Water, lots of water, is critical for any living being’s health and every living thing needs it to stay hydrated. A chameleon though not only needs it in liquid form to stay hydrated but also in the form of air humidity to keep its skin, eyes and digestive health in healthy condition.
This air humidity needs to be provided for pet chameleons in captivity. For some pet chameleons, like veiled chameleons for example, this is easy to do just by regular watering and with the use of live plants. For species like Jackson and panther, though, some extra measures will need to be taken.
This is where fogging with a fog machine humidifier comes in useful and is a good back up source of water provision. It can also be a primary source too if used correctly. It also looks really cool in your chameleon’s cage!
This list aims to help you choose the most effective foggers available on the market today.
Misting vs fogging for chameleons
Before getting into the list, I want to clear up a few misconceptions about fogging and misting. The two are separate ways of providing water for pet chameleons but often get used interchangeably, and this causes more confusion.
- Misting – This is when a fine mist is sprayed into a chameleon’s cage to soak the plants and produce droplets of water on the leaves for your chameleon to drink from. This is usually done two or three times a day and is primarily for the purposes of hydrating your chameleon, but it also helps with humidity. It is carried out using either an automatic misting system or a spray bottle operated by hand.
- Fogging – This is when fog is created by a humidifier fogging machine and released into the cage. This is usually done at night and is primarily for the purposes of providing optimal humidity for chameleons with higher humidity level requirements at nighttime. It can also provide for hydration but is usually used alongside misting for this purpose.
I think the confusion lies in the fact that mist is another word for fog and fog is another word for mist! I hope the distinction above clears things up and lifts the fog of confusion…
Now you know the difference and came here actually looking for the best mister, then worry not. I have written an article on this very topic that you can read via this link.
Do I need a humidifier or fogger for my chameleon?
Answering this question depends on humidity where you live, particularly at nighttime
The three most common species of chameleon need 50%-60% humidity levels during the day, and 35%-50% in the case of Jackson’s. However, at night all three need high levels of around 75%-100%. A fogger running for a few hours at night on a low to medium setting is perfect to maintain these.
It also comes down to just how dry your home gets, especially in winter with heaters running. Some homes can get as low as 30% humidity, and this is too low for any species of chameleon. I would certainly buy a humidifier in this situation to keep levels topped up.
I would also buy a fogger if you really want to increase the aesthetics of your chameleon’s enclosure. All that fog in a chameleon’s cage just looks so awesome when it’s descending and floating over live plants and your chameleon itself.
I wouldn’t recommend buying a fogger if you intend on using it as a primary source for hydrating your chameleon, though. Instead, I would use it alongside a primary misting source.
It is particularly good used first thing in the morning too as a good fogger will create droplets on leaves simulating morning dew.
Best Chameleon Humidifiers & Foggers
Here’s my list of the best chameleon foggers available on the market now. This list is based on my own personal use of these products, which I think will produce the best amount of fog for your chameleon, and on the reviews and feedback of other users.
1. Petspioneer Digital Humidifier Fog Machine
This is the best looking and most effective fogger you can get for your chameleon.
It has a large, easy to fill 4 liter tank that you can fill up from the top using a jug rather than having to take it to the sink each time or turning the tank over. There is also a clever built-in anti-dry feature that shuts the fogger off if the water runs out to prevent damage to the machine.
This fogger is very easy to set and works in the same settings each time without you having to change it. It is so quiet and can fog for up to 12 hours on a full tank of water.
You can easily set the amount of fog produced per hour based on milliliters of water it will use.
It also has a built-in timer, so you can set it to mist whenever you’re out of the house and away from your chameleon.
Its best feature though is its ability to work in conjunction with a separate humidity controller. When the humidity drops below a certain level, it turns on automatically and runs until levels are sufficient again. This can help provide a truly automated setup for your chameleon.
Get it at the latest price from Amazon
2. Coospider Reptile Fogger Humidifier
This is my favorite looking fogger on the list. I’m not sure why it just looks super sleek to me!
It’s very similar in terms of features to number 1 only it has a 3 liter tank. That’s still pretty hefty but not quite as good as the pets pioneer, so it loses a point.
Unfortunately, it has a similar filling solution to many other foggers on the market where you have to separate the machine, turn the tank over and fill it that way.
It comes with a fantastic 1-year warranty though and longer hose attachments than most other models.
These two things alone would make it my second choice, but the clunky way it’s filled lets it down for me and is the only thing keeping it off the number 1 spot.
If you can live with that, though, then I can strongly recommend this as your first choice if you don’t want to spend too much money.
Get it at the latest price on Amazon
3. Evergreen Pet Supplies Reptile Humidifier Fogger
Third on the list is the bestseller of the bunch.
While its tank is half the size of number 1 it’s still a solid performer and nearly 1000 ratings on Amazon.
Like the pet pioneer machine, you can adjust the amount of fog it produces based on milliliter levels, and it has the same anti-dry shut off technology to prevent damage.
It’s further hampered by the way the tank is filled up. You have to pick it up and turn it over each time and fill it at the sink. This is quite frustrating having to do this each time if you’ve got it set in one place.
Their responsive customer service and ease of assembly make this a very good buy.
The fact it comes with a 6-month warranty as standard as well really makes this an excellent choice of fogger.
Get it at the latest price on Amazon
4. Betazooer Reptile Fogger Humidifier
This is a newer model on the market and has had some positive feedback already.
It has just slightly less than the 4 liter tank capacity as number 1, coming in at 3.8 liters.
It comes with the same automatic shut off technology for when the tank runs dry and the ability to control the amount of fog put out.
I find it strange that it doesn’t have an inbuilt timer like the pets pioneer one, but it does have the ability to run in conjunction with a humidity controller and shut on and off that way, so that’s a big plus.
That top filling method is a big plus too. It’s quite fiddly filling other foggers up that require you to remove the tank separately.
Because it’s so new is the only reason it’s at number 4, but it may just move up in the future once it has more feedback and becomes better established. One to keep an eye on for sure.
Get it at the latest price on Amazon
5. Sequoia Reptile Humidifier Fogger
Apart from the smaller tank size of 3 liters and a more rounded appearance, I can’t really distinguish much of a difference between this one and the betazooer reptile fogger.
It has the usual automatic shutoff technology and the ability to control the fog output too.
Again it’s new to the market, so it’s only lower on the list for these reasons but based on its listed features and positive feedback I’d recommend this as a good buy too.
Get it at the latest price on Amazon
To wrap up
So that’s it for my recommendations of chameleon foggers. I did want to make a special mention of the Reptifogger by Zoo Med. It’s been a stalwart of foggers for at least ten years and has the review numbers to show for it. It also has a love/hate relationship among its users. I think it’s still worth a look, but better, there are more modern, sleeker and quieter models available now that do as good as, if not better job than the Reptifogger.
You will also notice several models that look the same if you browse on Amazon. This is because they are only they have different brand names, so you may be able to get the same model at a slightly cheaper price and better warranty options if you look.
I also want to steer you away from the temptation of buying this type of fogger. For a start, the lights would probably stress your chameleon, although you can get them without, also, more importantly, the amount of fog they put out is absolutely minimal and definitely not suitable for providing humidity levels. They’re OK if you want fog purely for aesthetic purposes, though, just turn down the crazy disco lights.
I hope this list has been useful for you in choosing what fogger to buy for your chameleon’s humidity needs, and that you now know the difference between a mister and a fogger!
