Kenmore 15408

The Kenmore 15408 is a stand-alone evaporative humidifier that can humidify an area of up to 1,700 square feet. It has an 8-gallon daily output, but its total water capacity is only 2.4 gallons, so it needs to be refilled frequently. Fortunately, its double-fill tank system saves some of the work: you fill the tank once, empty it into the machine, and immediately refill it. This machine includes a digital display humidistat, which can be adjusted in increments of 5 percent; however, users caution that this feature is not always accurate. They also note that the machine can be loud, especially on its high settings. Because this is an evaporative humidifier, it will not produce white dust the way ultrasonic humidifiers can; however, it does use a filter (*Est. $18) that needs to be changed every few months. If you need to humidify a larger area, a larger Kenmore humidifier, the Kenmore 15412 (*Est. $140) can cover up to 2,500 square feet.

The Kenmore 15408 is the top-rated humidifier in a comparison test conducted by Slate.com in 2008. However, user reviews at Sears.com (the only retail site that sells Kenmore appliances) are somewhat mixed, and there are only about 25 of them. (There is a review for this humidifier posted at ConsumerGuide.com, but at the time of this report there was an error on the site and the text of the review is actually about a personal computer.)