How to choose a steam humidifier: reviews and recommendations

A steam humidifier is an important electrical appliance that has a beneficial effect on the health of people. About how to choose this unit correctly, what advantages and disadvantages exist, and also reviews about it, see below.

What is it needed for?

Parents should purchase a steam humidifier if:

1. The child is not sleeping well.
2. The skin of the baby dries and peels off.
3. The child is often sick for a long time.
4. The kid quickly gets tired at home.

If any of these items take place, then your crumb needs this device, since the reason for the above-described conditions can be dry air. The fact is that if the child is constantly in the overdried environment, then the surrounding mixture of gases (nitrogen and oxygen prevail) absorbs moisture from the child's body: from the skin, hair, respiratory tract, and hence - the drying of mucous membranes. And as a result - labored breathing, formation of crusts in the nose, poor protection from viruses, reduced immunity, etc. Therefore, dry air is a real trouble to deal with. And the most effective way to deal with it is to purchase a device such as a steam humidifier.

What humidity should be in the room?

For a person, the moisture content in the room should be within 50-70%. For plants, so that they grow well and do not fade, 55-75%. For furniture, parquet and possible musical instruments - 40-60%.

For comparison: in winter, when the heating starts, the humidity level in the house does not exceed 20%, but should be 2 or even 3 times more. Therefore, you should not postpone the purchase of such a necessary device, like a steam humidifier. And how to choose the right one from a large number of devices, we will go further.

Types of steam humidifiers

1. Device for air with cold steam. It works like this: a special fan, which is inside the unit, pumps water through a grid on which there are dust and all kinds of bacteria, and purified humidified air enters the room.
2. Device with hot steam. It functions on the same principle as the cold humidifier, but there is an additional heating element. And as a result, the room air will not only be clean, but also warm.

Advantages and disadvantages of the humidifier with cold steam

Advantages of such a device are:

- low price;

- consumes little electricity;

- there is an adjustment of the required percentage of humidification, as well as the noise level;

- You can put in any children's room regardless of the age of the child.

Disadvantages:

- decrease in air temperature (albeit small, but it is) due to the evolving cold steam;

- this device perfectly moistens the room, but it does not clean it properly from microbes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the humidifier with hot steam

Pluses:

- low price in comparison with an ultrasonic or ionizing device;

- with its help you can save by not having to buy additional filters;

- Quickly humidifies the air in the room;

- The steam perfectly eliminates germs.

Disadvantages of such a device:

- there is a possibility of burning with hot steam, so it should be placed away from children;

- there is no function to adjust the set percentage of humidity, so it is possible to wet the room - in this case it is necessary to monitor the operation of the device;

- due to the fact that hot steam enters the room, the air temperature rises, this is especially bad in the summer, when it is already so hot.

Which one to choose: ultrasonic or steam?

For today the choice of humidifying devices is huge, for any taste and a purse. But the most popular are two types: steam and ultrasonic humidifiers. Often people do not know which is better to buy, and to dispel all suspicions, we describe the advantages and disadvantages of the second option (the first one we mentioned above).

Pros of the ultrasonic humidifier :

- Works very quietly, almost inaudibly.

- Much faster than the steam humidifier.

- It has additional functions, such as automatic shutdown, evaporation rate control, filter change sensor.

Disadvantages of the ultrasonic device:

- High price.

- Can not be used in the children's room, where the child is under 4 years of age (due to the peculiarities of the construction of light crumbs).

- It is necessary to change filters, which are not expensive.

- Settling of white coatings on objects, things in case ordinary water from the tap is used. Therefore, in this case it is necessary to specifically buy the purified liquid.

Now that you know all the advantages and disadvantages of both devices, there will not be a question about which humidifier, ultrasonic or steam, to choose. We need to start from the financial capabilities of the family, as well as individual preferences.

Opinions of people

Such an instrument, like a steam humidifier, has very contradictory feedback. Supporters of the unit note its effectiveness: the air quickly becomes wet, the well-being of children and adults noticeably improves. An important criterion, which people pay attention to when choosing this device, is its design. There is a wide variety of steam humidifiers, especially for children: in the form of a ladybird, a dog, a mushroom, etc.

Negative reviews also exist, and, unfortunately, there are many of them. People are unhappy with the fact that:

- Evaporation on furniture often leaves a white scurf;

- it is inconvenient to pour water into the tank;

- the device is noisy;

- when the unit is operating at full power, a condensate forms under the cover, and as a result, a puddle is produced under the humidifier;

- the attachment of the handle to the body is unreliable.

But no matter how many disadvantages people recount, the positive effect of using this electric appliance is visible to everyone.

Recommendations

When choosing a humidifier, pay attention to the following conditions:

1. The size of the room in which the device will work.
2. Device parameters. The smaller the room, the smaller the device should be.
3. Noise level. It should be no higher than 30 decibels.
4. Water quality. It is recommended to buy purified water, so that later there were no questions about the presence of a white coating on the furniture.
5. Electricity consumption. Such devices consume enough light, so it is recommended to choose the device with the lowest degree of flow.

Steam humidifier for children you can choose correctly, if you adhere to the above recommendations.

Finally

Now you know what the humidifier is for and how it affects the human body, in particular, the baby. Also we told about what device (ultrasonic or steam) to choose for yourself, proceeding from financial possibilities and individual preferences.