

Humidifying your guitars is among the least interesting guitar maintenance tasks. Regardless, storing guitars in the proper humidity range is also one of the most important things you can do. In this article we will cover:
- Why humidity matters for guitars
- Explore the best options for guitar humidifiers
- Help you choose the best guitar humidifier for your living situation
By the way, I do not suggest humidifying your guitar on the beach, as shown above!
Guitar Humidifier Basics
Guitar Humidifiers do exactly what the name suggests: They keep your instruments humidified. In other words, the role of a guitar humidifier is to ensure that your guitar is exposed to an ideal range of relative humidity, also known as “RH”.
Guitar Humidifiers come in two primary flavors: Guitar Case Humidifiers, in which the humidifier resides inside the guitar case, and Guitar Room Humidifiers, where the humidifier resides outside of the guitar case. When choosing the best humidifier for your guitar, you’ll want to balance ease of use with your lifestyle, and environments in which your guitars exist.
Contrary to what some people may say, guitar humidification isn’t just for acoustic guitars. Electric guitars require proper humidity levels to play at their best. Many humidification options are designed for acoustic guitars because they are more vulnerable to the damages that improper humidity can cause, but all guitars benefit from proper humidification.
Why Guitar Humidity Levels Are Important
First, let’s discuss the importance of proper humidification. Guitars are made of wood, which is a natural material (if your guitars are made of carbon fiber, you can stop reading now, since this information does not apply to composite materials). The wood used to make guitars is seasoned to a consistent moisture level, and guitar factories and luthier shops are usually climate controlled. Taylor Guitars, for example, keeps their factory at 47% relative humidity, and 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
Being an organic material, wood naturally absorbs and sheds moisture. Guitar finishes mitigate this natural process to an extent, but do not eliminate it. The purpose of guitar humidification is to ensure that your guitars stay within a healthy range of humidity for the majority of time. Not coincidentally, that range is the same range where most people are most comfortable, which equates to a relative humidity (RH) of 45-55%.
While 45-55% RH is the ideal guitar humidity range, it’s important not to get hung up on these numbers. While it’s true that guitars are somewhat delicate, wood is a resilient substance. Meaning, most guitars will be just fine if they are kept within a larger range 30-70%, relative humidity. Dipping outside of that isn’t even generally a problem, provided that the duration of time outside that range is short.
What Happens To Your Guitars If You Ignore Humidity Levels?
If you live in a temperate climate with a humidity that generally stays between 45-55% RH… probably nothing! Humidification is one of those things that is also dependent on the guitar’s design, construction, and materials. In general, instruments made of solid wood are more prone to damage than guitars with laminated wood construction. Many guitars experience seasonal adjustments in areas where the climate changes drastically from summer to winter. There is no guarantee bad things will happen, but there is more than a small chance, especially if you are dealing with either very low or very high humidity.
Effects of Low Humidity
When humidity is low, a guitar will “dry out”. You’ll notice that the action actually improves on some guitars, especially acoustics. This is because the low RH causes the neck to bow forward. On acoustic guitars, the top may sink noticeably. Additionally, dry guitars will often have the following characteristics:
- Lower Action
- String Buzz
- Fret Sprout
- Wood Cracking
Some types of guitars exhibit these symptoms more dramatically than others. Acoustic flat top guitars and other hollowbody guitars typically react more than solidbody guitars, but fret sprout can happen on any guitar. Fret sprout is when the fingerboard shrinks in width, which causes the ends of the frets to protrude slightly and feel sharp. In acoustic guitars, the top actually sinks slightly. Of all of the issues that low humidity can cause, wood cracking is the most feared. While cracks can be repaired, they are unsightly and may compromise the integrity of the instrument, so it’s best to avoid this scenario.
Effects of High Humidity
The symptoms of a “wet” guitar are talked about less than the risks of a dry guitar. This is, in my opinion, because cracking is the most dramatic humidity issue, and over-humidified guitars don’t generally experience cracking. Wet guitars can have the following characteristics:
- Glue joint Failure
- High Action
- Finish issues
- Poor Tone
You may have noticed that many guitars sound better in the winter than in the summer. This is because the RH is lower, and the wood is drier and more resonant. A wet guitar is carrying extra moisture, and that moisture can dull the tone, significantly in some cases. This is particularly noticeable on acoustic instruments.
Guitar Humidifier Options
A search for “guitar humidifier” on Amazon.com nets 248 results! One of the reasons for this is because there are numerous ways to keep your guitars humidified. Naturally, there are pros and cons to each approach. We’re going to recommend a few select, well-designed products that will keep your guitars properly humidified, and with a minimum of effort.
1. D’Addario Humidipak Guitar Humidifier System
D’Addario has come up with a unique system to keep your guitars at the ideal humidity level. Unlike the many products that work in your guitar’s case, the Humidipak works to both humidify and dehumidify. The Humidpak’s two-way design maintains the guitar case humidity at 45-50% RH, and works throughout the year without need for seasonal adjustments. You simply replace the insert packs at the specified intervals throughout the year.
Chief Reason To Buy:
You want a humidifier option that works to both humidify and dehumidify.
2. MusicNomad The Humitar ONE – Acoustic Guitar Humidifier & Hygrometer
MusicNomad’s Humitar ONE is an all in one Humidifier & Hygrometer. The Humitar ONE’s built-in sensor monitors the humidity and temperature every 20 seconds, and records the max and minimum values. The Humitar works by using a reusable sponge that has excess capacity compared to competitor sponges. This is good, because it cuts down on the overall maintenance required. You simply need to check the sponge for dampness to ensure that the Humitar is working.
Chief Reason To Buy:
You want a simple humidity solution that has built in humidity and temperature monitoring.
3. Oasis Guitar Humidifier
The Oasis® HH Combo OH-30 humidifier/hygrometer a soundhole humidifier that’s ideal for acoustic guitars. The drip-resistant sponge maintains humidity for 15 days or more without needing to be re-wetted. The built-in hygrometer includes a thermometer as well. The Oasis is well-rated and was one of the first products to include a built-in hygrometer.
Chief Reason To Buy:
Well rated and of the original soundhole humidifiers with a hygrometer.
4. Top Fill Cool Mist & Warm Mist Humidifier
Ah, but this isn’t a guitar product, is it? Precisely the point! Humidifying your entire room is the most obvious, and in many cases, the best solution. The Top Fill Humidifier has onboard humidity and temperature monitoring. It runs quiet at less than 30db, which is key if you are sleeping in the same room as your guitars. The 1.06 gallon tank is top-filled, and detachable. The Top Fill has a 30 hour runtime, which means you’ll likely need to refill less than once per day.
Chief Reason To Buy:
You want a humidifier solution that works for all of your guitars.
5. AquaOasis™ Cool Mist Humidifier
The AquaOasis offers many of the same benefits as the Top Fill, but at a friendlier price. While the AquaOasis is perfectly capable of keeping your RH at the right level, you’ll need to purchase a hygrometer separately to monitor RH levels. While the ½ gallon tank isn’t as burly as the Top Fill, the AquaOasis will still run for around 24 hours, depending on the humidity settings. For the price, the AquaOasis is a good value for peace of mind.
Hygrometers
If you don’t have a humidifier with a built-in Hygrometer, you’ll want to purchase one separately to monitor the RH in your room. Although I like the fact that case-based products such as the MusicNomad The Humitar ONE comes with a built in hygrometer, keep in mind that the reading from it will be specific to the case of the guitar in which it resides. It’s best to have a reading of the entire room where your guitars live.
1. ThermoPro TP50 Digital Hygrometer
Quite simply, the ThermoPro is cheap, and effective. I’ve used a number of these for years. They have been reliable, and the batteries last forever.
2. Govee H5103 Hygrometer Thermometer
If you like the simplicity of the ThermoPro but can’t live without the tech that Bluetooth connectivity provides, consider the Govee H5103. Using the Govee app, you can monitor and graph humidity levels over time, up to 2 years. This is actually useful: Since it will provide a picture of how the humidity in your room changes throughout the year, you will be aware of when you need to pay closer attention to the RH. Govee’s Smart Alert function lets you set notifications for low and high humidity levels.
Room vs. Case: Which Humidifier Solution is right for you?
If your living arrangement allows for whole-room humidification, you’ll enjoy the benefit of being able to address all of your different guitar needs—both acoustic, and electric—with one solution. Plus, your guitars will be more accessible on stands or hangers, which will encourage you to play more. Electric guitars, while being more resilient than acoustic instruments, often display fret sprout if they dry out, so don’t think that your electrics are immune to humidity issues.
If a whole-room humidification solution isn’t right for you now, don’t worry. All of the products we’ve featured from D’Addario, MusicNomad, and Oasis all provide effective protection for your acoustic guitars. There are two primary scenarios where I would suggest considering one of the guitar case-based products:
- If you are in a shared living arrangement, and don’t have complete control over temperature and/or RH
- If you travel frequently, and your guitars are subject to RH fluctuation.
On the other hand, if you have a dedicated music room and your guitars spend the majority of their time there, I suggest you consider a whole-room humidification option, such as the Top Fill or AquaOasis. Think of it this way: For less than the price of a good distortion pedal, you can keep all of your guitars—acoustic and electric—at their ideal RH levels, and with a minimum of effort. When you consider the money you’ve spent for your guitar collection, the price of the Top Fill is more than reasonable.
Conclusion
Whichever route you choose to humidify your guitars, you’ll be doing yourself and your guitars a great favor. Many people suggest storing both your acoustic and electric guitars in a case, which in addition to protection, slows the rate of change of humidity and temperature. One option we didn’t cover here is the guitar humidifier cabinet. We’ll dive into humidified cabinet options in another article. Happy Playing!