When it comes to humidifying your acoustic guitars, you have a lot of options. There is no shortage of great humidifiers and hygrometers to choose from.
However, not all of these accessories are created equal. That’s why I created a guide to the guitar hygrometers and humidifiers that I personally use for my own acoustic guitars.
Whether you want to humidify an entire room or simply humidify your guitar inside its case, I provide all the best options you need to keep your guitar safe and properly humidified.
Read on to discover the best acoustic guitar humidifiers and hygrometers:
The Two Main Types of Guitar Humidifiers
Before you choose a guitar humidifier, you should be aware that there are two main types of humidifiers. Which one you choose depends on how you want to humidify your guitar.
The two types of guitar humidifiers are:
- Room Humidifiers
- In Case & Soundhole Humidifiers
Each of these has their own respective pros and cons. Let’s explore each a little deeper to discover which guitar humidifier is right for you and your situation.
Best Room Humidifier for Acoustic Guitars
A room humidifier adjusts humidity in the room by diffusing water into the air. This diffusion brings the humidity levels within a room to your desired level. The nice thing about room humidifiers is that they allow you to just leave your guitars sitting out.
The key thing to remember here is that you ought to get a room humidifier that allows you to adjust the humidity percentage.
The reason this is important is because you ideally want your guitar in a room that is 45-55F% humidity.
I personally like the LEVOIT humidifier (on Amazon) because it allows you to adjust the humidity accordingly:
The other nice thing about the LEVOIT is that it has near-silent noise levels, so it’s never a nuisance.
Simply dial in a 45-55F% setting on your room humidifier, add water, and you should be good to go.
Room humidifiers are the best way to go if you have multiple guitars, as they are much more low maintenance and allow you to humidify multiple instruments at the same time.
Best In Case & Soundhole Guitar Humidifier
Your other option is to humidify your guitar inside of its gig bag or case.
You can do this with a soundhole humidifier, which, as the name suggests, goes inside the soundhole of the guitar and humidifies it from within.
There are a lot of different in-case guitar humidifiers or soundhole humidifiers. I personally use a Dampit, and I’m very happy with it:
The Dampit is what I personally use to humidify my Martin D18.
What I like about the Dampit is that you only need to purchase it once. A lot of other soundhole guitar humidifiers out there require you to buy “hydration packs” to stock/replace the humidifier with. Buying these things over and over again can really add up.
With the Dampit, on the other hand, you simply buy it once, and it will last you for years.
Best Hygrometers for Guitar
Now that you have your humidifier picked out, it’s time to choose a hygrometer.
Why do you need a hygrometer for your guitar?
A hygrometer is essential because it will report back to you on the humidity levels inside your guitar case or in the room. The humidifier itself is not always accurate in its reporting, so that’s where the hygrometer comes in.
If you’re looking for a hygrometer to pair with your in-case or soundhole humidifier, it’s hard to beat the Oasis OH-2:
This hydrometer will tell you very accurately what’s going on with the temp and humidity in the case. All you do is put in the battery, turn it on and let it get accustomed to the room temp and humidity and just leave it on and place it inside the case. The OH-2 stays on all the time constantly monitoring conditions inside the case.
Again, the OH-2 should go in your case, but not inside of the actual guitar soundhole.
If you’re using a room humidifier, on the other hand, you’ll want to get an indoor hygrometer to display and report room humidity.
My favorite guitar hygrometer for indoor rooms is the Taylor Precision Products 1732:
This digital hygrometer displays room humidity percentage and indoor temperatures in °F or °C, and also features a built-in clock and daily maximum/minimum indoor temperature and humidity recall.
The colorful 5-level humidity comfort level indicator displays room comfortability at a glance with its large digits for enhanced visibility.
That’s why the Taylor Precision is a must-have if you’re using a room humidifier for your acoustic guitars.
Ready to Get Better at Guitar, Faster?
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The Best Acoustic Guitar Strings – A unique polymer coating makes these guitar strings last for months or even years at a time, making for an exceptional value. They provide the perfect mix of boom, range, twang, and brightness that acoustic music is known for. — CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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