We have found this to be the best humidifier we have owned.

It is simple to operate and easy to clean. Even at full output, the tanks hold more than a day's water supply.

Note the following:

-This not an air filter or an air washer. It picks up water with wicks and evaporates the water it into the air with a fan. It you need an air filter because of allergies, etc, you should probably get an additional unit with a hepa filter that just filters the air.

-The unit doesn't boil water and release steam (We had one of those...it added a significant amount to our electric bill).

-This is not a "mist" humidifier that breaks water into little droplets and sprays them into the air. Those units have filters which, if not changed, created a "white dust" problem.

But nothing is absolutely perfect so note the following regarding the Vornado:

-Wicks (they are NOT filters) need to be changed about every three months depending on usage and scale in the water.

-You MUST use chemicals - water softener if needed; and definitely an anti bacteria solution. Both of these will substantially extend the wick life and prevent bad things from being released into the air.

-No humidifier is free of operating costs. Wicks and chemicals (plus electricity) are part of the annual operating expense of this particularf humidifier.

-The unit CANNOT be picked up and moved when the tanks are full. The tanks have to be removed first.

-Because of possible dripping, the unit should NOT be placed directly on a rug, wood floor or piece of furniture. It requires a pad, tray or similar.

-It is not possible to clean inside the water tanks, a weakness. Also, because of their size, tanks need to be filled either in a bath tub or in the kitchen sink with a "detachable" faucet.

-There is a gurgling sound but we didn't find it a problem.

-There is a motor/fan noise, but again, not excessive.

-The mechanism that determines whether a pre-set humidity level has been reached and then shuts off the machine seems to have some accuracy issues. We just leave it on maximum.

Notwithstanding the above, this is a good product and we recommend it.

I needed a strong and easy to use/maintain humidifier for my bedroom. I did have to stop using it because of the glugging noise. I would say not the best for bedroom unless you're a heavy sleeper. Also, the humidy level is hard to tweak. I'd say it's not accurate. If you're buying to humidify a large room or whole apartment, it's probably great.

I almost never take the time to write a review, but I'm making an exception for this product. This humidifier works very well.

I consider myself to be a light sleeper, but I've not had the problems with the gurgling noise reported by some other reviewers. Yes, the unit does gurgle a bit when the water drops down from the storage tanks, but it hasn't been annoying to me (I've never been awaken by it). Also, I find that the white noise produced by the unit's fan is very good at drowning out random sounds in the middle of the night (dogs barking, etc.).

The absolute best feature of this humidifier is that it doesn't leak. My previous humidifier was awful. Randomly and frequently the old humidifier would completely empty its 2 gallon storage tank onto my floor -- very frustrating. Apparently this is a fairly common problem with humidifiers as I've read other people's complaints on the subject from various product reviews. I've not had any leaks whatsoever with my Vornado humidifier.

The reason I gave a rating of 4 stars instead of 5 is that the humidity control dial isn't expressed as a percentage (honestly I don't know exactly what the official term for that is, but I observed that the units that have this functionality recommend a range of 40% - 50% for the setting). I've not found this to be a serious shortcoming. I just experimented a bit to find a dial setting that produced a comfortable humidity level in my room and then left it there.

Works great for a bedroom- very quiet running and helped my breathing at night.

At first, this humidifier worked like a charm. I have an indoor hygrometer (measures humidity), and the humidifier kept the lower level of our house at around 40-45% humidity during the winter...quite comfortable.

However, after several weeks, I noticed the humidity levels dropping. I also noticed that I rarely had to refill the jugs of water. Turns out, we have hard water, and we have to replace the filters every several weeks. The filters aren't cheap so this is a problem!

A couple other complaints...

1) Since this is an evaporative humidifier, it cools the house down. Our heating bills are high enough as is, so the release of cool air inside doesn't help matters.

2) There is definitely a "glug" sound every 15 minutes or so which can be a little annoying.

I've bought a couple different products from Vornado. The first was a ceramic space heater. That product was recalled but I've found it to be excellent so I took a chance on this humidifier.

I've never used wick (filter) humidifiers in the past. I've always used the condensed air ones that shoot out water as mist into the air. The Vornado humidifier is much easier to control and much better on furniture and other surfaces. It doesn't send out too much water making everything in the room moist and damp near it.

The humidifier is fairly quiet on its lowest setting. There's a slight buzz as the fan operates. The construction of it sometimes causes the top part to vibrate as the fan spins making a much louder buzzing noise but usually this only happens when the top isn't set completely in place on the bottom portion.

As the other reviewers noted there is one drawback to this model - thus the 4 stars instead of 5. As the humidifier pulls water from the filters it doesn't come out in a steady stream from the water chambers. Instead the water level in the unit will drop and then at random times the pressure will increase and the water will rush out of the chamber with a loud glub-glub-glub noise (like soda from a 2-liter bottle). This happens at random times and is fairly loud. But you get used to it after a while and we have the unit in our bedroom barely even noticing the noise when it happens.

The wicks don't last the 4 weeks Vornado says they do. So plan on changing your filters a little more often (which can be expensive) but overall the unit is great. Ours has lasted us over a year now and we've had no problems.

I was scared about that gulping noise everyone reviewed with this, but it's not as bad as I thought. It is random, sometimes it's a few gulps, other times it can be startling, but if I had it in my room and was trying to go to sleep, I usually fell asleep just fine and never woke up to it. I think my only problem was I anticipated it to work a bit stronger (less refills with the water and not having to keep it on as high) for the amount of space I live in, but for now it's just a daily task of switching it between rooms and filling it up once or twice, no big. I bought a hygrometer to keep track of how my rooms stay hydrated so I can get in a sort of a routine with it, and I'm already ordering new wicks for it (buy from Amazon and save a few bucks!).

The only thing I would recommend is figuring out how dry your place is BEFORE you buy this and making sure that this can keep up with it or if you might need a bigger one (or even get two, I'm considering that already). You get used to the noise, filling up becomes routine, wicks are cheap; I'd recommend it highly!

I was scared about that gulping noise everyone reviewed with this, but it's not as bad as I thought. It is random, sometimes it's a few gulps, other times it can be startling, but if I had it in my room and was trying to go to sleep, I usually fell asleep just fine and never woke up to it. I think my only problem was I anticipated it to work a bit stronger (less refills with the water and not having to keep it on as high) for the amount of space I live in, but for now it's just a daily task of switching it between rooms and filling it up once or twice, no big. I bought a hygrometer to keep track of how my rooms stay hydrated so I can get in a sort of a routine with it, and I'm already ordering new wicks for it (buy from Amazon and save a few bucks!).

The only thing I would recommend is figuring out how dry your place is BEFORE you buy this and making sure that this can keep up with it or if you might need a bigger one (or even get two, I'm considering that already). You get used to the noise, filling up becomes routine, wicks are cheap; I'd recommend it highly!

I bought this unit thinking it would be a heavy duty humidifier. Unfortunately, the cool air coming out of the top doesn't feel moist to the touch even if you keep your hand there for quite some time.

In fact, it's hard to tell if this thing even does anything. The translucent water jugs don't show you the level of the water inside, so you don't really know if anything is happening. Worse yet, you can't tell when the water is all gone. Inevitably, you find the thing running all day when the jugs are bone-dry.
Presumably, the water is in the atmosphere, but who really knows?

I don't reccommend this humidifier and will probably throw it out soon. Take it from me, don't buy this clunker.

A really good design, easy to operate and great value. Some details:

Quiet - don't worry about the "glugging" sound mentioned in reviews below. Yes, it does that: but you can reproduce it before you buy. Fill an empty large coke bottle with water. Hold it upside down a couple of inches from a bathtub - something where the water flow does not make a noise. The water glugs as the air bubbles in. That is the sound this thing makes. It never disturbs me. Also, the fan is quiet enough not to disturb a light sleeper, even on 'max.'

Simple design - the water containers (2, each holds 2 gallons of water) can be refilled while the unit is operating.

Filters - easy to fit/replace.

Great buy. Glad to have it.

We purchased three of these humidifiers.

I agree with all the positive reviews. Also, the "Glug Glug" lets me know there is still water in it. So I don't mind it.

It runs a few days without having to refill it. I forgot to refill it one night and I noticed the scratchiness and driness of my throat that morning. The next morning after refilling it (even though I was still sick) I felt MUCH better waking up in the morning because of the humidity level in the room.

It's very quiet, keeps the humidity at a good level and looks nice. It fits nicely on the top of a TV tray.

You can see from the outside when the wicks/filters are dirty. The filters are a bit expensive. However, compared to a whole house humidifier, this is a bargain.

Finally, I found the easiest way to fill it is to just take the top off it and put the bottles in from the top, rather than sideways. This way I keep it in the corner of a room.

This humidifier is great: it's simple, works well, and is easy to fill. It's relatively quiet, though definitely not silent. Best of all, NO white dust!

I have one for my living room which has so far lasted three years. I'm moving that to the bedroom and getting a 2nd one to take over in the living room...

Our humidifier is superquiet, but then again so are most things I own that don't work at all. The fan worked for a week, then died. Basically, I have moldy water wicks and a non-operative fan/motor. Ours could be the rare lemon, but ours is going back.

I've tried many humidifieres and this is the only one that I've found simple, reliable, low maintenance, easy to use and quiet.

When we first bought it I thought it was too big and expensive, but now after trying many others, this is the only one that I would recommend.

It's very quiet in the low setting. Not too quiet in the high setting, but you problably won't need to use it in the high setting all the time anyway. I bought it several years ago and it keeps working like new.
The two tanks are big and you don't have to fill them as often.
After the winter is over, I just clean the bottom part and the tanks with soap (or shampoo, or whatever I have handy in the bathtub), and some of those baby wipes that are real cloth, then let it dry. The top part where the fan is located can be vacumed to remove all the dust that accumulates after months of use.

I received the humidifer on Dec 9, 2005 and it has been running non stop on Hi ever since. I live in a very old very dusty house. Year round, summer, spring, winter or fall the dust is so thick you can actually see it moving through the air. My husband and I both suffer with dry throats and our share of colds. But since I've had the Vortex we both have noticed that our indoor air quality is much better and our throats aren't as dry.

About the product, I have not had a problem with leaking at all. It is very easy to assemble and disassemble. The movable tanks are very easy to fill up and fit in my sink nicely. When full they are not too heavy to carry.

While running the humidifer on HI it does produce a constant humming sound but it is not bothersome to me or my husband. It's like the low hum of an air conditioner. And when the humidifer is turned on low you can not hear it at all.

I am very, very satisfied with this product and would recommend it to any and everyone. Until today I've kept the humidifier in my livingroom and the dust is practically non existent. I've moved it into my bedroom and will let it run constantly but will probably turn the control to LO while sleeping.

You will not go wrong purchasing this product.

I purchased mine about six years ago and used it to humidify my home but have found that my large home needs two units that are much larger than this so I only use this if needed to humidify a bedroom when someone is ill. The unit is so simple and the wicks are easy to replace. Filling the left and right water jugs is simple and then you just tilt them into the bottom tray.

I've had my Vornado Humidifier for several years now and it really does the job in my 2000 sq. ft. condo. The secret to the "glug" and short wick life that other owners complain about is pretty easily solved.

For the sake of your health, it pays to use some sort of antibacterial water treatment - I use Original Bt Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment that I get in my hardware store (they also carry spare wicks for the Vornado). One dropper-full of the treatment in each tank keeps any sliminess or odor completely under control. It also seems to make the wicks last a good deal longer. The only trick is to add the treatment AFTER you fill the tanks, as it tends to foam up otherwise. The real beauty of using the treatment is that, for some reason, it quiets the glug sound - not completely, but it is a great deal quieter. I keep the unit in my living room, so any noise is of little consequence anyway

While this is fine product that has a very quiet motor I must comment on the glug sound made as water flows from the tanks to the resevoir. It occurs about every 20 minutes and will wake all but the soundest sleeper. It actually startles you awake as it sounds as if someone is hammering in your backyard. ( I understand this is a protective airlock feature).

I looked back at the prior 40+ reviews on this product and unfortunately discounted the reviews of others who had this problem. Though a bargain at $60 can not reccomend you purchase this unless you sleep like a log.

After 10 years my Bionair humidifier finally gave out, so hours of web surfing later I finally settled on this Vornado. I like the simplicity of design, and rugged materials used. If you live in a hot dry climate this unit can also double as a "dessert cooler" since it works on the same principle by taking heat out of the air through evaporation. One improvement I would suggest to Vornado would be to put a UV-LED inside the unit to help retard Bacterial growth since the fact that so much water is left exposed inside the unit makes me nervous. (I also have a Austin Air HEPA filter in my bedroom, so I should not have a problem.) The instructions suggest leaving the fan on all the time to allow the unit to run dry, then simply refilling it with water as needed for humidification, which only goes to show you how the designers intended this unit for continuous use, and have engineered it's quality and quiet operation as such. Amazon's $60 price with free shipping made this purchase from them a no brainer.

I've had this humidifier for just over a week, and it has made a huge difference to the apartment, not to mention my extremely dry skin.I was amazed to see reviews of this product complaining about leakage, as checking for leaks is covered in STEP 1 of the instruction booklet. The manufacturers explicitly state that before using the product, leaks in the base and tanks should be checked for, and they give clear instructions as to how to accomplish this; they also guarantee free replacement in case of any faults. Should you be literate and have enough basic common sense to read the instructions, you may well find this humidifier to be a wondrous thing. * No "dewing" effect, as it is an evaporative machine that shuts off when the required level of humidity is reached* Effective evaporation* Large tank capacity means you can leave it on high for over 24 hours before refilling* Quiet operation.When on "low", it is barely audible. At "medium" or "high", it acts as white noise. As a lifelong insomniac and light sleeper, I routinely use earplugs of the type that muffle sound but do not block it out (i.e. I can hear a loud whisper in the room). The humidifier has not bothered me. It does make a gurgling sound as the water level hits a point where an air-bubble enters the tank and forces more water out. This is not a very loud or unpleasant sound. A loud "knocking" described by a couple of other reviewers has not occurred with my humidifier, which has been running on "high" almost continuously just over a week; given the manufacturer's instructions, I would suggest that such noises, if genuinely loud and bothersome, be reported to the company in case the unit is faulty.This is, in my humble opinion, a great humidifier for anyone who can read instructions and use a modicum of common sense.

This is by far the best humidifier I have ever purchased.On the lowest setting (of 3 - low, medium, high) it is so quiet that you don't know it's running.It does have high capacity tanks, but they empty out fairly quickly, even on the lowest setting - which is the only setting we use.Vornados wicks are a one-size-fits-all of their models. Very handy to not have to purchase them according to model number, etc.

I've had this humidifier, among others, for 3-4 years. First, the humidistat is a useless gimmick. I have three hygrometers to guage the effectiveness of Vornado's "humidistat." It does not shut off when satsfactory humidity is reached. Second, the wicks grow mold rapidly (30 days), although they're supposedly treated. Third, there is no reliable way to thoroughly clean the water tanks. You can't get inside to wipe them down. If you have allergies, as I do, the wicks and water tanks present significant problems.

My fiance and I live in an apartment building with terrible dry heat and he is always complaining of his sinuses & nose burning, that is till now that I bought him this unit for Christmas. It works great, I enjoy mostly how quiet it is and how you can control the humidity (via the high, medium and low controls as well as the min. to max. contol). It is easy to refill and again - it is soooo quiet! The one downside (for me) is that it is a very large unit (which I should have noticed the measurements) and living in an apartment, space is crucial. If you are looking for a good humidifier, seriously consider this one, as I am a very satisfied customer.

After my sonic humidifier broke, I decided to read online reviews to check out the best of the humidifier bunch. This Vornado really is a champ. Not only does it humidify at a spectacular rate, it's completely lazy person friendly (no scrubbing) and replacement filters are inexpensive and easy to find. I live in a Boston apartment with the heat jacked up to something like 90 degrees, and as soon as I plugged this baby in, the difference was enormous. The engineering behind this model is really cool: the design makes it easy to refill, take apart, and move (and you MUST take it apart if you want to move it, which is really easy and should have been self-evident to that previous reviewer).Regarding the "glug" sound or loud knocking noise: I consider myself a very light sleeper (my cat has trained me well) and I have used this humidifier in my bedroom at full speed for months without disturbance. Yes, I have heard the bubbling, but it doesn't bother me at all. Perhaps other reviewers (lighter sleepers than me) ought to move their humidifiers into their living rooms. Also, I was startled to read reviewers here complain about leaking. I am one of the clumsiest people you could ever hope to meet, and have never had a problem with this unit leaking. Or with refilling the water jugs--that's one of the greatest things about the design. For those people whose units leak, you should probably call Vornado--it's likely that your water jugs have small holes, causing them to lose their equilibrium.Overall, I cannot recommend this item enough. My skin is all glowy, I sleep like a rockstar, and my sinuses thank me daily. Happy shopping!

This will be my first and only humidifier. I leave it set at a certain humitity level and leave it. I have been using it for 3 months and no problems. With 2-2.1 Gallon fill jugs on either side make it really easy to fill and keep it going. Vornado is a name you can trust.

I've gone through a lot of humidifiers, and finally found a winner with this one. It is super quiet, even when the water flows down to the pan it doesn't do that loud gurgling that some do. The large capacity is great, and its easy to fill. I like that I set the humidistat and it takes care of itself and I don't have to worry about it getting swampy in my house. This is a total winner, only thing I don't like is that I have a hard time finding replacement wicks locally, but I order them here and they are actually reasonably priced compared to some other humidifiers.

Living in nose bleed country, we've owned at least a dozen different humidifiers and many at the same time. After starting to use the Vornado about 5 years ago we've not gone to a different manufacturer since. It's a very simple design and that helps it last. Indeed, by its nature there's a small gurgle as the water releases but certainly not the banging that others describe (if your sleeping is THAT sensitive that this would wake you up, you sleep issues are greater than a humidifier). One Vornado we bought had a pin leak in the top of the water bottle so water simply poured out of the bottom because of lack of vacuum pressure. We called Vornado and they sent out two replacements immediately. Other than this never had a problem.

Our initial humidifier worked for eight hours and then quit. A new unit was sent out and the same thing happened. We will try another brand of humidifier.

Great humidifier! Better than Holmes, Honeywell, Vicks, Bionaire, even Venta ... models we bought and returned immediately because of loud operating noise. The Vornado fan is super quiet (our #1 concern) and runs on a humidistat, which most units don't. And the large water tank capacity means you have to refill less often than similar sized humidifiers. Cleaning and wick replacement is a breeze. The only downside is a glugging sound produced every 30 minutes or so as water moves from the bottle to the wick bath (e.g. soda poured from a 2-litre bottle). However, the airlock is a design necessity and we'd take the quiet fan and simple design over the occassional glugging any day. In fact, every day!

I purchased this humidifier a few weeks ago. I was at first hesitant to order it based on some previous reviews which complained about the loud knocking of the water in the tanks and the overall noise the humidifier genererates. However, I have found neither of these concerns to be a problem at all. On the contrary, the humidifier is "super quiet" and the "gurgling" is not much of an annoyance; acutually, it is hard to hear. I wholeheartedly recommend this item. An added plus, this humidifier uses considerably less electricity than other manufacturer brands!

I've had mine for 2 years and have never had such a quiet, convienient, trouble-free humidifier.

Forget about cool misters. Leaves water spots on furniture or wet spots on the floor.....plus anything that uses a fan will be noisy. Do yourself a favor and go with a Holmes Warm Mist humidifier. No fans, no water marks and warm moist air is always better than cold. With Holmes "WARM MISTERS", they even have a built in cup to allow for liquid vapor medications. There is no motor.....so you dont even know it's on. Most dont have "filters" that need replacement, and, for cleaning hard water buildup ( if you have well water), just use a well known product called "CLR" ( all hardware, grocery or wal-mart/k-mart type stores carry it)..... works in 10 seconds... Just be sure to rinse out thoroughly.

We purchased our Vornado humidifier in the winter of 1995 after owning ultrasonic and wheel type humidifiers. We enjoy not having to cleanup the white dust from the ultrasonic unit or put up with the cleaning and the chemicals for the wheel type. It is true that the filters need replacement often. I use three filter sets a season. Thirty bucks, less than dinner and a movie, not really a big deal. We just installed a reverse osmosis system and are using the RO water in the Vornado. After a month the filters still look new. As for the gurgling sound, if I hear it at all it reminds me what a great system this is. I'm buying a second unit because we now have a bigger house.

I bought this based on the several positive reivews I read here. Unfortunately I am returning mine because it is poorly designed. So poorly that I found myself saying to myself more than once - Did the people who made it ever use it? Here are the main drawbacks:1. The whole thing falls apart easily. You cannot move it around the room since the falls apart like that Jenga game thing if you dont lift it just right. And even if you lift it right, it is almost certain to spill2. It spills easily. bumpt, tip it, lift it and you'll hae a puddle on the floor.3. The fill holes on the water tanks are too small. Since the tank is too big for put under the faucet in my sink, I have to fill it in my tub. But the tiny hole (large enough for your thumb and a little more) does not allow water in easily. I had to hold the tank under my tub faucet for 8 minutes for it to fill!!4. It is not pretty. Thing looks like a boom box made of cheap plastichope this helps you.

We've ran this unit about 2 months now and it does a pretty good job of humudifying our 1000-foot-plus upstairs. However, we have well water, a LITTLE on the hard side. So we have to rinse the filters in vinegar water frequently when they harden from the mineral deposits. But that only works a few times, then the filters have to be replaced.So my problem with this unit coincides with most other reviewerss: It's EXPENSIVE to run. Will cost us at least $.../month for replacement filters.

My wife and I have used this humidifier for four years now and now, as I shop for a better product, I thought I should contribute to the comments listed here about it. Four years is quite a while so that says something in itself. We have used it every night. However, I'm really tired of spending ten bucks (plus shipping & handling) every two months on replacement wicks. The frame's a bit flimsy but durable and the gurgling noise of water draining into the tray has never really bothered us. I now believe that I'd prefer to spend a little extra time involved in cleaning, say, the Holmes 5700, than purchasing those damn wicks, which have now costed far more than the humidifier itself.

Replaced 2 hunter humidifiers with 2 vornado 4gal. Benefits: 2 low profile bottles, much easier to fill in kitchen sink; much quieter fan than the hunter; price was a little better. Negatives: some people complain of 'knocking' as bottles equalize - as they empty the water, bubbles create a knocking sound. I heard a few 'glug glug' sounds, but nothing like others have complained about. Other complaints are replacement wicks. An alternative is to buy the Hunter humidifier wicks - these are metal instead of paper, and can be cleaned and reused indefinitely. They are approximately the same size as the vornado paper wicks - Cost is about 3x the paper wicks, but they don't have to be replaced.

My husband and I were thrilled to purchase this vernado because of vernados great reputation. BIG MISTAKE!! I agree with another customer when they said they would be better off with a pan of water and a fan. We were never able to fill both tanks completely. The moment we fill one we would have water leaking all over our rug. Even on level ground, we will fill both tanks and not five minutes later the 4.2 gallons is all over my carpet and soaked in to my flooring. Thanks Vornado for the damage!

We bought one of these last winter when the relative humidity in our 1100 square foot condo was running at about 10%. We were tired of striking sparks every time we touched a metal surface or each other. Within 24 hours after we filled the unit for the first time, our humidity had increased to 34% according to the hygrometer we purchased at the same time. Running at full speed it uses both bottles of water each 24 hours, but it's well worth the effort to keep them filled when it can keep our humidity at 30-40%. We were pleasantly surprised that it was able to raise the humidity to that level when our air is so dry and the furnace is in use. The bottles fit nicely in the kitchen sink for filling, and the neck has never been a problem for us as some other reviewers have mentioned. At 10 bucks a box, the filters/wicks are quite affordable and last 60-90 days before replacement. The "glub-glub" others have complained about is a reassuring sound to us, as it indicates that the bottles still have some water and relieves us of the need to check them to find out. I suppose it might be troublesome in a bedroom in the night, if a person is a light sleeper, but we cannot hear it from the bedroom when the unit is in the living room. I would recommend this unit without hesitation to anyone needing to humidify the main living areas of their home.

Having read all the previous reviews on this humidifier I decided to disregard the comments about disturbing sounds from the humidifier. I am sorry I did. The tank construction is so flimsy that when water is released into the wick tank (more than once an hour (depends on the amount of humidification)a very LOUD knocking sound (5-7 bangs at a time)will disturb your sleep. I thought the next door neighbor was doing construction next door, I couldnt believe this was actually coming from the humidifier. Seriously, I was only one step away from going over there and waking them up at 230 am. I wish I had bought the ultrasonic types. If you have hard water..prepare to clean the wicks often as they absorb them, discolor and turn hard. I can't complain about the basic function..the unit humidifies well but even after almost a month I cannot get used to hearing the banging sounds.

We have gone through two of these in the last year (after 1 return). This is a horrible humidifier. Basically it is a plastic pan with a fan above it. I think I could make a better one in my garage with an oil pan and a rotating fan. Even though we use an anti-bacterial agent in the water it still develops crud on the wicks very quickly. Could be that the wicks are also very open to the outside of the filter and low to the ground--hey it does pick up cat hair like a champ.The worst problem that we have had with this humidifier is that leaks almost every time we fill it. Even though it is on level ground, we will fill both tanks and not five minutes later the 4.2 gallons is all over my carpet and soaked in to my flooring. Thanks Vornado for the ceiling damage! It is not a very aerodynamic humidifier either. I tossed it out the back door after the 6th or 15th leak -lost count, the 4 pieces you have to snap together to get it to hold the bottles came apart really fast. I hate this humidifier. Great fans and heaters - terrible humidifier!

But not the best. The humidity levels are not that great.

This is the worst humidifer ever. Basically a pan of water with a fan. It doesn't humidify well and the wicks end up covered in mold. Stay away!

I have to say, this system does the job and nicely. The gurgling sound when water enters the system does not keep us awake at all and I am usually a very light sleeper. I do have to say that finding replacement filters is a chore, not available on Amazon and I believe you can only get them from the manufacturer. Also, once these filters dry out (incase you leave it running without water, which happens alot for us) you can't get it to work quite well again. Also, I would have liked to be able to set a % of humidity but this unit does not allow for it. Overall, I can't complain, I have purchased many, many units in the past (have little one's and live in the desert) and truly, this one stands out and will likely outlast all the others we've purchased in the past!

I live in a pre-war buliding in Brooklyn, New York. In the winter, the building is heated with radiators, which seem to be on full blast all season. I had a small warm-air humidifier, which put up a very lame fight against the hell-like heat. Thus, I started doing research for a new humidifier.I decided on getting the Vornado humidifer based on the reviews on this site, as well as the fact that I have a Vornado fan already and think the company makes great products with innovative design. I bought the 4.2 gallon model, because it was only $10 more than the 2.8 gallon model, so I figured I might as well splurge a little.This humidifier has proven to be a worthy opponent against the radiator heat. The climate in my bedroom is nice and cool, not like the sauna it previously felt like. My throat isn't dry and scratchy and I don't feel like I'm on the verge of getting the flu anymore. But, the best thing is that I'm finally able to sleep comfortably. The design of the humidifer is such that it's not only simple to refill the bottles, but also simple to clean the water resevoir. This is especially important for cool-mist humidifiers, as they need to be cleaned every month or so (depending on use). I also like the fact that the Vornado doesn't look like a big water jug propped up onto a machine. The design is modern, functional and looks great in any room.And, yes there is indeed a gurgling sound every 15 minutes or so that sounds like five knocks on a door. And yes, it is quite loud. But I like the gurgle. It lets me know that the humidifier is actually working. I got used to it in no time!I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a well designed, and excellent performing humidifier (especially if you live in a pre-war building in New York City!).

I rate this humidifier as average for a couple of reasons. First, as others have mentioned, as water passes through from the containers, it makes the "glug-glug" noise, which can be irritating, especially at night when you're trying to sleep. Second, I'm not too happy with the wicks. After less than a month of continual use (and they say for best performance, you should use it constantly), the wicks are pretty decrepit. I don't want to have to buy a new set of wicks every month at $... a pair. It is better than many other humidifiers - it holds a lot of water - but thats not saying too much. I'm returning this and trying the Hunter- that one I've heard is the best in terms of quality and value.

The other reviewers give a pretty good idea of how good a product this is. This is a clean humidifier (no dust left on surfaces by it), very large capacity (the tanks will last 24 hours on high fan high humidity, over three days on low fan high humidity), quiet, and easy to refill. There is a regular gurgle or glugging noise from the tanks which is a surprise at first, but I got used to it rather quickly, it didn't keep me awake. The wicks require occasional cleaning, and replacement perhaps once a year if used constantly. Vornado is quick with replacement wicks when ordered, though the wicks are a bit pricy at ($$$) per set. The humidifier comes with two sets of wicks, so replacement won't be a problem for a while.Now, my only negative. The two knobs on the humidifier are small, smooth, and a bit stiff. At times I find them a bit hard to turn, I would think if you were purchasing them for someone with arthritis or limited hand strength, it could be quite difficult for them to adjust the settings. Not a bad enough problem to recommend another product, but something to be aware of. All in all, I'd have to say this is the best humidifier on the market today.

This works incredibly well and is extremely quiet. I was skeptical in buying this because the of a couple of reviews that said the gurgling sound was very loud. I can barely hear it. I think this is a fantastic machine. The only thing that is a bit difficult it filling the bottles, however, that is a minor problem. I bought 2 more of the smaller version for my kids rooms.

This humidifier is the absolute best!! It is the first humidifier I ever owned that I didn't have to keep refilling every three hours, due to the incredibly dry conditions in my gas-heated apartment!!! It is easy to fill and keep clean. The replacement wicks can be easily ordered by phoning Vornado. This Vornando humidifier keeps my somewhat large bedroom feeling great!! I tried this Vornado Humidfifier because I loved their air circulators and fans that I had purchased "reconditioned" in the past. I am sure happy I tried this item, it is easy to use, no trouble and extremely helpful.

I bought this humidifier because it was reviewed as being quiet and because Vornado makes great fans and heaters. It does work well, and the fan is very quiet. However, as it evaporates the water, it tends to make a very loud glug glug glug noise, which never fails to wake me up. I even moved it out of the bedroom and into the hall, but it is still very loud.