If the dry air causes you trouble sleeping, you’ve probably been through half a dozen humidifiers like myself. There always seems to be a problem with them. I’ve dealt with humidifiers breaking after a couple months, having tanks too small, leaks, and even noise. Finding something that can master it all felt like a pipe dream.
When I came across the Elechomes Ultrasonic Humidifier (UC5501), I was excited. The reviews were stellar and it seemed to nail down everything I was looking for. While it wasn’t the traditional “smart device” you see reviewed here, it had enough tools to separate itself from your traditional “dumb humidifiers”.
Attractive Design that Doesn’t Skimp on Function
The first thing you’ll notice is the stunning design. This isn’t your Grandma’s humidifier. It features a slick black exterior with a 6 liter transparent water tank. Six control buttons sit below an attractive blue OLED information screen on the face of the device. The screen is large enough to be seen from across a room. I never thought I’d call a humidifier attractive, but this machine is.
Two adjustable nozzles sit on top that can be independently rotated by 360 degrees. A nice feature that allows it to be used in any part of the room. You can line both nozzles up to go in a single direction if placed in the corner. Or aim them in opposite directions if it’s sitting in the middle of the room. A design choice that adds flexibility to the unit..
The included infrared remote offers all the controls that can be found on the humidifier. The range is around 15 feet which should be enough to control from your bed. The remote is small and can slide into a pocket or take up minimal space on a nightstand.
Tap Water Users Will Need to Buy the Filter
Cleaning out a humidifier is usually a burden but the Elechomes design makes it easier than most. The tank pops out with ease and cap is easy to unscrew. The mouth is large enough to fit your hand in to clean out any grime or bacteria that may buildup inside the tank.
Calcification is the achilles heel of humidifiers and the reason they tend to have short lifespans. You’ve got two choices here. Only use distilled water inside the humidifier which can get expensive over time. Or buy their filter for $10.
With hard water in my home, I went with the filter. After 5 weeks of use, there were no mineral deposits inside. It worked like a dream. And this is from someone who has ruined his fair share of humidifiers. My only gripe is that I think the filter should come standard with the unit.
High Performance with Plenty of Features
When powered up, this humidifier packs some punch. I was able to bring a room from 40% humidity up to nearly 70% in just over an hour. There is both a cool and warm mist option available.
Besides adjusting for temperature, there are three preset levels of spray. The top being 550ml/H (warm mist). Their claims of it working up to 750 sq ft seem a tad optimistic. It held its own in my 500 sq ft living room, but that felt like it was starting to stretch its reach.
The large 6 liter tank does give you longer operation times than most humidifiers. Although this comes at the expense of it being heavier to handle. While they maintain it can run up to 40 hours continuously, I’d put that number closer to 15-20. It was getting me through two full nights before needing a fill-up. And that’s with moderate use. There is an auto-shutdown if the water gets too low.
Setting up a timer is as easy as hitting a button. You can schedule between an hour and 12 hours of use. Settings remain stored as long as you don’t unplug the machine. There’s even a nice feature where the fan will run for 3 minutes after turning the humidifier off to prevent mold and bacteria build-up inside.
An auto-humidity feature was by far the best performing feature in testing. This allows you to set a humidity level for the room and the humidifier will turn on and off automatically to maintain that.The LED screen will even display it right on front. When placed side by side with two brand name humidity gauges, it was always within a couple percent. That’s impressive considering how many companies strike out in that department.
For night users, the unit does get quiet in night mode. There’s still a hum, but it’s considerably less than other humidifiers I’ve used. The night mode will also turn off the blue LED on front. The light is incredibly bright so you’re almost required to use this mode when you sleep. It would be nice to have a setting where you could dim the LED.
Aromatherapy a Nice Bonus
Having dabbled around with a cheap oil diffuser, I was excited to see the Elechomes Ultrasonic Humidifier come with a little tray for aromatherapy. Slide it out and place a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the pad. It’ll pump out a nice smell.
This worked nice with just a few drops. Some extra pads are included too. I placed some Roman Chamomile on at night and it helped me relax. Just a nice unexpected extra.
Just a Great All-Around Humidifier
Having considerable experience with humidifiers over the years, this has been my favorite so far. It hits the trifecta of looking great, performing well, and having plenty of easy to use features. This should hold up for years with some routine care.
With that said, if you have hard water in your home, you should look into buying the filter. It beats messing with vinegar and decalcifying kits every month. And the fact that I didn’t see an ounce of build-up inside with it in place after a month proves how effective it was.
If you’re in the market for a humidifier, this is a great choice. Features make it perfect for your bedroom, living room, or the nursery. It’s a tad more than most would spend on a humidifier, but if this will get heavy use, it’s worth it. Now if only we could get it to communicate with Alexa.
The Elechomes UC5501 Ultrasonic Humidifier can be found at Amazon or on the Elechomes official site.
