Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifier, White and Blue

I received this humidifier 2 weeks ago after searching for a decent humidifier to replace the one i owned that was famous for robbing me in replacements filter, etc. fees. This thing fits the bill. The design is great, it's super quiet, and gets the job done. In choosing this product i read all the reviews. The reviews that made me hesitant to purchase this were the complaints that said: a)that the furniture on and around the humidifier got wet all the time, b)that the machine did not cut off if empty, as advertised, c)that the machine is hard to clean, and d) that it makes a lot of noise.

With hesitation, I purchased the product in good faith.

I was immediately pleased by the design. I read the owner's manual even though i thought it all was a "no brainer". The manual actually explained a)how to adjust the mist as to not wet the furniture around it, and b)that the machine will turn off when empty, but the light on the device will remain lite...obviously the part those that said the machine did not turn off failed to read, and c)how the machine is easy to clean with a vinegar or chlorine solution.

Cleaning is easy. I recommend using the bleach solution as bleach will kill anything..not to mention it also gets rid of the discoloration.

Lastly, the sound the comes from the machine is very subtle, but when u hear it, it is exactly like the soothing sounds of a filter running on a fish tank. It actually helped me sleep... having this white, very subtle noise.

I like this thing. My skin and nose are happy.

I hope this clarifies some of the ambiguity i found in the other reviews....

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.

This humidifier is the perfect size for a bedroom. The tank empties in about a day, so the water doesn't sit around too long to get mildew or mold. The humidifier puts out lots of moisture, and is absolutely whisper-quiet! We have the penguin-shaped one for our son's room, and this one for ours. Both are great.

We bought the Vicks cool mist humidifier first. it was so noisy in the nursery that we didn't use it when our daughter was sleeping. We bought this one hoping that it would be a little more quite. We can't even hear it! It also takes up very little space and is easy to fill in the shallow bathroom sink. Awesome purchase. worth the extra $.

We bought this humidifier for the bedroom because we were waking up every morning with dry, cracked lips and sore throats and sinus due to the very dry air in the house during the winter. This unit pretty much solved the problem for us.

Pros:
- Very quiet. I imagine if you set it next to the bed you could hear it, but we set it across the room and the only thing I hear is the occasional bubbling as it takes in more water.
- Easily adjustable. The knob on the front that controls flow is infinitely adjustable, so you can get just the flow you want.
- Easy to fill. Just take off the reservoir and fill from the sink.
- Puts out enough moisture to humidify a fairly large room. Our bedroom is 16 by 20 feet, plus a master bath, and it makes a big difference in the humidity of the rooms.

Cons:
- It doesn't seem to automatically turn off when it runs out of water like the description says. Maybe ours is broken and maybe not, but it doesn't turn off. No big deal except the wasted energy (which can't be much) but I wish it did shut down.
- I wish the reservoir was bigger. The size it is makes it easy to take and fill, but you pretty much have to fill it every single day. It's a trade-off, but I would have preferred something twice the size that was a bit more difficult to fill due to size.

I don't understand any negative views about this humidifier unless it was a defective item. I have owned many cool mist ultrasonic humidifiers and I have been looking for a reasonably priced one. I found this really pretty tear-drop shaped humidifier on Amazon.com and the price was great. I took a risk and I'm so glad I did. I have been using it non-stop for a week now and it's great. It is whisper quiet and the cool mist is perfect. I have experienced no leaking. If I run the humidifier on the highest setting on a full tank it lasts for 8 hours. I would highly recommend this product.

Unable to find this particular unit in the stores, I bought it from amazon and have been running it for the past month. It does a great job of keeping my studio apartment humid, and I no longer wake up with a bloody nose or chapped lips. Runs for around two days at half power before needing to be filled, and is whisper quiet (although it does make noise when air bubbles run to the top, much like a Poland springs water bottle).

As other reviewers have noted it can be a bit tricky to clean, the bottom half will build up a little slime coat and there are some tough corners to get into. My solution was to take it apart, fill the bottom half with water and add one fifth volume hydrogen peroxide, and let it sit for a few hours. Rise it out and wipe the sides with a paper towel whetted with rubbing alcohol and just about everything is like new.

I'd recommend this unit for anyone looking for a humidifier for a small-medium sized space. Its nice looking, quiet, efficient, and best of all, reasonably priced.

I gave this product 4 stars. Here are the pros and cons

Pros: I am saving about $90 a year, because I don't have to buy filters anymore. Plus this product is cheaper then the last humidifer we had. It does a great job. It is very easy to clean, and fill up. We love the mist it makes.

Cons: It makes alot of noise when you turn the indicator all the way up. The higher the setting the more noise it makes. The noise is drops of water falling. It sounds like a faucet, is dripping. It can get annoying. But I have found out that if you just keep the dial in the middle, it keeps the room from drying up, and the dripping noise it not even noticable. The other con about this is. In the discription it said there was a light. I thought that it would kind of act as a nightlight. The light is so small it doesn't provide any light.

All in all, the product is well worth the money. It does what it is supposed to do, without having to buy filters.