If you’re a hardcore guitarist, guitar collector or enthusiast, chances are pretty high you already know how important a part maintaining the right humidity plays in your guitar-care routine. The lack of relative humidity (RH) causes wood to shrink, which in turn can spell trouble for acoustic guitars, causing anything from wood cracking, frets protruding, or glued components falling apart.
And a simple way of counteracting the effects of low humidity is to use a humidifier. Individual guitar humidifiers often attach to the body of your guitar to keep the wood the right amount of hydrated without causing it to shrink up, or conversely, become swollen from too much humidity. But if you have more than one guitar, investing in a humidifier for the whole room is often an inexpensive solution compared to the more expensive repairs you’d have to fork up for to reverse structural damage caused by humidity imbalances. Most guitar techs will recommend a humidity level of 40 to 50%, and this can be easily achieved with the right humidifier. Take a look at our top picks.
KEN’S PICK
Levoit Warm and Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier
You’ll find plenty of great cool mist humidifiers, but one of the features nailing this unit’s place in the top spot is that it also works just as well as a warm mist humidifier. Warm mist humidifying is generally healthier for guitar maintenance, and this unit’s ultrasonic function makes for a fine spray of water droplets released at three levels of intensity for both warm and cool modes, allowing you to control how much humidity there is in your guitar-room.
In fact, the unit’s intuitive design includes an in-built digital hygrometer to inform you of the humidity level of your environment in real time, letting you work out the level of humidity you’d need the unit to restore, the humidifier programmable anywhere between 40 to 80% RH. The unit also features a brilliant automatic mode which senses changes in real-time humidity and adjusts output accordingly, and a timer which can be programmed to turn the humidifier off at a specified time anywhere from 1 to 12 hours later.
We love the 6 liter capacity of this unit, making this much more heavy-duty than several humidifier options suited to mid-sized rooms, the larger tank capacity allowing for longer run-times covering areas of 280 square feet and delivering between 20 to 36 hours of continuous misting (meaning less frequent refilling for you). The dual-mode humidifier has been proven to increase humidity levels 25% times faster than exclusively cool mist machines. The sleek unit also features intuitive touch-screen controls as well as a remote that lets you operate it from as far as 16 feet away. Since the unit is filter-less, this also gets rid of the hassle of frequently having to take it apart for cleaning, though as with all humidifiers we do recommend cleaning it out periodically to make the most effective use of it.
All these features already make this unit a force to be reckoned with, but the aroma box which allows you to add in a few drops of essential oil so the unit doubles as a diffuser may as well be the cherry on top.
KEN’S BUDGET PICK
Everlasting Comfort Ultrasonic Humidifier
Another 6 liter capacity unit, this humidifier is capable of covering a room as big as 400 square feet, generating high mist output with its quiet-operating ultrasonic function and eliminating the need for finicky to maintain filters. Capable of lifting the relative humidity of an indoor space above 43% (eliminating the risk of airborne pathogens being transmitted as well as maintaining a healthy environment for your guitars), the unit features 360° rotating nozzles for multidirectional output and between 22 to 50 hours of continuous misting.
Handy features include a window incorporated along the side of the unit to let you keep an eye on the water-level, as well as the automatic shut-off feature switching the unit off when the water level gets too low for it to continue operating. As well as being a great humidifier to keep your guitars in top shape, the unit also doubles as an essential oil diffuser and an LED night light.
RUNNER-UP
Avalon Premium 5 Liter Ultrasonic Digital Humidifier
A cool/warm mist humidifier with a 5 liter capacity, this unit can cover up to (roughly) 540 square feet, operable both by a touch-sensitive control panel along the unit’s side as well as by remote control. Multiple setting options allow you to choose the level of humidity you require in your guitar room, an in-built timer letting you set a countdown for up to 12 hours, after which the unit automatically shuts off. This makes it a great option if, for instance, you’re planning to use one of these in the bedroom while you sleep.
Now, while this ultrasonic option does come with a filter to keep the build-up of pathogens and other impurities at bay, it’s a replaceable option with a handy cleaning brush included with said unit to make cleaning it up easy business.
RUNNER-UP
Elechomes Top Fill Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier
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Despite its compact appearance and space-saving design, this unit still comes with a 6.5 liters extra-large capacity giving you up to 72 hours of run time. Thanks to the warm misting function, this unit mists 20% faster than exclusively cool misting options, the unit’s in-built humidity sensor letting you keep an eye on real-time RH levels so you can adjust the humidifying intensity accordingly. Intuitive and simple to grasp LED icons display the multiple settings you can program, including an in-built timer. Other great features making this an attractive unit include the in-built low-water-level detection system, and the 360° rotatable nozzle for multidirectional output.