The 8 Best Whole House Humidifiers of 2023

Best Overall, Console

AIRCARE EP 9 800 Digital Whole-House Pedestal-Style Evaporative Humidifier

4.8

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Although a console humidifier will not be best for every home, this type of humidifier is still powerful enough to circulate moisture through a single-level home or apartment. Our favorite design is the AIRCARE EP 9 800 Digital Whole House Pedestal-Style Evaporative Humidifier, because it’s easy to set up in a few steps and also easy to monitor, thanks to a digital display. We also appreciate its attractive, compact housing that can double as a side table or plant pedestal. During our brief at-home testing period with this humidifier, we especially enjoyed its ease of operation and low-maintenance design.

This humidifier is a pedestal—or more commonly known as a "console"—model, which makes it freestanding and ideal for home or apartment renters. Rather than being hooked up to a HVAC system, this humidifier only requires a standard 120-volt outlet. After attaching the caster wheels, installing the float bar, and filling the water tank, this humidifier is ready to operate. This humidifier is only available in a dark brown color, which may not appeal to everyone’s home aesthetics. We have included additional console models in this roundup that are more utilitarian in design. 

This humidifier’s vents are located on the side of the unit, so you’ll want to be sure it’s not placed flush against another piece of furniture or a wall. The digital display will also show an “F” if the water tank needs to be refilled. To refill the tank, all you have to do is open the fill door (where the AIRCARE plaque is adhered) and insert the funnel before pouring water into the 3.5-gallon tank. The digital controls allow you to adjust a desired humidity level and switch between nine fan speeds. The display also reports the current humidity level in your home, and it will automatically shut off once it reaches the target humidity level. 

This unit is good for homes up to 2,400 square feet but can work for most one- or two-bedroom houses, as well as larger apartments. We noticed during testing that some parts of the home were not as well humidified as others while using this unit, especially if doors were left closed. If you have a larger space or multiple floors you need to monitor, we recommend purchasing a model that connects to your home’s existing HVAC or purchasing an additional pedestal model for the second floor of your home. 

Price at time of publish: $175

_{Type: Console | Dimensions: 18 x 18 x 27.25 inches | Coverage Area: 2,400 square feet | Tank Capacity: 3.5 gallons}

Best Overall, through HVAC

Aprilaire 500 Whole Home Humidifier

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This HVAC-compatible, whole house humidifier is our top pick, because it’s a true “set it and forget it” model with minimum required maintenance. It is ideal for homes up to 3,000 square feet and measures about 16 x 13 inches, taking up only a bit of space among your duct work. While you can install this model yourself, it is a bit more complex than freestanding units. The installation kit is also sold separately. We recommend contacting a professional to install this unit, especially since it includes an outdoor temperature sensor, which requires a more advanced understanding of electrical work. 

The Aprilaire Whole Home Humidifier is a bypass model, which uses warmth from your furnace to heat a water panel, and then the water particles travel through your home’s duct work similar to a steam whole house humidifier. This humidifier’s digital display shows the humidity level, and it has indicators that light when the unit is on, the water panel needs to be changed, or a specialist should be contacted for required maintenance. The dual sensors (one for the outside temperature and one for relative humidity) allow for a more accurate humidity reading, and the humidifier will automatically shut off or turn on, based on your desired set humidity level. 

Keep in mind that you will need to replace this humidifier’s water panel after each season of use, and it requires a floor drain for any unit condensation and dripping. Despite a few installation quirks, this humidifier is a great pick for the average-sized home and will save you money in the long run. 

Price at time of publish: $195

_{Type: HVAC compatible | Dimensions: 15.63 x 10.25 x 13 inches | Coverage Area: 3,000 square feet | Tank Capacity: Not applicable}

Best Budget

AIRCARE 836000HB 6-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier

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A portable evaporative console humidifier is a budget-friendly solution to a smaller home’s humidity needs. We like this model from AIRCARE because of its large water tank capacity, impressive coverage capabilities, and simple to use control panel. This humidifier is set on caster wheels, so you can easily push it around a room or between areas of your home when needed. It also has a digital display that shows the current humidity level, and two dials are available to adjust the three-speed motor and desired humidity level. 

We also appreciate that this model has a water refill and check filter indicator, which help you understand your humidifier's maintenance needs. The water tank is also easily refilled through the front grate on the unit, so you won’t have to worry about carrying the 6-gallon tank to a sink. Unlike our best overall console pick, this model cannot be used for additional tabletop storage because of the fan located on the top of the unit. However, we won’t dock this design feature when the humidifier promises an impressive 2,300 square foot coverage area.  

Price at time of publish: $123

_{Type: Console | Dimensions: 21.5 x 13 x 17.75 inches | Coverage Area: 2,300 square feet | Tank Capacity: 6 gallons}

Best for Small Homes

AIRCARE D46 720 Designer Series 2-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier

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Aside from its attractive design and minimal floor footprint, this evaporative humidifier from AIRCARE is capable of adding 3.52 gallons of water to your indoor air per day. The four-speed motor makes it easy to adjust the rate at which your home’s air is humidified, plus a digital display offers a real-time reading of your home’s humidity. Although a 1,200-square-foot coverage area may not be enough for every home, this humidifier is a great option for apartment or home renters who cannot install a humidifier with their HVAC system. 

This humidifier features two 1-gallon water tanks, which are easy to refill and re-install on each side of the unit. Keep in mind that AIRCARE does recommend using distilled water with this humidifier to prevent mineral buildup on the filters. Check filter and refill status indicators are also incorporated on the digital display, so you know exactly how to maintain this humidifier’s long-term performance.  

Price at time of publish: $150

_{Type: Console | Dimensions: 26 x 15 x 10 inches | Coverage Area: 1,200 square feet | Tank Capacity: 2 gallons}

Best for Large Homes

Aprilaire 700 Whole Home Humidifier

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Similar to the Aprilaire 500 in functionality, the Aprilaire 700 system is designed for homes up to 4,200 square feet. In addition to its two sensors and monitoring system, this model also has a built-in fan that pulls air directly from the adjoining furnace and moves it through your home. Keep in mind that the larger square footage coverage does mean the unit takes up slightly more space than Aprilaire’s smaller humidifiers, so you’ll want to accommodate its larger footprint in your installation plans. It can be mounted in multiple positions just like other units. Just be sure to account for additional wiring and duct work. 

This humidifier is also a bit more expensive, although it’s still a great value for its performance and potential long-term energy cost savings. One major draw of this design is its built-in drain, which helps to flush out mineral deposits, resulting in less long-term maintenance and preventing water from accumulating in the unit. If you have a larger, older home with poorly sealed windows and doors, this humidifier may not be able to fully humidify your space because of the air that’s escaping from unsealed cracks. However, this humidifier is capable of distributing an impressive 18 gallons of moisture per day in a tightly sealed home. 

Price at time of publish: $325

_{Type: HVAC compatible | Dimensions: 15.91 x 10.34 x 18 inches | Coverage Area: 4,200 square feet | Tank Capacity: Not applicable}

Best Smart

Honeywell Home HM750A1000/U 11-Gallon Electrode Steam Humidifier

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This Honeywell whole house humidifier uses steam that’s released throughout a home’s ventilation system, which uses more energy compared to the bypass models listed in this roundup. However, the smart features and convenience offered with this Honeywell humidifier make it an appealing option for homeowners. For starters, this humidifier can be connected to other Honeywell Home thermostats, allowing it to adjust the humidity based on your home’s temperature reading. 

For even more comprehensive understanding and control of your home’s central air, this humidifier can also be connected to the Resideo Total Connect Comfort app, which allows you to monitor and adjust live readings of your home’s temperature and humidity. We appreciate this humidifier’s compact size, making it easy to incorporate into a busy duct system, and it can be installed directly on a duct or wall, based on what’s best for your home’s layout. All of these smart features do come at a higher cost, especially since this humidifier runs on steam, but we think the cost can easily be justified if closely monitoring your home’s humidity is important to you.    

Price at time of publish: $901

_{Type: HVAC compatible | Dimensions: 18 x 10 x 7 inches | Coverage Area: 24,000 square feet | Tank Capacity: Not applicable}

Best Portable

Vornado Evap40 4-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier

4

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The Vornado Evap40 4-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier is one of the more compact, yet powerful console whole house humidifiers on the market. We recognize this humidifier is still more expensive than what some may want to pay, but it’s a less expensive option at just $150 with a decent (and realistic) coverage area. As we mentioned with the Aircare pedestal humidifier, this model from Vornado is not going to be the best option for multi-story homes or homes larger than its maximum coverage area. However, we think this is a great option for anyone living in an apartment, or anyone looking to just humidify the main living area or a bedroom of their home. Plus, it weighs less than 10 pounds, which makes it easy to pick up and move from room to room as needed.

This model features two control dials that allow you to adjust the humidity and fan speed, and an indicator light confirms that the humidifier is running. The multiple fan speeds allow you to adjust the humidifier’s power based on your home’s temperature and specific humidity needs day-to-day. We also appreciate the dual-tank design, which makes this model easier to refill than other consoles that just have one larger (and more difficult to maneuver) tank. Although we are suspicious of how easy these tanks are to replace in the humidifier since they don’t appear to have a stopper on their opening. This humidifier also does not have a carrying handle or caster wheels, so you may need an additional set of hands to move it from room to room when completely filled. Despite a few design quirks—which have no impact on overall performance—we think this console humidifier is a great option for smaller homes and anyone looking for an affordable alternative to an HVAC-compatible unit.  

Price at time of publish: $150

_{Type: Console | Dimensions: 13.5 x 19.5 x 10.5 inches | Coverage Area: 1,000 square feet | Tank Capacity: 4 gallons}