$199.90
Save $50.09
was $249.99
Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$33.32
/ mo
Learn more
- – 6-month term
- – No impact on credit to apply
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Selected Option
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
This item is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Thursday, Nov 5
Recently Viewed
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Color
- Espresso
- Model
- EP9 800
- Capacity
- 3.5 gal
- Dimensions
- 18"D x 18"W x 27.25"H
- Weight
- 27 lb
- Material
- Plastic
- In the box
- One 1043 Super WickOwner's ManualOne FunnelOne FloatFour Casters
- Warranty
- 2 years limited.
Features 5
- Pedestal-style humidifier for a whole house up to 2, 400 square feet
- Digital humidistat automatically maintains your desired humidity level with digital accuracy
- Digital readout displays actual humidity level, desired humidity level or fan speed
- 9 fan speeds allows you to select your ideal performance level
- Automatically shuts off when desired humidity level is reached or when unit is empty
Specs 25
| Brand | AIRCARE |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Humidistat |
| Color | Espresso |
| Capacity | 3.5 gallons |
| Floor Area | 2400 sq ft |
| Other Special Features of the Product | Humidistat |
| Operation Mode | Evaporative |
| Room Type | Bedroom |
| Wattage | 600 watts |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Control Method | Remote |
| Filter Type | Wick |
| Runtime | 70 hours |
| Item Dimensions D x W x H | 18"D x 18"W x 27.25"H |
| Item Weight | 27 pounds |
| Item Shape | rectangular prism |
| Brand Name | AIRCARE |
| Model Name | EP9 800 |
| Model Number | EP9 800 |
| UPC | 043129495258 043129495241 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 41, 58 |
| Manufacturer | Essick Air |
| Part Number | EP9 800 |
| Material | Plastic |
No specs match.
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Thursday, Nov 5
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- Zip Pay in 4
- Financing through Apple Pay
- Financing through Google Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Similar Products
Top Amazon Reviews
I like it!!!
Color: Espresso
I purchased this unit in October of 2016 and ran it virtually non-stop through the end of April. We live in Michigan and I had just finished installing new hardwood flooring through the entire house so I wanted to keep the humidity level up to minimize shrinking of the new flooring. We have a traditional ranch home (build in the 70s) of about 1600 square feet with living room, dinning room, and kitchen on one side, and bedrooms and bathrooms on the other. I do not have an open concept so I wasn't necessarily expecting to get a consistent humidity level through the entire home. I felt that this humidifier performed extremely well and I am very happy with my purchase. I placed the unit in our living room near a center wall about a foot out (between and couch and a chair). I had no problem with the humidistat on the unit. I had a stand alone humidistat in the kitchen and humidity levels were consistently 4-5 percent lower in the kitchen, but that seems reasonable to me. I'm no meteorologist, but I assume that mixing the air up with a ceiling fan would help provide more consistent humidity levels through your home (especially if you moved air in the room you place the unit), but of course the humidity levels were lower in the bedrooms down the hall. The air near the humidifier is naturally going to have a higher humidity level since that is where you are putting moisture into the air, so I don't think you can fault the unit. When I first received the unit, I was impressed with its looks. The entire unit is plastic but it is heavy duty stuff and looks just as good after a season as when I first received it. The entire unit is also fairly light with most the weight residing with the fan at the top of the unit (obviously this changes when you fill it with water). It basically comes in two parts: the bottom reservoir that holds the filter and water, and the fan and exterior housing that slips onto and over the top of that. I was a little worried when after only 4 weeks the unit told me to replace the filter, but I simple flipped and turned the filter over and it lasted me until April. Bonus that the replacement filter is very affordable costing less than $20 on Amazon Prime.AIRCARE 1043 Replacement Space Saver Wick The unit itself looks good and blended well with our new dark flooring and furniture. The engineering is very simple and effective. This thing has a very powerful fan, which I love, and can make a lot of noise, but you have 9 speeds to choose from which is great. Even at a 4-5 speed, this unit put plenty of moisture in the air on dry days (enough to keep up with out running continuously). If you set the thing for say 50% humidity, it seems to get up to about 52-53% before it shuts off and maybe lets the humidity level down to 48% or so for a few minutes before it turns back on. The only gripe I have is that it needs to be filled so often, but at 3.5 gallons, I feel like complaining about this would be complaining that the unit works too well. If your home is dry, this thing will put a lot of humidity in the air quickly which means you will need to refill more often. I actually like the design for filling the reservoir and with a decent pitcher with a spout, I was able to minimize any spillage. Also, this humidifier sits on casters so if you have hard floors like myself, you can roll the sucker closer to your water source if that is easier than filling a gallon container up more than once to tap off the humidifier. I used the EssickAir Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment Essick Air 1970 Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment, 1-Quart maybe once or twice a week (the instructions say to use it every time you fill your reservoir, but that seemed like to much work) and had no issues with mold or stale smelling water. And I easily have 4/5 of a bottle left of the treatment. The floor did great and everyone one in the family noticed that our skin didn't dry out so much this winter. I am glad we made the purchase.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017 by sahdadical
Its is excellent at performing its key function - increasing humidity.
Color: Espresso
I give this product 5 stars because after a ton of research, I think it is about as good as you will get, so it deserves to be ranked at the top. In terms of doing what it is intended, generate humidity, it is excellent ! That said, there is defiantly room for improvement of a few accounts. As per many other reviews, it is noisy on the higher speeds. Speed 1 is the slowest which is quite quiet, but you know its there. Speed 4 or 5 is about as fast as I like to run it when I am within 10ft of it. Speed 9 is loud, but very effective. I've not had it long, but I plan to run it fairly low during the day when we are near it. At night, while we are quite a way from it, I will run it on a high level. Given the range of noise produced, I thing having nine speed settings if the right number of speeds to find a level you are comfortable with. As per many other reviews, it appears to over read the humidity level. I expect its probably accurate and the humidity immediately around the humidifier is higher that say, 10 for away from it. This is more of a learning exercise than a problem. I have mine set on 50 while my echbee(s) report around 35. It only took a day or two to get the desired effect. The max fill water line is rather close to the top of the water container. I am quite cautious to move it slowly and cautiously when its full to avoid any water sloshing over the top. I have had no spillage to date, but its good to be aware of this fact. I made this comment as I read some people wheel it over to a water supply. I bring the water to the humidifier in a watering can. I do not like the design for refilling it much. Its quite annoying to have to get the little funnel each time you want to refill it, and find a place to store it. I read numerous reviews about people being unable to fill it without spilling water. I have found it easy to fill with a little caution. I have been using a watering can with the sprinkler piece removed. The end of the watering can must not be rested on their funnel as it would be knocked off and result in a mess. I intend to buy a foot of flexible plastic tube to put on the end of the watering can so I won't need the clumsy funnel. One of my reasons for choosing this model was the fact that you did not have a removable refillable container. I am very pleased with my choice and find this approach much better that my previous experiences. The first time I filled it up, I had to get a light so I could see the maximum fill line. This seem quite a pain. Then I plugged it in only to discover it has a small light inside which makes it very easy to see. Plug it in when filling, lol. The two pictures I attached are from two of my ecobee thermostats. The vertical line is positioned at the time I started the unit. The graph shows my indoor humidity shooting up over an hour or two as the outdoor humidity drops, This unit seems to provide a good amount of humidity to a much larger area than advertised. I was planning on getting a second one if I liked this one, but it seems that I probably do not need to. It looks quite presentable and is not an eye sore in a newly renovated kitchen. I also like the exchangeable tile recessed in the top which you can replace. I quite like the one provided though and so I stuck with that. All in all, its not perfect, but its solved all my humidity issues better that all my previous attempts.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2018 by Rogers Review
AIRCARE EP9500 vs. ESSICK EP9500
Color: Nutmeg
***UPDATE for purchase of NEW AIRCARE EP9 500; 2/1/2017*** I loved my first humidifier so much, after a few years I decided to purchase another one to help humidify the rest of my home. The EP9 500 humidifier that I've had for a few years now is made by ESSICK whereas the new ones are made by AIRCARE. I'm sure it's pretty much the same company, but I can say that the new unit is not as good as the old one. First, the LED lights are now BRIGHT blue, versus the subtle green on the old unit. This is not a major issue, however it does tend to keep a dark room lit some; almost like an unwanted night light. Also, the tile on the top of the new unit is plastic and locked in. It is not easily interchangeable like on the old unit. This is not a big deal for me, but it may be for some. The biggest issue that I have is the inaccuracy of the humidifier's hygrometer. This thing reads about 15-20% higher than my older ESSICK EP9 500. My old one is pretty accurate, when compared to my in-home weather unit's hygrometer, but this one is way off. In order to keep my house at about 45% relative humidity, I have to set the humidifier to 55% or higher. It's definitely not an accurate reading.....which is displeasing because the old one worked just fine. To address the fan noise - it's really not that bad. Actually, my newer AIRCARE unit is a little quieter than my older ESSICK unit. I run them both on 9 (highest setting) and I can still hear the TV and others just fine. Yes, they make a little noise, but no more than a box fan. If you want this thing to really put out some moisture, you'll have to accept a little noise and run it on high, otherwise - run it at 4 or 5 and you'll never even know it's on. Overall, the AIRCARE unit still wicks water and operates just as the older ESSICK unit does. I'm not particularly thrilled with the issues specific to the newer unit, but I can make due since it does work to humidify the home. The old ESSICK remotes still work for this unit as well. Hopefully, AIRCARE will take a look at these reviews and fix their issues. Their units are pretty solid, they just lack some QC on their hygrometers.... ***UPDATE 10/31/2016 (ESSICK VERSION)*** STILL GOING STRONG!!! No issues with this product, all is working flawlessly. Still humidifying, light still works, remote still works, and fan is not noisy. I'm very happy with this humidifier. I'm considering purchasing another for my house to keep up in the really cold months when the wood stove is burning hard - just waiting for the right price! **UPDATE 1/28/15 (ESSICK VERSION)** I'm using the humidifier daily again this year and I still love this thing! The remote issue was worked out - turned out the cheap batteries that were supplied with the remote were not powerful enough to control the humidifier, so when I changed them over to Duracell's, all worked fine. The unit was easy to clean after last winter, and changing the filter was a breeze. I still have nothing but good things to say about this unit! Sure, the humidity readouts on screen are definitely a little off, but it still keeps the air in my home moist (about 40%)which is perfect! I'm hoping this thing will last a lifetime! ***REVIEW FOR FIRST ESSICK EP9 500 PURCHASE*** Ok so I am writing this review even though I have only had the humidifier for about a week. So far, I have nothing but good things to say. I'll start by saying that I was VERY skeptical to buy this because I spent a lot of time reading reviews and they were not too impressive. Most people complained about the noise, the inconvenience of the fill port, and the disability of not being able to tell when it is full. THIS REVIEW IS BASED SOLEY ON THE EP9 500 HUMIDIFIER THAT I RECEIVED. Let's start with the noise. Yes, this thing is semi-noisy. Noisy enough to make me knock a star off, heck no. Come on people, no matter what, fan's will be noisy. This thing has a POWERFUL fan, which gives it the ability to humidify the entire house. It's not that bad, even on 9. As far as the fill port goes, I have absolutely no complaints. Maybe the port has been changed, but I think the fill port is a great design. It's approximately 5" wide and opens more than enough to fill with a pitcher without spilling. It is much better than using tanks. Next, (this is the best part), MY EP9 500 has a LIGHT inside of it. IT WORKS AMAZING!!!! This light enables you to see the MAX FILL line on the wick assembly when filling. It is very easy to look in the door and see when the humidifier is full. There is only one downside to the light - it stays on all the time, even when the unit is turned off. Once again, this doesn't bother me enough to drop a star. It seems like Essick may be reading reviews and took some advice because the LED that they added to the inside of this unit is a great idea. I'm not sure if Amazon is shipping out variations of this product, but I'm happy with the one I received. On to the next praise - PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH THE IMAGE FOR THIS PRODUCT DISPLAYS A REMOTE, IT IS NOT INCLUDED. I was disappointed to see that it did not have an included remote, so I contacted Amazon about it. They were AWESOME and credited my account for the cost of a remote ($25.00) and I went ahead and ordered one from another website. Only one downside; I received the remote and it only works when it wants to. I'm thinking this is a remote issue, so I'll see if I can get a replacement. If it works, I'll be thrilled. The unit has done very well humidifying my entire home (2300 sq. ft, 3 floors). I keep the humidifier in the basement where the return can pull the warm air from the wood stove and the moist air from the humidifier. Although I'm sure the entire house isn't the same humidity, I have not been getting shocked since I set this up. Final Praise - The quality of the packaging was great. It did take about 4 business days to get here (even though I have prime) but after I saw the quality of the packaging, I was grateful. A+ for the boxing. Like I said before, I have nothing but good things to say about this humidifier so far. As long as you receive the same humidifier that I described in this review, I would indeed order another if needed later down the road. I'm not sure why some of you are getting units that you aren't happy with, but I am very satisfied with mine. I'll update this review If I have any negative feedback that sprouts up later down the road. A+ on the improvements Essick, now ONLY sell the reimaged humidifiers and get rid of the bad stock, and you'll have more satisfied customers like me.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2014 by Steven C.
simple unit, works very well
Color: Espresso
We live in northern Colorado, in a 2 story 1200 sq ft home, with standard 8 ft ceilings. The winter relative humidity (RH) in our home would typically run in the low single digits, causing lots of static electricity and other issues. After looking at many humidifier units, and considering a professionally installed HVAC humidifier, we opted for this pedestal style wicking humidifier. We've had the unit for 3 weeks. It's simple to put together out of the box, with simple instructions. I didn't realize when we purchased it that a remote control was an option, but I don't think we'll ever get one. It's easy to fill with water, easy to set controls, and it's fairly quiet at low fan settings. At medium to high fan speeds, it's not what I'd call quiet. Fan settings are from 1 (low) to 9 (max). The noise is a white noise, and ironically, white noise generators are for sale on Amazon (lol). I just checked with a decibel meter, and at 3 feet away at fan setting 1, I measured about 58 db. At fan setting 5 I measured 65 db, and at fan setting 9 I measured 69 db (As i'm typing this review, at 1 foot from the keyboard I'm measuring about 70 db). The db meter indicates 58-70 db as in a "normal conversation" range. If we're in the room with the humidifier watching tv, we turn it down to 1 and never notice it. Above 3-4, we'd begin to notice the fan noise. I personally like white noise. We set the fan speed to 5 or below when we're home, and turn it up to 9 when we leave the house. Filling with water is easy, although sometimes I spill a little on the floor. For the first 10 days typically I would add about 2 gallons of water in the morning, and 2 gallons in the evening. Over the last week, I've been adding 1 - 2 gallons each time I refill the water bath. It took almost 10 days for the whole house to reach about 30-35% relative humidity, and for the first several days we didn't see much improvement in RH. I knew we were adding about 4 gallons of water a day to the inside air, but it took that long to have a measurable impact. The unit's humidity sensor (hygrometer) is on the power cable a few feet from the unit, and understandably reads higher RH than the other hygrometers that I have: 2 hygrometers downstairs, and 2 upstairs. We run the HVAC fan most of the time to circulate the humidified air throughout the house. As an experiment, we turned the HVAC fan off for a few hours, and the downstairs RH increased to almost 50%. After a day or so, the wick developed a light brown-ish color on the topmost air intake side, presumably from minerals in the water drying out, but the wick in that location was still wet. The discoloration was perhaps the top 1/5 of the wick surface area, and stabilized after a few days. After a week, I rotated the wick so that the brown portion was in the water bath, and the brown color went away. The new topmost air intake side discolored again, but the wick was still wet. Running the fan on high probably contributes to the brown color, and now that we've got the house humidified, we've been running the fan on lower speeds, and the brownish area seems to be smaller in size. I've used the bacteriostatic solution occasionally (2-3 times a week), and it hasn't caused the wick to become dry, like some reviews have mentioned. After 3 weeks, we haven't noticed any musty smell. We're very happy with this unit thus far.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2019 by MtnSoar
Evap units work great!
Color: Espresso
We live in bone-dry-winters New England. I've used evaporative humidifiers before the days of ultrasonic humidifiers. The evap-units don't emit any of the particulate dust that the ultrasonic units do, and that dust would get all over the house (and in your lungs!) This unit is easy and simple to setup. The top is 27-inches above the floor, and its footprint is 18-inches square. There are no vents on the top surface, so you can set a vase of flowers, or a lamp, or something on top. It's a nice, large, "infrequent-maintenance size," it holds 3.5 gallons of water when full. Although it's on small casters, I would not recommend you move it when it's full of water since the water will slosh over the top of its internal bucket. It's fairly light - you can easily lift off the whole top section, exposing the water bucket, and water-wick (people call it a filter because it looks like a filter, but it's actually a wick) in the lower 12-inch section. The cover extends down over the lower section, all the way to the base. All of the electrics are in the top 12 inches of the cover. There are no electrics in the lower water-section. At fill-time, I remove the cover, take the lower section to the sink, fill it to a level I am comfortable carrying (weight and spillage) and then I place it back in position and fill it the rest of the way from a container of water. The fan is fine at levels 1 or 2, but it quickly gets too loud above 3 or 4 (it goes all the way to a cyclonic, noisy level-9). I have it in my family room where we spend most of our time, (watching TV, computers, etc) and we don't notice it at level 1. At night I'll turn it up to a level 3 or 4 to help it boost humidity while we're all in bed upstairs and the fan-noise is not an issue - it takes a few days for the humidity to "catch up" to the desired level. If we kept the humidifier in a little-used room like the dining room or living room, I would set the fan at 3 or 4. Anyway - it's attractive, it's not loud, it's easy to maintain, and it doesn't dust-up the house with particulates. Make sure you get a couple of spare wicks AIRCARE 1043 Replacement Space Saver Wick and anti-bacteria treatment Essick Air 1970 Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment, 1-Quart
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2016 by JJones
Good Devices But They Do Make Noise As They Work
Color: Espresso
I bought two of these humidifiers for my house. I have mostly solid wood floors, wood cabinets in the kitchen, solid wood furniture throughout the house, and a restored grand piano. All of these things benefit from sufficient moisture in the air, but the most important beneficiary is “us”: Our skin, our hair, and our noses, throats and lungs. I regard a humidifier as being a pretty utilitarian device. They need to put out sufficient moisture and the humidifier itself needs to be pretty easy to fill up, since I fill them up frequently, I’ve used other brands of evaporative humidifier‘s in the past and still have several operating alongside these two. All of them work fine if you keep them filled, replace the wicks when they need to be, and clean them on occasion. I generally replace wicks once during the humidifying season and have a big cleanup day using white vinegar at the end of the season. I box them up and store them in my attic , then bring them out again for the next dry season. Taking this care, I’ve been able to make some of my older humidifiers last 15 to 20 years. I understand the problem people have with fan noise for humidifiers. Some of them are louder than others, and these Air Care models allow you to use a very high fan speed if you need to in order to boost humidity into your house air. Yep, It is loud, but there are nine speeds, and you can turn it down to something acceptable. But you always have to keep in mind that you have humidifiers because you need them to add moisture to the air, and that ain’t gonna happen unless there are fans that pull air through the wicks. Everything has cost; For humidifiers it’s what time it takes to fill them up, replace the wicks and clean them; it’s also putting up with noise. But there is a huge benefit you are receiving so you accept the trade off and tell yourself it’s worth it! A comment on alternatives to evaporative humidifier: All the humidifiers I have used are evaporative types, and to do their job they have to suck in air in using their fans, through wicks which take up moisture. There are other types of humidifiers I’ve experimented with. There are some “ultrasonic” that break up the water in to very small droplets, and these are quieter than the evaporative type. However they have a real convenience downside because if you fill them with tapwater, they atomize the minerals along with the H2O in the water droplets and those are deposited as tiny white specks on computer and tv screens and, I assume, in the lungs of all house occupants as well. The alternative is to use distilled water which doesn’t contain the minerals, but that is a huge cost when you add up $1/gallon of water for the number of gallons of water you are putting through the humidifiers. I figure in my house it’s 5 to 6 gallons a day. Evaporative humidifiers can use tapwater, and you do have to use a water treatment which is antibacterial. But you’re putting nothing but water molecules into the air; the minerals in your tapwater pretty much deposit themselves in the wicks. That’s why the wicks have to be replaced periodically. How often is mainly dependent upon how mineral-laden your tapwater is.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022 by Steve Hawkins
Good Performer but NOT for “Whole House;” Room for Improvement in Design
Color: Espresso
THE GOOD: - One of the Best at Generating Humidified Air. - Powerful Fan and Angled Louvers distribute/circulate humidified air better than most. - Noise Level Relatively Low and resembles white noise better than many others. - Stylish, Modern Design not ugly, dated, white, or resembles a large wet vac. - Vertical Design reduces footprint. - Lightweight Lift-Off Body allows easy access to inspect/replace wick, and clean interior. - Interior Lighting enables easy viewing of water level, and maximum fill line when filling. NOT SO GOOD: - Cheapy Tiny Wheels and Weak Wheel Housings for this size and weight makes movement difficult over carpet and rugs and wheels and housings susceptible to breakage. - NOT a “Whole House” Humidifier unless referring to a “tiny house,” smaller apartment, single-wide trailer, or RV. Like others with a similar claim--they are not practical for anything more than a large room or a particular open area of a typical house. Why? 1) its ability to generate sufficient humidity can’t keep up when it’s needed most—when outdoor temperatures drop below freezing and the furnace operates more (both dry indoor air out). And if it could generate the humidity necessary for a whole house in these conditions, you would be running back and forth day and night refilling it with water (and this unit has no audible alert when tank is, or near, empty), and 2) a portable unit can’t realistically distribute and circulate humidified air throughout a typical house with multiple rooms, and even less so a 2-story. Like heating and AC, a humidifier designed for attaching to the central air handler (HVAC) system that forces air into rooms via multiple ducts is necessary. - Refill Opening is rather small and narrow, limiting fill container options. We use a plastic 1-Gal garden watering can with spout and like another reviewer, cut a few inches off narrow end of spout to increase flow. Pitchers may also work, but like our can, each refill requires up to 3 trips to a faucet. - Pay special attention to the Maximum Fill Line as there is no margin of error. Filling the unit even just above the line will cause water to leak from around the base of unit onto the floor. - A Remote Control seems sensible at this price point to alleviate bending over or getting on knees to adjust controls on side of unit (humidistat, fan speed, on/off) and for overall convenience. - An Audible Alert when unit is empty of water or close to being empty would also be convenient. - Wick Housing Design can be frustratingly difficult to open and close with multiple tiny, stubborn tabs to pop in and out. - Aircare-brand Wicks are Overpriced at $20-25 each for what they are, and China generics are not much cheaper. And they don’t last 3-6 months as claimed if you use Hard Water or water softened by ion exchange (with salt) AND humidifier is used infrequently. Our wicks last about 3 weeks on well water during IL winters, similar to wicks of other humidifiers we used in the past. Note also Aircare-brand Wick Quality has Declined (but not their cost). Glue that keeps paper wicks together and properly spaced is no longer evenly applied and consistent, resembling China generics. Product page still touts “USA Made, but that claim is now questionable. Aircare wicks now have sloppy globs of glue and in other places glue too thin or missing, allowing wick segments to separate. Less stability to hold shape interferes with proper air flow. Glue globs also block airflow. SUMMARY: Despite shortcomings, this unit performs better than most portable humidifiers. In our long experience using humidifiers, researching them, and reading reviews—very few in this crowded market are worth your time and money. But we can’t give a higher rating to this one because portability, operation, and maintenance could be easier/better, and like many others it advertises questionable claims regarding square feet (ft2) coverage, “Whole House” capability, and expected wick life, especially when outdoor temps plummet and heating systems turn on more, which sharply dry out indoor air. That said, this unit does better than most at generating and distributing humidified air, produces less noise compared to most with fans, is relatively easy to refill, not as prone to leaks and spills, is one of the best-looking units, has 9 fan speeds (a main competitor has only 3), and it’s under $200. TIPS FOR SHOPPING, OPERATING, AND MAINTAINING PORTABLE HUMIDIFIERS: Includes information you would like to know that manufacturers don’t tell you, especially ones they prefer you not know, like unrealistic performance claims. Evaporative Wick units like this one generate, distribute, and circulate humidified air better than other types. But there are still duds and ratings are typically much closer than they should be due to various reasons, making it more difficult to distinguish good from bad (TIP: read 1- and 2-Star reviews and if you see repeated complaints/issues, consider moving on). Evaporative Impeller, Mist (warm/steam or cool), and Ultrasonic humidifiers come with their own unique problems and are generally smaller and most practical for bedside, chairside, crib side use, and small rooms like bathrooms, regardless of claimed ft2 coverage. The largest ones may adequately humidify a small bedroom if the door is kept shut. 1. SQUARE FOOTAGE and “WHOLE HOUSE” HUMIDIFIER CLAIMS are often greatly exaggerated and not representative of real-world conditions found in most homes that limit performance, which becomes most apparent when humidity is needed most--when outdoor temps plunge and the furnace kicks on more. Even the largest humidifiers can’t generate enough humidity or effectively distribute and circulate humidity throughout a typical-size, multi-room house. Performance-limiting factors for any size home include elevated ceilings that dilute humidity, 2-stories, closed interior doors, multiple openings of exterior doors, home air leaks that add up, hard water or water softened by ion exchange (which introduces salt, another mineral) that cause wick scale beginning on day one, and more factors. To this end, it’s generally best to consider a unit that claims significantly more ft2 coverage than the room or area you intend to humidify. Otherwise, you may be stuck with a unit that runs constantly and on highest fan speed struggling to raise humidity, along with the noise it creates, and frequent water refills. You may have 30 days to return humidifiers, but it may not be until the coldest days that you recognize the unit can’t cut it. No matter how big the unit or ft2 claimed, portable humidifiers are effective, at most, for a large room or a particular, open area of a typical house. It’s also not realistic to expect a single portable plug-in heater or AC unit to heat or cool an entire home, other than perhaps a “Tiny House,” smaller apartment, single-wide trailer home, or RV. This is why most homes come with a central AC and/or heating (“HVAC”) system with ductwork leading into each room. If you want to humidify a typical “whole house,” you’ll either need a humidifier designed to attach to your HVAC system (along with a dedicated water line)—or operate more than one portable humidifier. New central HVAC systems don’t normally come with a humidifier unless you request it as an add-on, and not all AC and Heating companies sell or retrofit them. They must be properly sized and require a hole cut in the air handler and attaching a new duct, the humidifier unit, and a dedicated water line, along with a humidistat in a central location of the home (e.g., near the thermostat), figuring out and connecting wiring and power, and trial and error to dial in the settings. A very competent handyman may be able to install one that can be purchased from a home improvement store or online including AMZ. A final consideration—if you plan on using hard water or water softened by ion exchange (salt), home improvement websites indicate both hard water minerals and salt can gum up these humidifiers, and salt can also corrode them, and both can leave mineral dust within ducts and cover living area surfaces especially near furnace ducts located throughout the home. 2. EXTENDING WICK LIFE: Hard water scale build-up on wicks reduce water absorption, wicking action, and air flow that all reduce performance. There are products that claim to “control” hard water scale (and “white dust” deposits), and some reviewers suggest hacks to extend wick life. We’ve tried the following methods and found they don’t work effectively and were a waste of more time and money, although you’re welcome to try: - Additives in Bacteriostat solutions, various products dropped into water tanks/reservoirs, and magnets attached to incoming water lines do little or nothing to reduce scale. And solutions with these additives cost much more than those w/o, and requires use of more solution during each water refill, making them even more expensive. There are no additives or devices that make them magically disappear. Minerals are left behind wherever water evaporates. - Soaking wicks with scale in an acid solution (e.g., vinegar or citric acid) doesn’t completely remove minerals, and weakens structural integrity of delicate wick paper that can deform and disintegrate—which itself negatively impacts performance, and are often unusable after cleaning. Then there’s the cost, inconvenience, and mess. - Flipping wicks over does little if anything to extend their life because any part of the wick that has crusty, hard scale inhibits water absorption and wicking movement regardless of how it’s positioned. - Leaving wicks in longer than you should allows a continuing build-up of scale and increases electricity use as you operate it longer and/or turn up fan speed (if you can further) to improve waning performance. Some humidifiers, after so many hours use, remind you to check the wick and you must reset it each time. Whether equipped and you use the reminder or not, a good rule of thumb is check new wicks after 2 weeks, and at least once a week afterward. Signs that wicks should be changed include noticeable hard crusty scale, dry wick areas, and discoloring, and a noticeable reduction in water use. 3. GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HUMIDIFIER: - Locate the humidifier as close to where you need humidity most, as humidified air generally drops off the farther you are away from the unit, where moist air is generated. Higher fan speeds are also necessary as distance increases. To determine where best to place the unit, you will also need to consider space limitations, electrical outlet proximity, and aesthetics if that’s important. Placing a tray or pan beneath the unit to catch spills or leaks increases footprint and can affect aesthetics. - Purchase one or more hygrometers (humidity meters) so you know what the humidity is where its most important—typically where you spend the most time (bed, recliner/couch, desk, etc.). Humidity can vary substantially even in different parts of the same room/area. Hygrometers are relatively cheap, sufficiently accurate, and small and can be found on AMZ. Some are sold in pairs or in trips. For units with a built-in hygrometer like this one, it only tells you what the humidity is at/near the unit. It may work if you’re only concerned with a single location (e.g., bed) and the unit is parked next to or close by it. If not or you want an entire room/area humidified--rely on separate hygrometer readings and adjust the unit's humidistat in conjunction with fan speed to maintain an acceptable humidity range (e.g., 40-50%). It’s all trial and error and it’s not unusual for the humidistat to be set higher than the desired humidity in other parts of the room/area. And the humidistat and fan speed setting will need to be adjusted to maintain desired humidity as outdoor temperature and furnace use changes. - Fully wet (or, “prime”) new wicks before inserting them. - Be aware it can take hours before a humidifier can raise humidity to where you want it when turning on for the first time or beginning a new cold weather season, or the unit has been off for hours. The dry furniture and other objects, and even the floor, walls, ceiling and drapes will absorb moisture from the air before everything equilibrates and air humidity stabilizes. In some cases it can take a day or more. - Many humidifiers have detachable water tanks and some can be tricky to reinstall w/o spills, and they introduce additional points for possible leaks within the humidifier (as we learned). We prefer a single, built-in tank that’s refilled using a pitcher, jug, bucket, or garden watering can with a spout (which we prefer for ease and limiting spills). Whether you’re a first-time buyer or not, hopefully some of the information provided here will help you make better-informed decisions and avoid the same pitfalls that we fell into. Good luck!
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2025 by KJAG
Looks good abd works well
Color: Nutmeg
Unit is larger than expected but fine. Easy to fill but small opening takes a lot of trips to the sink to get water and careful to pour in do more time consuming than other units. To big and wheels to small to roll over hard wood, carpet and brick hearth to get to and from operating location. All the fan speeds are much quieter than any other unit I've ever owned. The top of the unit has a nice fake marble permanent insert so it looks like a nice little table. At all speeds I can feel a good amount of air coming out of both the left & right sides so it should humidify well. I only just set up the unit so I'll have to see just how well it works. This has the same design as many other large whole house evaporative humidifiers that is flawed and causes the unit to fail shortly after it's warranty runs out (which is 2 years on this one). The fan is at the top and it draws the humid air up and over itself. This has caused the fan shafts and some metallic connections in my previous 3 units to rust or corrode causing the fan(s) to lock up or just quit. Only time woll tell on this unit. I'd buy this again and also recommend it.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2025 by Rick