Discovering the Best Humidifier for Cough – For Small or Large Rooms

Dry air is bad for your airways. It can lead to several respiratory issues. One of the most notable consequences of breathing in dry air is a cough. To deal with this and other similar problems, it is recommended that you use a humidifier in your home. This can help alleviate cough, soothe your airways and help you get better sleep at night. Of course, the biggest question is finding the best humidifier for cough. 

Both warm and cold mist humidifiers are great for relieving cough. Experts are still divided about which of them is more effective for this purpose. Humidifiers (especially warm mist units) also come with medicine cups or trays for administering drugs or for aromatherapy. Below is a list of some of the best humidifiers for cough. 

Product
Features
LEVOIT for Large Rooms
Levoit Humidifiers Warm and Cool Mist Ultrasonic for Bedroom Babies Check Price


  • Tank size: 6liter
  • Run time: 36 hours
  • Space: 753 sq. ft.
  • Essential oil use: Yes
Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Mist
Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier Check Price


  • Tank size: 6liter
  • Run time: 24 hours
  • Space: 400 sq. ft.
  • Essential oil use: Yes
Elechomes Uc5501 Humidifier for Cough
Elechomes Uc5501 Ultrasonic Humidifier for Cough Check Price


  • Tank size: 6liter
  • Run time: 40 hours
  • Space: 750 sq. ft.
  • Essential oil use: Yes
Vicks Mini Filter Free Cool Mist
Discovering the Best Humidifier for Cough – For Small or Large Rooms Check Price


  • Tank size: 0.5 gallon
  • Run time: 20 hours
  • Space: 150 sq. ft.
  • Essential oil use: No
LEVOIT Cool Mist Cough Humidifier
LEVOIT Cool Mist Cough Humidifier Check Price


  • Tank size: 4.5 liter
  • Run time: 40 hours
  • Space: 538 sq. ft.
  • Essential oil use: Yes

Which Is The Best Humidifiers For Cough – The Reviews

1. LEVOIT Humidifiers for Large Room Bedroom

This unit has a high mist output suitable for spaces with an area as large as 753 sq. Ft. Its 6L capacity water tank can handle 36 hours of continuous soothing mist. This humidifier also has a diffuser for dispensing pure and fresh aroma throughout your room for an even more soothing and relaxing ambiance. 

You will love this unit’s smart auto humidity sensor which allows it to detect the moisture level in a room and dispense mist accordingly. This is a multipurpose unit able to deliver both warm and cold mist depending on your preferred setting. The LV600HH also has other auto features including a timer, a portable remote control as well as an auto-shutoff feature which keeps the unit from getting damaged. 

2. Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier 

If you are looking for a high output unit for large spaces, the Everlasting Comfort Cool Mist unit should be top on your list of consideration. This unit can last for up to 50 hours without the need for a refill. The mist is adjustable using an easy to use output knob which allows you to easily control the humidity level of your room conveniently. 

This high output unit requires no expensive heaters which makes maintenance very easy and quite cheap. In addition to its humidification capabilities, this unit can also be used for aromatherapy. Its essential oil tray works as a diffuser circulating soothing air throughout your room thus helping to soothe cough and allergies. This humidifier also has a natural ionizer and air vaporizer which further boosts its antimicrobial capabilities. 

3. Elechomes Uc5501 Ultrasonic Humidifier for Cough

The Elechomes UC5501 Ultrasonic Humidifier is inbuilt with state of the art humidity sensor which allows it to automatically detect the humidity level in a room and adjust its operation for optimum humidity. This ultra-efficient humidifier offers both warm and cool mist humidification depending on your preferences. 

The unit can work continuously for up to 40 hours thanks to an extra-large 6L tank. Its dual rotatable nozzle helps to evenly distribute mist throughout the room. Operating at 34dB, this humidifier is among the quietest you can find. It operates at whisper silence in sleep mode. The unit also has a remote control and an inbuilt box for aromatherapy. 

4. Vicks Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier 

Although this Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier does not pack as much punch as the other products on this list, it is still a great choice for those who are looking for a portable unit. With a tank size measuring only half a gallon, this unit is as small as they come.

It is just the ideal size for humidifying small rooms, nurseries, and so on adding soothing cool moisture to the air to relieve cough, nasal congestion, and other respiratory issues. The Inbuilt scent pad heater further improves this unit’s capability to deliver truly soothing cool air. 

This humidifier is a filter-free unit. The unit is built for low maintenance operation. It can potentially deliver up to 20 hours of soothing cool mist and you won’t have to worry about buying replacement filters. 

5. LEVOIT Cool Mist Cough Humidifier

The LEVOIT ultrasonic humidifier offers 3 mist levels easily controlled with a one-touch button. The maximum humidity output of this unit is 300ml per hour sufficient for raising the humidity level to the optimum even in large rooms.

This humidifier can work for up to 40 hours in the low mist setting. There is also a tray which means the unit can also double for aromatherapy 

This unit is easy to clean and quite simple to fill thanks to a 3-inch wide opening. The water tank is large-sized which means you don’t have to worry about refilling too often. Furthermore, it operates at a very silent frequency which makes it the perfect bedside unit for a disturbance-free night. 

How Humidifier Can Benefit Your Cough?  

One of the most common causes of cough is dry air. Thus adding humidity to the air is a great way to sooth such coughs as it helps to reduce the irritation in your throat and the rest of your airway. Both cool mist and warm mist humidifiers work for this purpose. 

Humidifiers can also work for other types of cough as well especially with the administration of inhalable medicine which is a very effective way to treat infections. Similarly, aromatherapy is believed to be one of the most effective alternative treatment for coughs and many humidifiers now come with trays which allows them to work as a diffuser for soothing oils. 

Furthermore, when you have a cough, you will most likely have trouble sleeping. Humidifiers help fix this problem creating a more soothing ambiance ideal for sleep and consequently relieve the effects of a cough. 

What are the types of cough humidifier can handle?

Although humidifiers can help relieve cough, it doesn’t always work for all types of cough. Hence, you must know the kind of cough that you have first. Here are some coughs that a humidifier can handle. Also, despite using a humidifier it is still important that you get appropriate medical treatment for your cough. 

  • Wet Cough: This type of cough is so named because it is typically associated with the secretion of watery mucus. This is caused by cold or flu and is your body’s way of pushing out excess mucus from your respiratory tract. This type of cough occurs more commonly at night although you can occasionally have fits of cough during the day as well. 
  • Dry cough: dry cough is not accompanied by the production of mucus hence the name. It is often in response to a trigger but can also be as a result of inflammation of some section of your respiratory tracts such as the larynx, bronchi or even your throat. The dry cough usually occurs at the end of a bout of cold or at night time. It can also be due to allergies, asthma, sore throat among other causes. Sometimes, dry cough comes with severe or mild pain due to the dryness as well as some hacking noise in your throat. 
  • Paroxysmal Cough: this is a more severe case of cough. Paroxysmal cough is also known as whooping cough and can be life-threatening if left untreated. It can be accompanied by a struggle to breathe and vomiting in some case. Bear in mind that using a humidifier is not equivalent to treatment for this kind of cough. Hence, babies need to be vaccinated to prevent paroxysmal cough and you should speak to a doctor to avoid fatality. 
  • Croup cough: This type of cough is caused by a viral infection in children between ages 1 to 5. The infection causes the airways to swell up thereby making it harder for air to pass. Children or adults suffering from this type of cough often have difficulty breathing and they make some sound as they do so. The cough is barky and may leave you with a raspy voice for days. 

What are the features to consider when choosing the best humidifier for cough? 

Type of humidifier 

When it comes to choosing the right humidifier for cough, warm or cold mist humidifiers are the two main options you have. While either option is great for cough, your choice depends on which season of the year you will be using the unit among other factors. Cool mist units are best suited for use in summer while warm mist units do better in the winter months. However, some units offer both options which means you can get the best of both worlds if you want. 

Coverage

How much coverage you get depends largely on the size and output capacity of the unit. You must pick a humidifier that can provide full coverage for your room based on its size. 

The capacity of the tank and mist duration 

Not only does the tank capacity determine how much coverage the humidifier offer, but it also determines how often you have to refill the unit. Unless you are particularly interested in buying a portable unit, you are better off with a humidifier with large tank capacity. 

You should also consider how many hours of continuous mist distribution the unit offers. For this, you should target nothing less than 10 hours of mist dispersion time for convenience. 

Noise level

Having a humidifier in the room when you sleep can help you get a night of better sleep and relieve cough in the long run. However, if you are a light sleeper easily disturbed by strange sounds, you will find some humidifiers too loud for comfort. Generally, warm mist units are louder during operation than cold air humidifiers. You should put this into consideration when you are purchasing a unit. 

Ease of use 

Humidifier typically requires a lot of maintenance to stay in good working condition and deliver clean air. Hence you must choose a unit that is easy to clean. Some units can also be quite difficult to fill-up with water. You should avoid such products as they can be frustrating the handle.  

Additional features

Most of the latest humidifiers now come with aromatherapy boxes or trays. Some also have remote control and other auto features. Picking products with all of these additional features offer you even greater convenience and comfort. 

What Does Humidifier Do For Bronchitis and Cough

Both mentioned conditions are infections of the throat, however inhaling medicated moisture provided by a humidifier can help ease these conditions. Nevertheless, on the market there are different types of humidifiers with their working principle but the underlining statement, they provide similar result in treating cough and bronchitis.

For the sake of clarity, we need to understand between the terms of discussion which is cough vs bronchitis.

Coughing simply mean when you forcefully push out air from your lungs in quick and sudden manner. It is usually accompanies by a noisy explosion which may sometimes draw the attention of people, if anyone is nearby. It is needful to understand that this process is cause by the irritation of the airways due to dryness which causes the body to react in usual manner.

Nonetheless, it is not a problem, releasing cool or warm mist into room air can help as the sufferer will able to take in moisturized air instead of dry one. By inhaling the mist, it goes into the throat to soothe it and also into the lungs to nullify symptoms triggers.

On the other hand, bronchitis is an inflammation of the lungs and this cause cilia. Dryness of the respiratory system can cause it and that’s why humidifier has been useful and recommended for low humidity that result to dry atmosphere because it helps to add moisture.

Which Is Best For Cough Humidifier or Dehumidifier

Many still don’t get the clear picture humidifier vs. dehumidifier for cough which one is best or to go for. These two humidity machine work opposite of each other and as such one has to been to chosen concerning cough. Since a humidifying machine raise humidity level, it is consider to better for cough challenges than a dehumidifier that will reduces humidity levels which may further leave your house dry.

In this augment, when your air is dry, a dehumidifier is not idea unless you want to invite additional problems that can worsen your coughing condition. But if you notice your house humidity levels is on the high side and you’re having symptoms of cough, then it makes sense to go with a dehumidifier while foregoing the rival unit.

There is a bible quote that says “Wisdom is profitable to direct”, so finding a balance as to when to use a dehumidifier or a humidifier is a responsibility of your sensibility to indoor moisture level.

Frequently Asked Questions  
Can humidifier cause cough?
As good as a humidifier for managing cough symptoms but when not properly handle, the side effect can more vulnerable. History has no records if the use of humidifiers leads to cough but common sense has help us to put this few point together.
Dirty humidifiers Problems
Many people who uses humidifiers don’t clean their device often as it should be done. Bacterial and molds develops in unclean devices tank. Although whole furnace house humidifier requires yearly maintenance but portable units needs to weekly cleaning attention. Every model has a manufacturer instruction regarding unit cleaning, as such should be followed accordingly. The process also involves washing or replacing filters as due time. In addition, the tank should be refill on daily basis or emptied, allow to dry and store out when not in use.
Using ordinary tap water
Hard water contains mineral deposits which leads to release of white dust and also micro-organisms development. Though white-dust has been reported to affects lungs but no news of it being a source of cough. However prevention is better than cure, so we advised on the use of distilled or treated water.
Which humidifier is best for cough?
Studies has claimed cool mists humidifiers relief cough better than its counterpart but more findings need to be carried out as we don’t 100% claim. Whichever model, you have, both can effectively add humidity effectively.
Can a humidifier make a cough worse?
Molds and dust mites lives happily in high humid environs. So if you’re suffering allergies or asthma, increasing humidity level may worsen your situation. But if home is filled with dryness, your mucous will get so strong and hardened to cough out, forwardly, adding humidity to your air is a way to stay keep the mucus membrane moist.
Does a humidifier help with coughing?
Mostly at night, severe coughing can be ease via moisture provided by humidifier. Choose cool-mists over warm-mists humidifier especially if you’ve kids because the hotter mist from heated units can burn them.
What kind of humidifier is best for bronchitis?
Warm or cold mist humidifier does helps clear block sinus passages. Just find the best unit and place it your bedroom for moisture supply.

Final verdict

While every product on this list is great for relieving cough, the LEVOIT Cool Mist Humidifier offers you the most coverage thanks to a large 6-liter tank. This makes it the ideal choice especially if you have a large room. However, if what you want is a portable bedside unit, then you can consider the Vicks Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier? The Elechomes UC5501 Ultrasonic Humidifier is also a great choice for large rooms as well although it is a slightly more expensive option.