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208 of 211 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best I've ever used, February 1, 2006
I got this to humidify my kids room. Previously we had been using the old vick vaporizer but it only put out for about 6 hours and had some other issues with getting the mineral content of the water just right.
Anyway this is without a doubt the best humidfier I've ever used. Setup was a little confusing at first (where little parts went. The tube hole through the tank was a little disconcerting but after I understood its function I saw it wasn't going to slosh water everywhere.
For a humidfier it has a amazing number of options.
Warm Mist vs Cool
I had always used "warm mist" but my wife wanted "cool mist", this was the only one that had both. Warm and cool are relative terms however. When I think of warm mist I think of the Vicks which can scald you if you get to close. It heats the room up in operation. This device the warm mist is sort of warm. It takes a few minutes to warm up and if you put your hand over the output you can feel its warm but not hot. It goes to warm by pre-heating the water before it hits the vaporizer. In cool mist it just vaporizes.
Output-
You have two output controls, relative humidity and mist volume for lack of a better term. Think of it as fan speed (but no fan)You set the humidity and it spits out water as needed. I don't know where the sensor is but the position of the output nozzel can really affect its reading.
The tank seems to hold enough water for 24 hours of output or 2-3 nights of use. The output is plenty adequate for a bedroom.
Controls-
Lots of controls on/off, heat/no heat, humidity, output, timer, auto mode and more. This is the big difference betwen this and the lower end model. Someone finally figured out how to put a timer on a humidifier (imagine that). So it runs as many hours as you set it. The sleep mode sets all settings automatically and runs 8 hours. I love it.
Noise-
What noise, this thing is silent. No bubbling or hissing or fan noises.
Filling the tank-
Take it out, flip it, unscrew the deminerlization cartridage and fill er up. Not the most stable but it works. Carry handle makes it easy to take back.
Its everything you could possibaly want in a humidifier. Low maintence, easy enough to fill, quite, lots of settings for any need.
Beats the heck out of the old vicks and some fan based whicking mold catching filter units I've used. The closet thing I ever had was a drugstore one that spit out the good stuff for 15 minutes and then broke. This is a quality product (and price) and should last (I've had it 2 weeks at the time of writing). It may be expensive but it does what you want and will outlast many of the others. If you've got the money its worth it.
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181 of 184 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indeed the Best Humidifier on Market, January 7, 2006
I went to a local Bed Bath and Beyond to find silent or near silent humidifier. Salesman introduced this Air-O-Swiss as the best machine on market. He added Venta-Sonic does the same job but costs $50 less, and all other brands can't compare. I bought both units to compare. Air-O-Swiss is a clear winner, hands down.
The two machines sat side-by-side. It's clear immediately to everyone that Air-O-Swiss is quieter. Even at highest setting, Air-O-Swiss' noise level and frequency are lower than Venta-Sonic's, and they blend nicely into background. They don't give me headaches as Venta-Sonic. At lower settings, Air-O-Swiss can be virtually silent. With Air-O-Swiss on, I slept very well. The next night was Venta night. Unfortunately, the base machine noise was just as bad as the first unit that I returned earlier for noise problems. I tried to go to sleep with it on but after a few hours, headaches and agitation from the noise made me shut it off and switch on Air-O-Swiss and slept through afterwards.
I kept on alternating units days and nights to observe results from continued operation. After three days, Venta-Sonic unit began to add that strange squeeking noise. Air-O-Swiss gave consistent good near silent performance...and going strong still. Just based on noise-level alone, I had to return Venta-Sonic even though Air-O-Swiss costs $50 more. But that extra costs are further justified by the following:
1. Consistent Performance - I can put Air-O-Swiss on automatic mode with preset humidity level before I go to sleep, when I wake up, my bedside humidity reader (far away from the machine) has within 1% margin of error to the preset desired level.
Venta-Sonic however, I can put it to MAX settings, and I get only around 32% sometimes and other times anywhere below 50%.
2. Greater Output Capacity - My bedroom is 300 square feet+, half of 600 both machines claim can cover. Air-O-Swiss comfortably reaches my desired level (b/w 40% and 50%) with lower settings (It can go as high as 75%, I only set it up to 50%). Venta-Sonic labors over 8 hours at MAX settings and gets me LESS humidity! It won't get me above 50%.
3. Ease of Use with Digital Control - I like Air-O-Swiss' Auto Mode with Desired Humidity Setting. The machine adjusts output automatically. Venta-Sonic only has two dials, you'll have to experiment for a while to find the optimal settings. As soon as atmospheric humidity changes, which can be daily or a few hours, you'd have to re-adjust again...that's like shooting darts in the dark all the time, you can get close if lucky but never on target.
4. Better Mist Venting Notch Design - I put both machines on 3-feet-tall dresser. Air-O-Swiss' notch is tilted higher than Venta's. This means when operating cold mist, Air-O-Swiss's disappears into air vs. some Venta's still hit the floor - not enough to form condensation but less efficient in humidifying - perhaps that contributes to Venta's lower output previously mentioned.
5. Better Craftsmanship - Venta-Sonic is a notch below Air-O-Swiss, appears to be made simpler and CHEAPER.
Filter changes and clean up are similar. Venta needs to change filter cup. Air-O-Swiss needs filter cup and once-a-year silver stick change. Both are fool proof. Venta filters are more expensive but Air-O-Swill has extra silver stick. Cost-wise it's similar. I like Air-O-Swiss's option of replacing resins - just dump old resin in filter cup and put new packet in and you get a NEW filter - this cuts cost by almost 65% and less trash for the environment.
Water tank design is similar. Both fills water upside down. I still prefer Air-O-Swiss because the top is more leveled, easier to sit in sink or bath tub than Venta's tilted top. When moving Venta-Sonic, water spilled between base and tank. I had no problem with Air-O-Swiss.
Anything Air-O-Swiss can improve? Sure! The humidity reader on the machine is adjusted about 13% lower than actual average room humidity. They probably did it to ensure average humidity far away from the unit reaches target, but I think they can do so internally without having to show it. It would be a mistake to read the room humidity off that machine.
After I got the machines, I googled on both. There was one review elsewhere saying that Venta-Sonic broke after a month and half, out of store 30-day warranty and owner took a loss. Air-O-Swiss has 3 year warranty, if I remember correctly, Venta 1 year.
The trouble I went through is worth the finding of the right humidifier for me. Hope this helps those with similar concerns!
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131 of 133 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indeed the Best Humidifier on Market, January 7, 2006
I went to a local Bed Bath and Beyond to find silent or near silent humidifier. Salesman introduced this Air-O-Swiss as the best machine on market. He added Venta-Sonic does the same job but costs $50 less, and all other brands can't compare. I bought both units to compare. Air-O-Swiss is a clear winner, hands down.
The two machines sat side-by-side. It's clear immediately to everyone that Air-O-Swiss is quieter. Even at highest setting, Air-O-Swiss' noise level and frequency are lower than Venta-Sonic's, and they blend nicely into background. They don't give me headaches as Venta-Sonic. At lower settings, Air-O-Swiss can be virtually silent. With Air-O-Swiss on, I slept very well. The next night was Venta night. Unfortunately, the base machine noise was just as bad as the first unit that I returned earlier for noise problems. I tried to go to sleep with it on but after a few hours, headaches and agitation from the noise made me shut it off and switch on Air-O-Swiss and slept through afterwards.
I kept on alternating units days and nights to observe results from continued operation. After three days, Venta-Sonic unit began to add that strange squeeking noise. Air-O-Swiss gave consistent good near silent performance...and going strong still. Just based on noise-level alone, I had to return Venta-Sonic even though Air-O-Swiss costs $50 more. But that extra costs are further justified by the following:
1. Consistent Performance - I can put Air-O-Swiss on automatic mode with preset humidity level before I go to sleep, when I wake up, my bedside humidity reader (far away from the machine) has within 1% margin of error to the preset desired level.
Venta-Sonic however, I can put it to MAX settings, and I get only around 32% sometimes and other times anywhere below 50%.
2. Greater Output Capacity - My bedroom is 300 square feet+, half of 600 both machines claim can cover. Air-O-Swiss comfortably reaches my desired level (b/w 40% and 50%) with lower settings (It can go as high as 75%, I only set it up to 50%). Venta-Sonic labors over 8 hours at MAX settings and gets me LESS humidity! It won't get me above 50%.
3. Ease of Use with Digital Control - I like Air-O-Swiss' Auto Mode with Desired Humidity Setting. The machine adjusts output automatically. Venta-Sonic only has two dials, you'll have to experiment for a while to find the optimal settings. As soon as atmospheric humidity changes, which can be daily or a few hours, you'd have to re-adjust again...that's like shooting darts in the dark all the time, you can get close if lucky but never on target.
4. Better Mist Venting Notch Design - I put both machines on 3-feet-tall dresser. Air-O-Swiss' notch is tilted higher than Venta's. This means when operating cold mist, Air-O-Swiss's disappears into air vs. some Venta's still hit the floor - not enough to form condensation but less efficient in humidifying - perhaps that contributes to Venta's lower output previously mentioned.
5. Better Craftsmanship - Venta-Sonic is a notch below Air-O-Swiss, appears to be made simpler and CHEAPER.
Filter changes and clean up are similar. Venta needs to change filter cup. Air-O-Swiss needs filter cup and once-a-year silver stick change. Both are fool proof. Venta filters are more expensive but Air-O-Swill has extra silver stick. Cost-wise it's similar. I like Air-O-Swiss's option of replacing resins - just dump old resin in filter cup and put new packet in and you get a NEW filter - this cuts cost by almost 65% and less trash for the environment.
Water tank design is similar. Both fills water upside down. I still prefer Air-O-Swiss because the top is more leveled, easier to sit in sink or bath tub than Venta's tilted top. When moving Venta-Sonic, water spilled between base and tank. I had no problem with Air-O-Swiss.
Anything Air-O-Swiss can improve? Sure! The humidity reader on the machine is adjusted about 13% lower than actual average room humidity. They probably did it to ensure average humidity far away from the unit reaches target, but I think they can do so internally without having to show it. It would be a mistake to read the room humidity off that machine.
After I got the machines, I googled on both. There was one review elsewhere saying that Venta-Sonic broke after a month and half, out of store 30-day warranty and owner took a loss. Air-O-Swiss has 3 year warranty, if I remember correctly, Venta 1 year.
The trouble I went through is worth the finding of the right humidifier for me. Hope this helps those with similar concerns!
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