It’s very important to invest in a guitar humidifier if you care about your instrument.
If you live in a place with too much or too little humidity, it can put your guitar at risk.
As a guitar owner myself, I’ve done in-depth research about which humidifier is best for your guitar.
Some humidifiers are better for music rooms, while others are better if you have only one guitar, which is usually inside a case.
My overall conclusion is that the D’Addario guitar humidifier system is the best.
Keep reading to find out more!
Table of Contents
D’Addario Guitar Humidifier System
The D’Addario Guitar Humidifier System combines a soundhole humidifier and a guitar case humidifier, and it ensures your guitar is in the ideal environment of 45% to 50% relative humidity.
It comes with a two-way humidity control system. It can automatically release or absorb moisture to keep the humidity level in the ideal range without you needing to track it constantly.
With this humidifier, you don’t need to refill the water constantly like a room humidifier, and the maintenance of it is easy, on average, lasting three months.
It’s pretty easy to install and replace, and you need to change the packs (Humidipaks) inside the pouches every while.
Some systems with sponges and hard plastic holders are more likely to leak, although you should always be cautious and alert.
LEVOIT OasisMist Smart Cool and Warm
The LEVOIT OasisMist Humidifier is a great choice to humidify a large room. The 4.5L water tank ensures that you won’t have to refill it too often.
The ability to choose from cold or hot mist is a great feature because it gives you more control and versatility.
With the included auto mode, you can pick and set the ideal humidity and maintain it with the help of the built-in humidistat (the humidistat is like a hygrometer plus). For your guitar, set the auto to medium. This way, you don’t need to worry about checking the humidity level all the time, and it does the job for you.
This smart humidifier lets you use an app on your phone that shows the humidity level and lets you control the humidifier. A great feature in the app is that you can create a smart scene that lets you set the humidifier to turn off if the humidity level is higher than the ideal humidity level that you want (55%–60% for your guitar) or to turn on when the humidity level is too low (40%–45%). This way, everything is pretty much automatic, and you only need to be concerned about refilling the water.
*Note that with room humidifiers, it’s recommended to use distilled or purified water for your health, so you may add this consideration to the investment.
MusicNomad Humitar Instrument Case
This one is a case humidifier, it has built-in velcro that you stick to your case and is supposed to hold the humidifier in place, although some people report that it doesn’t do the job well enough at sticking.
It’s easy to check the humidifier, you just touch the sponge. If it’s wet and soft, you don’t need to add water, if it’s dry and hard, you need to soak it in distilled water.
You should check the humidifier on a regular basis, and the maintenance of it is a little bit more work than some of the competitors on this list.
With the sponge inside, you should use distilled water, although some report that the sponge inside gets moldy even when they use distilled water (you can buy a replacement sponge).
Oasis HH Combo OH-30 Humidifier
A soundhole humidifier that has a built-in hygrometer, meaning that you don’t need to buy and handle extra hygrometers, and all you need is in one convenient piece.
It comes with a sponge that holds more water than regular sponges, plus it is drip resistant. But be careful when traveling and moving it a lot, since if the bottom of the humidifier falls with water inside the guitar, it can harm it.
Note that you still need to put the guitar inside a case, otherwise, it will lose the humidity of the outside atmosphere.
VENTA LW25 Original Humidifier
This humidifier is a room type of humidifier, which means it’s great for music or studio rooms.
The technology that is used here is cold evaporative humidification, and the humidifier itself is filterless, which means you don’t need to replace filters. Unlike other room humidifiers that suggest you use distilled water, this particular one is safe for use with tap water, but you need to add an additive water treatment.
Overall, it covers a large room of up to 430 square feet, and at low power levels, it is quite quiet.
I’m not a big fan of cold humidifiers, but with the water treatment, it is kind of okay.
Buying Guide
Type
When it comes to the guitar humidifier, there are three main types you can pick from, soundhole humidifiers, guitar case humidifiers, and room humidifiers.
Soundhole Humidifiers
Those types of humidifiers are made to be placed directly on the soundhole of your guitar. They can come as a tube or as a pocket with a sponge. They are really easy to install and remove, and they are really great for acoustic guitars. If you don’t use any guitar cases, they are a great pick. Things to consider here are that they may apply a little bit of pressure on the string, but it doesn’t really matter. Also, they may drip water on the guitar if you don’t properly maintain it.
Guitar Case Humidifiers
With this type of humidifier, you just place it inside your case. This type is great if you are transporting the guitar or not using it as much. Also, this type of humidifier is great if you have an electric guitar. Also, some models can be attached to your guitar case.
Room Humidifiers
The room humidifiers aim to maintain the humidity level of your entire room, so if you have a bunch of guitars in the room that you want to show outside their cases, it could be a good investment. Also, they can maintain the level of humidity for you. A few things that need to be considered here are the adjustability of the humidity level and the noise it creates.
This type of humidifier is good to have if you live in a cold climate where indoor heating systems can make the air excessively dry or in a very hot place where the humidity level is low, because you get the benefits of a good humidity level and not only your guitar.
*Note that with room humidifiers, it’s recommended to use distilled or purified water for your health, so you should add this consideration to the investment.
Room size
Another factor that is important for choosing the best guitar humidifier if you choose a room humidifier is the size of the room that your guitar is stored in. Some room humidifiers are good for small rooms, while others are great for big rooms. If you’re not sure what size your room is, you can measure and calculate it.
To calculate your room size, you just need to measure the length and width of your room and multiply them (length x width = area).
For example: 6 ft x 9 ft = 54 sq ft.
If your room is built from irregular shapes, it’s a little bit more complex, so just watch this short video:
Price
Pick a humidifier that is suitable for your specific needs and budget. The price range for guitar room humidifiers can go from a few bucks to over a few hundred bucks.
Also, if you only use it on one guitar, you don’t need the room humidifiers, which can be a little bit more expensive, but if you want to show multiple guitars in the room without any cases, this option becomes more tempting. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific needs and budget.
Hot or not
Another thing to consider if you plan on buying a room humidifier is whether to choose a hot or cold humidifier. The warm one is better in some aspects since hot humidifiers are capable of
killing any bacteria or mold that may be present in the water tank because they boil the water to produce steam. Plus, they’re usually quieter than cool humidifiers and simpler to use, But on the other hand, the hot humidifier also uses much more energy.
FAQ
Which type is the best type?
The soundhole humidifier is good as it is easy to install and remove, great for an acoustic guitar, and you need a guitar case for it. On the other hand, it has the potential to drip water on the guitar if not maintained correctly.
The case humidifiers are great for transportation and are suitable for guitars that are not in frequent use, they are also great for electric guitars and other wooden instruments. But this type isn’t effective for maintaining humidity when the guitar is outside the case.
The room humidifiers are better if you have a music room with multiple guitars or wooden instruments and wooden furniture, and they may also have benefits for your own health. but they produce noise.
Why does my guitar need to stay at ideal humidity levels?
The fluctuations in humidity can lead to problems with your guitar, such as warping, cracks, and changes in intonation.
High Humidity
To be more specific, too much humidity can make the wood of the guitar swell, make the guitar lose tone and volume, and also risk making the actions unplayable. Furthermore, it can just cause mold.
Low Humidity
Low humidity is also bad for your guitar since it can cause the wood to dry and shrink, which can make cracks, and changes in playability. Also, in extreme cases, it can really be bad and make parts of your guitar separate.
Does the guitar sound better?
Any guitar sound can be damaged if it is left outside of the ideal humidity zone for an extended period of time.
The answer here is not that it will make your guitar sound better. It will make your guitar sound worse if you don’t keep the right humidity.
Ideal humidity for your guitar
The ideal humidity for your guitar is around 50%, practically between 40% and 60%.
If you want to be really strict, aim for 45% to 55% relative humidity.
You don’t need to know what relative humidity is and start to calculate it, just buy a hygrometer and aim for the numbers above.
This one, in particular, will also show you a smiley face if you are in the good percentage range.
Conclusion
To prevent irrevocable damage to your cherished instrument caused by unfavorable environmental situations like dryness or humidity, an investment in a high-quality guitar room humidifier should be on top of your list.
Suppose you need a simple yet effective solution or want a system that can attach directly to the guitar without worrying about spills or leaks. In that case, D’Addario Guitar Humidifier System is the one for you.
Waste no time and choose any of our top-rated guitar room humidifiers to ensure your valuable asset protection.
