Best Hygrometer Reviews 2020

What is a Hygrometer?

A hygrometer is a device that monitors humidity, the amount of water vapor in the surrounding environment, and expresses it on a percentage basis.  Hygrometer is a generic, all-encompassing term for an instrument that measures humidity.  However, there are many more specific names for humidity-monitoring devices that you’ll see used, several of which we’ll discuss below.  Some examples of these terms are digital hygrometer, analog hygrometer, Wifi hygrometer, humidity meter, and humidity gauge.  If you’re curious what the differences are or get confused when reading the reviews below, see “Types of Hygrometers” in the Buying Guide below for a description of several popular hygrometer types.

Best Hygrometer Reviews

Through extensive research and reviewing feedback from thousands of actual customers of these products, we’ve developed the following list of the best hygrometers on the market.  Read through the detailed hygrometer reviews below to see our ratings and recommendations for each type of hygrometer or humidity gauge you might be interested in. 

We didn’t hold back in sharing the pros, cons, and things to watch out for in each product so you don’t waste your hard-earned money on junk!  That said, the best hygrometer really does depend on how it’s being used.  Pay particular attention to the headings to determine which use best fits your needs!

Not sure which to get???

See below for more debate between these three great products!  Which is the best humidity gauge in your opinion?

TEMP STICK VS. GOVEE VS. ACURITE

The Best Hygrometer Debate

What makes the Govee hygrometer different from the Temp Stick?  Well, for the time being, it’s a newer product and still trying to prove itself to the market, although it’s doing a pretty good job of that.  How do these both stand out from the very-inexpensive AcuRite 01083 Humidity Monitor?

See the table below to see some differences.

Other Hygrometer / Humidity Gauge / Humidity Meter Options

The list above shows the best hygrometers in most cases, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t better options for specific needs.  This list is to make note of some other really good hygrometers and let you know what applications that they excel in.  As is the case with most tech products these days, there really are lots of good options, you just need to find the one that fits your needs.

Remote Monitoring Alternative for Multiple Sensors – SensorPush Hygrometer

SensorPush Hygrometer Gateway

This SensorPush device is similar to the Temp Stick above. The reason we don’t like it as much is because in order to get the remote monitoring to work outside of your home’s wifi network, you must purchase a special gateway device that’s expensive.  Where this is a good alternative to the TempStick is when you need multiple sensors, all on the same network.  Since the TempStick has the gateway functionality built in, it’s a bit more expensive than the SensorPush’s sensor itself.  At 1:1, the TempStick is still our favorite option.  However, if you need 3+ sensors in the same home, it’s a good idea to consider the SensorPush product as an alternative.

Alternative for Multiple Sensors – Ambient Weather WS-10-X4 Digital Hygrometer

See Ambient Weather WS-10-X4 Digital Hygrometer at Amazon

Ambient Weather makes a great alternative to the AcuRite Pro Accuracy digital hygrometer listed above if you need multiple sensors in your home.  Where the AcuRite device only shows the temperature and humidity at its location, the WS-10-X4 also includes 4 remote thermometer-hygrometer sensors with displays that can be placed around your home in different locations.  In addition, readings from all 4 can be displayed all at once on the main screen.  Besides the 4 remote sensors included, an additional 4 sensors can be added to make a total of 8!  These can include both indoor and outdoor sensors temperature and humidity sensors.

Yes, it’s more expensive than the AcuRite Pro Accuracy product, but it’s certainly less costly than 5 of them.  If you need multiple sensor and only need to monitor them from within your home, take a look at the Ambient WS-10-X4.

Small Hygrometer Alternative – Tempo Disc Wireless Bluetooth Thermometer and Hygrometer

See Tempo Disc at Amazon

The Tempo Disc is a tiny hygrometer, not much larger than a quarter, so it can be placed almost anywhere, indoors or out. These work great for refrigerators, freezers, terrariums, humidors, instrument cases, etc. The Tempo disc runs on the included CR2032 coin battery (~ 1yr battery life) and connects via bluetooth rather than wifi. Because of this, you must be within range to connect to the devices, however you can connect to multiple sensors with one device as long as they are within range. Hygrometer accuracy is +/- 4% RH, so it’s not very accurate. Only use this in applications where this is ok.

Best Hygrometer / Humidity Gauge Buying Guide 2019

Now that you’ve read through our best hygrometer reviews above, let’s discuss why finding the best hygrometer is even important.  What does it matter if we know the humidity level?  Well, there are actually many reasons.  Controlling humidity in our homes is critical to comfort, integrity of building materials, and our health.  Humidity levels outside of a specific range can create poor indoor air quality.

Dry Air

With too little humidity in the air and everything gets very dry.  Dry air makes our skin dry and itchy and it becomes very uncomfortable for us physically.  In addition, your respiratory system and nasal passages start to have issues.  They become sensitive and nosebleeds become more commonplace.  You might also notice the build-up of static electricity and the painful electric shocks every time you touch a metal object like doorknobs. 

Dry air does more than just cause our bodies to dry out.  It takes the moisture out of everything, including the building materials in our homes.  You’ll notice this most in things made of wood.  Wood floors might start to creak or gap, doors can become hard to open and close, and wood windows might even open gaps that allow cold air in.  These can all lead to longer lasting negative affects and costly damage to our homes.

Moist Air

The opposite is true also.  Air that has too much humidity in it can also cause us trouble.  High humidity indoors can lead to wet spots, musty odors, and condensation on windows.  Additionally, it makes conditions ripe for mold and mildew to form.  This can cause damage to building materials, but also health issues for humans and pets. 

Optimal Humidity

Optimal humidity is a relative term.  When talking about our homes, it’s roughly 40-50% relative humidity (RH).  However, not everyone reading through this page is looking for a hygrometer to be used in their home.   Many of the other use cases (many noted below) have different levels of optimal humidity.  For example, you don’t want a humidor to be at 40% RH.

Things to Consider when Searching for the Best Hygrometer

Now we know why hygrometers are critical, but what do we need to know when looking for the best hygrometer or humidity gauge?  The display, accuracy, battery life, alerts, and expandability all play an important role in making a hygrometer worthwhile.  Let’s take a look at each category more closely.

Display

If you are wanting to be able to see the humidity levels from the device itself, you need only consider hygrometers that have a display on them.  Make sure you think about the conditions where you will be looking at the display also.  Will the ambient lighting be low?  Should you consider something with backlighting?  In some cases you may be looking through glass in which case you’ll want to make sure the numbers are large enough to read from further away.

Remote Monitoring

A couple of our choices for the best hygrometers include a remote monitoring feature.  This means you don’t have to be looking at the device itself to check the humidity levels.  If you need this feature, it’s critical that you understand your proximity to the device when you want to check it.  If you’ll always be nearby, bluetooth might be an option. 

In my opinion, you should consider a wifi hygrometer as the ultimate connection.  This is because you can check on things anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection on your mobile device.  Many of these higher-end hygrometers with remote monitoring can supply you with push notifications and alerts when a level outside of the normal range is detected.  Depending on your application, this could be critical.  If you are running a bluetooth hygrometer and are not nearby, you won’t get that alert!

Accuracy

Depending on your application, accuracy may or may not be that important to you.  We’ve included the accuracy of each of the hygrometer reviews listed above so you can see at a quick glance what they all are.  This is usually shown in a percentage of relative humidity, often shown as +/- 2% RH. 

Battery Life

Another important thing to consider when shopping for the best hygrometer is battery life.  Almost all hygrometers today are battery operated and once the batteries die, they don’t work.  Especially in a case where you’re using a remotely monitored wifi hygrometer, you don’t want to be changing the batteries often.  We tried to include the estimated battery life in each of the hygrometer reviews above.  It’s pretty standard to see ranges between 6 months and 1 year.  Anything longer than 1 year is very good!

Alerts and Notifications

Alerts and push notifications are something to keep an eye out for on hygrometers that can be remotely monitored in conjunction with a mobile application.  Most of these will allow you to preset high and low levels.  When these levels are recorded, the app alerts you so you can take action if needed.  This can be very helpful if a remotely monitored hygrometer sends you an alert saying that humidity has dramatically increased in your vacation home.  If you see this in sync with a low temperature alert, there might be a pipe that burst.  The benefits from these alerts can be endless and saving you from disaster can be priceless.

Expandability 

As you saw above, there are some hygrometers that accommodate multiple sensors coming back to a single interface.  This can be very handy if you need multiple readings within your home, or multiple spots around the country.  Before deciding which is the best hygrometer for you, make sure to consider everywhere that you might want a humidity gauge or sensor for monitoring.

Affordability

You shouldn’t pick a hygrometer on price alone or odds will be that you aren’t happy with what you chose.  Once you’ve narrowed down all the other categories on this list, however, balancing the weight of price and customer reviews is a good idea.  If two different devices from our best hygrometers list both fit your needs, consider both the price and user feedback from reviews left on Amazon.  They can be very helpful in your selection.

Hygrometer Applications

There are many reasons to use a hygrometer.  Let’s go over a few of the more common use cases and discuss why you would need a hygrometer and which one might work best.

Home

There are many reasons why you might want to monitor the humidity levels in your home with a hygrometer.  The first, and most common would be to just have a thermometer/hygrometer combination somewhere in your home to check the humidity from time to time.  Other times, you might want to check it in multiple areas of the home.

Best hygrometer for home – Ambient WS-10-X4 or AcuRite Pro Accuracy  

Vacation home

Another common application for a hygrometer is a 2^nd home.  You’re not there much of the time, but you want to monitor temperature and humidity levels to ensure nothing has gone wrong.  For this application, you’ll need wifi at the location and a wifi hygrometer that features remote monitoring.

Best hygrometer for remote monitoring – TempStick

Cigar Humidor

This might be the largest overall usage for hygrometers.  In order for cigars to stay fresh, they really should be kept in an area that has around 70% relative humidity.  Often the best way to achieve this is with the use of a humidor.  Because humidors are usually small, a smaller hygrometer or humidity gauge is the best fit.  Although humidors do often come with a hygrometer, they are usually cheap pieces of junk.  Consider buying a better hygrometer separate from the humidor.

Best hygrometer for humidor – Caliber IV/4R

Greenhouse

Greenhouses are another use case for hygrometers.  Depending on what’s growing in the greenhouse, you’ll want to know the humidity levels.  This can be done with a low-cost indoor hygrometer ore monitored remotely for convenience. 

Best indoor hygrometer – TempPro TP50 for low cost, TempStick if remote monitoring

*If remote monitoring is important, consider a home weather station as the best way to get a wireless hygrometer and at the same time picking up 8-10 more sensors at little to no extra cost.

Musical Instrument Cases

Since many instruments are made of wood and orifices, holes, and gaps in them are critically sized in order for them to make good music, humidity control can be very important.  Since there is little area for them and most cases are not clear, a bluetooth hygrometer might be a good fit.

 Best hygrometer for guitar case – Tempo Disc Bluetooth Hygrometer

Incubators, Reptile Tanks (Terrariums), etc

There are several other applications where temperature and humidity are critical to monitor and gauge.  The most important thing to keep in mind is the size of the device and how you want to get your readings.  Do you want to see them on the device?  Do you need to be able to see them remotely?  If remote, can it be via bluetooth (up to 50ft away) or does it need to be over wifi (anywhere in the world)?  This should help you make a good choice picking the best hygrometer for your needs.

Most Accurate Hygrometer

The most accurate hygrometer devices from our list above are the Oasis Caliber IV and the Oasis Caliber 4R.  They both have very similar specifications and are accurate to within +/- 1% RH in the range of 20-90% humidity.  This is quite amazing considering both of these digital hygrometers cost less than $30!  Many lab-rated hygrometers that have similar accuracies can cost over $1000.

Types of Hygrometers

As mentioned at the outset of this page, there are many terms for hygrometers, and they really all do the same basic thing in monitoring humidity.  However, there are some nuisances and reasons you might want to choose one type over another in different applications.  Some examples of the different terms you might hear hygrometers called include: analog hygrometer, digital hygrometer, wifi hygrometer, humidity gauge, humidity meter, moisture meter, psychrometer, dew point hygrometer, and mechanical hygrometer. 

Some of these terms can be used interchangeably, but not always.  In fact, many of them are often used incorrectly to describe the wrong thing.  Some of them actually have additional features that might be important to you in your particular use case.  For this reason, let’s discuss a few of the more popular types below.

Analog Hygrometer

An analog hygrometer is a relatively inexpensive instrument for monitoring humidity levels.  They are often smaller, less accurate devices that would be used where humidity levels are not critical or costly if overlooked since they do not have remote monitoring capabilities.  You will sometimes see analog hygrometers also called a humidity gauge.

Digital Hygrometer

A digital hygrometer, also sometimes referred to as an electric hygrometer, is basically a humidity measuring device that displays readings digitally.  The best digital hygrometers display large, bright characters that are easy to read from distance and in all light conditions.  The best digital hygrometers have the ability to also measure things other than humidity, like temperature for instance. 

Wifi Hygrometer

Wifi hygrometers are fairly new technology when compared to other hygrometers discussed on this page.  These instruments connect directly to your home’s wifi connection, and therefore don’t always have a local display.  It’s most common that these devices are connected through a mobile app that allows you to see the humidity levels remotely.  This can be done via an iPad or your mobile phone.  These are a great option when you have a need to monitor humidity in places that are not convenient to access quickly.  Some examples include cigar humidors, gun safes, vacation homes, storage units, remote buildings on your property, etc.  The best Wifi hygrometers allow you to connect remotely from anywhere in the world and check on the device and identify the current and historical humidity levels.  Since they can monitor and alert your, these are also often called “humidity monitors”.

Humidity Gauge

A humidity gauge is another type of hygrometer.  Although technically, the term could refer to many forms of a hygrometer, when I hear the term humidity gauge, I think of a device that looks specifically like a gauge or dial.  I think of something that is round in shape, often analog, but could be digital.    

Humidity Meter

A humidity meter is more of a handheld tool than a monitor you place somewhere.  It is a device that a person would carry around to quickly check the humidity levels in several places, using it more as a mobile device.

Moisture Meter

Similar to a humidity meter, a moisture meter is a handheld tool.  These tools allow you to measure the moisture content in building materials rather than the environment.  Our recommendation for the best moisture meter is the General Tools MMD4E. 

Psychrometer

A psychrometer measures relative humidity through the use of two thermometers, one wet bulb and one dry bulb thermometer.  The humidity is calculated based on the difference between what the thermometers measure.  Psychrometers are inexpensive and easy to use, but they can be fragile and have potentially poor resolution. 

Dew Point Hygrometer

A dew point hygrometer, sometimes called a chilled mirror hygrometer (CMH), works by cooling a mirrored surface at a constant pressure until water starts to condense.  When condensation happens and fine water droplets appear, it has found the dew point.

Mechanical Hygrometer

A mechanical hygrometer is different from a digital or electric hygrometer.  This is mainly because it uses some sort of substance that expands or contracts with humidity, such as human hair in a hair hygrometer.  It’s this expansion and contraction that moves a needle within the hygrometer to indicate the humidity level in the surrounding area.

How to Increase Humidity in a Room

The easiest, most straight forward way is with a humidifier.  There are 3 main types of humidifiers, small room humidifiers, large room humidifiers, and whole house humidifiers.  Here are our favorite examples of each.

How to Increase Humidity Without a Humidifier 

Getting more water vapor into the air is the name of the game here.  Here are a few simple, free ways to do just that without buying a humidifier. 

Turn down the Furnace

Running the furnace warms the air, and thus removes the water vapor.  By putting on a sweater and turning down the furnace, it would keep some of the humidity in your home.  This option will also save you money and be better for the environment since you won’t be using as much electricity (or gas) in your home.

Air dry your clothes inside

By air drying your wet clothes inside, the water from your damp clothes will evaporate, making the atmosphere more humid.  It works even better if there is air movement and the laundry can be dried near fan, air vent, etc running the air past the wet clothes.

Leave the door open when you shower

This one might not be feasible due to privacy reasons depending on your living situation, but if you can leave the door open while taking a shower, the steam coming out of the shower will provide additional humidity throughout that section of your home.

Boil water on the stove

Similar to leaving the door open when you shower, boiling water on the stove will let off steam inside your home, thus raising the humidity level in that area. 

Grow large-leaf plants in your home

The water from the plants will evaporate within your home, raising the humidity.  Plants tend to be a great way to increase the air quality in your home as well.

How to Reduce Humidity

As discussed above, humidity levels that are too high can cause issues with mold and mildew, water stains, and condensation on the windows.  Perhaps worst of all, potential mold and poor indoor air quality due to high humidity can lead to health risks for you and your family.  It is essential that you monitor humidity with a hygrometer if you start seeing any of the symptoms listed above.  Here are some ways to reduce humidity in a house with too much water vapor in the air.

Dehumidifier

The easiest way to reduce humidity is by a dehumidifier.  Of course, this a product that is made for the sole purpose of removing humidity from the atmosphere in your home.  There are different sizes of dehumidifiers for different size homes.  Here is one of the most cost-effective, whole home dehumidifiers.  It has great feedback from its user base. 

Shower Quickly

Just the opposite from above, by taking quick showers, less steam has the opportunity to get into the surrounding air and will keep it from being absorbed.

Turn on Fans and Run the Air Conditioner

Moving and circulating air pushes the humidity out.  When it sits dormant for too long, it becomes stale and promotes mold growth.  Using exhaust fans, especially when taking a shower, will help push the moisture out of your home.

Conclusion

We hope our list of best hygrometer reviews and this buying guide have been helpful and educational in your search for buying a hygrometer, humidity gauge, or monitor.  There are many great hygrometers available to consumers today.  Finding one that suites your needs is essential to monitoring humidity levels in your home to promote healthier air quality for your family, and at the same time, to keep an eye on the building materials in your home.

By following the guidelines we set out above, it should shorten the time you need to do research in order to find be best hygrometer for your needs.  Keep an eye on the 7 criteria: display, remote monitoring, accuracy, battery life, alerts and notifications, expandability, and affordability.  These will effectively narrow your search.  If all else fails, you can’t go wrong with any of the hygrometers from our list.

After our thorough research, we have identified the following as the best hygrometers:  Temp Stick, Govee, AcuRite Pro Accuracy, and Oasis Caliber.  Temp Stick has the most features, including remote monitoring, an intuitive app, and a proven track record and great user feedback.  The Govee is an up-and-coming smart home product that is currently sitting at a close second place.  It also has remote monitoring and includes a display right on the device.  For different reasons, the low-cost options of the AcuRite Pro Accuracy and Oasis Caliber humidity gauges are also great products.  They don’t feature remote monitoring, but they do their job well, and the price is right!

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