Humidifier options?

[beautifulboy]

Baby will be born  in 2 weeks and it is much too dry in our little house because of the heaters.  I'd like to buy a humidifier for our bedroom but have read that some do more harm than good.  If anyone has experience with a great jumidifier please do let me know.  I'm a little overwhelmed with the options.  Also one with an air filter option might be a good idea.

Many thanks!

[Just1More]

We have always just used the cheapest drug store option.  Never had a problem.

At times we have also boiled water on the stove.  Another thing you can do is either hang your wet clothes to dry around the house, or wet towels and hang them over the doors. 

[parsley]

I've always used humidifiers at night in the winter but I also found that sometimes they started to grow mold.  A few years ago we splurged on an air-o-swiss ultrasonic humidifier.  It can have hot or cold air.  It has a setting that requires cleaning once a week, it has a demineralization cartridge and some other filter as well. 

I don't know which of these "features" are important or if they are gimmicks.  But, I know that this is definitely the best humidifier I've ever used.  We've used it for 2 years and I've never had it make a mess by leaking or sending out globs of water.  The mist is really fine but also thoroughly moisturizing.  The room feels significantly more moist and we've not had any mold problems at all.  I won't have any concerns using it when our newborn is here in Feb and we've used it with DD the past two years. 

It was expensive though...

[Mulvah]

I purchased a reasonable one that got great reviews online.  We use distilled water and we clean it regularly. 

[beautifulboy]

Thanks for the replies so far!

I am highly, it seems, allergic to mold and mildew, so the thought of a moldy humidifier pumping out moldy air, or a humdiifier being so moist that it causes mildew are horrific thoughts to me.  Also with a newborn i don't want any contaminted air if i can help it, we aleady have an old house and a smoky fireplace....(are these the risks with all of the humdifiers?)

So I guess I'm saying that the expense is fine with me, and seems well worth it, if it actually works.  I do think I wouldn't mind cleaning the filter oncr a week, but I do think that i would not get around to buying distilled water.  I guess that's a big consideration though isn't it, if you have city water with a lot of treatment/additives. 

[calapitters]

I wish we still had it, but we had a cheap, store brand one.  Once a week I would clean it out and change the filter and there was never and mold or mildew. I used it for a couple of years but then it got lost when we moved.  I think any humidifier would require the same type of maintenance to stay mold and mildew free, but it sounds like the one the pp mentioned does it for you.