SPT SU-2031: Polar Bear Ultrasonic Humidifier

I'm quite pleased with the SPT Polar Bear Ultrasonic Humidifier. I've been using it for several weeks with NYC tap water and so far, no white dust. A full tank of cold water lasts for about 1.5 days on the highest setting, three days on the lowest. My skin had been quite itchy because the winter air is drying it out but after a few hours on high, the itchiness was relieved to a certain degree, and even more so after a day with the humidifier on.Cleaning is not difficult but it is kind of a pain. I am running a 1:1 vinegar and water solution through it as I type, and washed the tank stopper with diluted bleach. It's probably a good idea to occasionally swish a little bleach solution in the base as well though I haven't yet done this.I took off a star in my rating because the mist seems to go straight down and doesn't dissipate before reaching the floor while on the medium setting and while sitting on a 22"h table. So I put it on a plastic shoe box and placed it right in front of my  Honeywell 17005 QuietCare HEPA Air Purifier 's exhaust, which aims upward. With the shoe box, it now sits about 27" from the floor and the mist evaporates completely before it ever reaches the floor. I also just discovered it doesn't even need the air purifier's help because it sits high enough now.As to noise, well, it's just about noiseless. It's not completely silent but honestly, you'd have to be standing with your face in the mist to hear anything. I'm very happy with my purchase and would recommend the SPT Polar Bear Ultrasonic Humidifier to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive (I paid thirty four bucks for mine) simple but effective solution to dry air in his/her home/office.*****UPDATE February 20, 2013*****I am still quite pleased with this humidifier. Mine is still very quiet and if not for the indicator light and the mist, I'd never know it was on. No white dust despite never using distilled water in it, and a tankful of water lasts for about two days on medium.I do have an issue with cleaning the inside of the tank, especially after it's been running nonstop for a week; the reservoir gets kind of scummy after a week or two without a proper scrub and airing-out. The opening through which to fill the tank is off to one side and there is no way to reach the other side of the reservoir with anything except maybe a pipe cleaner. I've taken to vigorously shaking hot water around in it with the valve on and then leaving it filled with bleach water overnight before doing another hot water rinse, then letting it air dry for another night. This process takes me a weekend to do, which I don't mind much but is a real pain in the bum. I really wish this little humidifier was easier to clean because it otherwise works beautifully.*****UPDATE July 3, 2014*****This polar bear humidifier started making loud-ish buzzing noises toward the end of summer 2013 and required daily emptying and washing. Between the new noise and the increased daily maintenance, I finally got fed up enough to throw it out; I simply do not have time to empty and wash brown slime out of the reservoir and base and sanitize with bleach every morning. It was wonderful while it lasted, and like another reviewer, my chronic sinusitis was relieved with the humidity this gadget provided. I just wish it hadn't become so high maintenance toward the end. If there's a secret to keeping humidifier slime at bay that doesn't require daily disinfecting and drying out, I'd love to hear it. I'm downgrading this product from four stars to three.

I've had this Humidifier now for 2 yrs. It still runs, and i haven't had it leak yet. I don't crank it up all the way. I usually have it right in the middle and it does well. I had purchased a few other humidifiers before and the one issue I had was cleaning the heating element in the other humidifers. It would cake up and eventually after a year...die. I know you're supposed to clean it, but I'm just bad at doing that lol.Cons:1. There's an amber light that annoys me, and lights up the room. I like my room to be dark when I'm sleeping so I covered it with black duct tape. problem solved.2. It makes some noise, but nothing that would keep me awake.Seems that after mid- 2012, the Quality went down. Many 2013 purchases seem to have either faulty circuit boards or aren't producing mist.November 11, 2014 - It's still running for me and no leaking yet. However, I tend to use it during the Cold weather months so it's usage is limited from probably mid November until March and then it's empty for a period of time. I'm bad as I'm not as diligent about cleaning and it's still running.

We've been using a humidifier every night for our baby since she was born in the fall. I had a 10 year old Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier that is still reliable but I got tired of replacing the filters every month since we used it every night.My sister registered for this humidifier and we used it when we visited her. Its very cute and I love how the mist comes out the nose. I also like how you can see the mist unlike in our Vicks one. So we ordered it for our baby's room.I decided to pack it up and return it after the 2nd night. I followed all the recommendations in the manual and used filtered water. I would also empty it in the morning. When I would put it on at night, I'd see the mist and it seemed to be working in adding moisture to the air. But when my husband or I would check on our daughter in the middle of the night or in the morning, there was no longer any mist coming out. I put my hand on the mister to see if it moist air was still coming out and would feel nothing, hardly even feeling air. The manual says that it can last up to 10 hours and we never had it running that long. Plus the tank would still have most of the water in it when it would stop misting.Maybe we just got a defective one. We weren't paying attention to my sister's humidifier to see if it was having the same issues. We have decided to try the Crane Drop Shape Cool Mist Humidifier based on its reviews.

So there are things I like about this and things I don'tPros:different humidity settingssmallcute lookingno filterquietCons:bright yellow light is annoying (i put a headband around it to tone it down)it shuts off by itself, but there is still water left in it and if you dont use it for a few days, its gets nastyWhen removing the basin, water always gets on you or the dresserI use this for my room in Vermont as its electric heat and I cant breathe too good when I wake up. Its great for the job up there being I'm only there weekends and winter. If you need one year round, I would suggest getting something a little better and one that does have some sort of filter or UV light in it. I have a different one in my home in NY which I like but its older and the filter is a pain. I will be on the search for a new one soon. Good Luck finding your own.