses from getting dehydrated which can trigger asthma and allergies

Pros

  • Easy to clean
  • Programmable humidistat
  • Silent on low settings
  • No filters needed
  • Auto shut off

Cons

  • Leaves a lot of white dust if you use hard water

5. Nulaxy Ultrasonic Mist Humidifier

Nulaxy Top Fan Humidifier
Nulaxy Humidifier

Nulaxy ultrasonic cool mist humidifier can also help you deal with asthma and allergy. The humidifier carries a 4-liter tank, which allows it to operate for up to 30 hours.

Nulaxy comes with auto-off and timer features. This humidifier also uses sensors to monitor the water levels in the tank. When running out of water, the humidifier will automatically shut off. Furthermore, you can schedule the humidifier with a 1-8 hour time.

The fan on Nulaxy is on top. This gives the humidifier an effective design that avoids wetting the floor or desk. The unit is equipped with a clean alarm. The clean alarm reminds the user to clean the tank every 72 hours of operation.

The unit also has a built-in humidistat. This helps you regulate indoor relative humidity. Nulaxy is adorned with RGB night light. You can make a selection from the 7 colors to give your room a cool and romantic look. You can also set the humidifier to low and make it whisper quiet.

Why Nulaxy Ultrasonic Mist Humidifier is good for asthma and allergies

  • Clean alarm. The alarm beeps after every 72 hours to remind the user to clean the water tank. This helps to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria in the tank and minimize the risk of releasing them into the air. Certainly, this means the humidifier will not be releasing impurities that would trigger asthma and allergies.
  • Humidistat. This allows the humidifier to monitor the indoor relative humidifier. Notably, this helps to keep the humidity within the required humidity (30-50%). So, anyone with allergy or asthma will be in a position to limit the conditions that trigger these diseases. This is because conditions or triggers that lead to asthma and allergy attacks prefer either dry or excess moisture conditions.
  • Tank size. Nulaxy ultrasonic cool mist humidifier has a large tank of 4-liter capacity. This helps the humidifier to conduct non-stop operations to ensure the humidity does not drop to make the nose membrane dry. As indicated above, when the membrane dries up, the air passage swells, restricting the airflow. This worsens asthma conditions.

Pros

  • Easy to clean due to wide opening
  • Timer
  • Clean alarm
  • Long operating hours

Cons

  • No filters

In conclusion, we believe this article gives you the guidelines from which you can choose the best humidifier for asthma and allergies. You can select from the provided devices depending on your budget and preferences. Otherwise, all humidifiers on this list will help you with the problems of asthma and allergies.  You only need to assess your preferences and then make a choice. 

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