This is our buying guide on the 3 best Honeywell humidifiers 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
- Quiet
- Best value for money
- Small rooms and personal spaces
- Easy controls
- Variable output settings
- Large tank
- Easy to fill
- Easy to clean
- Up to 20 hours runtime
- Auto shut-off
- Maintains humidity at 45%
- Relieves congestion and aids sleep
Honeywell HCM350W
- Constant humidity levels
- Relieves coughs and nasal congestion
- Three-speed settings
- Sound output and speed controls
- Good for hard water
- No white dust
- Easy filling
- Easy cleaning
- Great for kids’ rooms
- Cost-effective filter replacement
- Makes allergy season bearable
The Honeywell Top Fill
- Quiet operation
- Filter free
- Various moisture output settings
- Easy to clean
- Cost-effective to maintain
- Generous water tanks
- No fuss, simple operation
- Excellent for large and small spaces
- 24 to 36-hour runtime
- Excellent for hard water
- Top-fill design
- Quick to humidify from zero point
This is a review of the top three best Honeywell Humidifiers in 2022.
The Honeywell name has become synonymous with humidifiers around the world, and this prompted us to put a bunch of Honeywell units to the test to see which one is best.
We found the Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier to be the best of the lot. It utilizes UV technology and a wicking filter to help treat the water and capture minerals to keep them out of the air for a cleaner mist.
This Honeywell also uses a fan instead of a steam nozzle and is thus capable of raising the humidity in fairly large spaces to 60% in a reasonably short time.
But let’s share what our research showed. Keep reading!
Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier
BEST OVERALL
At a glance
Dry air in your home causes allergy flare-ups, leads to nosebleeds, increases the severity of cold and flu symptoms, and more.
The Honeywell HCM-350 was specially designed to make your environment more comfortable and to give you another weapon in your arsenal against respiratory ailments.
Most humidifiers use a steam-release nozzle. This unit from Honeywell, however, uses a fan for the circulation of cool air. The Honeywell company claims this infuses living areas with up to 60 percent more moisture, and this was what our results showed too.
We put the Honeywell HCM350W in the ring with other units from the same stable and discovered some great qualities that set it apart from the pack. This is why it made it to the top of our list of best Honeywell humidifiers.
Design
The HCM-350W is well designed, so it requires little in the way of setup. Remove it from the box, and place it where you plan to run it. Then it is a simple matter of removing the water tank with its recessed handle, slipping the water filter out from under the unit’s shell, filling it with water, reassembling the unit, and switching it on.
Ease of use is the main priority with this unit. As soon as you’ve found the ideal placement, the settings are intuitive. The single rotating dial has three settings for the fan and varying levels of humidity.
But there is a lack of programmability that may frustrate some users.
Getting the casing over the wicking filter once it is fully saturated, is not easy. And, the humidifier will not work properly if the filter is not properly fitted.
The humidifier is available in black or white (each with a removable blue water tank), so you can choose which fits better with your home’s aesthetic.
Water Tank Capacity
The Honeywell HCM-350W sports a 1-gallon water tank, which gives it a pretty considerable footprint. It’s better suited for the floor than a table or shelf.
It plugs into the wall, so it will need to be placed close to an outlet.
In some humidifiers, the water tanks are completely exposed. This isn’t great, because water droplets that collect against the sides are unsightly, and make the unit look like it needs cleaning.
Unless you stand directly over the HCM-350, the external shell completely blocks the water tank from sight.
Runtime
The Honeywell HCM-350 plugs into the wall and can run for a solid 24 hours between refills. Bear in mind, though, that the runtime varies according to your preferred settings.
Coverage
The HCM-350 provides , without a doubt, the highest coverage footprint of all the units we tested to find the best Honeywell humidifier.
After running the Honeywell in a 250-square-foot living room for about 18 hours on its medium fan setting, the humidity rose from 25 up to 40 percent.
It does, however, require more space around the unit to prevent the intake area from being obstructed. If space is restricted in your home, this may lead to a placement issue.
All said, this Honeywell works best on a counter with plenty of space around it, or on a hard floor with no obstructions in the immediate surroundings.
Mist Volume
The evaporation tech on this Honeywell simply can’t compete with ultrasonic humidifiers when it comes to humidity levels or mist output. But that’s not what it was designed for.
The lack of visible moisture output, as in the case of steam nozzle humidifiers, inevitably means a lower mist output. But, on the upside, that also means less moisture on things like furniture.
After an hour of constant operation, the Honeywell puts out about two-thirds of the moisture of the ultrasonic competition, but at a much lower price.
Noise levels
The Honeywell HCM-350 has a fan, unlike ultrasonic humidifiers. That means it is bound to be noisier.
This works because the fan pushes air across the wicking filter, which cools it down. But this operation does create a kind of white noise that can be disturbing for some.
Others may find this low, barely audible hum soothing.
Special Features
The HCM-350 has machine washable parts. This makes general maintenance super easy and efficient. It’s top-rack dishwasher safe.
Cleaning is thus reduced to the occasional wipe-down.
Many humidifier tanks have difficult-to-reach nooks and crannies. Not this Honeywell. You can easily fit your entire hand into the water tank to reach all the difficult spots, which reduces the chances of mold or bacteria buildup.
And, it also features a UV light, specifically designed to combat bacterial growth and to reduce certain mold, fungi, and viruses by up to 99.9%.
The opening of the tank is wide, and it’s easy to fill. The tank sits in the sink without tipping, even if it’s filled to the brim.
Pros
- Constant humidity levels
- Relieves coughs and nasal congestion
- Three-speed settings
- Sound output and speed controls
- Good for hard water
- No white dust
- Easy filling
- Easy cleaning
- Great for kids’ rooms
- Cost-effective filter replacement
- Makes allergy season bearable
Cons
- Audible hum can be disturbing
Honeywell HUL520B
BEST BUDGET
At a glance
The Honeywell HUL520B is a simple-to-operate humidifier that packs a proper humidifying punch in a tiny, affordable package.
If you don’t need all kinds of fancy features – things like a self-regulating humidistat or an off-timer – and if you’re price conscious, this may just be the best buy for you.
The design is user-friendly, and this put it right up there on our scoresheet for the best Honeywell Humidifiers.
Design
Of all the Honeywell humidifiers, the HUL520B is the simplest to operate. It is unbelievably user-friendly.
A single dial turns the machine on and off and also selects the level of mist you want it to put out in the atmosphere.
When all the water has been used, it automatically turns off to prevent the agitator from buzzing without water in the tank and damaging itself.
Ease of cleaning is one area where the Honeywell HUL520B shines. The only model that scored better did so because some of its parts are dishwasher-safe.
The large 3.5-inch tank opening also makes the Honeywell HUL520B very easy to refill in almost any sink. It was the easiest to refill between all the models we tested.
It deserves its place on our ranking of the best Honeywell humidifiers.
Water Tank Capacity
The capacity of the water tank on this Honeywell humidifier is 0.5-gallons.
As mentioned, the Honeywell HUL520B’s water tank has a 3.5-inch opening. This is the most comfortable (for cleaning purposes) of all the humidifiers we’ve tested. It makes it a breeze to clean because the opening allows even the biggest hands access to hard-to-reach areas.
Although the sonic agitator is quite bulky, it doesn’t have any tiny hidey-holes where mold can avoid your sponge and start to form a colony!
To clean the water tank, simply use a bit of vinegar or bleach (NOT simultaneously!) and soak if you need a deeper cleaning. It takes about 15-minutes for a pre-soak, and 15 minutes for a proper clean. This is very much on par with the time it took to clean the other models we tested.
Runtime
On the 0.5-gallon water tank, you can expect a runtime of around 20 hours between refills. Should you opt for higher fan settings, and if the atmosphere in your home is drier than average, expect a shorter runtime.
Coverage
In an average-sized bedroom, the HUL520B will reach ideal humidity (around 45%) in about two hours, and then settle there. It’s a great humidifier for the bedroom. It will keep the humidity constant all night long.
Mist Volume
The humidifying performance and mist production on the Honeywell HUL520B is respectable considering its size. It was a tad slow when we tested it – it took around 2 hours to reach ideal mist distribution – but once it got there, it proved more than capable of keeping the humidity levels constant.
The mist plateau came in at around 45% – 47%.
Noise levels
This Honeywell humidifier is not the loudest ultrasonic unit we’ve ever tested by any stretch of the imagination. It produced a decibel reading of 45dB which certainly isn’t noisy, and won’t keep you awake at night.
Special Features
The one factor that makes this Honeywell so attractive is the price. It’s inexpensive; in fact, the most inexpensive Honeywell we’ve tested.
Electricity use is a meager 0.01kWh per hour and its small size makes it one of the most energy-efficient models Honeywell has manufactured.
It isn’t the most powerful humidifier in the Honeywell stable, but that’s not what it was designed and built for. It was always supposed to be simple, easy to use, and inexpensive – and these are areas where this little unit really shines.
You’d be hard-pressed to find more value for money in a small space humidifier anywhere else!
Pros
- Quiet
- Best value for money
- Small rooms and personal spaces
- Easy controls
- Variable output settings
- Large tank
- Easy to fill
- Easy to clean
- Up to 20 hours runtime
- Auto shut-off
- Maintains humidity at 45%
- Relieves congestion and aids sleep
Cons
- Lacks power in bigger spaces
The Honeywell Top Fill Cool Moisture Humidifier
BEST PREMIUM
At a glance
This is an evaporative humidifier. It draws dry air from the space in which it is set up, pulls it across a wet filter, and then pushes the moisturized air out again.
The filter is a great feature because it removes a whole lot of minerals from the water – in other words, it’s great for hard water.
But there is a downside too.
The filter system means the unit is bulky – more so than other non-filter humidifiers in the price range.
The Honeywell Top Fill Cool Moisture Humidifier also has fewer bells and whistles than the competition, but this suits many users, and we were also quite happy with that.
The controls are simple and easy to understand, and the large water capacity is quick to raise the humidity in large spaces.
Design
This humidifier from Honeywell is available in both black and white.
It will fit onto a counter or a dresser, but because of its size, it will take up a lot of space.
Placement is important to optimize this humidifier’s performance, and we recommended using it further away (at least 12 inches) from walls.
The water tanks have a generous capacity, but they’re tall, and refilling them at shallow bathroom sinks is difficult. That said, the top-fill design allows for easy refilling from a water jug.
The manufacturer doesn’t specify ideal room sizes for this unit, so we tested it in various areas around the home. It’s probably not ideal for the bedroom but is perfect for an open living room, or open-plan areas in the house.
There is some assembly required – the unit arrives with two floating paddles that have to be installed – but this is easy, even for the technophobes among us.
Water Tank Capacity
The giant water tanks hold a full 3 gallons of water – giving you extended runtime between refills.
This is one of the features that gave it the sought-after spot on our list of best Honeywell humidifiers.
Runtime
When the fan is adjusted to the lowest setting, the water in the two tanks should comfortably last for 24 hours. On the highest setting, expect it to run for around 14 hours.
Coverage
During our test, we ran the Honeywell Top Fill Cool Moisture Humidifier on all three fan speeds individually, and for prolonged periods.
Across the board, the humidity increased to a full 56% within the first hour of use and then increased to 63% in the second hour.
The great thing here is that room size didn’t seem to affect this humidifier. We tested it in areas as large as 720 square feet, and as small as 234 square feet, and the results remained stable.
Mist Volume
When running on medium, the invisible mist released by this unit held steady at around 65%, while the percentage dropped to 48% on the low “quiet” setting.
Noise levels
This unit is ultra-quiet for its size. If you run it in your living room, will not interfere with your television or sound system.
Special Features
This is truly a no-fuss humidifier, and that is probably its top feature. Plug it in, fill it with water, select from one of three settings, and you’re good to go.
That said, it is brilliant at what it was designed for – humidifying the atmosphere wherever it is placed in the home.
It’s an evaporative unit that emits no visible moisture, which is great for wooden furniture and decor items in your home – no droplets or water stains!
All in all, this is a humidifier that is easy to recommend. It’s functional and effective. And it has a no-frills place-and-forget design that should fit into the busy schedules of most households.
It deserves the rank of ‘top premium Honeywell humidifier’ on our list of best Honeywell humidifiers.
Pros
- Quiet operation
- Filter free
- Various moisture output settings
- Easy to clean
- Cost-effective to maintain
- Generous water tanks
- No fuss, simple operation
- Excellent for large and small spaces
- 24 to 36-hour runtime
- Excellent for hard water
- Top-fill design
- Quick to humidify from zero point
Cons
- Bulky
