With cold and flu season here, you may be looking for ways to ease a stuffy nose without reaching for medication.
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Neti pots, the small teapot-shaped devices that rinse your nasal passages with a saline solution, are a popular option.
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They can help flush out mucus and irritants, but if you’ve never used one, pouring water into one nostril and out the other can feel odd or even a little intimidating.
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To find out whether neti pots are safe for everyone and how to use one correctly, I asked two ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors to walk me through it.
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Below, they explain what to know before you start and the steps to follow for a comfortable rinse.
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I also rounded up highly-rated neti pots to shop if you want to add one to your cold-season routine.
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Are neti pots safe to use?
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“A neti pot is a container [typically] shaped like a small teapot, used to flush out the nose and sinuses,” says Dr. Ryan Salvador, an ENT surgeon at Sinus and Snoring Specialists in Austin.
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If you’re nervous about trying one, the experts say there’s no need to be.
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“Neti pots are safe and effective when used correctly,” says Dr. Madeleine Herman, an ENT physician and president of the Sinus Center and ENT Specialists of Houston.
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“They help rinse away thick mucus, allergens and other debris from the nose and can provide relief from congestion associated with colds, allergies and sinus problems.”
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That said, there’s one rule you should never skip.
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“The quality of your water is the biggest safety concern,” says Herman.
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Use distilled or sterile water, or tap water that has been boiled and then cooled.
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This is important because organisms that may be harmless when swallowed can cause serious infections if they enter the nose.
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The best neti pots in 2026
Before you can use a neti pot, you need one.
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To put together a list of the best ones, I relied on guidance from experts on what to look for when shopping.
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Based on what they said, I sourced highly-rated options that have at least a four-star average rating from thousands of reviews.
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Just note: Neti pots should never be used with water straight from the tap, and you’ll need some sort of saline solution — almost all of the picks below come with saline packets.
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Developed by a physician, this neti pot has a soft tip that creates a gentle seal against your nostril for a more comfortable rinse.
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It comes with 30 premixed saline packets, so you don’t have to measure salt yourself.
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The clear, BPA-free plastic helps you easily see when it’s clean, and it’s top-rack dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup simple.
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I’ve been using this neti pot for a few years and find it is easy to use, comfortable and small enough that it doesn’t take up much space in my medicine cabinet.
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If you’d rather not use plastic, this porcelain neti pot is a sturdy, classic option built to last.
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A lid keeps the solution from spilling (though some shoppers say it leaks a bit), and a small hole on top lets you control the flow as you pour.
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It includes 50 premixed saline packets, and you can use two at once for a stronger rinse when you’re especially congested.
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Some shoppers do note that water comes out of the lid if you’re not careful when you tip the pot up to use it.
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Instead of tilting and pouring, you flip it upside down and press a button to start a gentle, steady stream, no squeezing required.
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It holds 300 milliliters, comes with 30 saline packets and includes a sticker thermometer to help you check that the water isn’t too hot.
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If you want a more hands-off rinse, try Navage.
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It’s a battery-powered device that uses gentle suction to pull saline through your nose at the touch of a button.
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It comes with 30 pre-measured saline pods, which means no measuring or mixing on your own.
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Just know it only works with Navage’s own pods, so you’ll need to keep buying proprietary refills.
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This ceramic pot is pretty enough to leave out on your bathroom counter.
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Each is hand-glazed with lead-free, food-grade glazes and comes in a range of colors.
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It holds 10 ounces and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
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It also makes a thoughtful gift.
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It doesn’t come with saline though, so that’s something you’ll have to purchase separately.
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These packets make nasal irrigation simple: just mix one packet with 8 ounces of distilled or boiled water.
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Each box holds 100 premixed packets of sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate that help you create a saline solution to use in your neti pot.
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…and 50 more, not listed.
The Aporia
