Besides looking for the best grow tent humidifier, we’ll also see who might need to use humidifiers in their grow tents and what are the benefits of using one.
In fact, maybe some people need a dehumidifier instead of a humidifier. In the end, it depends on the environment that your plants thrive in.
There are 4 general humidity levels for plants: tropical weather (80-90% humidity), ideal level (60-80% humidity), 40%-60% humidity that most of us have in our houses, and below 40%.
The below 40% humidity can especially happen in a grow tent when the LED grow lights are run at full blast. Or in a house in the winter when the heating system runs or in the summer thanks to ACs.
If your general humidity in the house and in the grow tent is below 40%, then you’ll most likely need to look for the best grow tent humidifier. Most houseplants won’t enjoy such low levels. On the other hand, cacti and succulents can adapt even to these low levels.
Let me give you a very short of list of plants that love high humidity: plants native to rainforests can need as much as 90% humidity, some fern varieties might need 80% humidity, African violets, peace lily, orchids, bromeliads, pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant/UFO plant), monstera, bamboo, air plant, watermelon peperomia, fiddle leaf fig, heart leaf philodendron, majesty palm, dracaena, anthurium, tradescantia zebrina, etc.
Table of Contents
5 Best Grow Tent Humidifiers
Ideally, we would place the humidifier inside the grow tent. Well, that might not be possible for some people if their tent is on the smaller side. I’ll talk about where to put a humidifier in a grow tent after we’ve reviewed some awesome recommendations for the best humidifier for grow tents.
Check out my reviews for the best grow box for beginners if you want to see what these small chambers offer.
For example, we can choose to buy just the tent, consisting of the frame and the material that forms the tent, and then buy everything else we need separately.
Or we can choose to buy complete grow tent kits that come with the frame, the material, grow lights, inline fan, carbon filter, ducting, duct clamps, and hygrometer.
Having a hygrometer inside a grow tent is absolutely essential. This is the tool that measures temperature and humidity.
A hygrometer will show us whether the humidity inside our grow tent is too low or too high and the same it will do for temperature levels. It will also show us how the humidifier we chose to buy performs. You need one as soon as you set up your tent and start your first crop.
The fans inside the tent also help control temperature and moisture. They keep the air refreshed within and below the canopy. They also reduce the chance of pests that prefer higher humidity.
By the way, the candidates for the best grow tent humidifier are the same models that we also use for bedrooms and other rooms in our houses. There are no specifically designed humidifiers or dehumidifiers just for grow tents or for plants.
1. AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier: Overall the Best Grow Tent Humidifier
This one from AquaOasis is incredibly popular, one of the most popular models at the moment.
It’s also very popular among people who have bought it for use inside their grow tents.
Frankly, it’s hard to choose between the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier and the Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier, which is the model that I will review right after this one from AquaOasis. I love both equally so I’m torn between these two.
It was hard to pick which one to review first. In the end, I decided to review the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier first because there are so many people who love it for their tents and plants.
However, there are more negative reviews for this one. The Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier also has its fair share of negative reviews so neither is perfect.
Still, I consider these two to be fantastic choices for increasing the humidity inside grow tents.
Their smaller size also makes them perfect for amateur growers.
The prices are also decent for both. The AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier is not cheap but it’s an affordable model.
Amazing humidifier for grow tents
There are a lot of people who praise it for being a perfect humidifier for grow tents.
Someone with a 5 x 5 grow tent mentions that they wished it was a bit bigger but it works fine. It still manages to keep humidity at a nice level.
Another buyer mentions that the fact that the full tank runs for about 12 hours is absolutely perfect because it matches the 12 hours cycle for grow lights. Of course, we might also run our lights for 14-16 hours, it depends.
Both the grow lights and the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier can be on the same functioning pattern.
You can fill it early in the day and it will run until night.
If you want it to run during the night as well, you just fill up the tank again and it will maintain the humidity at the levels our plants need until the morning when we wake up.
Someone bought this humidifier for their carnivorous plants. Since putting the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier inside their tent, the plants have been flourishing and have never looked better. It keeps the humidity at the perfect level.
Another person mentioned that the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier works perfectly for their plants but the model needs to be placed on flat ground, otherwise it won’t work. That’s certainly a thing to keep in mind.
Someone uses it in a tent that tends to run hot. The cool mist helps with cooling down the plants.
Another grower has tested it both in a 4 x 4 x 10 and a 2 x 4 x12 tent. It worked perfectly in both. It covers plants on a two-level system perfectly.
All in all, the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier is a clear winner, the best grow tent humidifier for so many growers.
Features
It’s slightly smaller than many other models on the market. Still, it can be perfect for grow tents. It will increase humidity quickly, it will cool down hot grow spaces and it’s suitable for everyone who needs increased humidity in their tents.
The smaller tank capacity means that you have to fill it once every 12 hours. If you’re not bothered by that, the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier will work perfectly.
Moreover, the small size means that it can fit in various grow tents of various sizes without overcrowding the space.
Overall, I believe that the 2.2 L tank capacity is more than enough for 12 hours of continuous misting.
The manufacturer mentions that it can work 24 hours in a single fill. The reality actually amounts to 12 hours of continuous use in a single fill.
There’s also a 360 degrees rotation nozzle so that we can fully control and customize the mist output and mist flow direction.
We can control the mist output from a knob dial. That’s pretty typical for humidifiers of this design and size range.
It automatically shuts off before the tank runs out of water entirely.
It comes with a cleaning brush and you’ll have to clean it regularly.
2. Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier: Great Humidifier for Grow Tents
In my opinion, this Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier is perfect for a lot of home growers.
Plus, the price is pretty good considering that this is one of the most popular manufacturers at the moment.
However, even though it’s incredibly popular, there are also a bunch of negative reviews to check out.
Still, even with all those negative reviews, I still think that the Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier is one of the best grow tent humidifiers. The size, the price, the quality, everything is pretty amazing.
Levoit has a lot of different humidifiers but this is the smallest among them.
It’s actually made for bedrooms so it will work perfectly for our plants, too.
Features
The dimensions are just perfect. I think it’s small enough to be able to fit inside most tents.
It measures 8.5 x 6.7 x 10.2 inches. And it only weighs 2.5 pounds.
The Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier has a water tank capacity of 0.63 gallons or 2.4 liters.
That means that it can run up to 24 hours on low mist setting.
There are 3 mist levels: low, medium, and high.
There’s also a 360 degrees rotating nozzle to nicely mist the space without wetting the floors and furniture.
It also covers a range between 107 and 280 square feet or 10-27 square meters. That’s more than enough for your average grow tent.
It’s still pretty powerful with a 250mL/h mist output.
The manufacturer mentions that it can bring a nursery or bedroom to 50% humidity. It can certainly exceed that level in smaller spaces, like our tents.
Cons
Here is the main reason why I didn’t recommend this Levoit as my favorite pick for humidifiers for grow tents.
As you’re going to see, this model requires vigilance, especially during a very specific time. It might be too much trouble for many of us.
There is a user review that mentions that this is not a good choice for a grow tent for one particular reason.
The con is related to the two lights that the Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier has.
One is the night light, which can be turned off so no problems there.
The other light turns on when the tank is empty.
Thus, if the light turns on when the grow tent is in the dark period, this light signaling that the tank is empty can damage the growth cycles of our plants.
However, if you don’t let the tank go empty or if you simply don’t use it during the dark period, then there’s no problem with using the Levoit Classic 100 Cool Mist Humidifier inside a grow tent.
Still, I felt that I should mention this aspect because growers should be informed by every aspect related to potential tools for their plants.
3. Levoit 4L Humidifier for Bedroom Large Room
This is another quite popular humidifier with a larger capacity than the first two I reviewed above.
I think this Levoit 4L model could be the best grow tent humidifier for people who want to fill the water tank just once every 2 days.
For example, a grower mentions that it works perfectly for their 4 x 4 grow tent and they only have to refill it every 2 days. That’s nice for people who don’t want to take care of having a filled tank once every 12 or 24 hours.
Another grower writes that this Levoit 4L Humidifier for Bedroom Large Room works great for their garden grow tents. However, we are advised to use distilled, filtered or RO water. If you have a water filtration system that’s great because it will cost a bit to always buy distilled water for it.
Features
Levoit mentions that with a 4L large water tank we can humidify a bedroom for up to 5 nights. In grow tents, I would say that you’ll get about 2 days until you need to fill up the water tank.
It will automatically shut off when water runs out.
It’s a humidifier and a diffuser 2 in 1 for essential oils but we don’t care about this when we want to use humidifiers for plants in tents.
Since this one is bigger, we get dual rotating nozzles.
It has up to 300ml/h mist output so it’s slightly more powerful than models with smaller water tanks. It means that it can increase the humidity in a smaller room or surface very quickly.
The water tank’s large opening and rectangular shape allows us to wash it directly in the skin for an easy, deep cleaning.
We can select our preferred cool mist level with simple one-touch control.
Levoit actually mentions that we can create the ideal indoor climate for the nursery, large room, and plants room. That sounds perfect. And you need a hygrometer to make sure that’s the case.
It’s also whisper quiet.
4. Levoit 6L Humidifier for Bedroom Large Room: Large Capacity Grow Tent Humidifier
An even bigger, best grow tent humidifier is this one from Levoit with a 6L water tank.
It’s impressive that there are a lot of people who buy models with such a large capacity for their tents and plants. But that’s indeed the case. And people love it.
Someone bought this one for their 4 x 4 tent while another grower bought it for their 5 x 5 tent.
The idea is that it works for all sizes. It’s definitely big enough for whatever you want.
The person that bought it for their 5 x 5 tent mentions that this is the first model that gets the relative humidity in the 60s and sometimes even 70s.
However, I should also mention that it’s quite expensive. That’s to be expected when we buy a model with a larger capacity.
Smart vs knob control humidifier
For the Levoit 6L we actually get to choose between two different technologies.
Most models have a knob for controlling the mist level. They’re easy to use and they work very well.
We also get a knob control for the Levoit 6L and it’s slightly cheaper than the smart version.
The Levoit 6L Smart Humidifier is a bit more expensive. It comes with a few touch buttons to control the mist level for day and night.
There’s also an Auto Mode that will maintain the room humidity at the healthiest humidity level.
We also get the free VeSync app to control settings anytime & anywhere, to create schedules, etc.
We also get notifications whenever the water is low and things like that. It can be nice to have the app and to be able to modify settings as we want.
All in all, pretty much everyone seems to prefer the Levoit 6L Smart Humidifier over the classic, knob control option.
Features
Levoit 6L boasts of a powerful performance that is capable of 4x faster humidification speed that lasts up to 60 hours.
The covering is up to 505 square feet.
Actually, if you use it in a grow tent, you’ll have to refill the tank at least once every 2 days. And it can be used in tents of various sizes, both small and large, as long as you can fit the Levoit 6L inside.
For the Smart Humidifier option, Levoit mentions that it’s exactly what plants need. In addition to the most basic plant humidification, it also offers comprehensive plant-care programs.
It includes scanning recognition, more professional encyclopedias, and specialized custom plant management.
Refilling and cleaning the tank is easy thanks to the top-fill design and the large opening at the top.
5. raydrop Cool Mist Humidifier
This thing is the smallest among my recommendations for the best grow tent humidifier.
It’s really tiny, having only a 1.7L water tank capacity. It’s also quite affordable.
However, if you don’t have a lot of free space inside your tent to house a humidifier, then this model from raydrop might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Or maybe you don’t need all that much to keep RH up and you are actually looking for a smaller humidifier, which will make this raydrop a perfect tool for your plants.
To be completely honest, I wouldn’t have reviewed the raydrop Cool Mist Humidifier if it weren’t for the number of reviews that I came across from people who use it in their grow tents.
You will most likely have to refill the tank 2 times per day but it can work really great.
There are growers who use it in a 4 x 4 grow room.
Someone mentioned that it has been running nonstop for 2 years in a grow tent. It has managed to keep RH up and temps down when the grower runs the LED at full blast.
All in all, the raydrop Cool Mist Humidifier is very popular among plant growers, which I love a lot. It’s what makes it so worthy of being picked as the best grow tent humidifier for people on a budget or for those with reduced free space.
I also like the vertical oval shape design. It looks great.
It also comes with a dial knob control for selecting the mist output.
There’s also a smart indicator and auto shut off when water is run out.
Alternatives to using a humidifier for grow tents
If you think that buying the best grow tent humidifier might not be exactly what you need at the moment, then there’s another thing that you can do to increase humidity for your plants.
This works well and it doesn’t cost anything. But it’s not good for all plants.
I’m talking about misting.
That simply means using a plant mister filled with tepid water. You’ll use this mister to gently mist the leaves.
It will work very well for tropical plants that thrive in a humid environment. Those are the plants I would recommend misting for.
You must also be aware that misting has a short time effect. The mist doesn’t stay on the leaves for too long.
Moreover, I absolutely don’t recommend misting in colder temperatures because it can lead to fungus.
Another good thing about growing plants in a grow tent is that the plants are grouped together. These plants that are grouped together can imitate the behavior of forests. Air and moisture will be trapped between them and they can use each other’s moisture.
You can also try simply placing a container with water inside the grow tent if you have room for it. The hygrometer will tell you if it has any impact at all.
Another solution is to use a humidity tray. This simply consists of getting a tray, covering the bottom with pebbles/gravel covered in water, and then placing a thin layer of dry pebbles/gravel on top. Place your pots on top of the dry layer of pebbles and the plant will absorb the moisture by itself.
Why we should use humidifiers for plants
As the name suggests, a humidifier increases the humidity in the air.
If we use a hygrometer, we will know exactly what levels are inside our tents and if we need to do something about it.
It also depends whether our plants will thrive in a humid environment or in a less humid one.
Thus, there are a few things to consider before looking for the best grow tent humidifier.
If you want to use one that doesn’t need to be filled with water daily or twice per day, then I recommend buying a model with a 6L water tank. The bigger the water tank capacity, the less often we have to fill it.
Besides keeping the RH up, a humidifier also cools down the grow space, which can get a bit heated in certain areas or from the use of grow lights. Cooling down the space is another important reason to consider such an appliance.
Where to put humidifier in a grow tent
Many models will only work if they are set on a flat surface. That means that the only potential arrangement is to set them on the floor inside the tent.
Nowadays, these appliances have 360 degrees rotating nozzles so they’re easy to rotate towards where you want them.
If your model doesn’t require a flat surface in order to turn on, then you can suspend it. Mount it on the ceiling if you have a small tent and you want to save space. Just make sure that the mist doesn’t interfere with your grow lights.
It can also be placed close to the venting system to circulate moisture efficiently.
If you’re using reptile foggers, those can actually be placed outside the tent. They have a hose through which they can send the vapor inside the tent while being placed on the outside.
All in all, I hope you can find the best grow tent humidifier among my recommendations and you can enjoy growing happy, bountiful plants.
