Honeywell HUL520W MistMate Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, White – Cool Mist Humidifier for Bedroom, Home or Office

By my count, I have owned over 20 humidifiers since the early 2000s, and can't really say any have been as good as I wanted them to be. The humidifier I've been looking for would fit on small nightstand beside the bed and give me some nice, cool moisture, it would be simple to clean, easy to fill and just work.I normally wouldn't have looked at this model of humidifier because of its small size, but and this is important, the only health problem I have that is directly-related to humidity or lack thereof is bloody noses and dry skin. From late November - early March, I work outside a lot in the Smoky Mountains, up in the 3,000 feet above sea-level areas. The weather is a 4-season nightmare. Being that high makes 65 feel like 85, it makes 15 feel like -5. One week in December it was around 60 each day, the next, below 32 for highs and lows for the whole week. I personally love it to live in, but working in it can be rough. Around Christmas, I had a day with 3 bloody noses, temperature wasn't terribly cold, about 20, but the winds were 40 MPH. On top of just the obvious bad part, a lot of people up in the mountains use fireplaces, creating a lot of smoke and most are wood/coal fireplaces. I went to my doctor to ask about taking a stronger allergy medicine through the winter, he asked if I was using a humidifier, I told him yeah. He says, "How often do you refill it and wipe it out?" I said, "Oh, about once a week." He laughed, I have a PhD, he said, "You have a bad sinus infection and inner ear infection. You should be pouring your water out at least every other night and refilling it with clean water."That never dawned on me! That made getting a small one more practical since I do just need to blow over my face while asleep. I saw this little Honeywell at a local store, but opted to buy it from Amazon, similar price, but I really like the blue one! I have only been using this for 10 days. I will be back around March to update it because so far I feel like I'm a part of the humidifier revolution, where less is more and simple, even stylish, is better than complicated and bulky. This humidifier is so easy to use and maintain that I don't know that anyone will ever talk me into trying a different one. Here's the pros to it:Very compact: This is important for more than just the smaller footprint, it means, I can refill it in the bathroom sink. I had been lugging a tank to the kitchen to refill it.Excellent all-around design: Besides being small enough to fit in bathroom sinks, it also has a Honeywell logo in white letters on the front side, meaning no more wiggling the tank around, trying to get it on the base properly. The power dial also works properly, I turn it on 1/4 and it's really enough for me, but have been running it a bit higher lately due to some extremely cold weather. The fill opening has a lock/unlock inner cap that is removed and put back in place with a simple 1/4 turn. You can sit the tank on the sink after refilling. It won't go rolling around. It has a built-in spray nozzle that is on the front and it can be cleaned with a bottle brush or Q-Tip. The inside of the base which is where the mess usually accumulates, is flat except for the water holding area. The water holding area has no nooks or crannies in it. You can wipe it out with a wash cloth. I really think Kaz/Honeywell has listened!My experience so far using the fill every other night method is good. It's a half-gallon tank so it's not the least bit heavy even when filled and it does have a carrying handle built into the back of the tank. If you need more than just a little mist this humidifier will do it. On full-blast, it's putting out as much mist as any of the humidifiers I've used. And if you can't fit your current humidifier tank into your bathroom sink and have to walk down steps, down a hall, step over the dogs, walk onto the cold kitchen floor, in the dark, to fill your current tank, you'll really appreciate the smaller tank and its bathroom compatibility.What some people might not like:It makes a steady hum when running. I listen to music when I go to bed, usually ambient, so hum doesn't bother me.It makes a fairly steady water-dripping noise. I think this one bothers more people than I thought it would. I don't mind it at all since some of the sleeping music I listen to has water dripping in it.I mention those solely for those who want to know, "Okay, seriously, what's wrong with it?" If those two don't bother you and you don't mind refilling every night or every other night, then this is my winner and will be yours too. I haven't had any nose bleeds since buying it and haven't had any stuffiness. That's saying something, last night was 2 degrees with near -20 windchill, but I woke up feeling normal and breathing fine. If something goes wrong before March, I'll be back to update it. But if you're having problems with stinky tanks, you should try the refilling every night or two method. Be sure to dry the tank out before refilling it. That seems to be helping with my stinky tank problems. No more bells and whistles for me!

I have central heat and air. Both are dry air, with one being hot and the other being cold. I also have asthma, so a cool-mist humidifier is a must for me.This is my third Honeywell MistMate cool-mist humidifier. The first one I had was red. It died after three months. Thankfully, Amazon replaced my broken red humidifier with a white one. My white one lasted seven great years! I am trying a red one again. So far, it has been going strong for over a year.I mainly use my humidifier at night. The added moisture helps me rest comfortably. It eliminates my “asthma cough” from dry air. My skin, eyes, nose and throat aren’t dry, irritated and/or itchy in the morning. The lowest setting provides enough mist for me.The tank has a wide opening, is easy to fill with water and securely locks. The carry handle in the back is comfortable to use. The humidifier is fairly quiet and does not disturb my rest.I found the key to longevity with this humidifier is using distilled water. In the past, I lost two humidifiers (different brand) due to hard tap water. The calcium buildup from the hard water eventually killed the humidifiers.I clean my humidifier every few days with a white distilled vinegar solution and a scrub brush. Easy peasy and back to moisturizing.I tried the newer version, the Honeywell MiniMist, but I did not like it. It drank too much water, loudly gurgled all night and did not provide enough comfort.I am back to my faithful MistMate. She gets the job done.

It's not silent at allYou constantly hear water dropsDelivers a good amount of cool must though.I'll say for me, the drop sounds doesn't bother me. It kind of sounds like a little rain that is starting to hit a window.It'll be easy enough to clean and holds a decent amount of water to last through the night.

I enjoyed this same model for the past 8 years of winter seasons (I think I got my money's worth!) and as long as I used the drop in humidifier tank cleaning cartridge and performed maintenance (even much less often than they recommend) it worked exceptionally well until it suddenly didn't. As proof for how well it works, for the four days waiting for my replacement I got a bloody nose and super dry skin.To other reviews that downgrade due to a white dust, it's due to the minerals in your water. You could use distilled water, but if you have hard water and use tap the minerals have to go somewhere. We do have hard water, but apparently not sufficient to produce dust, so you may not either.I just wish manufacturers of products often used in bedrooms would stop with their light pollution. Just as I did with my last model, I put duct tape over the knob to block it.Overall I'm super happy with the product. I hope they make them with the same quality as 8 years ago!

I am allergic to mold, so too much moisture can lead to health problems. Unlike two other brands/models of humidifier I previously purchased, this Honeywell MistMate has a low setting that is actually low. For a small apartment it produces just the right amount of moisture for these dry winter months. It lasts just about 20 hours on that setting with a full tank. It's the closest thing I've found to a perfect humidifier for my needs.