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AquaOasis Cool Mist Review

This is an affordable humidifier that offers decent performance but is quite challenging to keep clean
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AquaOasis Cool Mist Review
Credit: AquaOasis
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   Aqua Oasis
By Austin Palmer and Buck Yedor  ⋅  Apr 21, 2022
53
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#10 of 13
  • Humidifying Performance - 35% 7.4
  • Ease of Cleaning - 35% 2.5
  • Operating Cost - 15% 8.0
  • User Friendliness - 15% 4.5

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.
REASONS TO BUY
Low operation costs
Excellent output
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to clean
Difficult to fill
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

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AquaOasis Cool Mist
Awards  Best Buy Award Best Buy Award   
Price $50 List
$29.97 at Amazon		$50 List
Check Price at Amazon		$54 List
$36.99 at Amazon		$60 List
$62.03 at Amazon		$40 List
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Bottom Line Offering mid-level performance at a low price point, this humidifier is unfortunately extremely challenging to keep cleanBetween its highly effective functionality and low lifetime costs, just about everyone will be pleased with this humidifierA great budget option if you don't need advanced features and want to humidify a smaller roomThis model is a decent choice for its budget-friendly price point and performs moderately wellAttempts to be a great budget model, but other offerings perform significantly better in that regard
Rating Categories AquaOasis Cool Mist Levoit Classic 200 Honeywell HUL520B Vicks Filter Free C... Pure Ultrasonic
Humidifying Performance (35%)
7.4
8.0
5.0
5.0
3.8
Ease of Cleaning (35%)
2.5
6.5
8.0
7.5
5.0
Operating Cost (15%)
8.0
8.0
10.0
8.0
9.0
User Friendliness (15%)
4.5
6.0
7.5
6.0
4.0
Specs AquaOasis Cool Mist Levoit Classic 200 Honeywell HUL520B Vicks Filter Free C... Pure Ultrasonic
Weight 1.4 lbs 3.5 lbs 3.0 lbs 4.0 Ibs 1.8 lbs
Dimensions 10" x 8.5" x 6.1" 13.8" x 7.8" x 5.8" 8.5" x 8.5" x 9.5" 10.87" x 9.45" x 13.46" 10.9" x 9.2" x 6.9"
Tank Capacity 0.6 gallons 1.1 gallons 0.5 gallons 0.5 gallons 0.4 gallons
Humidification Technology Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic
Estimated Lifetime Cost $99 $99 $56 $89 $63
Estimated Annual Electricity Usage 87.6 kWh 87.6 kWh 43.8 kWh 65.7 kWh 21.9 kWh

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


aquaoasis cool mist - the overall output isn't exactly efficient, but it'll get the job...
The overall output isn't exactly efficient, but it'll get the job done given enough time.
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.

aquaoasis cool mist - the control dial lets you fine-tune your humidity levels.
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.

aquaoasis cool mist - we found the aquaoasis was pretty simple to clean.
We found the AquaOasis was pretty simple to clean.
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.

aquaoasis cool mist - the small handle on top makes moving the device quick and easy.
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.

aquaoasis cool mist - bottom fill designs are typically inferior to top fills, but it's...
Bottom fill designs are typically inferior to top fills, but it's easy enough to refill either way.
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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