Cool Mist Humidifier

I like the Crane animal humidifiers. They're simple, and you have to clean them regularly (with vinegar), but they're cute and work well.

I use the cool mist humidifier for safety reasons. We use the Crane brand (they sell it at Target and you can buy one that looks like an elephant or penguin) and it is super quiet. I have gone through tons of other humidifiers and this one, in my opinion, is the best.

My kids have allergies and my dr has always recommended me getting a humidifer. In my room I have an Elmo humidifier. It used to be in my son's room but since he sometimes crawls into bed with us and our 10 month old still sleeps in our room, we just bring it in our room. The directions say to clean it once a week, but empty it daily. I also have another one for the living room. Don't know the brand, but we can use vicks in it also. That's good for large rooms. Any humidifier will do, just make sure the size is right (small, medium, or large room). They especially help when your kids have a cold as you aren't supposed to use cold medicines on infants anymore.

We got the Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier with the section for the Vapostrips as a baby shower gift and its still going strong 16 months later - we love it! And the Vapostrips have been fabulous when Jr. is congested; they really help. You can get a good deal on Amazon.com, plus the best deal for the filters is on Amazon.com too. :)

ps
I think the warm mist can harbour bacteria, which is why they aren't recommended for daily use anymore. However, when your baby has a dry cough, a few minutes in a bath with the hot shower running and the warm steam is very good for him.

Hi-
YES! I would recommend "Hunter" brand. I got it from Walmart. And I have been through 3 different humidifier's. ANd the filters get soooo expensive to purchase when need to be refilled!! This Hunter one that I got needs NO filter. Its great!! I love it! I would spend $50 each time I had to buy a package of filters (4) and only able to use them each time someone got sick. The next time around you would have to throw it away because it would dry up! I hope this helps. This filters is what would cost you!
S.

I usually like warm mist for myself but everyone recommends cool mist, especially for kids.

I found that when my daughter's got a lot of mucus to move, it really works to have both a cool and a warm mist in her room!

I don't pay attention to the brand, I figure they all work. No problems so far. Just keep them clean and if you go with the warm mist one, get some eucalyptus oil to put in the spot next to the mist exit. It helps open the airways similarly to vicks vaporub.

I have the Vicks Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier which I HATE. It puts SO much moisture in the air that my daughter's walls get condensation on them and the carpet gets damp, and that's on the lowest setting. I would have to go in her room in the middle of the night to turn it off.

I recently tried out the Hunter Cool Mist Humidifier at my brothers house. It has a digital readout of what the current humidity level is in the air and you can set it at what humidity level you want it at so it will automatically turn off when it is reached. I LOVE IT!! I think it costs more, but worth it. The whole room doesn't get wet like the Vicks one. I'm going out to purchase one.

I use a Vicks cool mist in my son's room. I've read that the warm mist humidifiers pose a scalding hazard - I guess if your kid can get to it. His room is the warmest in the house, so the coolness from the humidifier isn't a problem. There is some sort of residue all over the furniture from using it, though. I really don't know what causes it since we use filtered water, but thought I'd mention it. Maybe it's a reaction of the water with furniture polish? Happy New Year!

I've been using the American Red Cross Nursery Ultrasonic Humidifier. It has a light blue nightlight when its on, and a small fan that moves the mist out. We have just stated using it to balance out the drying out from our heater. I like it, and the cool mist helping me too! Good luck.

For daily use I use a cool mist. I keep a cool mist for my 3 year old since I can't trust her yet to not touch and get burned. Just beware that cool mist does make the room colder. When my kids have a cold and stuffy nose I always give them a shower before bed or time in a closed bathroom with it running to steam clean the nasal passages. It helps them sleep. I personally prefer the vaporizer but it does heat up the room and make everything damp so air out the room every morning.

Here's a little something I've discovered: use the warm mist in winter. In addition to the moisture, it also warms up the room and can cut heating costs. And the reverse is true about the cool mist: use it in summer, and it helps keep things cooler. Keep both clean and you shouldn't have any problems. I bought the $20 drugstore versions of each and they work just fine. Good luck!

Cool is supposed to be better just for safety. the water isn't heated-so, there is no burn risk.

We have 2 Hunter humidifiers. Love them-they don't make a mess. We had 2 different ones before, of course I do not remember brands and they made a mess.

actually a warm one is best b/c u don't have to clean it every day..just once a week and they don't breed as much bacteria..or so the pharmacist told me..u have to clean the cool mist one after every use w/ white vinegar..the warm one once a week also w/ white vinegar.

We have had great results with the Vorinado brand, have used them for years. You need to change the filters, but it is worth it!

Hi K.,
I just read an article, sometime last month, about why to use a cool mist humidfier. Basically, it was talking about how to deal with croup, but also for anyone with a cough. When a baby has croup, the doctor tells you to turn on the shower and get some steam going so that the child can breath easier. Then you also have the cool mist going in the room. Well, the article that I read said exactly that but it also mentioned that once you do the shower thing, take the child outside, in the cold, yep, in the cold for a few minutes. Apparantely, the cold air and the cold mist will relax the nasal and throat passages so that they child or adult will slow down the coughing and relax it enough to sleep. I wish I could remember where I read it, but it made a whole lot of sense. Sorry if my writing doesn't.

I use a warm mist in the winter.... warm air rises, so it works better. I always found the cool mist would just end up humidifying my floor. Regardless, you'll need to keep it clean and I use distilled water to reduce the calcium buildup.

Vicks. It's tried and true, and you can always find new filters at all local drug stores.

You're right, cool mist is what pediatricians recommend. Vicks makes several that are good.

K.,

I bought the vicks brand humidifier from Babys R Us in Santa Maria and it works great. We use a woodstove to heat our house and it not only helps much of my house humid!

M.

We use the warm mist humidifier. Our bedrooms are the coldest rooms in the house, so it helps in the winter, and my daughter and I both breathe better with the warm mist. We have the vicks which has an auto shut off when empty and she doesn't bother it. Also, she would have to stand over it for quite some time to actually get scaled or burned, whatever the fear is.

I don't know that you can actually make the wrong choice, as long as what you choose does not wet the carpet or rug consistently - that would be more hazardous than either the cool or warm mist.

I have a Lasko Humidifier that is suppose to cover 3200 sq feet and I love it! It takes a little care and monitoring for the humidity (I live in AZ), but it has so helped our allergies. I have not had any white dust with it and AZ has hard water!! I also have one of those Scientific clocks that gives you the correct time and humidity, so I can monitor the humidity in the house.