Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 05519 TrueAir Cool Mist Humidifier

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Our pediatrician sent us out for a humidifier when our infant son developed atopic eczema (a dry-skin condition). We had a horrible time picking one (you might notice that Consumer Reports has NOTHING on the subject) and relied heavily on the reviews here at Amazon.com.

I chose this one because it's not too big (it's the same size overall as some of the one gallon-sized ones at the pharmacy, but holds 2.5 gallons) and has the humidistat control. It has an incredibly fine mist that I can't see (I only run it on the lowest setting) and is very quiet.

It's been in a corner of the baby's room about 2 feet under his toy net and only 6 inches from his changing table for a month or so and neither the stuffed animals above nor the changing table have ever felt damp... but the water disappears and the humidity stays around 50% (which is recommended) even though it's winter and we've had the heater running (which dries out the air).

The tank part fits just fine in my dishwasher (it says put it in there once a week, but I have actually been a little slack on that part) and the filter still looks okay- it's been a month.

Before ordering this humidifier we tried almost every one available at local pharmacies- but they all spewed thick vapor that condensed on everything. I'm allergic to mold and mildew (very likely the baby will be, too) so that's NOT something I wanted in our house.

We also looked at one that "never" needs cleaning or new filters - a Hunter Care-Free... but after reading the manual (which says in small print to clean it based on usage with vinegar, etc. and that the antimicrobial properties advertised don't extend to the water or mist) I decided not to get it.

My aunt has had her Hamilton Beach 05520, which is larger and doesn't have the humidistat, for over a year now, so we assumed this one would have the same very fine mist and would be easy to keep clean... so far it's everything we hoped it'd be.

I've been searching for a good humidifier (at the right price) for a long time... Finally, here it is! One that can control humidity level and give me a digital read out of the current humidity. This model also has a nice size water tank that can be filled without taking the whole unit to the sink. This model also included a filter system to help clear out dust and pollen. A nice size fan pushes the air to circulate the whole room. It also shuts on and off automatically, to keep the desired humidity level. There are 3 speed settings; quiet, med, and high. The high makes a good amount a sound, but I only use it when no one is in the room and need a boost of humidity. Quiet is just that... Like a portable fan at low speed. Worth every penny!

Bought this in November 2001, and have used it a good 2 months. Overall I'm happy. As others have indicated, it's noisy at the highest setting. I use it in my bedroom and basically crank it up an additional 5-10% humidity during the day, and turn it off at night for sleeping. The 2.5 gallon lasts about 1 day of use for me. My original filter is shot (again after 2 months) and are somewhat pricey.... Figure on 2 filters to get thru an average winter, so have a couple handy before the season begins.

This unit has the humidistat, and I find it worth the extra cost. The unit is VERY easy to clean. Basically the only items that get wet are the tank, the filter and the tray that the two items sit in. All are very easy to remove and wash/rinse.

My only suggestion is if you'd like to cut down the amount of refills to get the bigger 3.5 gallon model. Plus the larger filter is priced the same 10.00.

This is a great humidifier--I especially found the digital setting helpful. It runs very quietly. However, if you wash the parts in the dishwasher they will crack. The water tray cracked. The water tank cracked and its cap cracked twice. Hamilton Beach replaced the tank and cap while the unit was under warranty, but I was on my own after the warranty ended.

Humidifies my apartment and the digital humidistat is a great feature so that I can monitor the correct humidity level as perscribed by my allergist. Easy to fill and clean. I have not seen or had some of the problems with the filter as others have mentioned, but I usually only ran it once or twice a week b/w Jan. and Feb. A good suggestion to avoid a mildew smell may be to take the filter out to air dry when not in use.

Very quiet operation which was also a huge plus in my decision to buy this humidifier.

I bought this humidifer becasue it was easy to clean, which it is but I find that every time I put a new filter in it takes only 3 or 4 weeks before it start to get a little mildewy and smell a little musty. I realy don't know what to try next. We are on our 4th filter since November and now I can't find them in any store becasue it is a seasonal item and the stores have moved on to summer things.

The digital read-out makes it easy to pick your humidity level. One read out for your desired level, and another to show the actual level.

It is very easy to maintain...filling the tank is a breeze and the water lasts all night and into the next day (I live in the desert, so that is a real plus!)

It is also quiet, especially on the Quiet Mist setting. But, even the medium and high are tolerable. I keep it in my babies room and I think the noise helps her fall asleep (like white-noise).

I got a Holmes humidifier for Christmas. It was a no frills type,but seemed to work good. I wanted one to use while I slept,because I get dry at night. I used this unit til about the middle of January,but it was noisy,keeping me awake. I took it backto store and got a Vicks ultrasonic humidifier. I used this one 1 night,it did not work well at all but was quiet. I took it back. I was without a humidifier,and could not sleep. I went to Holmes webstore and found a humidifier that was for bedroom use. I ordered it on 1/18/03 and did not recieve it til 2/3/03. I noticed that it had water spots and scratches on tank. When I went to feel it with water,the valve leaked. I called the company and they assured me that they sell only new units,but to send it back and they would inspect it. I used it that night,it worked good and was quiet. I sent it back next day though,knowing it would take upto a month to get another unit. I am still waiting for a refund(3/5). I did some online research and found this Hamilton Beach humidifier. I ordered it through Amazon,taking only 5 days to get. I have used it about a month, and really like it. It is very easy to clean,and i have limited use of 1 hand. I just clean in sink once/wk with soap. The filter is still in good looking condition(use all night/every night). I recommend getting the digial humistat. You can set to any level you want and unit only come on when falls below that. It is a little noisy on high,but only needs set on quiet to work good. Quiet is about as loud as a fan on high. I am not returning this unit.

After moving from a humid to desert environment, I really needed to bring up the moisture level in my apartment. I wanted a humidifier that would cover a large area, be easy to clean, and keep the humidity level fairly consistent without having to fuss over it.

So far, this humidifier has fit the bill. It took a few days of near-constant use and a few refills of the large water reservoir to raise the moisture level from 27% to 45%, but has since maintained 45% humidity very nicely on the low "Quiet" mode with surprisingly little water use.

A note about placement: the owner's manual says to place it on an inside wall. This proved to be a necessity. In it's initial place near a small window, the humidity level simply would not go up.

The pros: evaporative, fan-based mechanics do not produce the damp mist that some others do--I haven't seen any moisture on nearby items; the Quiet mode is very quiet. The medium and high modes are what you should expect--medium is clearly audible and high could be considered loud; every part that you'd need to clean is dishwasher-safe; the humidistat allows it to maintain the humidity level on its own, and the reservoir is large enough that you could fill it up and forget about it (though, as the manual says, you should empty and refill the water on a daily basis).

The only con is that the fans do produce a cool breeze, especially on high, which can be a little chilly if you're sitting nearby.

I have not had to change a filter yet, but it looks very straightforward. Should be as easy as purchasing it, reshaping it, and setting it on the tray.

Unlike some humidifiers, this unit does not have an auto shutoff if the water runs out, but I don't think it needs one. At the worst, I believe the fan will simply run with no water to evaporate--but I have yet to see what happens when it does run out of water.

Overall, I'm very happy with this humidifier and highly recommend it. It's one of those products that simply works.

Update: After a year of use, this humidifier's still going strong. Filter replacement has been about every 2-3 months--the key is not letting it sit without use, which is no problem here. I'm still very pleased.

I got this humidifier for my newborn's room. Initially he slept in our room so we had the humidifier and it worked great. We noticed the difference almost immediately. Its is quiet enough for us to sleep through it (not sure what others are complaining about.. they must be the lightest sleepers in the world) It was able to maintain 50% humidity in our medium sized room with ease.

When we moved the baby to his own room, we unfortunatley lost the humidifier :-( but let me re-iterate that it is quiet enough that our sensitive baby monitor picks up its sound as a barely audible hum. Now the downside is that in the small baby room, during the cold winter nights, it got a little cold, we were using cold filtered water.. we started putting a little warmer (like normal tap temperature) water and it got better but still cool. Thats the reason why I didn't give this humidifier 5 stars. I didn't like my son's room being a little chilly but thats not that bad of a downside.

Cleaning is a breeze, diswasher it up! We clean it once every 2 weeks and haven't encountered any problems. The filter seems to be working fine after 2+ months.

I love the digital humidity control, it allows for more configuratability for anyones needs. A co-worker of mine bought the same humidifier (at the same time I did) and loves it too.

No water spills, the fine mist works well, the carpet around the humidifier and the rocking chair next to it are NEVER wet.

Note: Our medium size room had a return vent but the small baby room did not.

I would recommend this humidifier for anyone using it in small or medium sized rooms (I can't speak for large rooms)