REASONS TO BUY
Low operation costs
Excellent output
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to clean
Difficult to fill
AquaOasis Cool Mist Review
This is an affordable humidifier that offers decent performance but is quite challenging to keep clean
Credit: AquaOasis
RELATED: The Best Humidifiers
Our Verdict
The AquaOasis Cool Mist humidifier is a mid-level performer offered at a low price point. It is reasonably effective at humidifying and has a relatively low overall operating cost for a small household appliance. We enjoyed the simple control dial that lets you set the humidity levels to varying degrees of strength. Still, we found that the shape of the device and the small opening make it extremely difficult to keep clean and refill with water. This is a cost-effective and affordable option, but there are better-performing models among top-ranked humidifiers.
Editor's Note: We updated this review for the AquaOasis Cool Mist on April 21, 2022, with an unbiased take on cost to performance ratio's for all products and how they compare to one another.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
AquaOasis Cool Mist | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | | |||
| Price | $50 List $29.97 at Amazon | $40 List | Check Price at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon | $53 List $59.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Low operation costs, excellent output | Inexpensive, easy to clean, easy to use | Exceptional output, low lifetime operating costs | Easy cleaning, decent overall performance | Good humidifying performance |
| Cons | Difficult to clean, difficult to fill | Not the most powerful, no advanced features | Confusing user interface, prolonged cleaning process | Limited settings, so-so output, no standout feature | Somewhat difficult to clean |
| Bottom Line | This is an affordable humidifier that offers decent performance but is quite challenging to keep clean | The perfect budget model for smaller rooms (less than 150 square feet) | With excellent performance ratings and low operating costs, this is one of our favorite models | This model is a decent choice for its budget-friendly price point and performs moderately well | Good for mid-sized bedrooms in arid climates, as long as you don't mind a little cleaning effort |
| Rating Categories | AquaOasis Cool Mist | Honeywell HUL520B | Levoit Classic 200 | Vicks Filter Free C... | Everlasting Comfort... |
| Humidifying Performance (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (35%) | |||||
| Operating Cost (15%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (15%) | |||||
| Specs | AquaOasis Cool Mist | Honeywell HUL520B | Levoit Classic 200 | Vicks Filter Free C... | Everlasting Comfort... |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs | 3.0 lbs | 3.5 lbs | 4.0 Ibs | 3.3 lbs |
| Dimensions | 10" x 8.5" x 6.1" | 8.5" x 8.5" x 9.5" | 13.8" x 7.8" x 5.8" | 10.87" x 9.45" x 13.46" | 13.3" x 11.4" x 6.8" |
| Tank Capacity | 0.6 gallons | 0.5 gallons | 1.1 gallons | 0.5 gallons | 1.6 gallons |
| Humidification Technology | Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic |
| Estimated Lifetime Cost | $99 | $56 | $99 | $89 | $98 |
| Estimated Annual Electricity Usage | 87.6 kWh | 43.8 kWh | 87.6 kWh | 65.7 kWh | 65.7 kWh |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
To get a clear understanding of the AquaOasis Cool Mist's performance, we submitted it to a series of standardized tests that let us compare it to other humidifiers in the most unbiased way possible. In our analysis, we considered metrics like humidifying performance, overall user-friendliness, ease of cleaning, and long-term operating costs. Read below to see the details of how it performed.
Performance Comparison
The AquaOasis has excellent output and low operating costs but is hard to clean.
Credit: Laura Casner
Humidifying Performance
The AquaOasis Cool Mist had mixed results in this metric. Its overall output was good. Over 3 hours, it brought a room from 30.5% humidity up 59.2% humidity, a 94% change. Its consistency, however, was subpar. As the humidity rose, the humidity levels fluctuated highly but ultimately ended up where they were supposed to be.
The control dial lets you fine-tune your humidity levels.
Credit: Laura Casner
Ease of Cleaning
Humidifiers are the perfect breeding ground for mold. Being able to clean them properly is essential. Unlike other models we tested in our review of the best humidifiers, the design of this machine makes it almost impossible to keep it clean. The issues primarily stem from the tiny hole that gives you access to the machine's interior. It is incredibly difficult to get a cleaning brush into the device to scrub out mold. Compounding this is the way the interior was molded. There are difficult ridges to navigate and sharp edges that give mold and scum many places to hide.
The sharp interior edges of the AquaOasis make cleaning mold difficult.
Credit: Laura Casner
The included instructions call for a weekly water change, but we found this to be inadequate during our testing. We found that pink grime would start building up within two days if we didn't change the water daily.
User Friendliness
One of our favorite features about the AquaOasis Cool Mist is the easy-to-operate control dial. Turning it clockwise slowly ramps up the humidity levels. Many machines have specific modes, i.e., low, medium, high, but this dial lets you fine-tune your humidity levels to where you want them.
The small handle on top makes moving the device quick and easy.
Credit: Laura Casner
Stemming from the same problem the device has with cleaning, the small hole that gives you access to the interior makes it challenging to fill the unit with water. The shape of the machine, in general, is unwieldy and hard to hold, adding even further difficulties to the filling process.
Operating Cost
Assuming 12 hours of use per day, it costs about $10 a year to run the AquaOasis Cool Mist. This is one of the more cost-effective options of any of the devices we tested. When tacked on to its fairly low MSRP, the overall lifespan cost of this model is quite reasonable.
The small hole makes the machine difficult to fill and even more difficult to clean.
Credit: Laura Casner
Should You Buy the AquaOasis Cool Mist?
The AquaOasis Cool Mist is incredibly affordable to operate but has serious issues with its ability to keep clean. The small access hole makes it difficult to get a cleaning brush inside, and the molded plastic doesn't make it any easier to scrub off mold when you do. The control dial lets you fine-tune your humidity levels, and the overall output is above average. All in all, this machine is affordable and functional. But given how difficult it is to keep clean, it is not one of the top recommendations.
What Other Humidifiers Should You Consider?
While the MSRP and average operating costs are low, we didn't find the AquaOasis Cool Mist to offer a particularly good value compared to other humidifiers we tested. Relative to other small humidifiers, the Honeywell HUL520B is easier to operate and maintain. If you need to step up to a mid-sized humidifier, our choice for value is the Levoit Classic 200.
—
Austin Palmer and Buck Yedor
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