This is our buying guide on the best humidifiers for Arizona in 2023. Below is a quick summary of our top recommendations. Scroll further down to read our in depth, hands on reviews, for each humidifier.
Honeywell HUL520B
- Auto shut-off
- Easy to clean
- Up to 20 hours runtime
- Maintains humidity at 45%
- Large tank
- Easy to fill
- Variable output settings
- Easy controls
- Small rooms and personal spaces
- Quiet
- Relieves congestion and aids sleep
- Best value for money
HoMedics TotalComfort Ultrasonic Humidifier
- Works perfectly with hard water
- Features a nightlight
- Ultrasonic technology prevents mildew, mold, limescale, and white dust
- Quiet operation
- Small and easy to move around the house
- Plug & Play operation
- Easy and quick to refill
- Low maintenance cost
- Water capacity means it has an extra-long runtime
- Capacity of 1.7 Gallons
- Works tremendously well in large rooms
- Features two tanks
- Option of warm or cool mist
Product #3
- Comes with a handy remote control
- The auto function allows you to preset your ideal humidity percentage
- Ultrasonic unit
- Upper range mist output of 500 milliliters per hour
- A generous water tank that is super easy to refill
- Can easily handle areas as large as 750 square feet (that’s 70 square meters)
- Display automatically dims – perfect for the bedroom
- It has an essential oil evaporator
- Heated mist option
- Excellent choice for hard water
- Most accurate humidistat for any set-and-forget operation
- Auto-off switch for when the water tank is empty
In this review, we’re looking at the three best humidifiers for Arizona.
The state is famous for its low humidity levels. Around midyear, the moisture in the air has been recorded as low as 19%. And, in the afternoons in the deep-desert regions, the humidity levels have been known to drop as low as 11%!
With these scary stats in mind, we set out to test a bunch of humidifiers, and bring you a list of the best humidifiers for Arizona.
We found HoMedics TotalComfort Ultrasonic to be the best humidifier for Arizona’s dry climate. This unit has a 2-gallon, top-fill water reservoir, a programmable digital humidistat, and comfortably humidifies spaces up to 600 Square feet.
Read on to get the lowdown on the HoMedics, and also the units that came out tops in the best budget, and best premium categories.
HoMedics TotalComfort Ultrasonic Humidifier
BEST OVERALL
At a glance
The clean-tank technology on the HoMedics is an attention grabber. This technology makes the HoMedics largely anti-microbial and keeps residue to a minimum.
HoMedics went the extra mile by also incorporating an essential oil tray. You can use your personal selection of oils or those from the manufacturer to infuse your entire home with delightful aromas.
Design
The TotalComfort Ultrasonic Humidifier features a programmable humidistat for both warm and cool mist.
The dual, top-fill tanks are easy to fill without removing them from the base unit — plus they’re dishwasher safe! Be careful when using detergents in the dishwasher, though. The manual has comprehensive instructions about this.
The designers also included features for the little ones – the HoMedics has a built-in nightlight, which makes it ideal for kids’ bedrooms.
Cleaning
Although HoMedics recommends running its humidifiers with distilled water, tap water can be used provided the unit is regularly cleaned. This is especially important in areas with hard water, as minerals in the water will inevitably leave residue and create white dust in the water reservoir.
Cleaning the HoMedics TotalComfort Ultrasonic Humidifier takes less than half an hour. Just empty the water tank, soak in a 50/50 vinegar/water mixture for around fifteen minutes, wipe down, and Bob’s your uncle.
And you don’t need to pay it any further attention for at least two weeks!
Water Tank Capacity
This HoMedics humidifier has a 2-gallon water reservoir. It is a top-fill unit, which keeps spillage to a minimum. The water tank housings are made of super-durable plastic.
Runtime
A full tank will give you a runtime of around 80 hours, depending on how you set up the unit. 80 hours between refills is an exceptionally long runtime for a unit in this price range and it really lifts the HoMedics into a class of its own.
Coverage
During the tests, the HoMedics handled 200 square feet with ease. We pushed it with spaces of up to 350 square feet, which it humidified well, but it took a little longer. Once it had reached the preset humidity in the larger spaces, it sustained it without effort.
Mist Volume
The HoMedics has five different mist settings. This creates a 100% customized misting experience. The mist volume on all five settings is adequate for maintaining ideal humidity in different-sized spaces.
This is achievable because the HoMedics TotalComfort Ultrasonic uses a vibrating component to turn water into mist without using heat. This makes for a leaner, more durable humidifier.
Noise levels
Many humidifiers become annoying in the quiet of the night when they switch on and off to maintain moisture levels in the atmosphere.
The HoMedics is whisper quiet, making it ideal for use while sleeping, or in children’s rooms.
Special Features
The standard gripes with humidifiers in this range are white dust, mildew, and mold. The HoMedics TotalComfort uses specialized tech to eliminate those almost entirely.
In places like Arizona, where the water is notoriously hard, this feature is a must.
The TotalComfort doesn’t use filters or wicks. That brings maintenance costs way down. It’s also small enough to be ultra-portable.
Two demineralization cartridges are included in the purchase of this humidifier, making it ideal for the mineral-rich water of Arizona.
Who’s it for
Anyone struggling with climate extremes will find this HoMedics one of the best humidifiers for Arizona.
Pros
- Works perfectly with hard water
- Features a nightlight
- Ultrasonic technology prevents mildew, mold, limescale, and white dust
- Quiet operation
- Small and easy to move around the house
- Plug & Play operation
- Easy and quick to refill
- Low maintenance cost
- Water capacity means it has an extra-long runtime
- Capacity of 1.7 Gallons
- Works tremendously well in large rooms
- Features two tanks
- Option of warm or cool mist
Cons
- The demineralization capsules aren’t all that effective
Honeywell HUL520B
BEST BUDGET
At a glance
If you’re looking for a compact humidifier that is simple to operate, the Honeywell HUL520B is a unit you should consider. This is a heavyweight humidifier in a featherweight body.
This Honeywell humidifier is, in our opinion, the best budget humidifier for Arizona. It steers clear of the bells and whistles you may find on competing units, opting for something you can set up and forget about.
Design
Honeywell has a wide range of humidifiers, and of all the ones we’ve tested, this is by far the easiest to operate.
A single dial on the HUL520B turns the humidifier on and off and also sets the moisture level you’d like to sustain in the atmosphere.
Once the water in the reservoir has run out, this humidifier will automatically switch off. This prevents the agitator from damaging itself.
One of the most important features you want in a humidifier is ease of cleaning. And this is where the Honeywell HUL520B really comes into its own.
The water reservoir has a 3.5-inch opening that makes it easy to refill in even smaller sinks. Again, the HUL520B’s attention to detail shines through.
This is by far one of the best, most capable humidifiers, which makes it ideal for Arizona.
Water Tank Capacity
Small water tanks require plenty of refills and offer shorter runtimes. The capacity of this Honeywell humidifier is 0.5-gallons. This is great for a bone-dry climate like Arizona’s, especially at night. There’s no chance the humidifier will shut off because the tanks ran dry while you were sleeping!
The 3.5-inch opening on this unit is important too. Water reservoirs can be notoriously difficult to clean, but with an opening this wide, it’s easy to get your hand inside and get to the hidden nooks and crannies.
A good tip: use a little bleach or vinegar, and soak the water reservoir for around 15 minutes before taking a sponge to it. This way you’ll end up with a properly sanitized unit. And if you want to go one step further, make a mixture of bleach and water, and soak the water reservoir for another 10 minutes before drying and reassembling.
Runtime
Short runtimes are a pain, especially at night. The 0.5-gallon water reservoir on the Honeywell HUL520B will give you a comfortable 20 hours, maybe a smidgeon more.
Coverage
Coverage is really dependent on two things. Firstly, how quickly the humidifier pushes the humidity of a given space up to ideal levels. And secondly, whether it can sustain those levels.
In the case of the HUL520B, the ideal humidity of around 45% can be reached within two hours. From there, the unit settles down and maintains the humidity well.
Mist Volume
Remember, this is not a huge humidifier, and it wasn’t designed to work like one. Mist production on the Honeywell HUL520B is perfectly acceptable. This unit hit a mist plateau of around 47% during our tests.
Noise levels
This is an ultrasonic unit, which means it naturally runs a little louder than its evaporative cousins. That said, consistent decibel readings of 45dB were maintained, and that falls way outside of the “disturbing” range.
Special Features
Add to that the frugal electricity use, and you’ll end up having one of the most cost-effective, smaller humidifiers on the market.
It is the top choice as the best budget humidifier for Arizona.
Pros
- Auto shut-off
- Easy to clean
- Up to 20 hours runtime
- Maintains humidity at 45%
- Large tank
- Easy to fill
- Variable output settings
- Easy controls
- Small rooms and personal spaces
- Quiet
- Relieves congestion and aids sleep
- Best value for money
Cons
- Not powerful enough for larger rooms
Levoit – LV600HH
BEST PREMIUM
At a glance
In our opinion, this Levoit is the best premium humidifier for Arizona.
Sure, it is one of the pricier models, but it is worth the money if you’re in the market for a no-fuss humidifier. It does the hard work in large spaces, is easy to clean, and maintains accurate humidity levels.
Design
Cleaning the Levoit’s water reservoir is a cinch. If you choose to use tap water instead of distilled water in your humidifier, or you live in an area where the mineral content of the water is high, ‘easy-to-clean’ is non-negotiable.
The opening of the water reservoir is around 3 inches, so it’s relatively easy to reach inside for a proper clean, even if you have large hands.
The manufacturer suggests you clean your unit starting with a white vinegar soak of around 15 minutes. Once that is done, cleaning the rest of the unit will take you no more than ten minutes.
The humidistat in this Levoit humidifier is simply legendary. It measures the humidity in the room with an accuracy of 2% and makes moisture-releasing adjustments accordingly.
The unit has a remote control with clearly marked buttons. This is often not the case with other humidifiers. The Levoit also has an LED screen that displays your chosen settings. This screen is large enough to read, and it’s also well-lit for low-light conditions.
Water Tank Capacity
The reservoir capacity is 6 liters (1.5-gallons.) It has a wide opening for easy cleaning and no uncomfortable corners inside where mold can grow.
Runtime
Runtime, depending on your settings, is around 36 hours between refills. The unit will warn you with a flashing LED when the water tank starts to run low.
Coverage
There are no filters in this Levoit, and it comfortably humidifies the atmosphere in spaces of over 400 square feet. That said, it performs optimally in areas between 250 and 300 square feet.
Mist Volume
Upper range mist output is somewhere around 500 milliliters per hour.
When you set the Levoit LV600HH to the automatic setting, it will increase the humidity in the atmosphere to around 68%. The ideal humidity level in most areas, including the dry regions in Arizona, is around 45%.
Setting your preferred humidity can be complicated, so don’t throw out your owner’s manual! We got the hang of the controls after two tries, and then it became intuitive.
Noise levels
The unit is whisper quiet in comparison to others in this price range. We used it in a bedroom at night, and a home office during the day, and never found it to be obtrusive.
Special Features
This Leviot does double duty. Apart from humidifying the atmosphere in your home, it also has an essential oil diffuser. Levoit doesn’t make essential oils, so simply add a few drops of your own.
The humidifier can produce both cool and warm mist, which makes it a year-round humidifier. And it has a dual nozzle – which increases the efficacy, especially in larger spaces.
Who’s it for
This humidifier is ideal for anybody struggling with nosebleeds and congestion brought on by excessively dry climates.
Pros
- Comes with a handy remote control
- The auto function allows you to preset your ideal humidity percentage
- Ultrasonic unit
- Upper range mist output of 500 milliliters per hour
- A generous water tank that is super easy to refill
- Can easily handle areas as large as 750 square feet (that’s 70 square meters)
- Display automatically dims – perfect for the bedroom
- It has an essential oil evaporator
- Heated mist option
- Excellent choice for hard water
- Most accurate humidistat for any set-and-forget operation
- Auto-off switch for when the water tank is empty
Cons
- The humidity readings are sometimes inaccurate
