What’s The Best Place to Put a Humidifier?

There is no doubt that humidifiers are excellent investments that offer various health benefits. However, these machines are somewhat tricky to work with. For instance, people often wonder where to put a humidifier for optimum use.

Is it safe to keep it on the nightstand in your bedroom? How far should you place it from your baby? What is the best location for a humidifier in your living room?

To help you out, I have listed all the best humidifier placements for different rooms for you. Keep reading to learn how you can reap maximum benefits out of your humidifier.

Factors to Consider When Selecting the Placement of a Humidifier

Since humidifiers come in many models with different shapes and sizes, you need to consider a few factors to find your device’s best position. A few of these critical points are described in detail in the following section.

• Type of Humidifier: It plays a significant part in the placement of your humidifier. Warm-mist humidifiers use boiling water to create mist and should be placed at a safe distance away from your bed, children, and living space. Cool-mist humidifiers are generally much safer to keep nearby.


• Weight and Size of the Humidifier: If you own a large or heavy humidifier, it is not ideal for keeping it in a central location or on a table. Consider placing it in the corner of your room for optimum results. In contrast, compact and medium-sized humidifiers are portable enough to place on top of a dresser, cabinet, or shelf.


• Noise Level: Instead of ruining the ambiance of your home with loud humidifiers, it is better to opt for ones with low-noise operation. However, if your humidifier is noisy, you can always place it at a distance to minimize distraction. Keep your humidifier in the corner of your room to prevent it from affecting your sleep and day-to-day life.


• Room Size: It is an essential factor to consider while looking for the best place to keep a humidifier. If you have a medium to large-sized room, you need to place your humidifier in a central location to spread the moist discharge evenly. For small-sized rooms, you can set the humidifier on a close-by table or wherever you spend the most time.


• Humidity Level: It is best to place your humidifier in an area with low humidity. For this purpose, you can use a hygrometer to get the moisture level in different areas of your room. However, keep in mind to keep your humidifier away from heaters, vents, wooden furniture, and even plants.


• Height above the Floor: It is recommended to keep your humidifier at least two feet off the ground for the best result. So whether you own an ultrasonic or an evaporative model, place your humidifier on a table or stand, making sure to keep a towel or tray to catch the mist. In contrast, larger models, more than two feet in height, are safe to use on the floor.

Related: The Best Room Humidifier That Doesn’t Leave White Dust

Where to Place a Humidifier in a Bedroom?

Since humidifiers are proven to improve your sleep quality, people often use these handy machines in their bedrooms. But how close should a humidifier be to your bed? Can you place it on your side table?

Well, one sure way to find the best possible position is to use a hygrometer to obtain the moisture level in different areas of your bedroom. Although it is not an obligatory step, the meter can guide you toward a low-humidity place for optimum benefit.

Besides this, there is a general rule of thumb to place your humidifier at least three feet away from your bed.

Moreover, the size and type of humidifier dictate its spot in your bedroom too. For instance, if you have a larger humidifier for big bedrooms, you should place it in the corner, either on the floor or on a small table. Similarly, while it is safe to place a cool-mist humidifier close to your bed, make sure to keep warm-mist humidifiers at a distance for safety reasons.

How Close Should A Humidifier Be To Your Bed?

The general rule of thumb is to place your humidifier at least three feet away from your bed. Not only will it keep you safe during the night, but it will also stop you from inhaling the moist humidifier discharge directly.

Make sure to not put the humidifier too far away from your bed because the mist from the humidifier might not reach you. But if all you want to do is to increase the humidity level, it doesn’t really matter if the humidifier is far away from your bed.

Where Should You Put a Humidifier in Your Baby’s Room?

A humidifier in your baby’s room protects them from dry skin, allergens, viruses, and congestion. However, it is sometimes challenging for parents to find the right spot in the nursery for the humidifier.

If so, there are a few things you need to consider.

First of all, you need to keep the device at least an arm’s reach away from your baby for safety. Since children are prone to meddling with things, consider placing your humidifier on a nightstand, dresser, or shelf.

Make sure to keep a tray below the humidifier for any leakage or spills, and leave the door slightly open for fresh air circulation.

Besides this, follow the same rule of three-foot distance from their beds for optimum health benefits. You can even use a hygrometer to find the best humidifier placement in the baby’s room.

On a side note, opt for cool-mist humidifiers instead of warm-mist ones to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

Humidifier Placement for the Living Room

Since the living room is typically spacious, you need to consider a few factors to find the right humidifier spot to benefit your whole family.

One of these factors is the size of your room and the humidifier. If you have a large, whole-house humidifier, you can place it in a corner where it can spread humid air to the entire room.

On the other hand, place smaller devices in a central location in your living room for optimum results. Additionally, make sure to keep a towel, tray, or plastic table underneath the humidifier to protect your wooden furniture from water.

You also need to avoid placing your humidifier close to vents, radiators, and sunlight. The heat will affect the built-in hygrometer reading on your humidifier, and it will work harder to produce more mist.

Where is the Best Place to Put a Humidifier in the Office?

The air in your office can get quite dry at times, especially if you are working eight to nine hours in an open space or cubicle. For such situations, you can invest in a portable and desktop-friendly humidifier for your needs.

You can keep it right by your side on your desk space to reap maximum benefits. However, make sure to place it away from your PC and wires, and keep a tray underneath to protect your desk from the mist.

Read Review: Best Air Purifier for Office Desk

Where Not to Put a Humidifier?

Now that we have covered all the ideal spots where to place a humidifier let us look at some of the places you need to avoid:

• Keep your humidifier away from sunlight as it can lead to rapid bacterial growth and exacerbate your respiratory issues.
• Do not keep your humidifier directly on the carpet or wooden furniture to prevent mold from the humid discharge. Besides this, placing it on the floor directly can create slippery water puddles. 
• Place your humidifier away from electrical equipment, including laptops, phones, TVs, vacuum, and even ovens. The humid air from the device can rust your gadgets and even start fires.
• Similarly, make sure to keep your humidifier away from electrical sockets too. Apart from rusting, you can get short circuits from the moisture in the sockets.
• Do not place your humidifier too far away from your eyes. Keep it an easy-to-access location for emergencies and regular servicing.
• Do not operate your humidifier for long periods or in an already humid room. Just like dry air, too much moisture has detrimental effects on your health also.

Is it Safe To Place The Humidifier On a Carpet?

To avoid mold growth from the humidifier’s discharge and prevent slippery water puddles, it’s not a good idea to place it directly on the carpet or wooden furniture. So, make sure to keep it on a stand or tray instead of on the floor.

Should I Put The Humidifier Near a Window or Door?

No, don’t put your humidifier near a window or door because the air coming from these areas can affect the humidity level in your room. Plus, chilly drafts can cause your humidifier to get all wet and slippery, which is not good for the device or your safety. Additionally, placing the humidifier near a window or door may cause moisture to escape through the opening, reducing its effectiveness. So, keep your humidifier away from windows and doors and put it in the middle of the room for best results.