Productopia | Humidifiers

Let's face it: Slathering yourself in hand sanitizer and desperately trying to avoid those "achoo-ing" around you doesn't always work. Inevitably, you'll get a cold.

 And while we all know there's currently no cure for the common cold, there are a few things -- like cough drops -- that can help us feel a little better. But do cough drops really help you get better faster?

Let's face it: Slathering yourself in hand sanitizer and desperately trying to avoid those "achoo-ing" around you doesn't always work. Inevitably, you'll get a cold.

 And while we all know there's currently no cure for the common cold, there are a few things -- like cough drops -- that can help us feel a little better. But do cough drops really help you get better faster? Read more

Humidifiers can be useful appliances, particularly as the weather turns colder and heaters dry out the air. Used occasionally, they can also be soothing for people with colds or upper respiratory infections that dry out the sinuses or throat. As described in ConsumerSearch's full report on humidifiers, most models are designed to be used in large spaces like a bedroom or family room.

That said, if you need something for a very small space like an office cubicle, or if you're a frequent traveler and want something you can easily pack, these humidifiers are too big for the job. In that case, you might want to consider two mini cool-mist humidifiers, both of which are about the size of a squat hardcover book and use plastic water bottles (like you'd find in any convenience store) instead of a reservoir: the Air-O-Swiss 7146 Travel Ultrasonic Humidifier (*Est. $50) and the Sunpentown SU-1051 Mini-Humidifier (*Est. $50).