Best Vicks Humidifiers
Founded in the 1890s, the Vicks brand has been around for more than a century and has become a household name. It’s most famous for its flagship product, Vicks VapoRub, a salve used to relieve coughs and colds in both adults and children. They have since expanded to produce more products, ranging from over-the-counter cough medications to humidifiers.
Regardless of the type of product, the goal is always the same: to allow their customers to “Breathe Life In”. This tagline still rings true in the way they develop their humidifiers. Their humidifier range is wide and varied, but always as affordable as possible. They also always find ways to incorporate their other products into their humidifiers by having medicine cups and scented pad slots.
If you’re looking for a humidifier that can help treat cough and colds, then it’s time to explore this list of the best Vicks humidifiers available. Here we unpack the various characteristics of each so that you can find the model that best meets your needs.
- Warm mist, steam humidifier
- Covers up to 600 sq. ft.
- 1-gallon tank capacity
- Medicine cup for medicated inhalants
- 95% bacteria-free steam
- 3-year warranty
- Cool mist, ultrasonic humidifier
- Best for small rooms
- 0.5-gallon tank capacity
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- Variable mist output
- 2-year warranty
- Cool mist, evaporative humidifier
- Covers up to 400 sq. ft.
- 0.8-gallon tank capacity
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- Variable mist output
- 3-year warranty
- Cool mist, ultrasonic humidifier
- Covers up to 400 sq. ft.
- 1.2-gallon tank capacity
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- Variable mist output
- 3-year warranty
- Cool mist, evaporative humidifier
- Covers up to 600 sq. ft.
- 1-gallon tank capacity
- Starry Night Projection feature
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- 3-year warranty
Warm mist humidifiers often get a bad reputation for being unsafe to use around children and pets because of the heating element they use. Despite these claims, the Vicks V745 consistently rises above the controversy and remains one of Vicks’ best-selling humidifiers to date.
Rated to cover up to 600 sq. ft. of space, the Vicks V745 is able to release up to 1.9 gallons of warm mist daily. Considering how affordable the V745 is, this much power and performance definitely makes it a bargain. What makes it so great is that it doesn’t get too hot while in use, which is a concern most people have about warm mist humidifiers. It also has a medicine cup you can use with Vicks inhalants to help you breathe easier when you’re suffering from a cold or the flu.
One of the V745’s critical drawbacks is that several people have reported leaking issues with the unit. This can be dangerous, especially if the water is hot. Despite this flaw the V745 ticks all the right boxes: affordable, reliable, powerful, and effective.
Pros
- Affordable
- Large room coverage
- High daily humidity output
- Easy to clean/maintain
- Not too hot
- Medicine cup
- Good for treating cough and colds
- No white dust
- No filters to replace
Cons
- No low water indicator
- Leaking problems
- Loud
The Vicks VUL520P is one of Vicks’ smaller humidifiers. Weighing in at 3.7 pounds, the VUL520P is the perfect humidifier to use on your bedside table or on your office table.
Of course, since it’s a mini humidifier, it only has a small 0.5-gallon tank and can only cover rooms up to 250 sq. ft. in size. In addition to size limitations, there has been an alarming number of complaints regarding the VUL520P’s durability, with users complaining their unit didn’t last more than a few months. Moreover, it is also said to be a chore to clean.
Considering its size, the VUL520P has a surprisingly long runtime of up to 20 hours on each filling, making it great for overnight use. While it may not have a medicine cup, the VUL520P does boast a scented pad slot for Vick VapoPads for added relief from cough and cold symptoms. Overall, the VUL520P is a great humidifier if you’re only planning to use it in small rooms.
Pros
- Affordable
- Long runtime
- Quiet
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- Comes in 3 colors
- Easy to use
- Good for treating cough, colds, and flu
Cons
- Small water tank
- Small room coverage
- Durability issues
- Difficult to clean
The VEV320 is one of Vicks’ newer models and features a self-regulating evaporative system. It uses a special Protec antimicrobial wicking filter which helps keep mold and bacterial growth to a minimum. Rated to cover spaces up to 400 sq. ft. in size, the VEV320 is another robust but affordable humidifier from Vicks.
One of the drawbacks with the VEV320 is that it has an awkwardly-sized 0.8-gallon tank, which is smaller than other humidifiers of the same calibre (i.e. the V745 and V4600). However, the biggest problem most users had with the VEV320 were the sky-high long-term costs brought about by the expensive wicking filters that had to be replaced at least 6 times a year. If you have hard water at home, then you’re bound to be replacing these filters more often.
Despite these drawbacks, the VEV320 is still a reliable humidifier capable of relieving you of common respiratory diseases. It comes with a scented pad slot of Vicks VapoPads and, since it uses a wicking filter you can be rest assured that no white dust will be released into your home.
Pros
- Medium room coverage
- Affordable (upfront)
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- No white dust
- Quiet
- Easy to use and clean
- Uses antimicrobial wick filters
Cons
- Relatively small tank capacity
- Wick filter needs to be replaced regularly
- Expensive (long-term)
- High maintenance
The V4600 is another popular humidifier from Vicks. It’s a filter-free cool mist humidifier that uses an ultrasonic system rated to cover medium rooms up to 400 sq. ft. in size. Of all the humidifiers on this list, it has the largest tank which can hold up to 1.2 gallons of water per filling.
However, as with other Vicks models, the V4600 has also been reported to have leaking and durability issues, with complaints running along the lines of “It suddenly stopped working!” to “It leaked all over my carpet!” Aside from these issues, the V4600 will release white dust if you use hard water, so make sure the water you use for this unit is demineralized or filtered to avoid this.
Overall, the V4600 is a good choice if you’re trying to avoid frequent refills and filter replacements. Because of its lack of filters and high energy efficiency, the V4600 keeps long-term costs at a minimum. With its scented pad slot for Vicks VapoPads, the V4600 will undoubtedly help relieve you of any breathing discomfort.
Pros
- Medium room coverage
- Large tank capacity
- Long runtime
- Affordable
- No filters to replace
- Quiet
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
- Easy to clean and use
Cons
- May release white dust
- Durability issues
- Leaking issues
The Vicks Starry Night V3700 is a good, child-friendly humidifier for households with little ones. The V3700 is a unique evaporative humidifier that features a projector that beams a starry night on the ceiling of the room. It works independently of the humidifier and is said to help kids (especially those who are afraid of the dark) fall asleep. With its 1-gallon tank, the V3700 is able to single-handedly cover spaces up to 600 sq. ft. in size and run for up to 24 hours on each filling. Thanks to its self-regulating evaporative system, you don’t have to worry about white dust or over-humidifying the kids’ room at night. It also has a scented pad slot for Vicks VapoPads or Soothing Sleepy Time Scent Pads to help your little ones drift off to sleep.
Since it uses the same Protec antimicrobial wicking filter at the VEV320, it also means long-term costs are a lot higher. In addition, the V3700 was reportedly also received complaints pertaining to durability and leaking. With all things considered, however, the V3700 is undoubtedly a must-have humidifier for parents looking to humidify their nurseries or kids’ rooms.
Pros
- Affordable
- Large room coverage
- Large tank capacity
- Good for use in nurseries, kids’ rooms
- Optional Starry Night projector
- Uses antimicrobial wick filters
- Compatible with Vicks VapoPads
Cons
- Wick filter needs to be replaced regularly
- Expensive (long-term)
- Durability issues
- Leaking issues
FAQ
Can I use essential oils in my Vicks humidifier?
No, adding anything other than water to the water tank can damage your humidifier. If you’re interested in using essential oils, you might want to consider a diffuser, which are specifically made for essential oils. The URPOWER Essential Oil Diffuser Cool Mist Humidifier for example, is both a diffuser and a cool mist humidifier.
Is there any way to stop the Starry Night light from switching between colors? The changing colors distract my toddler and prevent him from sleeping.
Unfortunately, no. There’s no way to stop the night light from changing colors. If it distracts your children in any way, then you always have the option of turning it off. It works independently of the humidifier.
Vicks humidifiers use Protec replacement filters which are quite expensive. Can I use other wick filter brands other than Protec?
Yes, there are other brands available that are compatible with Vicks humidifiers, such as this one.
We have hard water at home. How often should I change my wick filter?
If you use hard water for your evaporative humidifier, chances are, you’ll be replacing the wick filter more often that you’d like. Normally, with hard water, you’d need to replace the wick filter as often as every 2 weeks. If you want to avoid this problem, then you’re better off using distilled or demineralized water for your humidifier instead.
Final Thoughts
The Vicks brand has been around for several decades and has solidified its position as the go-to brand for dealing with common illnesses like cough, colds, and the flu. In an attempt to diversify their products, they began producing affordable, high-quality humidifiers as well.
Of all the humidifiers they’ve produced, none come close to the degree of popularity that the Vicks V745 has been able to achieve. The V745 has proven time and time again that it is one of the best warm mist humidifiers out there and, while it may not have as many features as other models, its performance, reliability, and safety make it a solid choice.
