After much research on a warm mist vs. cool mist humidifier, I chose the Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto shut-off. Actually, I had done my research (for home and small office) and narrowed my results down to the Crane (tear-drop one) and this one. While the Crane has tremendous reviews, one negative factor kept coming up: that it had many "fiddly bits" to clean, while the Vicks does not. So I was prepared to get the Vicks ...
Just before I ordered the Vicks though, I was at a warehouse store and saw a Bionaire Humidifier on sale. Since I was there, I just picked up 2 without paying much attention - perhaps thinking that it was good just to grab something at a store instead of waiting for it to arrive online. I realized it was an Ultrasonic Cool Mist, but thought to give it a try anyhow. After ~2 days of running the Cool Mist most of the day, we noticed a white film on all our dark furniture in our home. Unfortunately, true to the nature of Cool Mist humidifiers, everything in your water becomes dispersed into the air (minerals, even potentially bacterial, fungal spores, etc) and we definitely saw the mineral "film" all over our bedroom. We switched to Reverse Osmosis (RO) water from tap water after that, which seemed to help a little bit, but it just seemed to take a few extra days before we still got a slight film. At my office, it took longer to observe the white film, but there is a different water source at that location. (THIS PARAGRAPH IS NOT ABOUT THE VICKS, BUT A COOL MIST ONE!)
While cool mist humidifiers are easier to clean in the long run, the quality of water you put into the tank matters (if you are concerned about what may be dispersed into the air for you to breathe in). So I returned the Cool Mist ones and promptly ordered the Vicks Warm Mist on Amazon.
The Vicks Warm Mist, as many people have pointed out, is more therapeutic in a cold, dry climate (such as Colorado). Since warm mist humidifiers boil the water, the water that is dispersed into the air is clean/distilled! There is no white film build-up anywhere (even after running it all day and/or all night for the past 3 weeks).
The auto shut-off is necessary so that if the water runs out, the whole unit doesn't overheat. I run the humidifier in the office at night (with the treatment room doors open) when no one is there to properly humidify the office - while the Vicks can run ~18 hrs on low, it has run out of water before (I just didn't fill the tank completely thinking it would be good enough) and the auto shut-off has been helpful.
As for cleaning, if you follow the directions and let the base air out when not using it (i.e. when my office is closed on the weekends, I drain out the water in the base & tank, keep the tank open [cap off] and the tank off of the base for the whole unit to dry), there really isn't a problem. While it is recommended to soak the base (heating elements) weekly with vinegar to remove any scale/build-up, I haven't had to do this yet after 3 wks of continuous use. We use RO water at home & at the office, so there is very little scaling on the heating elements. I plan to use vinegar once I begin to notice any build-up, of course.
The only small negative is the built in "nightlight" around the dial. In an office during the day, the nightlight is insignificant. In a bedroom at night, however, the nightlight is annoying if one prefers darkness in the bedroom. It would be lovely to have an option to turn the light on/off, rather than just assume that everyone wants a nightlight attached to a humdifier! We cover the dial/light with a piece of thick paper everynight to mute the glow of the nightlight.
Otherwise, the Vicks is quiet (there is always going to be sound from the water heating & occasional drip noises) enough & puts enough humidity (clean moisture) into the air for a unit at this price level. Is it nice to have a humidifier that has a humidity control (to set it to run until 40%, 50%, etc), or that is truly "whisper quiet," or that can run 24 hrs continuously? Sure! But those units typically cost 5x the price of the Vicks. So for what we were looking for at this price, this Vicks Warm Mist works superbly.
Lastly, one of the tank caps came without the gasket/rubber o-ring to prevent the tank from leaking. We just tightened the cap on very tightly, but were afraid to crack any part of the plastic. I tried to go on Amazon to replace the missing o-ring, but after going through the options, it appeared as if I had to return the whole unit as the only "fix" for this. I didn't want to go through the hassel of shipping it back to Amazon for one missing rubber o-ring (& I didn't want to be without the humdifier in the middle of an extremely dry winter in Colorado), so I called Vicks about the missing o-ring. The o-ring is part of the tank cap, so they just sent me out a new cap+o-ring piece immediately. That is all we needed and we're good to go!
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Convenient, Soothing Relief with Vicks Humidifiers & Vaporizers
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FILTER FREE & EASY TO USEThe Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier doesn't require replacement filters, is easy to clean and fill, can run up to 24 hours, and has a handy auto shutoff feature, making it a bedroom and baby essential. |
MAINTAINS RELATIVE HUMIDITYMaintaining a relative humidity level of 40-60% with this air humidifier can help keep your throat and nasal passages hydrated, and help you breathe better and sleep more comfortably. |
EXTRA SOOTHING VAPORSDuring cough, cold and flu season, or when your allergies flare up, use Vicks VapoSteam with your vaporizer for extra soothing comfort. Essential oils can be used as well. Simply add them to the medicine cup. |
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| SEE IT NOW | SEE IT NOW | SEE IT NOW | SEE IT NOW | SEE IT NOW | |
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| Customer Reviews |
24,740
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18,318
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15,508
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19,124
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| Price | $42.99 | $46.99 | — | — | — |
| Why You Need It | Provides comforting warm steam for cough and cold relief | Provides comforting cool mist to help hydrate dry throat and nasal passages | Targeted, non-medicated warm steam relief | Helps relieve coughing when used in Vicks Humidifiers and Vaporizers | Helps relieve coughing when used in Vicks Humidifiers |
| Filter Free | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Warm Mist, Cool Mist, Warm Steam - choose your preference | Warm Mist | Cool Mist | Warm Steam | Works with Warm Mist Humidifier | Works with Cool Mist Humidifier or Personal Sinus Steamer |
| Capacity | 1 Gallon | 1.2 Gallons | Tap Water | 1 tbsp to each 1 quart of water, or 1.5 tsp to each pint of water | Humidifiers Hold 2 VapoPads |
| Room Size | Small to Large | Medium | Personal | ||
| Pair It With | VapoSteam | VapoPads | VapoPads | Warm Mist Humidifier | Cool Mist Humidifier, Personal Sinus Steamer |
| Run Time | 24 Hours | 24 Hours | 5-15 Minutes | Can Use Up to 3 Times Per Day | Replace After 8 Hours of Use |
| Soothing Scent | ✓ | ✓ |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier - Air Humidifier for Bedroom, Home & Large Room, Baby, Kids and Adults Soothing Steam Vaporizer for Cough, Congestion, Allergies & Dry Air, VapoSteam Compatible | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $42.99 | $109.99 | $45.95 | $179.07 | -8% $59.99 List: $64.99 | -10% $35.93 List: $39.99 |
| Price Per Unit | — | $109.99 / Count | — | — | — | — |
| Delivery | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| capacity | 1 gallons | 1.2 gallons | 1.2 gallons | 1.2 gallons | 0.6 gallons | 4 liters |
| floor area | 500 square feet | — | 400 square feet | 600 square feet | 250 square feet | 300 square feet |
| runtime | 24 hours | — | 40 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | — |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| material | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic, BPA-Free, suitable for baby |
| weight | 4.75 pounds | — | 2.09 pounds | — | 3.3 pounds | 3.12 pounds |
Most used item!
This is the 3rd one we have purchased and plan to continue to always have two going in our house. We live in super dry place and these are a must for keeping sinus issues away and the house at the right humidity in the house. 2 of these easily keep our house at 30% humidity.Easy to use, and super quiet. We only ever use ours on low but a past version of this had leaked on high so we were nervous this one would to. Just to check, I turned to high and had no leaking problems so odds are the old unit was just defective. Old unit still worked perfect on low and was used for years before we replaced with this.Light isn’t overly bright but we do turn unit away from us in bed to not keep us awake. Size is perfect for on countertops or on the floor.We have also taken to hotels with us so it is versatile that way. Very easy to clean even with hard water for the first few cleanings. Hard water does become more difficult the older the unit is so when it gets too bad we just replace with new.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2024
PROS: Lightweight, quiet, easy to clean, sturdy quality build (I have dropped the empty tank on tile a couple of times by accident and it never got a scratch), parts are easy to clean. Hand wash or top rack dishwasher safe. Works amazingly well with Vicks Vapo Steam. 2 settings High and Low, high lasts about 9-10 hours for me, full blast of soothing medicated steam lasts through a full night of sleep. Green light indicator helps to know it’s on, Red light indicator lets you know tank is empty and needs to be turned off.
CONS: Tank is tall so can’t refill in low bathroom sink. Need about 10 inches of space (I have narrow nightstands so I had to rearrange a little). Instructions says it can be used with other essential oils, but the scent was not very potent.
My experience so far:
I had a very nasty cough and mucus buildup since November 13th, purchased this around the 23rd. I tried the steam by itself first. It helped me expel a lot of that mucus I struggled with, but the cough was still bad. Eucalyptus essential oil was a bust, it didn’t help at all. It wasn’t until I paired it with Vicks Vapo Steam that I got immediate relief from my cough, so take it from me if you get this vaporizer you absolutely must pair it with the Vapo Steam to get the best experience possible. I’ve had it over a month now and still not experiencing any issues. The instructions say it’s only for small to medium rooms but I have this placed in my large bedroom. What I recommend doing is 30 minutes before you need to sleep turn it on to allow that steam more time to travel to the corners of your large room, and keep any doors closed. To the people who complained about a leak all I can think of is they didn’t screw the seal on the bottom in straight, so just make sure you pay attention to the seal when you screw it back on. It’s so worth it and the warm smell is so relaxing! It helps put me to sleep. I was so happy with this purchase that I bought another one for my office so I can enjoy the medicated steam while I work too. If you have a bad cough, whether it’s chronic or from an illness, get this product. Also the light is not that bright, anyone complaining that the green light is too bright is probably super sensitive to light. Easy fix is to face the machine’s light opposite the direction from your eyesight.
CONS: Tank is tall so can’t refill in low bathroom sink. Need about 10 inches of space (I have narrow nightstands so I had to rearrange a little). Instructions says it can be used with other essential oils, but the scent was not very potent.
My experience so far:
I had a very nasty cough and mucus buildup since November 13th, purchased this around the 23rd. I tried the steam by itself first. It helped me expel a lot of that mucus I struggled with, but the cough was still bad. Eucalyptus essential oil was a bust, it didn’t help at all. It wasn’t until I paired it with Vicks Vapo Steam that I got immediate relief from my cough, so take it from me if you get this vaporizer you absolutely must pair it with the Vapo Steam to get the best experience possible. I’ve had it over a month now and still not experiencing any issues. The instructions say it’s only for small to medium rooms but I have this placed in my large bedroom. What I recommend doing is 30 minutes before you need to sleep turn it on to allow that steam more time to travel to the corners of your large room, and keep any doors closed. To the people who complained about a leak all I can think of is they didn’t screw the seal on the bottom in straight, so just make sure you pay attention to the seal when you screw it back on. It’s so worth it and the warm smell is so relaxing! It helps put me to sleep. I was so happy with this purchase that I bought another one for my office so I can enjoy the medicated steam while I work too. If you have a bad cough, whether it’s chronic or from an illness, get this product. Also the light is not that bright, anyone complaining that the green light is too bright is probably super sensitive to light. Easy fix is to face the machine’s light opposite the direction from your eyesight.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
R LARIVIERE
This is the best warm mist humidifier
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2023Munazzah Khalid
Doing it's job.
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2022
Munazzah Khalid
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2022
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