The Best Nasal Aspirators of 2022

If any baby nose aspirator can be called a classic, it’s the NoseFrida. For some people, the brand is synonymous with nasal aspiration and it’s hard to argue against this beign the best baby nasal aspirator right now. The simple design consists of a red nozzle, a hose and a stiffer suction tube that looks a bit like a test tube. At the intersection where the hose meets the suction tube, there’s a blue disposable filter that prevents the snot from entering the mouth of the person doing the sucking. If you want more filters than are included – and the manufacturer recommends replacing them after every use – you can purchase them separately. You can often economise by using the same filter couple of times.

The NoseFrida is simple to use, and the suction tube is narrow enough to fit into even a small infant’s nostril. Because you control the suction yourself, it’s easy to suck with just the right amount of force. The NoseFrida is easy to clean if it's rinsed out immediately, although if the snot has been able to dry it’s slightly trickier to get into the suction tube. The NoseFrida gets plus points for the practical storage case, making it easy to store out of the way between colds. The NoseFrida only requires one hand to use, which means you can hold the child’s head steady with the other. After using it for a while, with the nasal aspirator saving many sleep and meal times for your baby, you can’t help but agree that the NoseFrida is a true classic. So, despite the need for disposable filters, the NoseFrida is our review choice for best nasal aspirators of 2021.

As a new parent, you may not even know that nasal aspirators exist, so the fact that there are electronic machine aspirators probably seems ridiculous. But it’s true – and you could even use them on adults. The HappyNose electric nasal aspirator is very advanced and can also play music while cleaning the child’s nose. It only has moderate suction but clears out loose snot at the front of the nose. However, drier mucus further back is too tough for the HappyNose to remove. The nasal aspirator includes batteries, but also two different tip sizes. We would have liked there to be a storage pouch for the nasal aspirator, as it’s too easy to lose the tip that isn’t being used.

The capsule that collects the snot is easy to clean, but the tips are more fiddly. If a bogey gets stuck in the middle you’ll need to find something very narrow to pick it out with. The advantage of an electronic nasal aspirator is that you only need to use one hand, and you don’t have to worry about sucking too hard. The disadvantage is that the suction can’t be controlled and that the nasal aspirator is rather noisy. Some children can be sensitive to the motor's buzzing sound, while others are unbothered. The HappyNose electric nasal aspirator machine works, but we’d have expected a better result given the price.

The Lanaform is an attractively designed electronic baby nose aspirator for toddlers. Batteries aren’t included, which feels a bit stingy given the price. The nasal aspirator consists of two tips and a storage pouch. The tip should be chosen on the basis of the thickness of the child’s snot. The narrow one is for thinner mucus and the short and thick one for dry mucus. The nasal aspirator consists of a part you hold and a part containing the motor, tip and collection cup. The two parts can rotate in relation to each other, making it easy to get at the child’s nose.

Despite being electronic, the Lanaform performed remarkably within our tester review. The noise level is so soft that it’s not much more than a low humming noise and our test children weren’t at all bothered by it. However, the suction generated isn’t particularly good. The Lanaform electronic nasal aspirator has some ability to clean out the child’s nose. But when the snot is dry, the suction is simply too weak to make a real difference. Once again, the nasal aspirators that use nozzles provide better results. The Lanaform electronic nasal aspirator's advantage is that it's easy to use and clean, and relatively quiet. But to be worth the price, it needs to be effective at sucking snot.

The Neno Sinus is a relatively compact electric nasal aspirator that comes with several accessories and has a built-in LED-light so you can use it at night without waking your baby. It has three suction levels and doesn’t make much noise in any of them.

Extra silicone tips and silent

Neno comes with an impressive arsenal of both pointed and small bulb-shaped silicone tips – the latter are specifically designed for newborn noses and are slightly smaller. There are also slanted and straight tips – our test panel never had enough time to find a need to use all four, but applauded the desire to meet multiple needs and fit more noses. The sound level is pleasant, even at the highest level of suction. In any case, the noise didn’t stop our test children from reluctantly allowing their noses to be ‘wiped’.

Smart LED-light for dark rooms, but hard to clean

A smart LED-light can be turned on at the touch of a button if you want to use the nasal aspirator in e.g. a dark bedroom – it will even be easy to use in the dark if you know where the buttons are located. Unfortunately, the nasal aspirator is really hard to clean, as the little secretion container sticks inside the device and is difficult to pry out without spilling runny mucus over the machine and your hands. The test panel would have liked the plastic part to which the “tip” is attached to be twisted into the container – then both could be detached in one movement, separated and then cleaned. As it is now, you have to take apart the four (!) parts one by one and there’s unfortunately a risk of the spilling the mucus. This won’t suit you if you’re squeamish and buying an electric aspirator because of your mucus phobia!

The Chicco nasal vacuum aspirator is a pump model, but succeeds in a number of respects in distinguishing itself from other nasal aspirators of the same type. This may sound like a contradiction, but the actual pump section is an attractive snot green colour. But the most interesting thing about it is that it’s significantly softer than its competitors. This means that the pump can be squeezed in a number of different ways, both from the side and from the bottom. But it also means that the nozzle never slides out of the pump. The tip doesn’t fly off and disappear even if you press hard, which is a major plus point compared to other similar nasal aspirators. It’s a great option if you are looking for an aspirator for newborn babies.

The Chicco nasal aspirator comes in a standard box that can be used to store it in. Only one tip is included with this model. This also stands out from the herd in terms of design. It’s a little softer, and instead of having an entirely orthodox round hole, it has two cutouts. The unique design makes the tip look somewhat like a cake decorating nozzle. How this affects the suction is hard to say, because just like other pump type nasal aspirators, the results are limited. You can remove some loose snot at the front of the nose, but that’s all. If you're interested in a vacuum nasal aspirator of this type, the Chicco nasal aspirator is the best one, but it's still far from great.

The NUK nasal aspirator is a pump model similar to its main competitors and also perfect for newborn babies. The white pump section is smooth, and the nasal aspirator includes two transparent tips of the same size. One is intended to be used as a reserve when the other either gets too grubby or in case you lose it. However, it would have been useful if the aspirator had included some type of storage box or pouch, because the small tips are very easy to lose track of. The pump section can be boiled at 100°C for effective cleaning, but can’t be used in a microwave. Cleaning the inside of the pump is easy, and this nasal aspirator is cheaper than many of the comparable competitors.

But just like other nasal aspirators of pump type, it’s just not very effective. This isn’t a nasal aspirator for anyone who is serious about cleaning their child’s nose. When you have squeezed the pump a few times in the hope of being able to build up better suction, the tip simply slides out of the pump and flies out onto the floor. For the NUK nasal aspirator to be most effective, you need to hold the pump in one hand and keep the child’s other nostril closed with the other hand. This means you have no hands free to hold the child’s head still. The idea is good, but the NUK nasal aspirator just doesn't live up to it.