Vaporizer vs Humidifier: Which Type Is the Best

Geniani
Geniani
Published in
5 min readAug 31, 2019

Are you wondering what the difference is between these two devices? If you have breathing problems, allergies, suffer from dry air and want to improve your health, this article from Geniani will be extremely useful. Let’s figure everything out together, and learn about the differences between vaporizers and humidifiers. This will help you to make the right choice.

Different Types of Humidifiers for House on the Market

Humidifiers are useful for people who need to add humidity and moisture to the air, improve the quality of sleep, boost their immune system, and get rid of respiratory diseases.

Cool Mist Humidifiers

It is the most popular and effective humidifier on the market. It uses a fan to fill the room with cool air. Considered the safest humidifier of all on the market. If you are suffering from the flu or a cold, it is your best choice.

Impeller Humidifier

An impeller humidifier works with rotating disks that run at high speeds. Moreover, you should be careful with the duration of usage of such humidifiers. What will happen when you overuse it? Recent research found that impeller humidifiers may worsen breathing problems for people with allergies and asthma.

Ultrasonic Humidifier

Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency vibrations to propel moisture into the air. Almost all ultrasonic humidifiers are filter-free, very quiet and child-friendly. But you should use only distilled water.

Warm Mist Humidifier

Warm mist humidifiers are designed to create warm moisture from heated water. They are perfect for the winter season. They are usually quiet but can make an annoying sound if you sit near the humidifier. Not recommended for people with asthma.

Vaporizer

Vaporizers are a kind of humidifier. They add humidity to the air by creating steam. Additionally, because vaporizers utilize heat to boil the water and release steam, it is less likely that you will spread mold and bacteria throughout your home. These machines can help to warm up a room. They present a significant burn threat to small children and pets. Therefore, it should be used with caution if you have children or pets.

What Is the Difference between a Humidifier and a Vaporizer?

As we have said, a vaporizer is a kind of humidifier, but these devices have differences. So, warm steam or cool mist humidifier? Let’s find out.

Cleaning Rules

These devices should be cleaned well to avoid problems with health, mold growth, and bacteria buildup. Almost everyone who has one of these types of humidifiers knows that tap water shouldn’t be used. Consider using distilled or purified water versus tap water for humidifiers. On the other hand, it is ok to use tap water with a vaporizer. The cleaning rules are similar for both types of devices.

  • The daily routine. Just empty the tank and dry all surfaces. Refill with fresh water.
  • Twice a week. You should scrub all surfaces with mild dish soap (or use green cleaning recipes) and water to remove scales and other debris. Then, refill with fresh water.
  • If storing away. Follow cleaning directions in the manufacturer’s guide. Remove any dirty filters and toss them out. Dry all parts of the machine and store in a dry place.

Tips about how to clean your humidifier and what to use you can read here

Different Prices

This is another difference between a humidifier and vaporizer for your house. You can find a cool mist humidifier for $20 to $50. The price usually depends on the size of the machine and the features. Steam vaporizers are less expensive and range in price from $15 to $30. If you have a small budget, you can choose a steam vaporizer. But, be careful if you are a pet owner or have kids. This type isn’t recommended due to the risk of burns. But it may be a safe, economical choice for adults.

Humidifier Versus Vaporizer: Which One Is Safer

Let’s make a comparison between humidifiers and vaporizers. If we are talking about the safety of cool mist humidifiers, the main concern is with the mineral deposits, mold, and other contaminants. They can emit harmful minerals into the air. But it is easy to prevent. Just use distilled or purified water and clean your unit regularly.

On the other hand, steam vaporizers don’t emit as many dangerous minerals into the air. The main reason is that they boil water and release pure steam. But there is a big risk of burns from steam or spilled water.

Let’s make a comparison between humidifiers and vaporizers. If we are talking about the safety of cool mist humidifiers, the main concern is with the mineral deposits, mold, and other contaminants. They can emit harmful minerals into the air. But it is easy to prevent. Just use distilled or purified water and clean your unit regularly.

On the other hand, steam vaporizers don’t emit as many dangerous minerals into the air. The main reason is that they boil water and release pure steam. But there is a big risk of burns from steam or spilled water.

How Well They Work

When you add humidity, you may cause indoor allergies. Moreover, it may increase the spread of mold. But, these problems may happen only if humidity levels in your home are too high. Or if you don’t clean your device regularly. Just buy a hygrometer to keep an eye on the humidity level in your household.

Vaporizers are a better choice for those dealing with indoor allergies.

Both types of machines add moisture to the air. They can achieve the same levels of humidity, just in different ways. But experts recommend cool-mist humidifiers over steam vaporizers for children to avoid the risk of burns.

What Is the Best Type of Humidifier?

If keeping your home comfortable and healthy is one of your goals, you should definitely think about buying an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier or vaporizer. Everything depends on your budget and main goal. Consider adding a humidifier or vaporizer to your home as a way to improve your quality of life.

Be sure to monitor the humidity levels in your environment and clean the device you choose regularly.

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Geniani
Geniani
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