Crane USA Humidifiers - Penguin Adorable Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - 1 Gallon Adjustable Mist Output, Automatic Shut-Off, Whisper-Quiet Operation, for Home Bedroom Office Kids and Baby Nursery

We have a two year-old and about a year ago when she got her first really nasty cold I ran out minutes before the drugstore closed (the one with the abbreviated name like CBS). Ehem. When I lugged the Vick's brand humidifier to the counter they all but held me by my ankles and shook every last coin out of my purse. That was fine -- my daughter was sick -- so if this is what a really good humidifier cost to help her sleep well then I was happy to pay whatever they were asking. I forked over the pirate's ransom (three times what this penguin one costs) to help my child sleep better. When I got it home the disappointed started immediately. It was bulky, heavy, and awkwardly shaped. The lights were so bright my daughter's room may as well have been on the Vegas strip. It made very loud "glugging" noises throughout the night that made my light-sleeper child stir or wake (which is the ultimate in upsetting when we took painstaking efforts to get her asleep while sick). Imagine sleeping next to a busy office water cooler with the big air bubble that goes up and makes the glugging sound after each use; that's what the Vick's is like. To combat the light problem I had to duct tape a black sock to it and then use half a roll of duct tape to cover all of the tank walls where the light shone through the water and lit the thing up like a Christmas tree. It wasn't my brightest MacGyver moment but I had a sick, tired two year-old so I used what I had in front of me. The Vicks one got stinky often (and not from the sock!) plus it was hard to clean. Finally, one day a year later I stumbled across this lovely penguin. I read all the wonderful reviews and wondered what it would be like to have a properly working humidifier. At this price I figured it was high time we found out. WHOA NELLY! This thing is silent as falling snow! I stand there and stare at it in disbelief that it's even on but the steady stream of "clouds" (what my daughter calls the mist) is pouring out nonstop to assure me it's indeed working like a charm. It does have a green light that glows a tad bright for our liking so I doubled up two bandaids and stuck them over the light to cover it -- voila -- dark as night. There seems to be some conflicting info on the size. The box says it's a two gallon tank. Whatever size it is -- I fill it around 9p.m. and it's still half full when it gets shut off around 9 a.m. after being set at full throttle/highest speed all night. You will not be disappointed with this sucker. My only complaint would be that the tank handle could be sturdier so you could actually carry it by the handle when full. That's small potatoes when you consider what I lived through with the Vicks beast and how well much this penguin shames that Vick's model.Bravo Crane.

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This is a quiet and an easy to use humidifier. I use Culligan FM-15A Level 3 Faucet Filter to fill up the water everyday. Although, I still have to buy vinegar to clean it, it's working great!!! The mist formation and emission is instantaneous. The moment you turn it on, cool mist is dispensed into the air. I was worried that since no hot/warm mist is dispensed, it might make me feel chilly or make the temperature of the apartment go down, but it do any of that. The mist is more helpful, invisible and a silent companion spread in the house than a continuous source of noise and uncomfortable cold air blower. There is a continuous (not discrete) control system knob that you can turn to get the desired level of mist-dispensing.The head of the penguin is loosely fit, so it falls off if I forget to remove it before tilting the upper body to fill with water. However, the head has it's own use, you can tilt it in any direction and the mist will flow out from that direction. Also the beak of the penguin that vents out the mist is titled upwards, so it makes sure that the mist is dispensed at an elevation.I have keep it on my wooden desk right in front of my face to add additional elevation and direct exposure, however, as the mist falls on the desk too, I am afraid that due to excessive mist, the wood may expand and loose it's shape.I live in a tiny 320 sq feet studio but the humidifier isn't quite upto the task to keep the whole unit humid. I find it much easier to work when it's right on my desk and then much easier to sleep when it's near my bed. Maybe because it's too dry in here in Pittsburgh and I have excessive dryness and allergy problems that no amount of drinking water or lathering up of hydrating/oily lotions help. There is always static electricity popping whenever I touch anything metallic! So, I will need to buy another one of these. I am excited about this, cz they are not very expensive and they look cute!In terms of cuteness of model design, penguin was over-hyped, so I didn't really find it that adorable. It's like a fat, unshapely, too much white and hard Bakelite (plastic that can't be remolded - like the switchboard-material) that looks more like a big dough-kneading machine than a cute penguin. Although, it's just a machine and I shouldn't really complain about aesthetic aspect, but I saw a video on y o u t u b e showing the elephant one, it looks so so so much cuter and adorable in person! Also, the elephant one has the snout/trunk up, so the mist will be dispensed up much higher up in the air, which is all the more desirable. I am definitely gonna buy that one soon!Overall, I think this is the best kind available for the humidifier in terms of its excellent design and value for money.

I love this little guy. I had one many years ago but lost it among moves across states. I recently got another one to help combat the winter dryness that makes my skin super itchy and my throat too dry. I have thermometers on the walls that also measure humidity so I can quantify how well it’s working with numbers in addition to feeling more comfortable. The tank has a little handle on top that makes carrying it easier, and the opening is wide enough to allow for a little plastic filter fish that I bought separately. I literally cannot hear it when it’s turned on, even at the highest setting. I can leave it on overnight and if it runs out of water it automatically stops and the light turns red to remind me to refill it. I’m sure other humidifiers are also effective but I gotta say I love this one for the shape and colors. It’s quirky and cute and makes something rather dull (look at me, I have to humidify my enclosure because I am basically a giant complicated houseplant) a bit more fun. I should also mention it works great for my 400 sq ft studio apartment with radiators (not forced air heating) so if you have a larger space and/or forced air you may need more than one. You might need a flock of adorable blue penguins. An army of adorable humidifiers, if you will.

Some people complained that their floors were a little wet in the morning? I would suggest that if you have a ceiling fan, there is usually a switch that changes the direction of the fan blades to blow the air down towards the floor or pull the air up towards the ceiling. I have my fan set to pull the air up towards the ceiling...this way the mist is pulled up and into the air instead of falling to the ground.Some people complained that their humidifier leaked all over their wood furniture. Well, the directions clearly say NOT to put the humidifier on a wood surface so everyone who complained of that needs to learn how to read the directions first. I mean we're talking about plastic that has the potential to crack, water and electricity here. It may look cute but it's not a toy...take it seriously. I have a dog cage that is only used to cage our dogs when we leave the house. The dogs sleep in our bed. So, I closed the door to the dog cage so it's off limits to the dogs overnight and put the penguin humidifier on top of the dog's cage. This way, if it happens to leak, the water will be captured by the plastic-lipped tray at the bottom of the dog cage.I think it's really about common sense. Try to foresee any problems and then take preventative measures to ensure you and your child are safe. Obviously kids that can walk like to get into everything and they love to climb so I wouldn't put the humidifier in a place that would entice the kids to climb up to reach it and possibly knock it over onto the ground... I also wouldn't want the electrical cord in plain sight where they could pull the penguin down off it's shelf. Anyway, it's all about safety first.And as for cleaning, ALL humidifiers need to be cleaned on a regular basis. They ALL mold really easy. Make sure they are air drying daily. I don't think any of them are meant to be used all day and all night long. I am only planning on using mine at night. They need to air dry during the day then can be used at night. And they need to be cleaned with bleach or vinegar weekly (I would switch each week from bleach to vinegar). Mold is not something you want to mess around with - it's deadly. Many children and people have died because of mold. So don't take chances by skipping necessary cleaning and drying. Clean the humidifier as often as the directions say.Lastly, I just want to say that this penguin is adorable and I love it. I sure hope I don't have any problems with it. We are going to be as careful as possible with this so that it lasts. It is plastic and I can see that the handle and other parts may break if we are rough when cleaning it. If I have any problems with this humidifier, I will come back and update this comment. But so far so good. Couldn't be more excited :)