Pure Ultrasonic Review

The Pure Ultrasonic lacks some power and isn't particularly easy to clean, which makes it inferior to other models in the same price range. It landed towards the bottom of our overall scoresheet. As discussed in the metrics below, we used several different tests to determine those overall scores.

Performance Comparison

Humidifying Performance

The Pure Ultrasonic was one of the weakest models we tested, sharing the bottom score in our humidifying testing. It took 2.5 hours of running on high to get our 150 square foot testing room to the ideal 45% humidity. By comparison, other budget models achieved this in 2 hours or less and cost less. If you want to spend less than $50, you're not going to get the sub half hours times of the top-shelf models, but you can do significantly better than the Pure Ultrasonic.

One upside is that the Pure Ultrasonic plateaued at 47.5% in our testing. This means if you use it in an average-sized bedroom, it will most likely plateau at a good humidity level (eventually), and you don't run the risk of over humidification if you forget to turn it off. However, you'll need to remember to turn it on well before bed if you want pleasant humidity when your head hits the pillow.

Ease of Cleaning

The Pure Ultrasonic was just about average in our ease of cleaning testing. The biggest issue is that the opening to the water tank is only 1.5 inches wide, so you'll need a long brush or some other tool if you need to scrub something off the inside of the tank. It does come with a cleaning brush, but it's not long enough to get all the nooks and crannies of the tank. The cord unplugs from the base unit, which is convenient for cleaning. The manual has step-by-step directions for completing a vinegar soak to get everything nice and clean. It took us about 15 minutes to clean thoroughly, not including the soak. This was pretty standard compared to other models.

User Friendliness

The Pure Ultrasonic has a frustrating user interface. It has a single button that lets you scroll through its four settings (high and low, both with and without a night light). There is no indicator to let you know what setting you're in, so you must memorize them. It is fairly clear by the sound of the machine whether you're on low or high, but it would be nice if the machine confirmed it visually.

The tank is fairly high, so filling it directly from standard sinks is difficult. The opening is also fairly small at 1.75 inches wide, which can be a deceptively small target when pouring water. Other similar models have openings as large as 3.5 inches, making refilling much easier.

Operating Cost

The Pure Ultrasonic is quite inexpensive to own and operate. It earned a very good score in our operating cost testing. It has a reasonable list price and uses just 0.005kWh of electricity per hour, the least of any models we tested. This energy use results in a $63 estimated lifetime cost.

Should You Buy the Pure Ultrasonic?

The Pure Ultrasonic isn't a great performer, but it has an affordable list price and reasonable long-term energy costs. On the other hand, other similarly-priced models perform a bit better and list for a lower price, providing much better value in this price range.

What Other Humidifiers Should You Consider?