Best Cheap Humidifier - 2021 Complete Guide with Reviews

Best Cheap Humidifier Reviews: Affordable Humidifiers That’s Right for You

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Having a humidifier to change the quality of air in your home is nice, but sometimes the price is not. It turns out that there is such a thing as affordable humidifiers.

You don’t have to lay down $100 to get a great unit. In fact, you can pay under $50 to get a decent humidifier to use in your home, your car, or even when you travel.

Many budget humidifiers have features you wouldn’t expect for such a small price tag. You’ll have to compromise on some of the other aspects, but you might not mind so much.

If all you’re looking for is a personal humidifier that works and costs less than a week’s worth of cold medication, then you’re in the right place. Oh, and there’s an explanation for that cold med reference below!

Best Cheap Humidifier Comparisons

Why Would You Want a Humidifier – Even a Cheap One?

Unless you live in a sub-tropical climate that stays relatively humid throughout the year, you might want to look into buying a humidifier. A humidifier can alleviate a number of problems you might not even realize you have.

dry-skin

Dry Skin

This may be the most obvious reason to invest in a humidifier. Even an inexpensive humidifier can work against dry air.

By putting moisture back into the air you’re surrounded by in your home, you’re less likely to suffer from dry skin and chapped lips. You may still want to use lotion to help soften your skin and use lip balm but it could be done less often with a humidifier.

nosebleed

Nose Bleeds

When the moisture is leached from the air around you, your nose may start to feel drier resulting in experiencing nose bleeds.

Not only that, but you might also suffer from sinus pressure that can lead to headaches. Add a cheap humidifier and you’re likely to notice a difference straight away.

Colds & the Flu

Colds & the Flu

There are two ways in which a humidifier can battle colds and the flu. If you’ve already caught a cold or the flu, then you’re probably feeling miserable.

Congestion is a big part of these illnesses, and a humidifier can help make your symptoms feel a little less icky. The water vapor in the air can help lubricate your throat and nose, making you feel slightly better.

snore

Snoring

Despite what your partner may tell you, there’s a chance that you snore. Whether it’s cute or bear-like is debatable. Still, it could be the lack of humidity that’s causing you to snore more.

If you add a humidifier to your bedroom, you’re keeping your nose from becoming congested and your throat moist, so it won’t swell and lead to snoring.

Indoor Plants

A cheap humidifier can benefit more than just you and your sinuses. Your household plants will be much happier in a humid environment. Sure, you water your little guys, but putting moisture back into the air helps, too.

After all, most of the houseplants in your home probably started off life, or its ancestors did, in the jungle. And what do we know about the jungle, besides it’s a place best left to the wildlife? It’s humid as heck there.

What to Expect Out of the Best Budget Humidifier

expect

Whichever cheap humidifier you choose, you can expect it to pump out water vapor constantly or intermittently. It should fill a small space with a proper amount of humidity for at least a couple hours, and up to a whole night.

These devices typically do not come with filters for you to change, but you are going to have to clean them regularly to prevent mold growth. Some may come with LED lighting and the ability to diffuse essential oils.

Say Goodbye to These Features – But, Here’s Why You Won’t Miss Them

You’re going to have to give up some of the bells and whistles that come standard on the high-end versions of humidifiers.

Don’t mourn, though. You won’t really miss these features because they’re kind of superfluous. Just so you know what they are, though, here’s a rough list.

Digital Displays

This is a pricey addition to humidifiers. While they are helpful to have, they simply aren’t necessary. What more do you need than a button or a dial to set your humidifier to turn on or off?

Whole-House Sizes

These are awesome, but they’re going to be expensive. A personal-sized humidifier should be all you need to keep one room at a good level of humidity.

And if you want humidity in the whole house, you can buy one cheap humidifier for every room – and you’ll still end up spending less.

Humidistat

Knowing exactly what level of humidity is in your house could be useful if you’re trying to achieve a specific percentage, but how many of us really care about that?

It’s an extraneous feature for most people, and it costs extra to have one of these included.

Remote Control

Oh, come on, it isn’t like you’re watching TV and need to change the channel every time a commercial comes on. Remote control is a convenient feature but seeing as how you’re likely to keep your humidifier running most of the time, it’s hardly necessary.

A Good Warranty

Granted, a good warranty is helpful should anything go wrong with your humidifier, but if you’re buying a cheap one, it might be better to just buy a new one.

It’s possible that the cost to return a defective humidifier would be higher than buying a new unit.

warranty

Humidifiers aren’t going to last you a lifetime, so why invest a ton of money in one? Plus, you’re likely only going to need to use yours for one or two seasons out of the year.

To get an idea of which humidifier will work for you, check out the budget-friendly humidifier reviews. You’re bound to find the best one for you and your family – and it won’t cost you a paycheck.

Top 5 Cheap Humidifier Reviews

URPOWER Essential Oil Diffuser Aroma Essential Oil Cool Mist Humidifier

URPOWER 2nd Version Essential Oil Diffusers

There are several reasons why the URPOWER Essential Oil Cool Mist Humidifier (from Amazon) stays at the top of bestseller lists. One of which is that this is one of the most affordable humidifiers on the market.

Other reasons include its ability to diffuse essential oils, which not all humidifiers allow. Plus, the color-changing LED lights to make it a fun accessory in any bedroom – much like a lava lamp. It’s small enough to take with you when you travel, too.

Keep in mind that it is small, so you won’t be able to add more than 100 milliliters at a time. It can run for about six hours, at most, and that’s when you choose the intermittent setting. There’s no filter to worry about, and there are no extras, such as a timer.

You’ll have to keep this little guy clean, but that might be difficult because the top can be tricky to remove.

If you’re looking for the bestselling cheap humidifier on the market, you might want to consider this one.

Pros

  • Color-changing LEDs
  • Auto shutoff
  • Quiet operation
  • Allows essential oils
  • No filter
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Short runtime
  • Hard to open

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Multifun USB Humidifier

multifun Mini USB Humidifier - 400ml Portable Humidifier

One of the best things about the Multifun USB humidifier is that you can take it with you in your car. Most humidifiers require you to have a flat surface on which you place it and that it be plugged into a wall outlet.

This little filtered humidifier comes with a spill-proof cup that can fit inside a cupholder in your car, and it plugs into a USB port. That means you can use it with a phone-charging device.

The cup holds about 250 milliliters of water, and it comes with a cotton filter. It’s suggested that you clean the filter if it sits in water for an extended period, but you can also buy replacement filters.

This cheap humidifier has an automatic shutoff that will kick in after the unit has been running for 12 hours straight. The manufacturer suggests that you do not use essential oils, but many people do anyway and have had no issues.

This small humidifier only works for a space that’s about 65 square feet, but as a personal humidifier, it works well.

If you want a cheap humidifier to use at your work desk, your nightstand near your bed, or even in your car, this one might be perfect for you.

Pros

  • Auto shutoff
  • Quiet operation
  • Affordable
  • Portable

Cons

  • Covers only ~65 sq. ft.
  • Advised to not use essential oils

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Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Crane Ultrasonic Humidifiers for Bedroom and Office

The Crane ultrasonic cool mist humidifier (from Amazon) might look similar to another brand that’s a bit more popular, and they work essentially the same way. This one is small in size, but it does a good job of diffusing essential oils, which can help relax or energize you, depending on the oil you choose.

The humidifier offers three timed settings, including one hour, three hours, or six hours. Once the humidifier runs out of the water, it will shut off automatically, which protects the unit. It also includes a light that can act as a nightlight, and you can choose the color you prefer. The colors available include blue, red, purple, green, teal, and more.

This little diffuser and humidifier operate quietly, which is nice when you have this in your bedroom. And the design of this device is attractive, and it should work well in any home. However, refilling this humidifier could prove challenging.

You have to remove three separate pieces to get to the reservoir. Plus, there are quite a few defective units being shipped out, so be sure you run yours quite a bit the first few days to make sure it works, or so you can return it, if necessary.

If you’re looking for a cheap humidifier that can also act as an essential oil diffuser, this one may work well for you.

Pros

  • Auto shutoff
  • Quiet operation
  • Attractive
  • Time settings
  • Affordable
  • Nightlight

Cons

  • Lots of pieces to deal with
  • Defects reported

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Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Crane Adorables Ultrasonic Humidifiers for Bedroom and Baby Nursery

You get your choice of dark or light-grain wood when you buy this URPOWER essential oil diffuser and humidifier in one. The unit offers a few different features that seem familiar. It has an LED light that’s a ring around the whole unit.

You get to choose between seven different colors, and you can also choose whether the light is bright or dim. This humidifier also comes with time setting options, such as one hour, three hours, six hours, or continuously on. It’ll run for about six hours before shutting off automatically when it runs out of water.

You can’t please all the people all the time, and so, one of the biggest drawbacks of this diffuser and humidifier combo is that the lid, which is easy to remove, doesn’t lock in place. This is worth mentioning because older models and other manufacturers made secure tops that were hard to remove.

URPOWER made this top to rest on top of the device to make it easy to remove, but now a common complaint is that it could be easily knocked over and spilled.

If you’d prefer a humidifier and diffuser in one that has an easy-to-remove lid, and is quiet and affordable, then this one may work for you.

Pros

  • Auto shutoff
  • Quiet operation
  • Attractive
  • Time settings
  • Affordable
  • Nightlight

Cons

  • The top isn’t secure
  • Defects reported

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SmartDevil Small Humidifier

SmartDevil Small Humidifiers, 500ml Desk Humidifiers, Whisper-Quiet Operation

You can choose the color of the Sbode humidifier you like best, whether it’s blue, green, pink, or yellow. This little humidifier holds about 200 milliliters of water, which will be turned into water vapor for five to seven hours.

After that, you’ll have to refill it. The continuous warm mist will pump out until it runs out of the water and then it shuts off automatically.

This humidifier uses a filter, which you’ll need to clean and change eventually, but you at least get a replacement with this package. What’s rare about this humidifier is that it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty, should you receive a defective unit.

Unfortunately, this humidifier seems to leak quite a bit, so you should be careful where you set this unit up. Plus, you shouldn’t use essential oils in this small humidifier, or you could damage it.

If you want a humidifier that has no frills and simply turns on or off, then this cheap humidifier could be the one for you.

Pros

  • Quiet operation
  • One-year warranty
  • Affordable
  • Includes replacement filters
  • Nightlight

Cons

  • Water spits out of a unit
  • Essential oils not suggested

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The Bottom Line

Buying a cheap humidifier comes with a few caveats. You have to understand that these are inexpensive because they aren’t built the same way the bigger, better ones are.

However, these can definitely do the job for your desk, car, or bedroom. And some of them perform spectacularly – as long as you give them the proper care. A few of the best affordable humidifiers have features, such as allowing essential oils, or including a nightlight, while there are others that are a bit simpler.

Regardless of the extras, there’s one humidifier that climbs above all the others to reach the top spot.

The URPOWER 2nd Version Cool Mist Humidifier gets great marks for working well, looking cute, and having the necessary features to add cool misty humidity to your home, and works as a diffuser, as well. It’s super affordable, and quiet, and it doesn’t have many defects reported.

The top is a bit hard to get loose, but on the flip side, the top is quite secure. You also get to choose the color light you like best.

The Best Cheap Humidifiers

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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