Customer Reviews

Vicks V1300 Portable Steam Therapy

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

How worthless? Let me count the ways, unless you are a child, the fit does not fit. This is not an electrical device and you are only allowed to use hot tap water, about a cup's worth, so there is no steam. Save yourself a bit of money and have a hot cup of tea, it will surely produce more steam than this ill-conceived gizmo.

This is not as big as it looks in the picture. It is tiny! You have to heat up the water yourself separately and then pour it into this piece of junk. There is no electric heating. Stay away from this.

After reading the reviews here I wondered why on earth I had purchased this contraption. But I decided to give it a try because I had a VERY stuffy nose, it was late at night, and I was desperate. When I breathed in the vapors as indicated by the illustration on the directions not much happened. Then I tried placing my face/mouth directly on the unit creating a "seal" and breathing in deeply. The medicated vapors flooded my throat and lungs and then to my surprise I was instantly able to breathe freely through my nose! After six days of dealing with an incredibly stuffy nose, this seemed like a miracle to me! The relief was temporary but could be attained again by repeating the process. It really did help to open my nose, cool my throat, and quiet my cough. This will be coming along with me on vacation next week!

I would have given it a negative star. This is not an electronic device and it cannot use boiling water. I agree with the previous comment that by putting boiling water in a cup will produce more steam than this device.

I was very, very disappointed with this product. It's completely useless!! It's equivalent to putting warm water in a plastic cup. What a rip off!!

This item is not worth the money spent on it. You can not use boiling water and the steam does not last any time at all. You do better heating water in a cup in the microwave and breathing that steam. You can put the Vicks strips or whatever in your cup of water. This is not a good product in my books. Thanks.

I bought this product for my husband, his cold had aggravated his bronchials, giving him a slight asthmatic cough. He loves it! The trick is how to use this. I heat water up until hot in the microwave, add it to the bottom cup and then add about a teaspoon of salt and the Vicks pad. Then he holds the product over his mouth, covers the little air intake hole in the back and draws on the vapor slightly. He then releases his finger over the intake and this allows him to pull the vapor deep into his lungs. If he just breathes it without these measures, it's not that effective. It fits perfectly over your mouth. I don't think I'd use it for a stuffy nose, but it's perfect for a cough.

He awoke twice last night, and for the previous week he had awoken 6+ times a night. He used it both times, and even though the water had cooled, he said it still worked well enough for him to quiet his cough and get back to sleep quickly. He told me this morning he feels like a million bucks. It saved him a trip to the docs and the asthma and steroid meds he usually gets stuck with. He took it to work and its perfect for us because it there's no cord and no batteries, just hot water. I highly recommend it!

I have submitted this review because the product is easily dismissed as a waste of money. It is not. No, the Steam Inhaler is not electric. No, it isn't meant for use with boiling hot water. No, you might not get steam (although you can if you want). Yes, it's basically a cup. But it does a fantastic job--if you know how to use it.

I followed the directions exactly--even using tap water. Bear in mind one's hot tap temperature will vary from another's, depending on the water heater settings. (Perhaps some negative reviewers don't have very hot tap water.) If you want the best results, you could always heat water to simmering temps in a water kettle or microwave. You WILL get steam this way.

The only thing that isn't specified in the instructions is how closely to hold the Inhaler to the face. If you follow the pictures on the box, you won't get optimal effects. So here's where you need to improvise: Put the Inhaler directly against your face, and it does exactly what you would want. This is also why the Inhaler isn't merely a cup. The funnel at the top concentrates the vapor/steam directly on the nose and mouth and keeps it away from the eyes. This feature alone is absolutely worth the $7-10 you'll spend on the product. While I'm sure some faces fit better than others, I suspect there are very few faces on which this product wouldn't work.

Lastly, one HUGE advantage this product has over others with heating or steam-generating features is portability. You can take this thing anywhere without needing to worry about plugging in. I take it EVERYWHERE with me in the house. You can also travel with it anywhere you can get hot tap water. For portability, this thing is a killer product.

If you get the Inhaler knowing what to expect and how to get the best results, you will probably be very satisfied.

I don't think this is about steam, it's about the vapors. I benefitted from inhaling the vapor smell with the pad that came with the item.
No, you can't use boiling water. No, it is not electric.

But to me, it is like using the vapo rub in a much easier manner. No mess, and just as effective.

If I want steam, I'd get one that you plug in. But if I want vicks vapo rub vapors, I would use this.

And I do! And it does the job!

My grown daughter and I are both sick with bad colds and coughs. I brought my trusty plug-in vaporizer over to her house to use and, on the way home, stopped at the drug store to purchase this product for myself. It does absolutely nothing and the package should definitely not show a photo of the "vapor coming out". There is no vapor at all. Useless!