Humidifiers for plants can help keep your houseplants healthy and full, especially if you live in an area that’s naturally arid. They can be great for your own health too! We’ve put together this guide to help you find the perfect humidifier for your plants and home.
All of the humidifiers for plants were chosen by our advisor, Richard Bartlett. His top pick is the Levoit 6L Humidifier. This humidifier is great because it has a large capacity, can humidify large spaces, and can be operated with your smartphone, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant capable device. Read how he chose the top 5.
Our Expert’s Top 5 Humidifiers for Plants
Here are the top picks from our expert. Compare the ratings and features of different models.
Editor’s Picks | Model | Rating | Capacity | Remote Operation | Night Light |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Levoit 6L Humidifier | 6 liters | |||
Best Budget | Levoit 2.4L Humidifier | 2.4 liters | |||
Best for Large Rooms | Vornado Evap40 4-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier | 4 gallons | |||
Best Operating Time | Air Innovations MH-701BA Digital Humidifier | 1.7 gallons | |||
Best Portable | GENIANI Portable Small Cool Mist Humidifier | 250ml |
*Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 and based on reviews, feedback, and opinions of actual customers
In This Article
Who Should Buy a Humidifier for Plants
- People who keep tropical plants – In the wild, tropical plants are constantly exposed to moisture from rainfall and the high humidity in the air. This means they’ve never needed to evolve to store water and they have a hard time pulling moisture from the soil. That can make it tricky to care for tropical plants indoors, where the air is typically much dryer.1 A plant humidifier can make up the difference.
- Plant owners who struggle with keeping their plants at the right temperature – If your home tends to be too warm for your plants, a cool-mist humidifier can help lower their temperature. On the other hand, if your house is too cool for your plants, a warm-mist humidifier can help keep them nice and toasty.
- People who live in dry climates – Most house plants need an ambient humidity level of around 40% to 70%. Depending on where you live, the ambient humidity level of your home may be much lower, especially during the cold, dry season. A humidifier will keep the humidity level around your plants right where they need it.
Who Should Not Buy a Humidifier for Plants
- People with plants that prefer dryer climates – Cactuses and succulents naturally live in very dry environments. They don’t need the extra moisture in the air that a humidifier provides.2 In fact, it can actually be detrimental to their health.3
- People with plants that are prone to fungus – Humidifiers, especially cool-mist humidifiers, can propagate fungus,4 so if your house plants already struggle with fungus, a humidifier may only make it worse. Warm-mist humidifiers generally heat up water enough to kill any fungus or other pathogens within the water itself, but the increased moisture on the plants can still promote the development of any fungus that’s already there.
Research Tips
Here’s some of the best advice for what to think about when purchasing a humidifier for plants. Be sure to consider the following, check reviews, and ask your friends and family for their recommendations.
- Consider the water capacity and run time – The humidifier’s tank should be large enough that you’re not having to constantly refill it. You want your humidifier to run at least throughout the morning and early afternoon, then you’ll want to turn it off in the late afternoon and evening so the water has a chance to evaporate. For most people, it’s probably not a big deal to refill once a day, before or after turning the humidifier off — this is also a great opportunity to go ahead and rinse out the tank. However, some people want to fill less frequently, so they’ll want a humidifier that can go longer without refilling.
- Check the coverage area – Your humidifier needs to fill the entire area around your plants, whether that’s a small shelf or an entire grow room. At the same time, you generally want your humidifier about six feet away from the plants so that the airflow doesn’t pull moisture from your plants. If you have a large area of plants, it might be a good idea to use several machines.
- Think about how you’ll clean it – If you’re not careful, a humidifier can become a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and mildew, especially cool-mist and evaporative humidifiers. You’ll need to clean your humidifier regularly to avoid that problem, so be sure to buy one that’s easy to clean. Even with warm-mist humidifiers, you want cleaning to be easy. Choose a humidifier made from easy-to-clean materials, without a lot of nooks and crannies.
- Extra features can be convenient – Some humidifiers have extra features, like the ability to operate the humidifier remotely, built-in night lights, multiple mist modes, automatic shut-off, and more. Depending on your wants and needs, you may find that some of those features just drive up the price of the humidifier for something that’s not useful for you, while others are very handy. Try to find a humidifier that has the extra features that you want without too many that you won’t use.
How Much Do They Cost?
Between $20 and $100
Humidifiers for plants come at a wide range of prices, usually from about $20 to about $100. The difference in prices can generally be attributed to a handful of different factors, predominately the capacity of the humidifier, the size of the area the humidifier can cover, and the amount of time the humidifier can run. However, there are also extra features that a humidifier for plants can have that affect the price. For example, a couple of our picks can be operated remotely, which causes them to be more expensive.
Our Methodology: Why Trust Safe Smart Family
To choose the products I recommend here, I combed over the features of a variety of humidifiers to narrow down the options. To then find the best of the best, I looked at capacity, coverage, operating time, the overall size of the humidifier, and more. Then, I looked at the reviews to determine other factors, such as how easy it is to use and clean each humidifier. I also took into account my own personal experience to choose my final five. – Richard Bartlett
The Best Humidifier for Plants: Full Reviews
Our overall top pick is the Levoit 6L Humidifier. One of this humidifier’s most notable features is that it’s a smart humidifier, meaning it uses WiFi to connect to your phone (via the Vesync app) or smart home device (either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.) You can adjust the mist level, turn the display on or off, activate or deactivate Auto Mode, and more from anywhere in your home.
Speaking of which, Auto Mode allows you to set the desired humidity level, then the humidifier will turn on and off as necessary to maintain that humidity level. The 6-liter tank allows for up to 60 hours of continuous operation, and the Levoit 6L Humidifier is capable of humidifying rooms as large as 505 square feet. And unlike many other humidifiers, you fill this humidifier’s tank from a large opening in the top of the tank, which prevents leaks and allows easy access to the inside of the tank for cleaning. Lastly, you can choose between options with a blue or gray tank.
- Smart humidifier
- Automatically maintains humidity level
- Large tank and long operation time
- Easy to clean tank
- The auto function may turn off the humidifier when the humidity is lower than your humidity setting
- Certain settings can only be accessed via the app, not through the controls on the humidifier itself
If you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive humidifier that still gets the job done, look no further than the Levoit 2.4L Humidifier. This humidifier doesn’t have a lot of extra bells and whistles, but it does have the most important functions and a decent size water tank. This cool-mist humidifier can cover rooms up to 290 square feet, includes a 2.4-liter tank, and can run for 24 hours continuously. When the tank is empty, the humidifier automatically shuts itself off.
The Levoit 2.4L Humidifier has three mist levels and features an optional night light. According to Levoit, the machine creates only 30dB of sound and comes with a detachable silencer. The tank has a large opening for easy filling and you can get the tank in blue, pink, or gray to match your home.
- Affordable price
- 2.4-liter top-fill tank
- Three mist levels
- Automatic shutoff
- Tank isn’t as large as those of more expensive options
- Some parts of the tank can be difficult to clean
If you need to humidify a large space, look no further than the Vornado Evap40 4-Gallon Evaporative Humidifier. This humidifier covers areas as large as 1,000 square feet and allows for 24 hours of continuous operation. It fits a total of four gallons of water but in two separate 2-gallon tanks. This setup makes the humidifier easier to refill since it’s more convenient to fill and carry two smaller tanks compared to a single 4-gallon tank.
The front control panel on the unit allows you to adjust between three fan speeds and choose a humidity level that can be maintained with the built-in humidistat. The Vornado Evap40 is made in the United States and comes with a 5-year warranty.
- Covers 1,000 square feet
- 24 hours of run time
- Holds four gallons in two 2-gallon tanks
- Built-in humidistat
- Wick filters may need frequent replacing depending on your water quality and can be costly over time
- Some find the machine to be noisy
If you want to go as long as possible without having to refill your humidifier’s tank, the Air Innovations MH-701BA Digital Humidifier is perfect for you. The 1.7-gallon tank can humidify an area of up to 600 square feet for a whopping 96 hours. That’s four days of continuous use without having to refill the tank. The digital interface allows you to change the mist level, control the humidistat, view the current humidity level, and set the programmable timer to automatically turn the humidifier on or off. This humidifier also comes with a remote, so you can control the humidifier from across the room.
The narrow base makes this humidifier space-efficient on desks, shelves, and tables, but with the 15-inch extension nozzle, the Air Innovations MH-701BA Digital Humidifier can also be placed on the floor. The permanent ceramic filter ensures a clean output.
- 96 hours of continuous run time
- 600 square foot coverage area
- Digital control panel
- Comes with a remote control
- Have to fill the tank from the bottom
- Ultrasonic humidifiers like this one can lead to a layer of mineral dust if not used with distilled water
For plant owners that want a humidifier that’s easy to move around and take on the go, the GENIANI Portable Small Cool Mist Humidifier is the best choice. This petite humidifier holds 250ml of water and will run for 8 hours, covering up to 65 square feet. If you just have a few plants on a shelf, table, or desk, this humidifier is a great option to just tuck in alongside them. The sleek design and option to buy the unit in either black or white means it will match almost all decor.
The GENIANI Portable Small Cool Mist Humidifier isn’t just small and cute, though. It also has clever features like two mist modes, simple touch controls, and a built-in night light. It’s easy to fill: the top of the unit simply lifts on and off of the tank. Once the tank is empty, the humidifier automatically shuts off. It also comes with a one-year warranty.
- Small and portable
- Sleek design
- Great for just a few plants in a small area
- Two mist modes
- Not very powerful
- Uses a USB plug rather than a standard outlet
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of humidifier is best for my plants?
Can I use a regular humidifier for my plants?
Do plants do better with a humidifier?
Do plants need a cool or warm humidifier?
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Article Sources
Safe Smart Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
- Plant Care Today. Do indoor plants need a humidifier to stay healthy? Plantcaretoday.com. Accessed May 20, 2022.
- Perry L. Growing cacti indoors. Pss.uvm.edu. Accessed May 20, 2022.
- Gardening Bank. Do cactus like humidity? (What you must know!). Gardeningbank.com. Accessed May 20, 2022.
- Lee JH, Ahn KH, Yu IJ. Outbreak of bioaerosols with continuous use of humidifier in apartment room. Toxicol Res. 2012;28(2):103-106. doi:10.5487/TR.2012.28.2.103