Upvote:0
Yes, you may return to the UK and you still need a valid visa to do so.
Your prior experiences can be summarized as "used a visitor visa to gain entrance and left within the expected time", so I don't see any reason to not allow you back into the country.
Upvote:1
Am I able to return with just a visitor's visa or will I need another kind of visa to be with my husband?
If you are spending (or have attemped to spend) more than six-months in the UK, with only a few days out of the UK, it looks like you are effectively residing (or trying to reside) in the UK. Using a visitor-visa or otherwise gaining leave to enter as a visitor are probably inappropriate under those circumstances.
If you just want to visit the UK for a few weeks, and can show you have good reasons to return to the US (leaving your husband in the UK?) - you shouldn't have much problem.
The usual advice in this Q&A website seems to be to apply for a visitor visa if you have any doubts and wish to avoid any possibility of spending several hours being questioned and/or being refused entry.
If you want to spend the majority of the year (or several years) living in the UK, you should ask about appropriate visas etc on Expatriates.stackexchange