When it comes to Humidifiers
, I don't think more expensive is better. The reason?
I own the following humidifiers: - Vornado cool mist humidifier (HU1-0013-11)
Price: $80
I have been using this machine since I moved to Texas 6 years ago. It is still working fine. This one uses fan and wicks to humidify the room. It has semi automatic operation. Meaning you can set it to a humidity level by turning the knob in the front and when the room reaches the humidity level, it would stop running.
First problem is that it is hard to set the exact humidity level that you want.
Second problem is noise. It's kind of loud when turning to the highest speed. You would have to turn down to the lowest level when using at night in the bedroom and that reduces the humidity output significantly.
Third problem is (as true with all wick humidifiers), you have to either throw the wicks away every few weeks or put the wicks in vinegar once a week to get all the white stuffs that have accumulated to the wicks. BTW, you can reuse vinegar. What I do is buy a rectangular plastic container and fill it with vinegar. Put the wick in the container for 1 to 2 days and take it out to let it dry as well as to let the vinegar smell go away before using it. You would need 2 set of wicks.
- Honeywell Quick Steam Warm Moisture Humidifier - HWM450
Price: $70
I have been using this for about 4 years now and it is still running fine. This one has a digital display. You can set to the exact humidity level that you want. However, it is a little off but understandable since the sensor is on the machine.
One big problem with this particular machine is it uses a plate to boil water. When the water evaporates, it leaves the minerals on the plate and if not cleaning properly (everyday), the machine would first make loud bubbling noises and stop functioning when enough minerals have accumulated on the heating plate. Not too smart. My solution is pour vinegar on the bottom portion of the humidifier and leave it there for a few hours every morning. That would help remove the minerals from the heating plate.
- Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier - SWM5250-UM
Price: $25
I bought this for my son's room from Walmart a few months ago. It is one of the cheapest humidifier out there. No fancy functions. Just 2 output levels. But it outperform the other two in terms of maintenance. Everyday all you need to do is dump the water from the bottom portion and let it dry. Once a week, you just fill the bottom portion of the machine with vinegar and let it sit there for a few hours.
I think one of the reason why it requires so little maintenance is because the heating element is like a little stick/ball hanging upside down. The minerals are less likely to stick to it. Great design. Simple yet effective.
I don't own any ultrasonic humidifier because many people said it would spit out white powder (the minerals from water) all over the room. To me it is a health hazard. Some machines even have a filter to filter out the minerals but those filters are expensive. I think the warm mist humidifer is the best. Just be VERY CAREFUL if you have small babies at home. NEVER let them near those machines. BTW, All of the 3 machines are still working fine and I'm using all of the machines this winter.
