I purchased the Crane cool mist humidifier in Dec'10 and have used it, with great success, for many months. With all the negative reviews (about 20%) I almost didn't purchase this machine. But I'm glad I did, because it works really well for what it is: a mid size/capacity humidifier.
First of all: ***this humidifier has a 2.3 gallon per day maximum output, with a .9 gallon tank.*** Amazon's initial title for this (and many other humidifiers) mentions daily output capacity rather than tank size... this may be confusing, although the correct specs are prominently listed on the Amazon page - fifth bullet point in the "product features" section. As for Crane (the manufacturer), their package clearly states a 2.3 gallon daily output, and .9 gallon tank size... The reviewers complaining about the "misleading name" should try emailing Amazon suggesting a title change on their website... instead of writing a 1 or 2 star review of the product. That would be more helpful and more fair.
As for the product itself:
A few buyers obviously received defective machines; this has to be expected on some level with any manufacturer.
But having read over the negative reviews, I realized that most of the complaints were due to improper use of the machine.
It is essential to read the instruction manual and use the machine as intended by design. Doing so will avoid the pitfalls described by most of these 1-2 star review writers. For reference, I have addressed their most common complaints below:
1) White dust buildup in the room: use filtered or distilled water. This is important if you have hard tap water. (85% of American homes do.) I run my tap water through a Brita filter; the exchange ion resin lowers the concentration of calcium carbonates, accordingly softening tap water. It also helps keep the humidifier cleaner by removing organic impurities, and I have had no white dust buildup. ***If your water is particularly high in mineral content, you should use distilled water, or else opt for a vaporizer-type (humidifying) machine, which creates water vapor free of white dust.***
2) Limited effectiveness: you are trying to humidify too large a room. In my 500 square foot living room level the machine helps a little; in my 150 square foot bedroom the machine is more than adequate.
3) Height of machine: the manual directs you to put the humidifier *at least* a few feet off the ground; there's no reason you can't place it even higher up if you wish. Doing so will disperse the mist more effectively.
4) Machine runs out of water: try turning it down to about 2/3 power instead of full power. The machine is practically noiseless at this setting and the water tank if actually filled to the rim will last at least 8-10 hours.
5) Machine makes bubbling noise on high: see #4 above.
6) Wet area forms immediately around humidifier: you have the machine turned up too high for the conditions in your room. This is explained in the instruction manual: you need to make sure the mist isn't falling down onto the surfaces around the machine; otherwise moisture will accumulate on those surfaces. Turn the power dial down until the vapor stream is fully evaporating in the air.
7) Machine leaks: Take care that the water tank fits snugly into place, with no gaps. Also, make sure you have the clear rubber ring that fits inside the tank cap. During my initial setup, this little (1 1/2" diameter) ring came loose and rolled away, and I almost didn't notice. The ring ensures a tight seal on your water tank cap; without it, I'm pretty sure the machine would leak.
8) Machine gets moldy: you are not following the correct cleaning routine, as described in the manual. You need to empty and rinse out the tank daily, and empty the bottom part of the unit too. Once a week you should use a white vinegar/warm water mixture in the tank and bottom of unit (see manual).
I hope this was helpful. If my humidifier breaks down I will certainly update this review.
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From the manufacturer
The Perfect Humidifier to Keep Your Family Healthy and Happy
Crane's Iconic Drop Shape Cool Mist Humidifier is the best solution for natural relief for symptoms caused by dry air, allergies, or cold and flu - especially for busy families. With its large 1 gallon portable tank and clean control material, cleaning is so simple! Not to mention, its mist output runs for over 24 hours in a large size room, making it a functional and aesthetic addition to any room. Adding humidity to the air is a natural and effective way to help you and your family breathe better and keep from being sick!
360 Degree Mist Lid
Easy to Fill Tank
Whisper Quiet Operation
Variable Control Output
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| Crane Top Fill Humidifier | Crane Inhaler and Warm Mist Humidifier | Crane Droplet Humidifier | Crane Drop Humidifier | Crane Drop 2.0 Humidifier | |
| Tank Capacity | 1.2 Gallons | 0.5 Gallon | 0.5 Gallon | 1 Gallon | 1 Gallon |
| Room Size Capacity | 500 Sq. Ft. | 250 Sq. Ft. | 250 Sq. Ft | 500 Sq. Ft | 500 Sq. Ft. |
| Run Time | 24 Hours | 8 Hours | 15 Hours | 24 Hours | 24 Hours |
| Use with Essential Oils | ✓ | ||||
| Use with Vapor Pads | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Steam Inhaler | ✓ |
Compare with similar items
 | Crane Droplet Ultrasonic Small Air Humidifiers for Bedroom and Office, .5 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier for Plants and Home, Humidifier Filters Optional, White | Crane 4-in-1 Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, 1 Gallon, Top Fill Humidifier, 24 Hour Run Time, with Optional Sound Machine and Color Changing Nightlight, Clear/White | Crane Diffuser and Top Fill Ultrasonic Air Humidifiers for Bedroom and Office, 1.2 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier for Large Room and Home, No Humidifier Filters Needed, White | Vicks Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier, Small Room – Variable Mist Control – Works with Vicks VapoPads | Crane Adorables Ultrasonic Humidifiers for Bedroom and Baby Nursery, 1 Gallon Cool Mist Air Humidifier for Large Room or Kid's Room, Humidifier Filters Optional, Elephant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (17908) | (1590) | (740) | (1095) | (0) | (8580) |
| Price | $39.98 | $39.99 | $49.97 | $52.98 | $39.99 | $48.99 |
| Shipping | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| Brand Name | Crane | Crane | Crane | Crane | Vicks | Crane |
| Capacity | 1.00 gallons | 0.5 gallons | 3.75 liters | 1.20 gallons | 0.5 gallons | 1.00 gallons |
| Color | Clear and White | White | Clear & White | White | White | Grey |
| Control Method | Touch | Touch | Touch | Touch | Touch | Touch |
| Floor Area | 500.00 square_feet | 250 square_feet | 500 square_feet | 500.00 square_feet | — | 500.00 square_feet |
| Item Dimensions | 8.6 x 8.6 x 13.4 inches | 8 x 10 x 8 inches | 13 x 9 x 9 inches | 11 x 11 x 14 inches | 8 x 7.88 x 8.35 inches | 9 x 12.75 x 9 inches |
| Item Weight | 4.00 lbs | 2.25 lbs | 2.38 lbs | 2.37 lbs | — | 3.00 lbs |
| Material | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | — | Plastic |
| Power Source | Corded Electric | AC | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | AC |
| Runtime | 24.00 hours | 15 | 24 hours | 25.00 hours | 24.0 hours | 24.00 hours |
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RM Reviews
Old one from 2010 was great except for the bright green light. New EE-5301 is different. I modified green running light to off.
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
Summary from this review: Get the blue one...its better than the color or white ones. Also, the light is annoying but can be turned off.I have an EE-5301 Blue Crane Drop Humidifier with a Date Code from 2010. The humidifier was quiet and effective. The only drawback was the bright green light that is on when the unit is running. I use this in a bedroom while sleeping. The green light changes to red when the water is out. I bought a new White Crane Drop Humidifier and modified both at the same time to turn off the "night light" and just have the red light functional. The details of the modification are below. By taking both apart, I found some important differences between the blue and the white humidifiers.Differences between the colored humidifiers and the blue humidifier:The Blue Crane Humidifier has better output and components: I just bought another Drop humidifier to replace what I thought was the same model I previously had. The difference is my old one is blue and the new one is white. My old EE-5301 has a date code of 8/20/10 printed on the bottom. The white one for sale on Amazon now is the same model number (with the addition of a "w" at the end) but it has some important differences inside and out.I took both units apart at the same time to turn off the green running light. However, you do not need to take the units apart to see the difference. The old blue EE-5301 has a ribbed dial on the front instead of one with just an indentation for your finger.The opening in the bottom of the blue humidifier tank (the hole that vapor passes through is 1/4" larger than the color/white humidifiers). I suspect the next change was done to compensate for the noticeably less vapor output. Crane changed the size of the opening in the cone-shaped cap that goes on top of the tank on the white model. The old cap on my blue device is 1/4" larger in diameter. This gives the appearance of more vapor coming out of a smaller hole. When you put the old cap from the blue device from 2010 on the new white device, the difference in vapor output is more obvious. The vapor is less and does not go as far on the newer white one (see pic in comment section).On the inside, the old blue EE-5301 has a much larger fan and a more robust transformer. There are some structural differences to the molded plastic too. The tank and top caps remain interchangeable on both units. The new fan on the white unit is much less substantial and looks like something off of a video card. The vapor output on the old blue device is noticeably more robust on the highest setting.The bottom line is that the model numbers are the same but blue one is better. It appears from the picture on Amazon, that the blue humidifier being sold still has the ribbed dial and is probably the same one as mine from 2010. It has better components.The other point of this review is that the green running light is bright and annoying. I would think most would use this in a bedroom. I'm too old for a night light. I modified my drop humidifiers to never have the green light come on and just have the red light functional.The modification to turn off the green running light:There are 4 screws on the bottom that need to be removed to get to the LED. Once inside, the LED for the green and red light (there is only one LED that can change color) is found behind the clear plastic directly above the dial.There is one screw that holds down the small LED circuit board. There are 3 small wires that are soldered to the circuit board for the LED. The wire that has small red "x's" was the power for the green LED on my units. When holding the small circuit board with the screw hole up and the LED bulb on the far side off the circuit board, it was the far right-hand wire.I de-soldered the far right wire (one with the "x's" printed on it) from the circuit board but cutting it would have worked too. I put a piece of electrical tape around the end and put everything back together. Mission accomplished. Problem solved. This took 10 minutes after figured out which wire to cut with a volt meter.I cannot post any links on reviews but I posted a picture of the wire I removed from the LED circuit board. In any case, now the green light never comes on but the red light comes on when the water is out.The typical caveats apply: I do not recommend to anyone to take their humidifier apart. You could cut the wrong wire, damage your humidifier or blow up the universe. Never take anything apart with the power on. Just because this worked for me, it may not work for you.Update 10/2014: It appears now even the blue humidifier on Amazon has an finger indentation on the knob (instead of a ribbed knob) which indicates to me that all the Crane humidifiers likely have the same configuration as the white one I ordered. If you can find a blue one with the ribbed knob, it has better components. However without a direct side-by-side comparison, I doubt anyone would be heartbroken over the differences.
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
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Ken
it does get noisy after a few months of use from previous experience
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 12, 2020Color: Blue and WhiteVerified Purchase