Customer Reviews

Crane Warm Mist Humidifer, 1 Gallon

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I've been using humdifiers for years and have tried every type. The cool mist ones mildew up quickly and the wicks are expensive. The ultrasonics are nice, but unless you use distilled water, you run the risk of breathing in bacteria from tap water, since the mist is cool and the water and any particulates that are in the water are nebulized into the air. The warm mist are the best, since the water is boiled and only the steam escapes. I have used many brands of warm mist humidifiers over the years... Holmes, Duracraft, and Honeywell. This Crane model is THE BEST yet. It hasn't leaked once. The tank size is adequate for a medium sized bedroom. I run mine on the low setting and it goes for 12 hours easily. The operation is quiet. The other brands I've tired all have the same basic design... the heating element is round with a hole in the middle and is difficult to scrub on all sides if there is a lot of hard water build up. This design has a solid heating element built into the bottom of the unit and can be scrubbed easily with a brush to remove build up. There is some basic weekly maintenance required, but it's not difficult. You need to use distilled white vinegar to dissolve build up and disinfect. One thing I don't particularly like is the blue light that comes on when the unit is turned on. It's not bright enough to light up the whole room (kind of like a night-light), but for folks who like 100% pitch-black when they sleep, this may not be for you. I'm glad I found this brand and model. For the price, it's a great machine.

We bought 2 warm mist humidifiers previously, a Sunbeam and a Holmes. They both were terribly noisy.

We bought this from Home Depot, same price as Amazon. It is much more quiet. Good misting output. BUT, even though this web site says it is operational for 8 hours, on the product's box, it represents 7 hours AND, when in continual use, it lasts only about 5 1/2 hours. Not very practical.

I tried this for several days and it really does work well as far as boiling the water and throwing out steam. The design leaves a lot to be desired though. The tower comes apart from the base very easily and it is next to impossible to clean inside completely. The mineral buildup is really bad since there is nothing to collect it. I ended up going with the Vicks V790.

I had purchased a larger humidifier from a big box store that quit working after 1 week. I then saw the horrible reviews it got on Amazon and rolled my eyes at myself for not just buying here in the first place. I lost my receipt for the other one so it couldn't even be returned. So I bought this one from Amazon after searching reviews and comparing prices, plus if it broke I knew I'd have an easy return! Ok, enough about how much I love Amazon! Back to the Crane warm mist. I got the black one and it's really a nice looking little machine! Very sleek. It was easy to set up, and easy to fill. I noticed it last 6-7 hours on 2 (high), and over 12 hours on 1 (low). Even low puts out a very nice stream of steam. My last warm mist barely changed the humidity level in my room while this one took my room (about 12x14 with maybe 15ft vaulted ceilings) from almost no humidity (20%) to a nice 44% after running on low all night. Its been about a week and I can already tell the difference in my skin and hair. Cleaning is very simple, nothing to take apart, just take off the water container, add vinegar water, let it sit, drain, rinse. Same for the water container. As for the light, I will admit it's annoying, but I put a dvd case in front of it as someone else suggested (I like darkness when I sleep). As for the noise, I sleep with a fan year round for white noise, and this is about the same noise as my newer model tower fan. It's a consistent quiet steam noise. I do wish they made a larger model so I could use in larger open spaces in the house, but for the price, this is definitely a great machine with style and effectiveness! I'd recommend this to any of my friends!

I feel in love with the design, bought the white and later purchased another black.

They're pretty good humidifier. One gallon tank will last you a bit more than 8 hours run time at low setting. Set it on high and you're down to 6 hours max. No Fan, super quiet operation. Will keep an your room at 85% humidity or above creating mildew and fog your window glass.

Place it under/above or closer to your heater vent or source of wind so the steam will be evenly distribute to the whole room. Otherwise, you'll start seeing mildew dropping from your ceiling even at low setting.

Cleaning is fairly easy. I highly recomended using only filtered water, use tap water and you'll find an excessive chlorine build up around the boiler after a few usage. It will be almost impossible to scrape the chlorine off.

I needed humidifiers for a couple of rooms and I wasn't sure whether to go with this Crane humidifier or the Vicks V745A. Both had pretty good reviews, had similar capacities, were about the same price, etc. So I picked up the Vicks model at a local store, and I ordered the Crane from Amazon.

Both models are very similar in the way they generate steam, but there are a couple of significant differences that makes me prefer the Vicks model over the Crane.

For starters, the low setting of the Crane outputs about the same amount of steam as the high setting of the Vicks, and it turns out that the Crane is a 400 watt unit, while the Vicks is only about 275 watts. I keep the Crane on its low setting overnight in the bedroom, and the water tank is almost empty by morning. The Vicks needs to be on its high setting to go through the same amount of water in the same period of time.

Second, the design of the water tank on the Crane makes it harder to fill than on the Vicks. Neither one has a tank that will fit under my bathroom sink faucet, so I have to fill them in the shower. And although the filler hole on the Crane is wider, it lacks a handle like the Vicks model has, and filling it under the shower faucet is kind of awkward.

Next, once the tank is in place on the Crane model, the bottom of the tank sits in a lot more water than does the Vicks. Not sure this is really a problem, but when you remove the tank for cleaning (there's both daily and weekly cleaning recommended for both), it drips more water on the floor. Also, the filler cap on the Crane has developed a little bit of a musty odor, and again I'm not sure if it's from sitting in more water on a constant basis.

Finally, I find the Crane model to be a bit more difficult to clean than the Vicks. The space around the heating element is much narrower, making it hard to wipe around with a cloth. The Crane also accumulates more rust deposits than the Vicks, which is probably because of its higher wattage heating element.

I have only had this machine for 2 days so far and am in a larger room, but so far the dryness is already better. The device is very quiet on the low setting and still very quiet on the high setting. It is very easy to use and includes a night light. I can't tell yet if it is helping much with my allergies, but my nose isn't as dry in the morning. Last night I had it run on low and lasted all night. The box says it will run for a minimum of 7 hours on low. So far, I am very pleased. If you notice moisture on the windows after running it, turn it down to low or 1 as there is too much humidity in the room. I would recommend this product. Also, it includes a medicine holder. If you need a quiet machine, this is the one to get.

We've used this for two seasons now, and it works well. Cleaning it is simple if you do it regularly. Otherwise, it can get pretty gunky around the heating element.

I sometimes wish we had a cool air one, however, because this one gets the room pretty warm. In the winter, we have the house heater on, and this humidifier brings the heat up even further. We have to turn the heat down and be a little chilly in the rest of the house so that our son's room doesn't get too warm when we're running this.

Purchased in january, Died in april.
heating element failed
bad warranty, you must mail back the cord and the water tank cap in a mail bag,
along with a $25.00 check (supposedly to pay for shipping)
I only paid $39.00 for it to begin with, with free shipping !
Instead I threw it out and bought a different brand

I researched humidifiers for a few weeks, narrowing down my selection until I found the one that fit all my criteria. I wanted one that was quiet, didn't make a mess, affordable, and good for a 600 sq ft space.

After using this for a while, I am pleased to say it was worth it. It's quiet (especially on low), humidifies our entire apartment (though, we only use it in the bedroom at night), stays clean around the base (we keep it elevated on a stool), has an auto-shutoff (important) when the tank empties, and was the best money for the features it offered.

The only time we use it is when we are asleep. It lasts throughout the night, but it's definitely empty in the morning. However, it's there for us most of the night so we're happy.

If you've never owned a humidifier, be prepared. They aren't simply devices you just let sit there and keep refilling. Ownership does take preventative maintenance and care. For a humidified sleep, however, it's worth it to me. I choose to clean the base and tank every day so there is no build up. And, once a week, I use white vinegar to clean it out, and sometimes bleach. Yes, I do more than recommended, but overall it will keep the unit lasting longer. Another thing, your windows will show condensation. And, you may need to wipe the walls and such nearby. After all, bringing the tropics indoors does have its drawbacks.

If you don't mind the maintenance and the quick, daily wall wiping (optional), this is one unit that is built right, does the job, and doesn't strain your pocketbook. Oh, almost forgot, there's a small light on it that others have complained about. I turn the unit so the light is not facing the bed, and I haven't noticed it once. I suppose if it really bothers you, you could place some black tape on it (or take out the LED).

Lastly, if you don't plan on buying this humidifier, I'd highly recommend the warm mist over the cool mist or ultrasonic. Without getting into specifics, my research has shown the warm mist to be the most effective. Also, warm mist humidifiers do produce heat, but we've not noticed it any warmer in the bedroom with this unit. Hope this review helps someone else. Good luck!