Best Filterless Humidifier 2023: Top Reviews & Buying Guide

Shopping for a filterless humidifier to keep the air around you healthy?

Well, your quest ends here!

Humidifiers are a blessing for people who live in cold and dry places. But, they can be very pricey when it comes to their maintenance. Filters in humidifiers are not only expensive, but their care and maintenance are costly as well.  

This is why many brands have come up with filterless humidifiers. These humidifiers balance the amount of moisture in the air without needing any extra treatment. So, read on to find out about some of the best options that the market has to offer at present.  

What's In This Buying Guide?

This buying guide has all that you need to know to buy the right filterless humidifier. 

It discusses how a filterless humidifier works and the factors that will help you make the right purchase. 

We have also reviewed some of the most highly recommended filterless humidifiers to give you an idea of what you should go for. 

And, there are also answers to questions people tend to ask when buying these humidifiers. 

Best Filterless Humidifiers

Disclaimer: All links below go to Amazon.com

1. Best Cool Mist Humidifier: Vicks Filter-Free Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Vicks Filter-Free Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is one of the best filterless humidifiers available on the market. It has a simple design, but it works efficiently, making it worth an investment.

This humidifier is perfect for medium-sized rooms since it has a water capacity of 1.2 gallons. This water dispersion capability enables it to provide a soothing cool mist for 33 hours without any break. 

To add to this, it has a quiet operation system, which makes it great for both your bedroom and children’s room. The noise is almost negligible, which helps it create a refreshing environment with minimal disturbance. 

One of the best things about it is that it is suitable for people of all ages. Whether you want it to regulate moisture levels in the air or to help you deal with allergies, the Vicks Filter-Free humidifier will not disappoint you. 

Since it creates a desirable humid condition around you, it helps with coughing and congestion as well. You get to feel more at ease even if you have a sore throat as it provides considerable relief.

This Vicks humidifier has adjustable mist generation control, which lets you have more active control of the moisture output. Thus, the level of vapors does not exceed your requirements, and you do not face any unwanted troubles. 

2. Best Runtime Humidifier: Pure Guardian H965AR

Pure Guardian H965AR is an incredible filterless humidifier for small-sized rooms. It can easily cover a space of 320 square feet and supplies a cool mist for up to 70 hours.

Since it is an ultrasonic humidifier, it does not have a lot of complex components. This makes it easy for users to clean and maintain the humidifier without dealing with complicated disassembly or reassembly.

The silver clean protection on the tank protects it from sticky grime that gathers on the surface of other humidifiers. This helps in preventing the spread of bacteria and other harmful microbes that grow in moldy water. 

What strikes us the most about this humidifier, other than its runtime, is its aromatherapy tray, which is a great way of creating a more relaxing environment at your place when you pour some essential oils on it. The tray gives users the aura that luxury spas usually have. So, you get to have a better living experience with this humidifier as it helps in relieving stress. 

Another notable feature of the Pure Guardian H965AR is the multidirectional mist production. This way, it covers the room in all directions, creating an evenly humid environment. 

There is an automatic shut-off feature in it as well, which cuts the release of mist when the water level drops to a minimum. So, even if you forget to keep an eye on the water level, this humidifier will take care of it. 

3. Best Automatic Humidifier: Pure Enrichment MistAire XL

Next up on our list of best filterless humidifiers is the Pure Enrichment MistAire XL. It has a corded electric power supply, which relieves users from worrying about charging or replacing its batteries. 

It stands out with its adjustable mist levels as you can enjoy the amount of moisture that you require without any issues. It is also helpful because it enables users to control the amount of time for which the humidifier will work. 

The water capacity of 1 gallon makes it a great match for large rooms and offices. The coverage of 500 square feet for up to 24 hours is also amazing as it relieves you of the duty of replenishing the water tank frequently. This makes it particularly more suitable for bedrooms and meeting rooms. 

The night lighting feature is also appreciable as it helps in seeing around at night. It creates enough light to help you move around without causing any discomfort while sleeping. You can choose from red, blue, and green lighting options to give it a personal touch.

All the maintenance accessories like a disc-cleaning brush are also there in the package. A warranty of five years tops off its other offerings, so this one is truly worth having for your home and workplace.

4. Best Warm Moisture Humidifier: Honeywell HWM-705B

Honeywell HWM-705B is the go-to filterless humidifier for those who prefer warm mist over a cold one. It is the perfect option for extremely cold and dry places where winters can be hard to deal with. Warm mist not only returns moisture to the air but also helps in taking off the sharp edge of extreme cold. 

The humidifier’s black color is a welcome change from other humidifiers that are usually white or blue. This way, it blends well with both modern interiors and vintage aesthetics. So, you will not have any hesitation when it comes to its appearance and the home décor of your place. 

Along with this, it helps in relieving cough and congestion since it can maintain 40% to 60% humidity. It makes allergies more bearable as well since it speeds up mucus break down. 

Furthermore, it has an essential oil cup that adds a comforting scent to the air around you. This scent not only refreshes the air but also soothes your muscles by relieving stress.

Moreover, the manual knob control for mist output is quite easy to use. It has a simple and almost noiseless working that helps in keeping discomfort to a minimum. 

Lastly, the refilling light in this Honeywell humidifier notifies users when the water level is low, and they need to replenish the tank. Thus, it makes it hard for you to forget to fill the tank even when you are multitasking. 

5. Ultra-quiet Functioning Humidifier: MEGAWISE Cool Mist Humidifier

Another one of our favorite filterless humidifiers is the MEGAWISE Cool Mist Humidifier. It is quite compact and handy, so you can move it around the house to have instant air regulation.

This filterless humidifier has a water tank capacity of 0.5 gallons. It suits small rooms, office cabins, and even plants quite well as it can produce a mist for up to 10 hours. 

If you do not feel a lot of dryness, you can run at a low speed, which helps it last for 10 hours. But, if you need more moisture on particularly dry days, you can set it at high speed. This will let the humidifier keep working for six hours, which is a win for most conditions.

Since it has an ultra-quiet operation with a noise of only 25 dB, the Megawise Cool Mist Humidifier is great for baby rooms and offices. You can use it in your bedroom as well to help with wrinkles, dryness, and insomnia.

It also improves sleep quality because it creates a thoroughly relaxing environment. You can turn it into a scent diffuser by pouring in a few drops of your favorite essential oil too.

Lastly, a warranty of two years by MEGAWISE backs up this unit, so you can trust its quality and functioning. 

6. Best for Large Rooms: Elechomes UC5501

Elechomes UC5501 is one of the most reliable filterless humidifiers when it comes to large rooms.

It can provide a consistent mist supply to a room as large as 750 square feet, so you can have both the luxury of being in a large room and the comfort of refreshing air with this humidifier.

Since it has a large water tank, it can take up six liters of water at a time. This amazing water capacity then enables this humidifier to keep working for up to 60 hours without needing a refill. 

There is a humidity sensor in this model that quickly picks up on the room’s humidity level. It then adjusts the amount of mist dispersal according to the humidity needs of the room.

There is an LED display of humidity percentage in the air to keep you updated. This light also provides illumination at night when you have to leave your bed for a while.

However, if this light gets annoying for you, you can set the humidifier on sleep mode. The light will turn off, and the noise level will drop to 32 dB. Hence, it will improve your sleep quality both by improving air and minimizing disturbances.

7. Best Remote Control Humidifier: LEVOIT Humidifiers

This LEVOIT unit is the perfect filterless humidifier for large rooms that need better air regulation.

It can cover an area greater than 750 square feet without cutting down the output of mist. This makes it great for small homes, too, as it can replenish air’s moisture in the whole apartment or house.

The built-in humidity sensor assesses the level of humidity and adjusts water vapor release automatically. It also displays the level of moisture via LED lights at the front.

Moreover, it has a remote control functioning, so you do not have to adjust it manually. It comes with a one to twelve-hour timer as well, so you can count on this humidifier to maintain comfortable living conditions even when you are on a tough schedule. 

Since it releases both cool and warm mist, you can customize it according to the room's temperature. Furthermore, it has a wide water tank, which is easier to clean than most other water tanks. The accessories like an absorption pad and cleaning brush also help in keeping it clean. 

The display-off feature and an almost noiseless operation make it great for use at night too. 

Buying Guide: What is a Filterless Humidifier - and How Does It Work?

A filterless humidifier is a device that helps you balance the moisture levels of air in your surroundings. Humidifiers with filters make sure to purify water before dispersing vapors in the air. But, that is not necessary in most cases.

Filterless humidifiers work quite well since they do not accumulate any dirt or harmful substances in them. They do not need frequent cleaning either, so you can use them quite easily. They release mist into the air, which increases the level of moisture. These water vapors make the air less dry and help you have a better breathing experience. 

Filterless humidifiers have different ways of working based on their design and material. The diaphragm in ultrasonic humidifiers vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency to release cool or warm mist in the air. 

Meanwhile, there is a disc in impeller humidifiers that breaks water drops into tiny droplets. These droplets then appear as a mist when the humidifier releases them into the surroundings.

Steam filterless humidifiers, on the other hand, release water vapors in the form of steam. They boil water or heat it up at high temperatures to produce steam, which minimizes any risk of bacterial spread. 

You can find out more about ways to put filterless humidifiers to use here. 

What to Look for in a Filterless Humidifier?

Buying the right filterless humidifier can make a huge impact on your overall experience. So, you have to be careful while perusing a list of available options. 

We have listed some of the most important factors that you need to look for in a filterless humidifier. So, bear them in mind in order to make the right decision. 

Tank Capacity

The foremost thing that you have to consider is the water tank capacity of a filterless humidifier. The humidification capability of a humidifier depends on the amount of water in it. It is preferable to go for filterless humidifiers that have a large water tank in them. This way, they can keep replenishing the moisture in the air without any major breaks. 

You need to compare the size of the water tank with the size of the room you will use it for. This will give you the exact idea of which filterless humidifier will suit your needs the best. 

Humidistat

Moisture in the air is good for your health, but it can be harmful to both your health and belongings if it exceeds a certain limit. Excessive moisture causes mold to grow on surfaces, which can lead to infections and breathing problems. 

A humidistat can be a great help in this regard since it keeps a check on the moisture level. It makes the humidifier stop functioning for a while when it detects excessive humidity. This saves you from many troubles, so you should prefer filterless humidifiers with a humidistat. 

Sound Level

Most humidifiers create noise, irrespective of their type and design. But, the noise level varies, and this is what you have to pay attention to.

You need to invest in a filterless humidifier that creates the least possible noise to avoid any disturbances. For instance, the humidifier for your bedroom has to be particularly noiseless to ensure you have a peaceful sleep. 

How to Clean a Filterless Humidifier

Cleaning a filterless humidifier does not require any extra effort or costly cleaning agents. It is rather simple and easy if you know the process of cleaning it. So, read these simple steps and follow them to ensure clean and healthy air at home.

Disassemble the Humidifier

First of all, you need to unplug the humidifier and disassemble it. Remove all of its parts, making sure to remember where you will have to put them back when reassembling it. 

Now, drain the tank immediately to proceed with the process of cleaning.

Wash the Tank

The next step is to wash the water tank. But, before that, pour three to four cups of vinegar into the tank and let it sit for an hour. 

Then swish the vinegar around to cover all surfaces of the tank. This helps in removing all the grime and other stubborn materials. 

Next, use a soft brush to rub off the remaining pollutants from the tank and rinse them off.

Disinfect It

This is the most important step of the procedure. Mix one teaspoon of bleach or 3% hydrogen peroxide in one gallon of water. 

After this, pour this solution into the tank to kill all kinds of bacteria that may be residing in it.

Rinsing and Reassembly

Now, run clean tap water through the tank to rinse out all the chemical solutions that you have treated it with. 

You may need to leave the tank in the air after rinsing it for the smell of vinegar to vanish completely. 

In the end, reassemble the filterless humidifier and fill it with distilled water. 

FAQs

Can You Use a Humidifier All Night?

Yes, you can use a humidifier all night, but you have to be considerate of your room's humidity level. If it crosses 30%, then the disadvantages of moisture will overcome the advantages that a humidifier brings with it. 

Can You Use the Normal Tap Water in a Humidifier?

There is nothing wrong with using tap water in a humidifier as it can keep the moisture level within the desired limit. But, tap water is rich in minerals at many places, which can cause white dust to accumulate on surfaces. So, it is better to use distilled water in humidifiers when you have a high ratio of minerals in tap water. 

Do Humidifiers Work as Air Purifiers?

No, a humidifier does not work as a purifier as these two have totally different kinds of functioning. Purifiers remove pollutants, irritants, and mold from the air, but a humidifier adds moisture to it. So, it is better to invest in separate purifier and humidifier units to avoid any inconvenience. 

Do Humidifiers Help Control the Spread of Viruses in the Air?

Viruses spread more quickly in dry air than in moist air, so a humidifier can help slow down the spread of viruses. But, if you do not clean your humidifier frequently, then it might spread allergens and bacteria. 

Can Humidifiers Help in Cough or Make it Worse?

Dry air makes mucus worse as it makes coughing harder for you. Thus, a humidifier can help with cough and blowing out mucus. However, there is no clinical evidence to support this phenomenon. 

Final Verdict: the Best Filterless Humidifiers

Considering all this, Pure Enrichment MistAire XL is the best bid for you if you lose track of time or are very busy.

Meanwhile, the Elechomes UC5501 wins when it comes to large rooms. It also creates both warm and cool mist, so it comes loaded with desirable features. 

Lastly, the MEGAWISE Cool Mist Humidifier is also a nice choice if you want to keep the noise at a minimum.