Satechi USB Portable Amazing Humidifier v.1

Been testing this humidifier during the day in my office. The humidifier is supposed to run for eight hours before it shuts itself off. I had to email the company for clarification on run time. I put my timer on each testing cycle to confirm this feature; sure shuts off at eight hours! Other reviews say this doesn't screw on to a number of different bottles which is true. I found that I simply place the device on any bottles without screwing it on, still works! I have been using a small glass cup which fits the humidifier base nicely and it runs great. This travel humidifier and a regular home humidifier are different in that the home one will continue to humidify as long as water is in the basin vs the shutoff time after eight hours for this one.

I received two different portable humidifiers in my order. One did not work at all and was returned. This is the one still doing the job. Having a bottle or contained to fit the humidifier and keep the filter in water was tricky, but cutting down a water bottle worked as well as finding a jar that fit the unit. I brought it to my office and had the filter and its assembly safely tucked away. When I put the filter in and turned to lock it in position, two of the four "teeth" that keep the filter against the ultrasonic unit broke; subsequently, there was no vapor. When I replaced the filter and cartridge, it worked just fine. It does not, however emit a glow; no light source is visible in the unit. So far i'm happy with this product.

This winter has been pretty terrible for temperatures, so I've had to heat up my small apartment more than usual, meaning drier conditions for me. The Satechi USB Humidifier has been a godsend. I had been waking up with cracked, dry skin and stuffy air throughout my apartment. After just a few nights of sleeping with the humidifier plugged in (powered via micro-USB) I noticed a significant increase in my living and skin conditions. The humidifier's box says it only covers an area of 2.5 square feet, so it's great for small areas. Anything larger you'll have to go out and buy something bulky. I've been taking this in my car and powering it with my stereo and it really helps out there, too, on long drives. The product comes in a box with two filters and an approximately 3ft micro-USB cable for power in addition to the humidifier itself. There is no AC-USB adapter, so you'll have to plug it in with something else. I used a spare cell phone charger and with an aftermarket stereo in my car.

This is an updated review based on longer term use. Due to ongoing frustrations, we've discontinued using the device. We've now experienced some of the problems that others have reported. Recently, despite following all directions, the device barely emits any longer. We use filtered water, then boiled. We've cleaned the diffuser surface where mist is expelled with alcohol to keep it clean. We dry the filter out and it works better for a short while, but it's hard to get the filter completely dried if you use it successive days. We found that the filters are sensitive and wear out quickly on the top edge (where connector is). Another user reported that if you push the filter in, it seems to flow but when you release the filter, it stops ... that's happened to us. We put a humidity sensor right next to the device and haven't noted that it changes the humidity more than 1%. Just not enough flow in contrast to a regular sized room humidifier. We were using for hotels, but didn't notice that much difference. Originally bought this for travel needs and occasional bedside needs (very cold winter days when furnace runs a lot). Having experienced this device for some time, we would not recommend it to others unless you are prepared to use Evian bottles and water, allow for complete filter drying, clean top diffuser frequently, change filters fairly frequently and use it for very modest humidity needs. All in all, for us, it's not worth it for what it expels. Better to drape a wet towel in a hotel room to increase humidity. Trashed the device this morning.

***Updated again: Even cleaning the unit with vinegar, the metal tipped mechanism stopped producing steam and actually split open. I had to throw the whole thing away. It was only a few months old. This year, I'll just be buying a real humidifier for my office. **Update: You must follow the directions and soak a Q-Tip in white vinegar and clean the nozzle. My Satechi was slowing down and not putting out as much mist. A through wipe with vinegar and I'm back in business.** This portable humidifier exceeded my expectations. I've been using it in my forced hot air-heated office for almost two months. I have indoor allergies and have had sinus surgery so life is more pleasant with less-dry air. It does a great job of putting out cool mist without making everything damp. The auto-shutoff is also a very nice feature in case you forget to unplug it. Personally, I have not tried screwing it into a water bottle (the reviews say to use Evian). Instead, I use a wide-mouth cycling bottle and rest it on top. The weight of the water makes a solid base. On a large, wide-mouth bottle, the humidifier will only use the top third of the water before it shuts itself off, so the unit stays steady. It does have a faint blue light, which is barely perceptable if you're sleeping next to it. I do use municpal water that has been run through a Brita filter. I'm not sure if that makes a difference, but I have yet to have an issue with this and am thrilled that I have it to ease the dryness in my office. If you allow the filter to dry out completely between uses, it will take several minutes for it to moisten up enough to really get going. Once it's damp again, it will be cranking at full capacity!