I've been through dozens of humidifiers. My favorites have always been the ultrasonic Cool Mist ones, but after a little while, there is always scale buildup, problems and I end up throwing them away.
My son got the Croup the night before we were heading to Disney, and the hospital had told me to get a cool mist humidifier to help him breath at night. We ran out to the store and I found this little gem.
The size was perfect for traveling, and he loved the blue nightlight.
The best part is that I've had ZERO scale build up....and the cleanup is simple.
The small size is great for traveling, but the drawback is that it doesn't hold enough water. They claim 9-12 hours, but in reality, with the fan turned on to increase the flow, we were getting about 6 hours. Still great for traveling, but I would love to have the exact design in a bigger size for permanant home use.
I'm going to order a couple of extras so we have one for each of the kid's rooms.
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Simply put, not only the most aesthetically-appealing humidifier I've owned (the accompanying image fails to do justice by its soothing azure luminescence) but the quietest and most convenient--which makes it the most useful and used such product. I purchased this one from Amazon after loaning my first Medisana to an ailing friend and not getting it back. It's the most compact humidifier on the market, which results in some trade-off in water capacity and running time (count on a good six hours)--but it's as easy to accommodate on your nightstand and to refill as a glass of water. Turn the blue light off and you'll be unaware of its presence, except for the noticeable improvement in breathing.
As a couple of previous reviewers have noted, the nozzle appears to have a predilection for getting jammed, or smog-bound, a problem I never noticed with the previous, apparently identical model. I'm not convinced it's due to the use of eucalyptus oil, but it's definitely not a terminal condition. I removed, washed and dried the nozzle to no avail. Then I did the same with the cannister, filling it to the top and even shaking it before re-setting it on its base. Voila! Immediately the vapors stopped congregating in the nozzle area and burst forth as buoyant zephyrs on a therapeutic mission. Haven't noticed any problems since this initial obstruction. If the nozzle doesn't deliver its little clouds of glory the instant you push the "on" button, turn it off, try the little refill-castanet maneuver with the cannister, and you should be in business.
Not recommended for the living room or office, but as an agreeable, comforting night-time companion, it rivals my cat.
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I've had this humidifier for a few weeks now and, on the whole, have been very happy with it. I would definitely recommend it to others while there are many cheaper humidifiers on the market, this one is a class act.
Pros:
1) Visually appealing. This is definitely the most attractive practical appliance I own. The blue light also makes a great nightlight if you happen to get up in the middle of the night.
2) Compact and portable. Filling it up is no problem (the tank is just slightly larger than a large grapefruit) and it's easy to find a place to put it around the house. (Mine is currently resting on the windowsill by my bed.)
3) Easy to clean. Because it's small and straightforward it's easy to dry completely or, if necessary, wash with a gentle cleaner.
4) Quiet. Aside from some gentle drippy gurgles from the water, the motor and fan are very quiet. I'm a light sleeper, but the noise from this doesn't bother me as I'm falling asleep.
5) Automatic shut-off.
6) Long-lasting. The tank may be small, but this machine is very efficient! The humidifier generally runs 7 hours or so for me, and since it's so easy to refill it's not a hassle at all when it runs out.
7) Non-drippy. While I might not trust it on the finest hardwood, I haven't yet seen any drippage or humidity buildup on the surfaces where it rests.
8) The nozzle is adjustable, so you can direct the humidity flow in about 300 degrees around the machine.
9) While the mist isn't cold, it can feel refreshingly cool in an over-heated room and is still pleasant at warmer temperatures.
Cons:
1) It's a small machine, so don't expect it to adequately humidify a large room. Even so, I've found it perfectly adequate for humidifying a small dorm room. Since using it I've had significantly less static in my room and fewer problems with dry skin. If I keep it on my desk or by my bed it helps me breathe better regardless of the overall room humidity (or open windows).
2) It is very difficult to add water to the machine once it's already partially filled. This can get very annoying if you have it running during the afternoon but would like to top it off so it will last through the night. I have yet to find an effective way to do this that avoids spilling water all over myself and the floor.
3) The blue "on" light can be very bright at night if you're a picky sleeper like I am. I've overcome this by piling some post-it notes and small objects in front of the illuminated "on" button, but it is still mildly annoying.
4) The AC adapter is rather large, and the power cord is rather short.
Overall, I feel the pros greatly outweigh the cons! I have never tried the eucalyptus oil (I was scared off by previous reviews), but with plain filtered water my humidifier hasn't clogged yet.
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I ordered the Medisana humidfier upon the recommendation of a friend, to replace a very noisy humidifer in my office. The Medisana product works well, but needs frequent refilling. DO NOT USE THE EUCALYPTUS OIL, which plugs the output nozzle. Why they supply it is a mystery. If the output nozzle stops working, remove it and dry it thoroughly before replacing it. This makes no sense, but it works. The little blue nightlights aren't an issue at work, but they would drive me crazy at home. Luckily, you can shut the nightlight off.
UPDATE: 12/2008 My humidifier stopped working for no apparent reason. I filled the reservoir, pushed the buttons and it ran for about 30 minutes before stopping, never to come to life again.
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Newsflash if it seems to 'stop working' suddenly, soak up or use a straw and pull out some of the water from the reservoir where the mist comes from. If the water level here is too high, the mist will not push itself out of the hole.
I like it. It's small, easy to fill. I have placed it 2-3 feet above my head on a shelf above my bed. So the mist falls over me all night. It seems to help with dry eye and seems more effective than a larger, louder one that does the whole room.
It really does mist out all night.
It does make noise little buzz from the motor and some dripping of water noises. I'm uptight about noise at night and I seemed to adjust to it.
The light IS SUPER BRIGHT. I turn it off, but the button is SUPER BRIGHT. So I cover that up.
more later as it ages,
sd
011608
so, after a while it sort of stops working. i'm kind of a geek with mechanical stuff, and hate sending stuff back or throwing it out becuase then i have to spend more money to buy another so i took it apart.
i found that the little oscillator that creates the mist (it sits underneath the hole where this mist comes out of and looks like a flat camera battery) gets covered in stuff (probably deposits from my water) and if you scrape it off gently, it will start to work again.
this requires a tiny little phillips head and removing 4 small screws and 4 tiny tiny screws and some agile fingers to pop the ring back on while keeping some other parts in place.
