Nebulisers for children: Which device from what age?

Your child is coughing, their nose is blocked, and the next cold is bound to come. Children who attend nursery, after-school care or school often catch 6 to 8 colds a year.^[1] A nebuliser for children can then support the treatment of the airways. The good news first: with the Beurer IH 24 Kids, your child can start nebulising from 6 months of age, under your supervision and with the right mask.

Which attachment fits, how loud the devices are and what to look out for when nebulising with a child — we show you in this guide. Medication, dosage and duration are determined by your paediatrician.

From what age children can use a nebuliser

From what age a child can nebulise depends on the device. Every Beurer model has its own age specification. The Beurer IH 24 Kids is suitable for children from 6 months of age under supervision. From 12 years, children may use it independently.

Whether it works early on with your baby also depends on the shape of their face. The mask must fit well. With some children this works earlier, with others a little later. Whether and when your baby or toddler should nebulise is best discussed with your paediatrician beforehand.

Important: the age specification applies only to the named model. The Beurer IH 57, for example, is approved from 2 years of age under supervision, with independent use likewise from 12 years. An age specification can therefore never be transferred from one nebuliser to another. To be safe, check the instructions for use of your device.

The IH 24 Kids is built precisely for this early phase. It is a children's nebuliser in a dog design with compressed-air technology and, as a medical device, is intended for the upper and lower airways.

Baby mask, child mask or mouthpiece

Mouthpiece or mask: with the Beurer IH 24 Kids, your child nebulises most effectively with the mouthpiece. The mask is intended for the period when your child cannot yet use the mouthpiece — above all for babies and toddlers.

With the Beurer IH 24 Kids, you get all three attachments from the start: mouthpiece, silicone baby mask and silicone child mask. The soft silicone mask is designed for sensitive children's skin. This way the device grows with your child, from the baby mask to the child mask to the mouthpiece.

For the mask to work well, pay attention to two things: the mask fits snugly, and the eyes stay clear. With the IH 24 Kids, you should also keep the device away from your child's eyes during use.

When your child can switch from the mask to the mouthpiece is not a question of a fixed birthday. When choosing an inhalation system, what matters alongside personal preference is whether your child can use it with the correct technique.^[2] The best way to make this decision is together with your paediatrician's practice.

The Beurer children's nebulisers compared

Three Beurer nebulisers are suitable for children: the IH 24 Kids for at home, the IH 58 Kids for on the go and the IH 57 with a rechargeable battery. The table shows the differences at a glance.

The Beurer IH 24 Kids nebulises with its compressed-air technology from the 6th month of life. The average particle size is 3.07 µm, the nebulisation performance approx. 0.35 ml per minute. It also features simple one-button operation and a 5-year guarantee.

The Beurer IH 58 Kids is small and ideal for travel. It works whisper-quietly at a maximum of 45 dB(A) and also comes with a mouthpiece, silicone baby mask and silicone child mask.

The Beurer IH 57 nebulises with vibrating membrane (mesh) technology and runs on a rechargeable battery, also at a maximum of 45 dB(A). The nebuliser set includes a child mask. The IH 57 was named Testsieger (test winner) by Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing organisation: SEHR GUT (1.5), 6 handheld nebulisers tested, test issue 01/2025. The grade is on the Stiftung Warentest scale from 0.5 to 5.5.

You can find all three in our overview of Beurer nebulisers for children.

How inhalation with your child works

Inhalation with your child works best in a calm situation and with you by their side. Children only inhale under the supervision of an adult and are never left alone during use.

Here is how your child inhales with the Beurer IH 24 Kids:

1. Your child sits upright and relaxed at the table, not in an armchair, so the airways stay clear.
2. You attach the appropriate attachment: baby mask, child mask or mouthpiece.
3. Your child breathes calmly in and out while the mist is released.
4. If the mist is only coming out irregularly or the sound changes, the inhalation can end.
5. After 30 minutes of operation, the IH 24 Kids needs a 30-minute break.

How often and how long your child inhales is decided by your paediatrician. After each use, clean the atomiser and accessories; after the last use of the day, disinfect them.

And what if your child falls asleep during use? With the Beurer IH 58 Kids, nebulising next to a sleeping person is of little use, because not enough medication can reach the lungs this way. It is better to inhale while your child is awake and you are present.

Hot steam, medication and warning signs

Hot steam, the wrong filling and serious breathing difficulty are the three points where you need to look especially closely when your child is inhaling.

Hot water steam

A bowl of hot water is not a good idea for small children. The risk is too great. Burns and especially scalds are a serious danger in early childhood, and babies and toddlers are at particular risk of serious burns.^[3] For babies and toddlers, a nebuliser such as the IH 24 Kids is therefore the right choice.

Older children can use warm steam with the Beurer SI 31. The steam vaporiser humidifies the upper airways with warm steam. Children over 8 years of age may use the SI 31 if they are supervised or have been instructed in how to use it safely. Your child should keep sufficient distance from the inhalation attachment with their face, as the hot steam can otherwise cause burns. The SI 31 is not a medical device and not a nebuliser for medication.

What goes into the nebuliser

The medication container of the IH 24 Kids takes isotonic saline solution or the prescribed medication. You should only use medication if your doctor or pharmacist has prescribed or recommended it. Type, dosage, frequency and duration always follow the doctor's instructions.

Essential herbal oils, cough syrups, gargle solutions and drops for rubbing on or for steam baths do not belong in the atomiser of the IH 24 Kids. Medication containing essential oils can trigger acute bronchospasm in a sensitive bronchial system.

When your child needs to see a doctor

Croup most commonly affects children between 6 months and 3 years of age. Typical signs are a barking cough, a whistling sound when breathing in, hoarseness and mild breathing difficulty.^[4] In case of severe breathing difficulty, call 999 (or 112) immediately. This also applies if the skin between the ribs is visibly drawn inwards with every breath.^[5]

If your child has a persistent cough, fever or unclear symptoms, have them examined by a doctor. The IH 24 Kids does not replace a medical examination or treatment.

Which Beurer device suits which age

Which Beurer device is right depends above all on your child's age and the place where you are inhaling:

• From 6 months, at home: the Beurer IH 24 Kids with a silicone baby mask, later with a child mask and mouthpiece. It accompanies your child up to school age. And beyond.
• From 6 months of age, on the go: the Beurer IH 58 Kids, small and whisper-quiet, with the same three attachments.
• From 2 years, with a rechargeable battery: the Beurer IH 57 with a child mask, Testsieger at Stiftung Warentest, SEHR GUT (1.5), 6 handheld nebulisers tested, test issue 01/2025.
• From 8 years, warm steam: the Beurer SI 31 under supervision, for humidification of the upper airways.

For most families with a baby or toddler, the IH 24 Kids is the right place to start: it is suitable from 6 months under supervision, comes with all three attachments included and grows with your child. When you begin and what goes into the atomiser is something you clarify with your paediatric practice.

Take a look at the Beurer IH 24 Kids and the other Beurer nebulisers for children.

Frequently asked questions