Essick Air 427-300 2-Speed Evaporative Console Humidifier and Air Cleaner

Up here in the deep north it is essential to have humidifier if you have musical instruments, or anything made out of nice wood. I have tried several different options, and evaporative humidifiers are the best. This one has enough nice features to warrent an excellent rating. The main great feature is that it is easy to add water to the system. The tanks remove easily, and can be filled from the kitchen sink (they are too tall for filling in a bathroom sink). In the dead of winter expect to fill it daily, but fortunately this is big enough to only need filling once per day. Other nice features include a fan speed control (pump humidity in fast because you were gone all weekend and its dry), or quiet. At low speed settings you barely know its on. I also like the optional air cleaning evaporator. It apparently slows down air flow, but that seems trivial since the fan can simply be turned up.

Operationally its five stars all the way. My wife thinks its looks could be improved.i.e. it has a "too plasticy" look. Service (getting it operational) via telephone was concise and correct.

It works in large spaces - we have almost 2000 sq ft (one level). It is loud if you turn it on full blast. We turn it on when we are asleep or gone for errands and then turn it off. The large water container is awesome. We fill it about once a week and keep our house between 35 and 45 humidity. We also live in the desert. I highly recommend it. It is large -comparable to a small coffee table. If you want something with little maintenance and works in large spaces - this is it. If you have a smaller space and want it to be quiet - this is not it.