Taotronics Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier Keeps the Air Pleasantly Moist

We purchased the Taotronics Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier so our writer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

A humidifier is an essential item for a good night’s sleep, especially in homes with drying heat indoors or climates with low humidity. When a humidifier can do both—keep the air moist for multiple days and diffuse essential oils, it becomes a top item on self-care wish lists.

A humidifier is seldom an appliance that excites me. The Taotronics Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier looks utilitarian. It has a large 6-liter water tank that takes up more space on my nightstand than some other models I have tried. But if you have ever tried to sleep with dry sinuses, you know that a humidifier's performance is far more important than how it looks.

Cool mist is the perfect answer for summer colds. The warm mist from more basic models feels stifling in summer. I really liked that this humidifier had both a warm and cool setting so that I could use it year-round. 

The ease of cleaning is an important factor for a humidifier. Warm, standing water can make it easy for bacteria and mold to set in.

Taotronics recommends cleaning the humidifier weekly or after you pull the humidifier out of a longer period of storage. I followed the include instruction manual and let the humidifier completely cool, descaled it with white vinegar and water, and cleaned it with the included cleaning brush. Once a week, I also disinfected it with a water and bleach mixture to ensure that bacteria and mold were completely gone. With regular maintenance, the humidifier remained in great shape.

When I wanted to diffuse essential oils, I changed out the essential oil cloth. The humidifier comes with three (one is preinstalled), but a simple piece of felt is a simple substitute once you run out.

The 6-liter tank lasts for a long time, but it is rather bulky to move around and fill. I tried to fill the tank under a standard bathroom faucet but ended up spilling the majority of the filled water out as I tried to manipulate the tank away from the faucet. To get the tank full to its 6-liter capacity, I had to fill it in the bathtub. You can also fill the tank from the top using a cup or glass, but you will have to make many trips from the sink to fill it.

The humidifier has an automatic humidity monitoring feature that starts and stops the humidifier to keep your room at a humidity level of 55 to 65 percent. It only turns on only when it needs to add some moisture to the air. The humidifier is quiet, but it makes some noise when switching on. If you are a light sleeper, it might wake you up if it switches on in the middle of the night. This feature may not be worth the expense of restful sleep.

One of the features I enjoyed was the included remote control. It is small, making it easy to misplace, and I expected not to use it at all. But, when my daughter napped, I was happy to have the remote control when I wanted to change the settings. I could adjust the humidifier without entering her room. If you use this humidifier in your bedroom, you will be able to change the settings without getting out of bed. Unfortunately, you will not know if the selections you made from the remote control took effect unless you look at the humidifier unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the Taotronics humidifier as a diffuser?

The essential oil tray in the back of the Taotronics humidifier was one of my favorite features. It comes with a cloth already inserted into the tray and two spares. You pull the tray out, drop a couple of drops of oil on the cloth, and insert it back into the humidifier.

Is this humidifier good for a nursery?

I used the Taotronics Ultrasonic humidifier in my daughter’s nursery, and it worked great. The larger water tank meant that I didn’t need to worry about the humidifier running out of water in the middle of the night. With other models that I have tried, smaller water tanks empty quickly, and a bright red warning light comes on, often while my daughter is sleeping. Quite simply, if she wakes up, then I wake up. When that happens, I no longer want to use that small humidifier. The Taotronics Ultrasonic humidifier was the perfect solution.

How long can I use the humidifier?

Not many humidifiers have a 6-liter tank capacity. This is one of the longest-running humidifiers on the market. The humidifier will continuously run for 10 to 60 hours, depending on your mist settings and the room's size. You can preset a timer and have the unit automatically shut off between one and nine hours. Using automatic humidity monitoring, I prolonged the time before needing to fill the water reservoir; I didn't need to refill for two full nights. The automatic feature turned off the mist when the moisture level in the room reached 55 percent.

Taotronics Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier vs. Taotronics 4L Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

The 4L Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (view at TaoTronics) is a popular, less expensive choice. This model only provides cool mist, has a smaller water tank capacity and doesn’t have an essential oils tray. But it is about half the cost of its larger cousin, the Taotronics 6L Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier. Both are reliable and made by the same reputable company. Basically, it boils down to do you want advanced features at a higher cost or essential functions for a more budget-friendly price.