Humidifiers add moisture to the air in different ways and are available in multiple types with varying benefits and drawbacks.

Cool mist humidifiers disperse a room-temperature mist and generally cover larger areas and use less electricity than other types.

Warm mist humidifiers use a heating element to heat the water and release it into your room as warm, comfortable moisture. They may use slightly more electricity than other types of humidifiers because they heat water to boiling, but the boiling process kills germs and impurities before they can be released into your room.

Ultrasonic humidifiers are available in both cool and warm mist types and are known as the quietest humidifiers on the market.

Having the right humidity level in your home can help you breathe easier, temporarily relieving coughs and congestion. Moisture in the air can also help temporarily relieve dry skin, dry eyes, and chapped lips. Proper humidity has important benefits for your whole house as well, including helping to prevent gaps in hardwood floors, cracks in wooden furniture, and static electricity that can harm electronics.

Your houseplants. Even with all the love in the world, sometimes they just won’t flourish. But don’t start feeling bad about your green thumb. Simply getting the right humidity level in your home can help your plants thrive – and with significant benefits for you, too.

How does relative humidity affect houseplants?
Low relative humidity, not high, is often the culprit when it comes to humidity-perpetrated houseplant harm. This is because most plants don’t like dry environments, i.e., environments with low relative humidity.

When RH is low (say, on a cold day), the air is dry and lacks moisture. As a result, the air will start drawing moisture out of stuff – like your houseplants.
Now technically, the “drawing-out of moisture” is good for plants. When plants transpire, they release moisture at their leaves, in the form of evaporation. Transpiring is what allows the plant to use the food and water you’ve dutifully provided for them, good plant-parent that you are.

The problem is, low RH will make your plants dry out – they’ll release moisture faster than you can replenish it. Even if you water your houseplants more frequently on cold, dry days, the leaves on a humidity-sensitive plant can start to turn brown and crisp. Enough water just can’t reach the leaves to counteract the rate of moisture loss.

Proper humidity, happy plants
With the right humidity level, your plants can transpire normally, i.e., not lose too much moisture. They will start to thrive!

Humidifiers and diffusers are often confused, as the products can look similar on the outside or have similar functions. But there are several important differences between these technologies. Check out the comparison below to see whether a humidifier, diffuser or both may best fit your needs.

Humidifer Purpose: Adds moisture to the air
Diffuser Purpose: Adds fragrance to the room

Humidifer Benefit: Relieves dry air discomforts, like dry skin, scratchy throat and stuffy nose
Diffuser Benefit:Provides aromatherapy, without increasing room humidity

Humidifer Method: Uses water to raise humidity level in room
Diffuser Method: Uses water to disperse essential oil into air

Humidifer Size: Tank usually holds at least a half-gallon of water
Diffuser Size: Reservoir usually holds less than a cup of water