How to choose the right ultrasonic humidifier

Maintaining good air quality in the home and the office is fundamental to your health and well-being. Winter is a crucial time for this, and the symptoms of a relative humidity level that is too low quickly make themselves felt. Tickly throat, dry skin, tiredness? You need a humidifier! But how do you choose the right device for dealing with the dry air? We can help!

Reminder: why use an ultrasonic humidifier in winter?

In a previous article, we looked at the importance of humidifying the air in our everyday space. Why? In winter, the drop in temperature makes the air drier. This, combined with our central heating, causes the relative humidity level to drop considerably. So, to prevent some of the symptoms commonly associated with this season - colds, tiredness, headaches - it is important to maintain an optimal level of humidity of 40 to 60% in every room in your living space.

Want to find out more? See how to use a humidifier to minimise the discomforts of winter!

Selection criteria for the right ultrasonic humidifier

The principle of an ultrasonic humidifier is to break the water down into minuscule droplets and diffuse it into the air in the room.

Criterion 1: Intended use

When you buy one, it is important to know precisely how you will use your ultrasonic humidifier. A device put in a child's bedroom will require specific attention. Similarly, the size of the room is one of the criteria when using a humidifier.

Criterion 2: The size of the room

Before choosing a humidifier, you need to target the places you want to treat. Depending on your preferences, you need to choose a device suitable for the volume of the room. As a general rule, the various humidifier manufacturers assume that the height of a living space is 2.5 m. So you can use this as a basis when calculating the area of the room in m2.

Criterion 3: Automatic or manual control

How much attention you need to pay to your humidifier depends to a greater or lesser extent on the volume of the respective room. Humidifying your living space is all well and good, but you need to avoid letting the humidity level get too high. To do this, we recommend keeping an eye on it with the help of a hygrometer.

For greater convenience, you can always go for a humidifier with an integrated hygrometer. This automatic control system changes its parameters autonomously, giving the benefit of a constant, ideal relative humidity level.

Our New Vapolux and Notus ultrasonic humidifiers offer this option.

Criterion 4: Hardness of the water

Before choosing your air humidifier, it is important to know the hardness of your water. If your water is very hard, it is essential to think of using a water softening filter cartridge. This softens the hard water, protecting the functioning of the device and considerably reducing the limescale that can be deposited in it. The lifetime of the cartridge depends on the hardness of the water. We recommend changing it every 1 to 3 months.

Criterion 5: Essential oils

Because of the benefits that essential oils can bring when diffused into the air, it can be worthwhile considering this factor when choosing your humidifier. Some humidifiers provide the option of adding essential oils, others do not.
In any case, it is important to observe the instructions for use in terms of both the permitted drops and the number of people in the room. For example, a humidifier working in a child's bedroom should only diffuse essential oils into the room when it is unoccupied, and not in the child's presence.

Criterion 6: Cold vapour or hot steam

Some humidifiers are capable of diffusing hot steam as well as cold vapour. Although more expensive, these models have the advantage of dealing better with any bacteria found in the water in the tank, since the water is heated before being diffused into the air. They can also improve the diffusion of the water into the air. When the air is warmer, it is easier to diffuse into it.

Based on these criteria, take a look at our range of ultrasonic humidifiers.