Humidity has a greater impact on how warm or cold you perceive a room to be than many people think. The same temperature can feel oppressively warm or uncomfortably chilly, depending on how much moisture is in the air.
Why does humid air feel warmer in warm weather?
Your body cools down by allowing sweat to evaporate. In humid air, there is already a lot of water vapor present, which means sweat cannot evaporate as easily. The result: at 25 degrees and high humidity, it feels more oppressive and warmer than at 25 degrees and dry air.
Why does dry, cold air feel even colder?
In cold weather, moisture in the air actually works against you: humid air conducts heat better than dry air, causing your body to lose heat more quickly in a humid, cold room. This is one of the reasons why a damp basement or a poorly ventilated bathroom feels extra chilly in winter, even if the thermometer is not much lower than in the rest of the house.
What does this mean for your home?
- In warm weather: lower humidity makes a room more bearable, even without lowering the temperature
- In cold weather: humidity between 40 and 60 percent prevents a room from feeling unnecessarily chilly
- Damp areas such as a basement, bathroom, or bedroom with a lot of condensation often require extra attention
How do you tackle humidity that is too high?
Ventilation is the first step, but in rooms where moisture lingers, such as a basement, a windowless bathroom, or a bedroom with steamed-up windows, that is often not enough. A dehumidifier continuously removes moisture from the air and can thus help create a more comfortable environment, both in summer and winter. We recommend the Dynter AirPure DH251 for rooms where the humidity regularly exceeds 60 percent.