7 Best WIRED-Tested Humidifiers for Home and Away (2025)

I began writing this roundup of best humidifiers for WIRED in New York City during the second longest drought on record. In November my radiators clanked along, blasting my 100-plus-year-old Brooklyn apartment with heat. And according to my indoor air quality monitors, my humidity was hovering at 32 percent. The inside of my nose was dry, as was my skin. My houseplants needed to be watered more than usual. Brooklyn’s Prospect Park had a wildfire that required more than 200 firefighters. This is all to say it was arid. And parched interiors are not just about chapped lips or dry noses. According to the recommendation of Harvard’s School of Public Health, indoor humidity can slow the spread of Covid-19. Ideal indoor humidity should be between 40 percent and 60 percent. And studies suggest that a higher ambient humidity along with warmer temperatures also inhibit the spread of influenza. There’s a lot those little humidifiers can do. And still, the number one abandoned appliance I see o ... Read full article.