Humidifiers are essential for adding moisture to the air, providing nasal and throat relief (especially during dry, cold winter months), and helping the skin stay moisturized. The right size humidifier should provide the perfect balance of moisture levels in the air so you can reap all the benefits. With so many humidifier sizes to choose from, and so many ways to browse, we thought we'd break it down for you! Keep reading to determine the right size humidifier for your space.

Starting Considerations
How to Choose the Right Size Humidifier

Starting Considerations

You might be asking yourself, “what size humidifier do I need?” The truth is the right size depends on a number of factors in your space. Here are some important considerations to review before you decide on the right size option.

Average Indoor Humidity Levels

The best humidity level for your home is between 30–50% humidity. This level will keep your indoor air from becoming too dry or humid. AC and heating systems usually dry up the air, resulting in lower humidity levels. You can check your room's humidity level by using a humidistat or by checking your thermostat (if it displays humidity levels). If a room already has good humidity levels, you may only need a small humidifier to help with seasonal dry skin and air quality. A large humidifier could overproduce moisture in an environment that doesn't need it. By choosing a humidifier size that matches the level of humidity needed in a room, you ensure your space receives adequate air quality while also preventing instances of mold, mildew, dust mites, or moisture damage.

Humidifier Room Size (sq. ft.)

Similar to choosing the right size for a room's humidity levels, the size of the room is also super important when deciding on a humidifier. If you choose a humidifier size that is too small in comparison to the room, then the room will not get enough moisture and you won't receive the full benefits of the humidifier. If the humidifier is too large in comparison to the size of the room, then there will be too much humidity. This can overpower the room and lead to a build up of moisture that can cause bacteria and mold/mildew spores to form. This can all be averted by pairing a room with the right humidifier size based on its square footage. We go over browsing by room size and how to determine your room's square footage in steps one through three of the next section.

Type of Humidifier

You should also consider the type of humidifier that works best for you when deciding on the best size. It's important to remember that the type of humidifier may or may not influence the size. For example, console or tabletop varieties range in size but maintain a tabletop-friendly design to keep floor space open. Tower-style humidifiers also come in different sizes to accommodate different water tank capacities, but they're still long and narrow. This makes them perfect for tight corners or anywhere with extra floor space.

Output Settings & Refill Needs

Humidifiers come with set water tank sizes (which we review in step four of the next section). The tank capacity refers to the amount of water (in gallons) that a humidifier can store at a time. The tank's moisture output refers to the number of gallons a humidifier can release into the air for every 24-hour period before needing to be refilled. The moisture output can be either equal to or double the number gallons that the tank can store at a time because of the different properties of water in its liquid form versus water vapor. However, many humidifiers have output settings that allow you to control the amount of moisture that the humidifier releases within a given time period. This makes it possible for you to increase or decrease the moisture output when needed to make sure the room doesn't get overly humid or overly dry.

We recommend going with a humidifier that has a larger tank capacity if you want to be able to amp up the moisture output without having to refill the tank multiple times a day or every day. Need a humidifier room size calculator? Check out our guide on Do I Need a Humidifier? How to Choose the Right Type of Humidifier for Your Needs to learn about the right moisture output for your square-footage.

How to Choose the Right Size Humidifier

With the above important considerations fresh in your mind, let's review how to properly select the right size humidifier for your space. When choosing between humidifier sizes, you have the option to browse by general size, room size, or tank capacity. Here's a breakdown of how to interpret all of your options!

1. Measure the Square Footage of the Room

Review our guide on How to Calculate Square Footage for Rooms to find out your room's square footage quickly and easily. Once you have the room's square footage you can look for humidifiers that pair with the room's size. Luckily, most products outline the optimal square footage range that the model is designed to support, so once you complete this step, you can browse with confidence!

2. Browse by Standard Sizes

If you aren't sure exactly what size you want, you can always start by looking at general humidifier sizes. Small and large are the two size ranges you can choose from:

Small: Small humidifiers are perfect for spaces 600 sq. ft. or smaller. These are available in console, tabletop, or tower varieties. Depending on the tank size, you may need to refill it with new water each day or every few hours. This size usually holds less than two gallons of water at a time.

Large: A large humidifier is the place to start if you're wondering what size humidifier works for a 1000–1200 sq. ft. space. Large humidifiers are considered powerful enough for spaces larger than 600 sq. ft. These size humidifiers usually come in console or tower varieties, but you can find tabletop options as well. They usually hold more than a gallon of water at a time and may not need to be refilled every day depending on the output frequency.

3. Tailor Your Search to Room Size

You can narrow down your search even more by targeting humidifiers designed to support a specific square-footage range.

Small Room Humidifiers (Under 300 sq. ft. ): Humidifiers suitable for small rooms like bathrooms, dens, home offices, or tiny bedrooms are designed to promote healthy humidity levels in compact spaces. Small room humidifiers are usually tabletop or console designs and have a tank capacity under 2 gallons.

Medium Room Humidifiers (300–600 sq. ft.): Medium-size rooms like living rooms, standard bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms need humidifiers that can release more moisture into the air at a time without running the tank dry. That's why most humidifiers for medium-size rooms can hold up to 3 gallons of water at a time. These humidifiers come in tabletop, console, or tower varieties.

Large Room Humidifiers (600–1000 sq. ft.): Humidifiers for large rooms are designed for spacious rooms and open-concept spaces like combined living rooms and dining rooms or kitchens. Humidifiers for large rooms range in tank capacity but they typically hold up to 5 to 7 gallons of water at a time to properly add moisture to the space.

Extra-Large Room or Whole House Humidifiers (1000–2400+ sq. ft.): Humidifiers for extra-large rooms and whole house humidifiers can typically hold up to 10 gallons of water at a time. Large open-concept rooms or rooms with high-ceilings can benefit from these humidifier sizes because they're designed to output moisture in a way that fills out the large air space. Humidifiers meant for extra-large rooms are typically tower or console designs to support the large water tanks. Whole house humidifiers also come in tower or console designs and have powerful output settings that allow moisture to reach the furthest corners of open-concept spaces. Some even have hook-ups for HVAC systems so you can attach them to your home's ductwork and spread moisture to different rooms at once!

4. Browse by Tank Capacity

Measured in gallons, the tank capacity for a humidifier refers to the size of the water tank and how much water can be stored in the tank at a given time. It's important to note that the tank capacity doesn't always indicate the maximum moisture output. In most cases the moisture a humidifier produces is double the size (in gallons) over a span of 24 hours when compared to the actual size of the tank. You can determine the moisture output of a humidifier and compare it to the tank size by referencing the specifications tab on the product's page. Here's an overview of humidifier sizes by tank capacity:

Mini (1.0 Gallon or Less): Portable or mini tabletop varieties usually have compact tanks that can hold less than 1 gallon of water at a time. This means they can output up to 2 gallons of moisture into the air before the tank runs out. You may need to refill the tank after a few hours depending on the output settings.

Small (1.0 – 2.9 Gallons): Small-capacity humidifiers can hold anywhere from 1.0–2.9 gallons of water in their tanks at a time and have the ability to release 2–6 gallons of moisture into the air within a 24-hour period. You can usually go a day without needing to refill small capacity humidifiers.

Medium (3.0 – 4.9 Gallons): Medium-capacity humidifiers can store 3.0–4.9 gallons of water at a time and can release up to 6–10 gallons of moisture into the air every 24 hours. Depending on the size of the tank, these humidifiers can go 24–48 hours between refills.

Large (More Than 5.0 Gallons): Large-capacity humidifiers have tanks that hold 5 or more gallons of water at a time and output up to 10 gallons of moisture into the air in a 24-hour period. These humidifiers can go up to three days without needing a refill!

Tip!

Now that you have a grasp on what size humidifier you need, check out our selection of the best humidifiers for combating dry air and enhancing sleep quality.
The Best Humidifiers to Prevent Dry Indoor Air
Sleep Well With 12 Best Humidifiers for Your Bedroom

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