Well it’s one of those things you hope you don’t have to use that often, the less the better.
My GF swears by them when she has a cold and her mouth and throat are dry.
And apparently they are handy if the air is really dry and one has “scratchy throat.”
Those of us that live in the dry mountains of Colorado do for sure! When you’re dealing with a semi-arid climate with an (on average) relative humidity level that ranges between 20-25%, a humidifier is a must.
It’s also a great tool in preserving old wooden furniture that is in a dry climate (helps to prevent cracking)… 
In for one!
OK, I have said enough about a $40 humidifier.
But here is a nice review.
Also on those units that have broken down, I simply chalk that up to that no manufactured product has a perfect record. Fact is, some will fail. That’s why there’s warranties.
I like to use Toyota as an example. I have had a few 4Runners and as far as I’m concerned, Toyota makes some of the best vehicles in the world.
But search the Net and you can find people who had lemon Toyotas and/or who say Toyota makes the worst cars on the planet.
So unless a company is known for making lousy products across the board, I assume that things like this humidifier will work and last fine.
Here’s the review:
The repeated complaints about leaky units and poor performance across so many of the units is really what fueled my doubt. It seemed that the ratio of good reviews to bad ones was higher than most other products that I research on here.
Anyway, I happened to come across this unit at my local warehouse club at a good price and I decided on a whim to buy it. Not sure exactly why, but it probably had to do with the frustration described above. One was in front of me that had the features I wanted, so I went for it!
And am I glad that I did. I have been thoroughly impressed by this unit after about 8 months of regular use. The tank size is great, on the medium setting where I normally leave it at, I have enough water to last for 3-4 days. That is if I am feeling too lazy to change it which does happen sometimes.
I sometimes use filtered water and other times tap water and I have not noticed a difference in the steam produced.
Speaking of tap water, the heating element of this unit collects much less mineral deposits than my old AirOSwiss unit did. I find that odd for some reason.
The water where I live is pretty hard and yet I see a noticeable difference in the frequency of cleanings. This was an unexpected benefit but I will take it!
Thankfully, the kaleidoscope of bright colors on the LED is dimmable with the push of a button. I like having the clock feature and I find myself looking at my humidifier for the time more than my alarm clock.
Also, the adjustable control over the steam is a nice feature that works well. I see a very noticeable difference between the different modes.
I suppose that the warm steam feature is the only one I don’t think works well. The steam feels like virtually the same temperature as the cold steam unless you hold your hand right in front of it.
Overall, I’m very happy with the durability and performance of this little work house. I would definitely buy it again and strongly recommend that you do the same!! *
I’m moving from Florida to Oslo, soon. In Florida I shower every single day, sometimes more than once, or else the heat & humidity makes me feel too sticky. But in Oslo I feel like my skin is going to dry up and crack. Not good. I also have trouble with headaches when I’m outdoors, but this might have something to do with the altitude.
Anyway, I’m not going to be able to survive without one of these.
Wow… if you ever want to know all there is about a product always go to Wikipedia, if there’s an entry.
Wikipedia is very detailed about humidifiers:
Here’s a teaser that will motivate you to click the Wikipedia link:
Disadvantages and Risks
*If the relative humidity is over 60% vol, then the use of a humidifier can allow the reproduction of dust mites or the growth of harmful mold, which can be especially harmful for children and the elderly.
The relative humidity should be kept between 40% and 60%. [Humidifiers] can also cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (humidifier lung).
Some humidifiers now use Microban technology to reduce mold and bacteria growth within the humidifier.
The EPA provides detailed information of the risks as well as recommended maintenance procedures. [See my link in next post.]
If the tap water contains a lot of minerals, also known as hard water, then the ultrasonic or impeller humidifiers will produce a “white dust” (calcium is the most common mineral in tap water), which usually spreads over furniture, and is attracted to static electricity generating devices such as CRT monitors.
The white dust can usually be prevented by using distilled water and a demineralization cartridge in ultrasonic humidifiers. *
This is getting more complicated by the minute.
Here’s what the Environmental Protection Agency has to say:
Eh, in for 3. We have to have humidifiers in the cold months if we want to be able to swallow in the morning. If it dies, it dies. It seems we have to buy them every year no matter which brand we get. Shrug.
You probably are still in your 20s and do not have kids.
Would this work at all for cigars?
But can you humidor your cigars with it?!
Does anyone who has this know if the clock has an alarm function? It would be nice to combine alarm clock and humidifier on my night stand.
I live in Minnesota. Indoors, the furnace bakes out the moisture and it’s really uncomfortable. My humidity drops to under 10% in the Winter. In my house I aim for 30-40%, you need a humidifier up here to reach that. In my experience, If I don’t have one I wake every say with my tonsils stuck to my tongue, talk about painful.
Also, if you don’t get the humidity up, flu’s and colds are more prevalent. In the upper Midwest, they are a necessity.
I’ve heard we’re drier than a desert in the Winter here, I don’t know if it’s the truth, but I can vouch for how dry it is when all the moisture is either frozen or baked. It’s brutal.
I’m in for one right now and have sent emails out to relatives in case they want one.
You can buy 3 of these from Woot for the price of one at Amazon. One of the 3 is likely to be fine in case 2 die. No loss there. If you get 2 or all 3 working perfectly, that’s a giant plus.
The main electrical problem (“unit died” prematurely) seems to be that the water sensor malfunctions (auto shut-off when tank is empty) leaving the machine unable to turn back on. I suspect that there are just 2 wires going to the water sensor. A little disassembly and hooking the 2 wires directly together (by-passing the water sensor completely) should solve that problem. Insulate the bare connection well. Keep an eye on the water level thereafter so you don’t destroy the machine.
There seems to be a problem with the force behind the water vapor output from the unit, which leaves everything up to 2 feet from the machine soaking wet. Those able to hook up a $3 whisper fan in an appropriate spot may be able to remedy this problem.
The “wet spot” problem is the only thing keeping me from buying a couple units and any helpful comments on this would be greatly appreciated.
that site is almost 20yrs old…things change
It doesn’t look like there is a way to control humidity levels with any amount of precision, so I’d say no to both of you.
As far as cigars, you really want to keep them in a humidor. Check online and at auction sites. You can find some inexpensive humidors that are quite nice.
I do, otherwise my skin gets really dry, especially my nose, I used to get nosebleeds 3 or 4 times each winter because of the dryness
I found that humidifiers work wonders for this
For anyone with the same problem as me: If you think your nose is getting dry, breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose, i find that helps a lot too…
I think i’m in for one of these, I currently have a 25$ 1/2g warm mist humidifier I’ll try this and see if i like it better.
I have purchased a humidor from http://www.thompsoncigar.com/ for cheaper than this humidifier… and it came with 20 pretty good cigars and works great.
I have 3 of these now. I purchased the first 2. I went through several machines before settling on the 2 I have because I was having inconsistent output (i.e., the mist would vary and be consistent on the settings). Last year, one had an issue with the sensor that detects water. It would start to think that there was no water in the tank and shut off the machine. Germ Guardian responded very quickly and sent out a new machine (even though I was out of the warranty period). Note that the new machine, though cosmetically looks the same, there has been something that has changed. As an example, the number of lights and grid for the night light is different (i.e., less lights, mesh background).
Some other things:
So, I would be generally careful about the refurbished units. As long as there is a warranty, it might be worth it.
It really depends on your situation. For example, in the winter the air is usually less moist to begin with and A/C running heat tends to strip out even more moisture. In our apartment this leads to us waking up with sore throats and makes me prone to nosebleeds. Using a humidifier solved both problems for us.
Never again will I buy an ultrasonic. I had white dust everywhere - it even managed to get to the lens inside the CD player. I tried everything, boiling the water first, bottled water, distilled water… all with no luck. I need a new humidifier but I’ll pass on this nightmare.