This content has been reviewed and updated on February 12, 2024.
When you’re putting together a nursery for a new baby, you probably spend a lot of time looking for the best of everything, from the crib or bassinet to the baby monitor and night lights. If you’re thinking about adding a humidifier for comfort, you probably have questions about the best humidifier for babies and what you should look for when shopping.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the best humidifier for babies is a cool mist humidifier. But with so many options on the market, how can you decide which is best? It’s all about safety and ease of use. Cool mist is a must around little hands, while anti-mold technology, an automatic shut-off feature, and easy-to-clean components make maintenance easy for parents. Add compatibility with essential oils for soothing aromatherapy, and you have a truly soothing experience.
We’ve prepared this guide to help you understand why these features matter and how they can benefit infants.
What Is the Best Nursery Humidifier?
When comparing different humidifiers for babies, it’s essential to understand the different types: Warm mist, cool mist, and no-mist.
You’re probably familiar with warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers from your childhood. Many parents used these devices to create steam vapor to ease coughs and other symptoms of colds and flu. Vaporizers work by boiling water in the water tank to create vapor, which is funneled into the room through the device nozzle. As the vapor disperses through the room, it elevates humidity levels.
Unfortunately, that vapor is scalding hot. This creates a burn risk for infants, children, and pets. Even if someone accidentally knocks a vaporizer off the nightstand, the hot water could cause severe burns on their hands, face, or body.
This burn risk is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents use cool mist humidifiers instead. Instead of boiling water, these devices create mist using evaporative or ultrasonic technology. If the humidifier gets knocked over, it won’t cause a burn.
The Canopy Nursery Humidifier takes this technology a step further with its no-mist system. We use evaporative technology to hydrate the air without any mist at all. Instead, the device’s filter absorbs water to eliminate contaminants, and the fan evaporates it into the air. You don’t need to worry about boiling water or excess moisture in the baby’s room.
How Babies Benefit From Humidifiers
Before we get into which is the best humidifier for a baby, it is helpful to understand why you should use a humidifier in the nursery.
Alleviate Congestion
It’s common for babies, especially newborns, to get congested. During the first few weeks of life, your baby’s new respiratory system adjusts to a radically different environment. Dry home air, household allergens, and even breastmilk trapped in the nasal cavity can contribute to infant congestion.
Placing a humidifier in your baby’s room helps keep their small, sensitive airways moist and loosens any blockages. This makes passing mucus through the nasal cavity easier, so both you and your baby can breathe comfortably.
Prevent Dry, Itchy Skin
Baby skin is ultra-sensitive, making it prone to redness and irritation from various environmental factors. In fact, many new parents worry about their infants’ dry, flaky, and itchy skin, whether it’s eczema—which affects as many as 10% of new babies—or cradle cap.
A humidifier is a game changer for infant skin. Adding moisture to the air can help keep their skin hydrated, relieving the symptoms of common skin conditions like.
Reduce the Chances of Contracting Airborne Bacteria & Viruses
Infants don’t have fully developed immune systems, so they are more susceptible to illness from viruses and bacteria. That risk only increases during the winter when viruses run rampant in the dry weather. Studies show that humidity levels under 40% increase the lifespan of airborne viruses. In other words, they can survive longer and put you and your baby at risk for illness.
While children will inevitably get sick, using a humidifier in their bedroom can help reduce their chances of contracting an airborne virus by increasing humidity.
What Is the Best Humidifier for a Baby?
Now that you know why you need a humidifier in your baby’s room, which is the best? Beyond evaporative technology, what else should you look for?
To get the most from a nursery humidifier, look for one with the following features.
Anti-Mold Technology
One of the biggest complaints about traditional cool mist humidifiers is the potential for mold growth and the time-consuming maintenance required to keep it mold-free and safe for babies. Between daily wipe downs, specific requirements for the type of water to use in the tank, and the routine soaking and deep cleaning, many busy parents wonder if the benefits are worth the hassles.
Choosing a no-mist humidifier with mold-inhibiting technology designed with your busy lifestyle in mind eliminates this burden so you can reap all the benefits. Canopy’s Nursery Humidifier uses proprietary Smart Persistent Airflow™ technology that actually inhibits mold and bacteria from forming in the device. UV lights in the water tank kill 99.9% of bacteria, while the disposable paper filter traps any remaining contaminants.
Best of all, you don’t need to buy distilled water for your Canopy humidifier. Thanks to UV technology and a powerful filter, you can use regular tap water without any worries about contaminants or mold.
Automatic Shut-Off Feature
When you’re looking for the best nursery humidifier, safety and convenience are your priorities, and that includes choosing a device that isn’t disruptive to your baby’s sleep. The Canopy Nursery Humidifier’s tank holds enough water for 36 hours of uninterrupted hydration, and it has sensors to detect when it needs to shut off automatically. Whether it runs out of water, or the room is at ideal humidity, you don't need to worry about the humidifier emitting loud noises or constant alerts that will wake a sleeping baby.
Easy to Clean
As a busy parent, the one thing you’re short on is time, which means you need a humidifier that’s easy to clean. Thanks to dishwasher-safe components and disposable filters, the Canopy Nursery Humidifier is a breeze to take care of. Just pop your Canopy parts into the dishwasher on a regular cycle and replace the filter with a fresh one every six weeks. You can even subscribe for automatic filter deliveries, so you never run out!
Compatible With Essential Oils
Young children can benefit from safe, natural aromatherapy from essential oils, and a humidifier is the easiest way to deliver those therapeutic benefits safely. Canopy Nursery Humidifiers accommodate an aroma puck: All you need to do is add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (like Canopy’s exclusive Little Dreams aromas, Lull and Rise) to add pleasant scents to the air with the added humidity.
If you’re searching for the best baby humidifier, explore the Canopy Nursery Humidifier and Large Room Humidifier and see what makes us different from other options. From the cool mist technology to the easy maintenance, we think you’ll agree that this is the best option for your baby’s room and every room they explore.
