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Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 Review

A decent model, but not decent enough to justify the high costs
Sunpentown SPT SU-4010
Credit: Sunpentown
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Price:   $108 List | $82.99 at Amazon
Pros:  Simple controls
Cons:  High up front and long term costs, not an outstanding performer in any capacity
Manufacturer:   Sunpentown
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  Sep 26, 2017
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52
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#8 of 10
  • Humidifying Performance - 35% 5
  • Ease of Cleaning - 35% 6
  • User Friendliness - 15% 6
  • Operating Cost - 15% 3

Our Verdict

The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 offers mediocre humidifying performance and requires very expensive replacement filters. There are multiple other models that provide the same or better performance but are much cheaper both in the short and long term, like the Honeywell HUL520B and the TaoTronics TT-AH002, just to name a couple. For that reason we don't recommend the Sunpentown SPT SU-4010.

Compare to Similar Products

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Awards  Best Buy Award Top Pick Award Best Buy Award  
Price $108 List
$82.99 at Amazon		$40 List
$35.75 at Amazon		$75 List$66 List
Check Price at Amazon		$46 List
Check Price at Amazon
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Pros Simple controlsInexpensive, easy to clean, easy to useEasy to clean, self-regulating evaporative humidifyingPowerful, inexpensiveInexpensive, simple
Cons High up front and long term costs, not an outstanding performer in any capacityNot the most powerful, no advanced featuresRequires replacement filters, filter can get moldy if left unattended for too longHard to clean, cannot be used on carpetNot powerful enough for large rooms, no advanced features
Bottom Line A decent model, but not decent enough to justify the high costsThe perfect budget model for smaller (<150 square foot) roomsThis is a good choice if you appreciate the simplicity of evaporative humidifyingThis budget model provides lots of power, making it ideal for larger roomsA good no-frills options for smaller rooms, but not particularly powerful
Rating Categories Sunpentown SPT... Honeywell HUL520B Honeywell HCM-350 TaoTronics TT-AH001 TaoTronics TT-AH026
Humidifying Performance (35%)
5
5
6
9
6
Ease Of Cleaning (35%)
6
8
9
4
7
User Friendliness (15%)
6
8
7
7
6
Operating Cost (15%)
3
10
6
8
9
Specs Sunpentown SPT... Honeywell HUL520B Honeywell HCM-350 TaoTronics TT-AH001 TaoTronics TT-AH026
Weight 7.5 pounds 3 pounds 9.6 pounds 3.5 pounds 2.3 pounds
Dimensions 13.2" x 5.3" x 12.4" 8.5" x 8.5" x 9.5" 18.6" x 10.4" x 13" 12.2" x 8" x 5.25" 8.4" x 5.1" x 10"
Tank Capacity 1.1 gallons 0.5 gallons 1 gallon 1.06 gallons 0.47 gallons
Humidification Technology Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Evaporative Ultrasonic Ultrasonic
Estimated Lifetime Cost $447 $56 $203 $101 $72
Estimated Annual Electricity Usage 65.7 kWh 43.8 kWh 87.6 kWh 87.6 kWh 43.8 kWh

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 forces you into buying expensive replacement filters but does not deliver above average performance. We don't feel that this model has any specific advantages that outweigh the long term costs.


Performance Comparison


The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 earned one of the lowest overall scores in our testing, which you can see in the table above. Below we detail the Sunpentown SPT SU-4010's performance in all of the individual tests that, when compiled, create our overall score.

Humidifying Performance


The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 earned an average 5 out of 10 in our humidifying performance testing. It took an hour for this model to hit 45% humidity in our testing room, and it maxed out at 51.2%. This makes it suitable for most average sized bedrooms (~150 square feet). For comparison, the far more economical Honeywell HUL520B took 2 hours to hit 45%, and the not quite as inexpensive but still significantly more economical TaoTronics matched the Sunpentown SPT SU-4010's speed, achieving 45% humidity in an hour.

Ease of Cleaning


The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 was again around average in our ease of cleaning testing, picking up a score of 6 out of 10. The biggest negative aspect is its water tank. Though it has a fairly large 3.25" opening, there are lots of little nooks and crannies that are hard to reach, and where mold could possibly take hold. The manual also gives only vague cleaning instructions, so you're on your own in terms of determining the best way to keep mold at bay. That being said, it took us about the same length of time to scrub this machine down and get it feeling adequately clean as it did for most of the other models we tested. Of its main competitors we found the Honeywell HUL520B to be significantly easier to clean, and the TaoTronics about the same level of cleaning difficulty.

The Sunpentown isn&#039;t the hardest model to clean, but it does have...
The Sunpentown isn't the hardest model to clean, but it does have some hard to reach areas.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

User Friendliness


Continuing its streak of average scores, the Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 again earned a score of 6 out of 10 in this metric. It has two knobs, one to turn it on and off and select warm or cool mist, and one to select the mist setting. It doesn't offer any sort of off timer. These controls are quite simple and easy to operate. It lost points because the tank is quite large and can be difficult to fill from a sink. The opening also large at 3.25", so you don't need perfect aim when refilling.

The Sunpentown has simple, easy to understand controls.
The Sunpentown has simple, easy to understand controls.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Operating Cost


This is the biggest drawback of the Sunpentown SPT SU-4010, as it earned a low score of 3 out of 10 in this metric. It costs $108 up front, which feels a bit steep considering its performance. The kicker is the $30 replacement filters that it requires every 6 months. When combined with its average electricity usage that results in an estimated lifetime cost of $447. The only model with a higher such figure was the Dyson AM10, which lists for $500. In contrast, the top performing Levoit LV600HH's estimated lifetime cost is only $159.

Value


The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010's list price of $108 is already appreciably higher than other models in the same league of performance, like the TaoTronics ($50) and the Honeywell HUL520B ($30). When you factor in its replacement filter costs, it becomes one of the least economical models we tested.

Conclusion


The Sunpentown SPT SU-4010 offers reasonable performance, but high costs in both the long and short term make it a poor value.

— Max Mutter and Steven Tata