Vicks Humidifier: Good product for the money

My house gets dry in the winter, and in the Boston area, winter lasts about 5 months. I bought this humidifier to keep some water in the air during the winter months when I have the heat on.

THE PRODUCT

This humidifier is a cool mist humidifier. This means a fan runs over water in the unit to evaporate the water into the air. The product doesn't get hot so it is safe around kids. I have had humidifiers in the past that have put dust in the air although I have never had that experience with this humidifier.

This humidifier has a blue knob on the front with three settings: off, sort of on and really on. I really only use the highest setting, atlthough on both settings the fan is really loud. If you like white noise, you might actually like this product. However, if you need a quiet environment, then you should stay away from this product because there is no way to operate it quietly.

The humidifier comes with a circular, disposible filter in it. The unit comes with the one filter already installed plus I bought another filter for about $5 when I bought the unit. I have been running the humidifier pretty much continuously for five months. I noticed that some mold started to form at the bottom of the unit after about a month or so. I wiped it out with a paper towel which didn't take long. I had to replace the filter after about three months of use because it looked dirty and had mold on it. If I were a clean freak, I could have changed the filter at a month or even two months in.

The tank of the unit can be filled from the bottom via a large circular opening. This opening is secured by a large lid with beveled edges that are supposed to make it easier to open. There is also a rubber seal around the lid. I find the lid hard to open and it requires some hand strength to open or close. If you have any difficulty with hand strength or dexterity, you should probably avoid this product. In the five months I have used this product, it has never leaked.

MY EXPERIENCE

I actually really like this product. It was under $30 and it works very well. It came with one filter which I had to replace after three months but probably should have to replace after two months. The filters cost about $5 each so this whole package cost me about $40 to get through a winter which I think is a very reasonable price.

This product does put a lot of moisture in the air. It is supposed to empty a tank in about 12 hours but my tank empties after about eight hours. However, my house gets very, very dry so it is probably a result of that. By refilling the unit morning and night and running it for two days, I notice an improvement in the air in my house.

This product is very loud. I keep it outside the bedrooms in my house and can hear it in my room with the door closed. I don't mind white noise but this could be an issue for a lot of people.

Overall, the product has stood up to a lot of use. The kids have tripped over it and it gets banged around a bit but it keeps on working.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION

I really like this product for the price. I end up getting a new humidifier every couple of years or so and this has been one of my favorite ones.