If your houseplants are looking a little duller than you’d expect despite being watered regularly and receiving proper sunlight, they might need more humidity. Humidity is just as important for plant health as it is for us.

These provide plants with moisture and air circulation that better mimic their natural environment, promoting better health and growth. The easiest and most hassle-free way to increase your home’s humidity is through a humidifier. To help you with this, we’ve found five of the best humidifiers for regular and tropical plants that we know your indoor garden will love.

Backyard Boss Top 5 Best Humidifier for Plants for 2021

PRODUCT

FEATURES

LEVOIT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - $$title$$

LEVOIT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

  • Capacity: 6 Liters
  • Type: Ultrasonic
  • Warranty: 1 Year Extendable

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Pure Enrichment MistAire Eva - $$title$$

Pure Enrichment MistAire Eva

  • Capacity: 2.8 Liters
  • Type: Evaporative
  • Warranty: 5 Years

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Bluestone Clay Aqua Ball Humidifier - $$title$$

Bluestone Clay Aqua Ball Humidifier

  • Capacity: 1 Cup Each
  • Type: Manual
  • Warranty: Undisclosed

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Vornado Evap40 - $$title$$

Vornado Evap40

  • Capacity: 15 Liters
  • Type: Evaporative
  • Warranty: 5 Years

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Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier - $$title$$

Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier

  • Capacity: 3.7 Liters
  • Type: Vaporizer
  • Warranty: 3 Years

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Why You Can Trust Us

At some point, every indoor gardener will realize that simple watering and regular misting aren’t enough for their plants anymore. If you want them to grow healthier in a better environment, you'll have to invest in a humidifier.

We want to use our experience to help you find the best product that will suit all your needs. That's why we went through a strict research and trial process and used our knowledge, expert advice, and general feedback to ensure that we only recommend the best types of humidifiers for your plants. We've also included tips to help you choose the best humidifier for your plants and your home, making sure to include all our sources so you can continue researching on your own.

Best Ultrasonic

LEVOIT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

    This humidifier can be fully controlled through an app or smart home assistant and makes setting your plants’ humidity so much easier.

      Pros:

    • 60-hour max run time
    • Smart home assistant compatible
    • Rotating nozzle with 2ft tall mist
    • Built-in night light
      Cons:

    • Difficult without the app
    • Runs with a low noise

Why We Like It: The LEVOIT humidifier has a 6L capacity and works great for smart homes, able to be controlled through an app and a smart home assistant. 

It doesn’t need a filter and has a built-in night light, can be used for aromatherapy, and has sensors that adjust levels of humidity through the app. It releases a two-foot-tall cool mist and can run on its own for up to 60 hours. It’s one of the easiest ways to meet your plant’s ideal humidity level needs without constant attention and involvement.

Who Should Buy It: Those with smart homes will benefit the most from this humidifier technology.

Best Evaporative

Pure Enrichment MistAire Eva

    This humidifier has four humidity levels to choose from for plants with different humidity needs.

      Pros:

    • 4 fan speeds and 3 timer settings
    • 25-hour max run time
    • Energy-efficient whirlwind technology
    • Auto-dry antimicrobial filter
      Cons:

    • Difficult to find wick filter replacements
    • Refills from the bottom

Why We Like It: This Pure Enrichment humidifier uses whirlwind technology to properly circulate air and moisture in large 500 sq. ft. rooms all day. 

It has a 2.8L tank that can last up to 25 uninterrupted hours and comes with a built-in colorful nightlight. Its antimicrobial filter is also noteworthy, automatically drying once the machine shuts off. It has four fan speeds with three timer settings to choose from, which is great for meeting a plant’s specific optimum humidity.

Who Should Buy It: The no-heat operation is fantastic for keeping your home safe from any curious children and pets you might have.

Best Compact

Bluestone Clay Aqua Ball Humidifier

    This stylish humidifier is easy to use and can subtly humidify small indoor gardens and lone houseplants.

      Pros:

    • Local humidifier for small areas
    • Lightweight and portable
    • No power needed
    • Silent operation
      Cons:

    • Hand wash only
    • Requires high involvement for usage

Why We Like It: This stylish humidifier comes in pairs and doesn't require any power to work. 

It uses a clay sphere and ceramic bowl to humidify a localized area, which is great for small indoor gardens. It’s a lightweight unit that simply requires you to pour in your water and wash regularly. This can be placed anywhere and is easy to use, maintain, and transport if needed.

Who Should Buy It: Home gardeners who only need to humidify a small area can get the most out of this.

Best Large Capacity

Vornado Evap40

    This large capacity humidifier can run for days at low settings and minimizes your involvement by requiring fewer tank refills.

      Pros:

    • 24-hour minimum run time
    • 3 fan speeds
    • 1,000 sq. ft. humidifying coverage
    • Automatic humidistat balances air environment
      Cons:

    • Unmarked hygrometer
    • Difficult to find wick filter replacements

Why We Like It: This Vornado evaporative humidifier has a four-gallon capacity and three different fan speeds. 

On its highest setting, it runs seamlessly for 24 hours and has a built-in humidistat that automatically balances the air to make sure your indoor plants grow at the perfect level of humidity. It's incredibly powerful and would be great for increasing extra humidity levels for indoor gardens in large rooms, such as a studio apartment or a communal area.

Who Should Buy It: Gardeners with large spaces will be able to benefit greatly from this humidifier.

Best Vaporizer

Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier

    This humidifier promotes plant growth while also addressing some of your medical needs.

      Pros:

    • 12-hour max run time
    • 2 fan speeds
    • 95% bacteria-free mist
    • Good for aromatherapy and congestion
      Cons:

    • Leakage
    • Difficult for homes with children and pets

Why We Like It: This Vicks vaporizer humidifier has a one-gallon capacity and two fan speeds that can run unsupervised for up to 12 hours, automatically shutting off once water is low. 

It operates quietly and releases a mist that’s 95% bacteria-free, which is perfect for preventing any bad bacterial build-up on your indoor plants. It's also good for aromatherapy since you can also purchase special Vicks liquid inhalants for battling congestion.

Who Should Buy It: Those who often deal with congestion or colds will be able to use this as much as their plants.

Why Do Some Plants Need More Humidity

woman pouring water inside humidifier

Image Credit: LEVOIT Store on Amazon

The truth is that when experts say plants need water, they don't mean just a daily misting or watering them in their pots. Generally, plants grow best with high humidity levels.

Although most succulents and cacti live great in relatively dry conditions, many tropical and rainforest plants need lots of moisture in the air. High humidity gives them the best chance at growing healthy and big, especially if the conditions replicate their natural environment in the wild.

Types Of Plant Humidifier

woman pouring water inside humidifier

Image Credit: Vornado Store on Amazon

Not all humidifiers are the same. Different kinds of humidifiers suit different climates, homes, and plants.

Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers are great for dry places because they help boost the moisture in the air without raising the temperature. These are best for warmer climates and homes with children and pets since it isn’t powered by heat. Unfortunately, these tend to leave a white cast.

Warm Mist Humidifiers

Warm mist humidifiers are best for cold weather. Unlike cold mist, these humidifiers increase room temperature through water vapor created by heat, which is your best bet at replicating tropical climates in cold states. That said, these are difficult to clean and have costly filtration systems.

Evaporative Humidifiers

Evaporative humidifiers produce a cool mist and use a heatless fan with a moist wick filter to circulate moisture through the air. Often, these quickly increase a room’s humidity without leaving a mineral dust white cast. However, these don’t operate silently.

Ultrasonic Humidifiers

Ultrasonic humidifiers work by releasing moisture through vibrations. These also come with the option between cool and warm mist and, fortunately, don’t guzzle energy. They're easy to clean and usually run silently but tend to leave a white cast and are usually pricier than others.

Vaporizers

Vaporizers are a cost-effective humidifier with a heating mechanism that can still shoot out both cool and warm mist. They emit visible steam, operate quietly, and can be used with liquid inhalants if needed. Sadly, they’re not very energy-efficient and are difficult to clean.

Things To Consider Before Picking A Plant Humidifier

woman pouring water inside humidifier

Image Credit: Bluestone Store on Amazon

Since there are many kinds of humidifiers, these are some questions you can ask yourself to help you choose the best one for you.

What’s your budget?

Your budget shouldn’t be limited to your initial investment for a humidifier but should also include future maintenance costs. This includes cleaning filters and solutions, electricity used, and potential repairs. Also, factor in how willing you're to regularly give it a proper cleaning.

What humidity do your plants need?

Research the climate that your plants grow best in when in the wild and choose a humidifier that best replicates it in your home. If your plants have different humidity needs, group them and meet their needs with a humidifier with more moisture controls.

Where do you live?

The general climate of the state or city you live in can seriously affect the humidity in your home. This will also guide you when choosing between a humidifier with cool or warm mist, or both.

Who lives with you?

If you live with pets or children, you’ll need to protect them by placing extra precautions if you choose a warm mist humidifier since they use heat to run.

What size fits your home?

Size can refer to the actual dimensions of the unit and also the humidifier’s capacity. Large capacity humidifiers tend to be more expensive and harder to maintain but require fewer refills.

How We Picked

To complete this list, we started with market research of the different humidifiers available to home gardeners and studied how each of them can be used. We then turned to indoor gardening experts and listened to what they had to say about humidifiers. While expert advice was valuable to us, it was also important to hear what other home gardeners think about each humidifier.

The gathered feedback helped us shortlist the most promising humidifiers which we then tested, giving us a much more thorough understanding of each product. Finally, we were able to find five of the best humidifiers for plants that we’re confident can help your indoor garden thrive.

Which Humidifier Is Our Top Pick

If we had to choose a favorite, it would be the LEVOIT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. Its app and smart home compatibility give it an undeniable edge over the rest. Every humidity control and monitoring concern is answered by their app and the job is made even easier with a smart home assistant connected.

That said, we understand that the LEVOIT isn't the best choice for everyone and that some gardeners are looking for different humidifier traits. Nevertheless, we’re proud to give you a diverse list of amazing humidifiers to choose from to solve your indoor gardening problems.