#1 Pick: TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier.
Dry air is public enemy #1 for your guitar. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold—extended dry conditions will almost always lead to cracks in an all-wood guitar. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to control the humidity around your guitar, whether it’s with a small humidifier that keeps the guitar safe inside its case, or an electronic humidifier that regulates humidity for the entire room.
Either way, the goal is to keep your guitar in an environment where the humidity level is between 45 – 55%. Simply put, too low will cause cracking and separation, and too high will cause mildew in your room.
What to look for in a good humidifier
The first question you need to answer is whether you need an in-case humidifier or an electronic humidifier for the room. If you keep your guitar inside a hard-shell case all the time, then an in-case humidifier is best. If you’re like most people who keep their guitar out on a stand or hung on the wall, then an electronic humidifier for the room is best.
If you have multiple guitars out in your room, then you’ll definitely want an electronic humidifier for the room. For the purpose of this conversation, I’m going to focus on choosing an electronic humidifier for the room.
When it comes to choosing the best room humidifier for guitars, there are a couple of things you’ll want to look for:
- Range – the optimal range for your guitar is 45 – 55% humidity.
- Auto Shutoff – a good humidifier should have a humidistat to monitor humidity and stop producing mist when the room reaches optimal humidity. The auto shutoff should also kick in when the device runs out of water to avoid ruining the humidifier.
- Quiet Air Diffusion – nobody likes loud and obnoxious devices in their home. A good humidifier should be able to operate at less than 38dB.
- Night Mode – LED displays are great unless it’s midnight and you’re trying to get some sleep. Look for a humidifier with an LED display that offers night mode and will dim or turn off the LED display while you sleep.
- Water Tank Capacity – you don’t want to be refilling the humidifier every few hours, so look for a humidifier with a tank that holds at least 3 – 4 liters (the more the better).
TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier
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The TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier comes highly rated and widely recommended. It’s also the best value on the list, matching the features and quality of humidifiers that are twice its price. And unlike many humidifiers that are too noisy to keep in your bedroom, this one is ultrasonic with a dimmable LED display, so it won’t keep you awake at night. Here are some features that make this device one of the best room humidifier for guitars.
Features:
- Ultrasonic air diffusion keeps the noise under 38dB for quiet operation
- Ceramic microporous cartridge rids the water of microorganisms to produce pure, odorless air
- Adjustable mist flow and humidity level to fill up to 538 ft2 of living space
- 4-Liter water capacity produces up to 15 hours of humidification
- Built-in 24-hour timer
- Intuitive LED display with sleep mode for easy operation
- 360-Degree rotatable nozzle delivers even mist distribution
Levoit Humidifiers
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The Levoit Humidifier has the ability to produce both cool and warm mist, allowing it to increase humidity levels in a room up to 25% faster than devices that use only cool mist. Its smart Auto-Mode lets the device adjust mist production throughout the day to reach the desired humidity level, and it has a large 6-liter water tank that can provide up to 36 hours of continuous mist.
It’s also ultrasonic, so it’s a great choice for bedrooms. Here are some features that make this device one of the best room humidifier for guitars.
Features:
- Produces both cool and warm mist with three intensity levels (low, mid, high)
- Humidity gauge to help you monitor the room’s humidity and set the appropriate levels
- Easy-to-use touch-sensitive control panel with remote control
- Massive 6-liter water tank provides up to 36 hours of continuous mist
- Maximum output of 500ml per hour allows it to cover large rooms
- Ultrasonic air diffusion keeps the noise under 36 dB
- Auto-Mode gauges the room’s humidity and temperature, and automatically diffuses mist to adjust the humidity to your preferred levels
- Leak-proof ABS plastic tank
- Dual 360-degree nozzles
- 12-hour timer
OPOLAR Digital Humidifier
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The OPOLAR Digital Humidifier is the best-looking option on the list with a large touch-sensitive LED display and a very modern finish. Unlike other humidifiers that have a transparent shell that shows the water tank, the OPOLAR Digital Humidifier keeps the unsightly water tank hidden from view.
When the water level gets low, you’ll see a red notification on the LED display, and if you’re unable to refill the tank before it runs out the device has an auto-shutoff to protect it from running dry. This one has a shorter run-time and a lower mist output due to its smaller size, but it’s a perfect pick for standard-size rooms, and it won’t be an eyesore like most other humidifiers. Here are some features that make this device one of the best room humidifier for guitars.
Features:
- Cool mist humidifier with humidity sensor
- Touch sensitive LED display with 9-hour timer, sleep mode, and water shortage warning
- 3-Liter water tank with twin 360-degree rotatable nozzles for up to 300ml per hour of even mist distribution
- Built-in permanent water filter to remove white dust from tap water
- Ultrasonic internal silencer keeps the volume below 35 dB
- Three adjustable mist levels to match your comfort level
Essick Air EP9 700 Digital Whole-House Pedestal-Style Evaporative Humidifier
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If you’re looking for a humidifier that can regulate humidity throughout your entire house, this is the one for you. The Essick Air EP9 700 has a gargantuan 13-liter water rank with a 9-gallon output that can cover up to 2,000 square feet of living space. It’s also built to be aesthetically pleasing with black paneled sides, a hidden water tank, and a decorative natural stone tile insert on the top where you can place a vase, plant, or figurine for display.
It’s also unique in that it doesn’t emit a mist—instead, it adds moisture to the air by moving dry air through a saturated wick inside the device. That means you won’t need to worry about getting any white dust, mist, or moisture on the floor around the device, and it requires less energy than mist-producing humidifiers. Here are some features that make this device one of the best room humidifier for guitars.
Features:
- Employs a digital humidistat to monitor temperature and humidity with digital accuracy
- Digital readout display shows the room’s actual humidity, preset humidity, and the fan speed (with 9 adjustable fan speeds)
- Automatic shutoff switch when the room reaches optimal humidity, or when tank is dry
- No need to carry around a heavy tank thanks to the simple front-fill pour-in design
HumeXL Pro Warm & Cool Mist Humidifier
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The HumeXL Pro Warm & Cool Mist Humidifier offers the power of two humidifiers in one with both warm and cool misting technology and two independent 360-degree rotating mist nozzles. You can point the misters in the same direction for extra concentration or point them in opposite directions for balanced mist distribution in a larger room.
It also has a sleek, modern look with a black brushed-metal faceplate and a touch-button LED display, so it’ll look great in your room. Here are some features that make this device one of the best room humidifier for guitars.
Features:
- Warm and cool misting with two independent 360-degree rotating mist nozzles
- 5-Liter tank
- Built-in humidistat to measure humidity and shut off the device when the room reaches the pre-programmed humidity level
- Intuitive touch-button LED display with night mode and a relaxing ambient-glow nightlight
- Remote control included
- Integrated body design dampens the noise to provide silent operation
- Safety shutoff switches the device off when the water tank is removed or when the water level is low
Takeaways
The TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifier offers full functionality at a great price, so that would be my go-to choice. The TaoTronics humidifier isn’t the prettiest of the bunch, though, so if you’re looking for something more aesthetically appealing I’d recommend the OPOLAR Digital Humidifier (for smaller rooms) or the HumeXL Pro (for larger rooms).
I started Music Store Central with one simple goal, to help answer all the questions that I know other musicians have. I wanted to make buying new instruments and gear for your passion completely effortless.