Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Humidifier EE-3191

We read more than 1,000 user reviews (spread across several retailer websites) praising the Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Humidifier for its near-silent, effective humidification and its whimsical, kid-friendly appearance. But we also found a few hundred complaints about this model, most of which described early breakdowns. Some owners also report that the humidifier is difficult, if not impossible, to clean properly, and like all ultrasonic humidifiers, it may produce white dust from minerals in the water. The Crane Adorable is available in a variety of animal shapes and licensed characters (including Spongebob Squarepants, Hello Kitty and Thomas the Tank Engine), so it's a popular choice for children's bedrooms. It outputs up to 2.1 gallons of water per day -- enough for a 250 square-foot room -- and has a 1-gallon water tank. The mist production can be adjusted with a dial, but this inexpensive humidifier does not include a humidistat. Another relatively inexpensive humidifier, the Honeywell HCM-630 (*Est. $50), has a larger tank and includes a humidistat.

The Crane Adorable Ultrasonic Humidifier isn't included in professional reviews, but we found numerous user ratings and comments for this model at Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, BabiesRUs.com, Buzzillions.com and Drugstore.com.