10 Best Cool & Warm Mist Humidifiers in the UK in 2022: Reviews, Comparison & Buyer's Guide

A warm mist humidifier is a device that produces a sustained mist of warm water vapor in a larger small area, depending on the device. These are almost entirely electrically powered, with a few weaker battery models available, though most are corded electric. These devices serve a host of purposes, one of them being medical.

How do warm mist humidifiers differ?

These devices can be divided into steam humidifiers/vaporizers and ultrasonic humidifiers. Some humidifiers are made with a filter, while others come filter-free. 

• Steam humidifiers boil water to release warm mist into the air. They are equipped with a heating element, a reservoir, and a nozzle. In addition, vaporizers have a dispenser that allows you to use the device with liquid inhalants.
• Ultrasonic humidifiers create a warm mist through the built-in diaphragm that vibrates at a specific frequency.

Dual humidifiers are more versatile, they emit both warm and cool mist.

Warm Mist Humidifiers vs. Cool Mist Humidifiers

Precautions. Warmness humidifiers should not be used by people with chronic bronchitis, as severe humidity can agitate this ailment. It also probably shouldn’t be used as an alleviation method for people suffering from lung cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis, as severe humidity can also agitate these. These should not be used around electronics, as condensation can and will ruin the internal mechanisms.

As a highly beneficial appliance, a warm mist humidifier may also trigger allergic reactions if it raises humidity levels. Excessive humidity leads to mould formation, causing respiratory problems and allergies. That's why nowadays, cool mist humidifiers are more widespread as a more safe technology.

Best Humidifiers Compared

Below we have compared the best humidifiers from trusted manufacturers available in the UK market.

A great example is the Philips Series 3000I 2-in-1 Air Purifier & Humidifier that comes with 4 pre-set humidity levels. You can select your desired humidity level between 40%, 50%, and 60%, and the appliance will automatically shut off and turn on to reach the set humidity level.

Additionally, this humidifier uses AeraSense technology to detect air allergens in the room, while the digital display shows you the potential risk level on a scale from 1 to 12. And thirdly, the appliance comes with 3 automatic purification settings, including an extra-sensitive Allergen mode, a Pollution mode, and a quiet, low-speed Sleep mode.

Another option from the trusted manufacturer is Sharp UA-HD60U-L Air Purifier with Plasmacluster Ion Technology. It is equipped with a humidity sensor that continuously monitors the indoor air to maintain a healthy moisture level. The appliance has different operating modes, including pollen removal and humidification modes.

If you suffer from mould in your house, this model provides hygienic humidification. Plasmacluster Ion Technology – a built-in generator emits positive and negative ions to combat airborne bacteria, viruses, mould, and odors.

Choosing the right humidifier for your room size

A crucial factor in choosing a humidifier is the room size. Powerful humidifiers may cause moisture buildup in a small space, while compact models will not be efficient in a large room.

The Philips has the most potent humidification for a large 80 m² area. The Sharp models offer a smaller coverage (from 10 up to 48 m²) area but are available in five different sizes, so you can pick the one that suits your room best.

• The humidifier’s output is measured in milliliters of mist per hour (ml/hr) and shows how much space the appliance can fill with moist air. Models producing 180 ml/hr of mist are suitable for a room up to 25 square meters, while a humidifier with an output of 500 ml/hr can handle a space up to 70 square meters.

The Philips Series 3000I Humidifier is designed for rooms up to 80 square meters and offers hygienic humidification up to 600 ml/h. It removes allergens, harmful particles, and bacteria and eliminates dry air discomfort in large indoor spaces. If you have a home run by intelligent technology systems, it is Alexa enabled, and your existing controls and sensor can control it via Alexa or Smartthings.

The devices for smaller spaces are available in five sizes: 10/21/26/38/48 m².

The basic air purifier in this Sharp series covers 10 m² of space and has an airflow rate of up to 90 m3/h. Another compact model for small rooms of 21 m² delivers up to 180 m3/h of airflow. But please note that these two basic models have no humidification feature.

The advanced Sharp air purifiers have a humidifying capacity of 440 ml/h, 600 ml/h, and 660 ml/h, respectively. 

The HD40U-L is ideal for rooms up to 26 m², the HD50U-L has a coverage area of up to 38 m², while the Sharp UA-HD60U-L air purifier can handle spaces up to 48 m². However, capacity is not the only feature distinguishing these models from the two basic ones. They have three-speed levels and a more significant number of operating modes and are built with dust, humidity, and temperature settings.

• Another important criterium is CADR which stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. This metric measures the clean air volume that an appliance can deliver in a fixed amount of time. In other words, CADR shows the amount of filtered air passed through the device.

The Philips Series 3000I Humidifier has a CADR of up to 310 m³/h, while the Sharp models come with a CADR rating ranging from 180 m³/h to 396 m³/h, depending on the model.

Types of Warm Mist Humidifiers & How They Work

They can be used to combat severe congestion, respiratory issues, and other such things, which is one of their heaviest uses, but they can also be used to aid people who suffer from ailments due to dry, cold air. Many people who first moved to desert areas, or the dryer, colder areas will often seek comfort in a warm mist humidifier to acclimate themselves.

Larger, industrial warm mist humidifiers are used for hydroponic and greenhouse agriculture, providing a stable, moist and warm environment regardless of the climate outside.

The two most popular warm mist humidifiers are Vicks and Honeywell brands. Both devices are filter-free, which is a clear advantage. The problem with filters is that bacteria and microbes accumulate on them. Moreover, using a filter-free device, you do not have to bother with replacing filters. Vicks and Honeywell humidifiers come with a one-gallon water tank, medicine cups, and two output settings (low and high). Besides, they have a feature that turns off the unit automatically when it is empty. But as I said earlier, they are not safe enough for some people.

So, a cool-mist humidifier is an alternative for those who cannot use warm mist models. It uses evaporative technology, an Anti-Allergen Triple Filtration, and the HEPA filter that removes 99.97% harmful particles like pollen, dust, pet dander, and pollution. It is germ-free and kills almost all bacteria in the room. 

10 Best-Selling Humidifiers in the UK: Cool & Warm Mist Humidifiers Comparative Table