This review is from: SPT SU-4010 Ultrasonic Dual-Mist Warm/Cool Humidifier with Ion Exchange Filter (Kitchen)
Pros:
1. It actually turns on. I got this unit after my Crane Adorable Humidifier (Penguin shape) refused to turn on.
2. It just works. I have a 10x13 room and this humidifier took my room's humidity from 21% to 42% in about 3 hours.
3. I really like the form factor. The unit is only 5.31 inches deep so it can easily fit on top of a short bookcase that also has a small depth. Few other humidifiers would fit where I have this humidifier right now.
4. It is fairly easy to fill. The top of the tank is flat so that when you turn the tank upsidedown to fill it, it can lie flat.
5. I'm pretty happy with the mist quality. Even on the highest setting, you're not going to see fat droplet sizes coming out. You are not going to end up with a puddle on the floor as long as you put it on a surface at least 2 feet above the floor.
Cons:
1. Some reviewers have complained about water leaking out of the tank. I noticed that on my unit, the washer (or o-ring) for the tank cap is a little bit too big. If you turn the cap shut too tightly, the o-ring will roll on itself, and the next time you unscrew the cap and screw it back on, the washer may not provide a good seal because it is out of place. Even the manual tells you to make sure the washer is in place when screwing n the cap. As long as the washer is in place, it won't leak. This is just a slight annoyance.
2. If you are blowing warm mist and you want to change it back to cool mist, it'll take awhile for it to become cold again because the unit does not actively cool the water. You'll have to either pour out the existing warm water in the base or wait until all the warm water in the base gets sent out. I am not a big fan of warm mist so it's a non-issue.
3. The unit is fairly quiet and I am pretty sure most people can sleep with the unit on without a problem. However, I am an ultra-sensitive sleeper and anything louder than completely silent is too much for me. If it was the just the humming noise, I think I would be able to take it, but what bothers me the most is the inevitable random water sounds caused by the ultrasonic plate generating large droplets of water and those droplets of water coming back down. Almost every humidifier will do that. The water noise is fairly low, it is just the randomness of the noise that annoys me when I try to sleep. When I am awake and my computer is on, I barely notice the humidifier because my computer is many times noisier than the humidifier and my computer is already pretty quiet.
Tradeoffs:
1. Yes, the tank is only 4 liters, but do you want a humidifier that fits on a bookcase or not?
2. Sure, the tank only last 12 hours on the maximum setting, but isn't that the point of a humidifier? If you desperately want humidity, wouldn't you want the humidifier to empty the tank as quickly as possible?
Other thoughts:
It is nice that this unit comes with a water filter, but of course the manual will recommend that you fill it with distilled water rather than tap water. Considering that I'll be breathing the water I put into the humidifier, I've been filling my tank with water that I've passed through a Brita filter in a water pitcher. However, doing that is somewhat a pain because it takes multiple pitchers to fill up the tank. I am thinking about getting a faucet filter so that I can fill the tank quickly.
UPDATE: My 10x13 room just hit 50% relative humidity and I'm loving it. My windows are starting to fog up, maybe I should turn it off.
