10 best humidifiers to combat dry skin and congestion

This humidifier has everything we’re looking for to keep our airways comfortable year-round. It’s easy to switch between warm mist (adding a touch of heat, while helping reduce bacteria in the air) and cool mist, to keep rooms feeling fresh and clean in the summer.

We loved how it can be controlled remotely by the VeSync app on our smartphone or by voice commands through Alexa and Google Assistant, meaning we didn’t have to move to adjust the settings. We also used the app to start the appliance remotely when we were out and about, so it had changed the room to our preferred humidity level by the time we arrived home.

With a 4.5l water tank capacity, there’s no need to refill it frequently and it can run for up to 45 hours on a full tank. Plus, it’s quiet at 26dB, making it ideal for use in bedrooms and nurseries. To create a relaxing environment in our bedroom before going to sleep, we were able to choose different colours of nightlight and drop some essential oils into the tray, for a spa-like zen.

This compact device can provide air quality enhancement through ionising Himalayan rock salt. Plus, it functions as a nightlight, an aromatherapy diffuser and a humidifier. If you want to test how humidifying the air can help your skin, respiratory health and sleep, without spending a lot of money, this budget-friendly option ticks all the boxes.

We liked how we could use it at night to make our bedroom feel calming and cosy. The built-in nightlight has a choice of seven LEDs, so you can cycle through the settings until you find one to match your mood. Our favourite was the orange mode, which made the rock salt look like a volcano and made us feel soporific. We only needed a few drops of essential oil to change the scent in the room, for spa-like relaxation. With timer settings of one, three and six hours, it was reassuring to know we could drift off to sleep with fresh mist but that the device would safely power off before morning.

While £700 is a lot of money to part with for a humidifier, it’s important to note Dyson has engineered this appliance to completely clean and purify the air in a room, as well as making it easier on our airways. For skin conditions that are irritated by bacteria, or seasonal allergies aggravated by pollen or pollution, this humidifier is able to take out the nasties in the air and trap them inside the appliance.

It goes beyond standard air purifiers by actively detecting and eliminating formaldehyde – a harmful chemical often found in household products – along with other pollutants. After running it for just four hours, we could feel a noticeable difference in air quality, perhaps because of the device’s HEPA 13 filter, which has been scientifically proven to capture 99.95 per cent of allergens and pollutants, including dust, pollen, and bacteria.

With app connectivity, we could track air quality and adjust settings remotely but we usually sat back and let it do its job. This Dyson model has intelligent sensors that monitor air conditions in real-time and adjust the settings automatically, for optimal performance. It’s easy on the eye as well, and several of our house guests were impressed when they saw it in action.

If you like to rub Vicks into your chest when you have a cold, this humidifier takes congestion relief to another level. Since dry winter air often irritates sinuses and throats, maintaining indoor humidity around 30-50 per cent can support respiratory health and help reduce the spread of airborne pathogens, and this machine is easy to use when it comes to creating optimum humidity levels.

The device adds warm moisture to the air, which is instantly soothing to an irritated throat and a blocked nose. It was easy to insert the Vicks vaporub pads into the appliance, and we loved their soothing menthol vapors, which we felt made it easier to breathe. You can also use a rosemary and lavender pad, which is recommended for people who struggle with sleep, but we found this one slightly too herby for our taste.

Overall, we liked that having this Vicks humidifier in the bedroom gives us all the benefits of going into a steam room in the spa, except we can do it horizontally and without having to leave the house. The warmth of the mist also made us feel all cosy, so we drifted off to sleep faster, thus getting more rest to help our body repair and recover.

What this model lacks in looks (due to its functional, utilitarian design), it more than makes up for in performance.

With this in a room, there’s no need for a fan in the summer or a portable heater in the winter, as this can control the temperature of a room as well as its humidity and purity.

We loved the fact it has wheels, too, which meant it could be pushed from room to room. We used it in the home office while working, then pushed it to the living room to make the area fresh for the children after school.

However, we did find this device noisier than other models we tested, particularly when used on the highest settings. Plus, if air purification is important to you, it’s best to look for a model with a HEPA filter, as these have been scientifically tested and proven to remove airborne pathogens.

Ergonomically shaped like a teardrop, the lack of edges to this humidifier make it easy on the eye. Designed to be safe enough to use in children’s bedrooms, to create the right conditions for their delicate lungs to ward off airborne viruses and combat allergies, it’s equally useful for an adult’s bedroom, thanks to its fast and quiet operation. There’s also no need to be near a plug socket, either, as this has a 22-hour battery life, so, you can place it wherever you want at night and charge it up during the day.

Another impressive feature is that you can adjust the funnel on the top to point the mist in any direction you choose. It’s a bit strong if you point it directly into your face, but it feels quite soothing if you point it above your head, as you can feel the water mist lightly trickling down in the air.

We really liked that this has an easy to read LED screen, showing temperature and humidity levels at a glance. This is especially useful for children’s bedrooms and nurseries, so you can make sure you’re clothing them appropriately before bed, and you can pop in throughout the night to see if the temperature is changing. We used a few drops of lavender and camomile essential oils mixed in with the water when used in a bedroom shared by two children and came back 30 minutes later to hear deep, satisfied-sounding snoring

Capable of adding moisture to a room of 40 square metres, this sleek, streamline humidifier can be used in the living room, bedroom or kitchen, to combat dry air. We loved watching a fine mist come out of the top of this device and found it reassuring to be able to see it working. Meanwhile, the display on the front of the device showed us the room humidity levels.

The 5.6l water tank allows for 70 hours of continued use, with auto shut-off kicking in when the water runs out. However, we liked to use the timer to set it for a few hours, so we could go to sleep with it on but not have it using energy all night. As well as a calming ambient nightlight, this has three aroma pads in the water tray, so you can mix and match essential oils to create the perfect scent for sleep.

Our only gripe is we wish it was slightly taller. We had to place it on a table or a bedside chest for it to be able to properly affect the room’s humidity.

While it doesn’t have voice control or an app, this air cooler, purifier and humidifier does come with a remote control and an in-built intuitive touchscreen panel, which we found super easy to use.

With two fan speed settings, it’s able to effectively cool down a room in around half an hour, which would come in very handy during hot summer days. It includes two ice packs for cool air flow, rather than merely recirculating air. With a 6l tank, it can run for days without needing a refill, too.

As a humidifier, it’s excellent – releasing a fine mist that helps maintain just the right moisture level, which is fantastic for skin and respiratory comfort during dry conditions. We appreciated the sleep mode, which provides a quieter mist at night, as the other settings are a little loud. It doesn’t win any points for its aesthetic appeal, and it’s not the most energy efficient, but it’s a solid model that made a difference to temperature and humidity levels in our home.

Using ultrasonic technology, this Meaco humidifier produces a fine, cool mist quietly and efficiently. We were impressed by the adjustable humidity settings and the option to use warm mist – perfect for dry winter days.

One standout feature is the built-in HEPA filter, which captures 99.97 per cent of particles, including allergens, dust, and pollutants, ensuring clean, healthy air for your space. This is especially useful for anyone with allergies or asthma. We don’t have either but we could feel the air was cleaner and smelled fresher after a few hours of use. This model also includes a UV-C lamp, to kill bacteria and viruses, adding an extra layer of purification, which we appreciated during cold and flu season, when the kids are constantly picking up germs and spreading them around.

We found the digital control panel intuitive, with options such as timer settings and a sleep mode that dims lights for night-time use. The water tank is super easy to refill, too.

Designed specifically for bedrooms, this humidifier combines a sleek, modern look with powerful features that make it improve indoor air quality fast. With Dreo’s dual-intake design, it creates a super-sized mist three times larger than most humidifiers, which means the humidity levels in a room change fast. Even though we kept this on the bedside table, we felt a difference all over the room, which might be because this appliance uses a high-frequency atomisation process to create lighter mist particles, allowing humidity to spread evenly across the room, without wetting surfaces

With a 4l tank capacity, it provides continuous humidity for up to 32 hours – perfect for uninterrupted sleep, without worrying about refills. The mist output is adjustable, and it includes an automatic shut-off function for added peace of mind. Plus, it operates at an incredibly quiet 24dB, so it’s perfect for light sleepers.

What stood out most was its simple, intuitive control panel, the built-in essential oil tray, to add a pleasant aroma to the room and the transparent water tank. It was reassuring to see the water inside was clean, giving us peace of mind that it was releasing fresh mist into our home. However, the lid doesn’t secure that tight, which meant it would spill everywhere if knocked by a child or a pet.