AIRCARE - MA0800 Mini-Console

+1 for Airfare. I have the AIRCARE MA0800CN, it's loud on max fan setting but works great!   I usually run it to the max while I'm at work then on low when I'm home. There's au auto features to, it's gets my 700ft appartement from around 20 to above 35% humidity without issues. 

Same here. I was struggling to find an evaporative humidifier. I currently have LEVOIT LV600HH, which claims to be one of the best ultrasonic humidifier. But: 1. it does not work with tap water. I used tap water with ultrasonic humidifier before and there is white powder buildup and I feel sick because of it. While using distilled water can be expensive and burdensome to buy on daily basis--It uses almost 2Gal water per day. 2. Most of parts are machine-washable, except one built-in vent on the base, which has the most dark-dirt buildup--I don't know where the dirt/germs are from, but it shows up the next morning after I clean it, and it's difficult to clean thoroughly because of the structure. So what I am looking for: 1. evaporative humidifier which can use tap water directly. 2. easy to clean, ideally the whole body is machine washable. 3. Low noise. The most satisfying part of LV600HH is its extremely low noise.

Look forward to your update. I turned out to buy a new AIRCARE 2.5 Gal. Evaporative Humidifier. 1. The noise is louder than the old ultrasonic one, but at the lowest fan level it is acceptable. 2. With a larger water tank it supports a higher room humidity level which is a plus. 3. I used tap water and didn't pay attention to the filter until 3 weeks later I noticed it's molded...I tried different methods to clean up and reuse the filter but failed. 4. I bought new filter and ProTec humidifier cleaner. So far it looks OK. We will see. Lessons learned: never clean the filter with bleach, it does sanitize and remove mold stain, but it takes much more effort to remove the residue from the filter, and it softens the filter that it can no longer stand within the humidifier :(

Agreed... in the end there is no magic solution. If mineral residue is getting everywhere it is probably an ultrasonic humidifier and the only solution for those is to use non-hard water. For cool mist humidifiers with wicks, it is possible to descale the wicks after the buildup. They may lose some effectiveness after repeated descaling but at least you extend the life before having to buy new ones. In my apartment I use an AirCare MA0800 and I also use a bacteriostatic solution recommended by the manufacturer in the tank to avoid bacteria/mold. After a few weeks of buildup I give it a few warm water soaks/rinses to wash out the bacteriostatic agent and then on the next fresh soak I add a few teaspoons of citric acid powder and let it go to work. Then a few more soaks/rinses to get the citric off the filter, then put it back into service. For warm mist humidifiers (the ones that boil the water) there is no bacterial/mold concern but the minerals accumulate in the device itself and it needs descaling. I think vinegar is better than citric for descaling these because it's volatile... it seems that if even a small amount of citric residue remains after a cleanup, it can cause a bad reaction when the device starts running again and ruin it.

My apartment, which was around 1000 sq ft, was so dry that none of my plants were happy. I bought a portable 'whole home' one. It wasn't cool mist or warm. It was a wicking one with a little fan in the middle. It was cleaner and easier to use. Used less power, that's for sure because it was just a fan. It has a large capacity, I think 9 liters. To keep our apartment at 35%humidity, we'd fill morning and night. It also stops when it gets to the set humidity. Unlike all the others that just run full time. Not usefully in a space with open windows and doors. It was a game changer with my plants. I saw you're in the states so, this won't be helpful from a buy this one perspective, but it's what I own. Maybe it can be helpful to find something similar there. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/aircare-ma0800cn-digital-whole-house-portable-console-style-evaporative-air-humidifier-white-9-46-l-0436199p.html

Look into an evaporative humidifier. The Aircare Mini Console works great for me in the winter.

[AirCare Mini Console](https://www.menards.com/main/heating-cooling/indoor-air-quality/humidifiers-accessories/aircare-reg-mini-console-evaporative-humidifier-3-gallon/5d6700/p-1444430072490-c-9507.htm?exp=false) evaporative humidifier. Ultrasonic humidifiers produce mineral buildup (which results in white dust EVERYWHERE) if you don't exclusively use distilled water and they are often extremely difficult to properly clean (can grow mold inside places you can't access). Evaporative humidifiers can work with tap water just fine with no white dust and are very easy to clean (they are literally just a box with a fan and a wick for the water). You need to buy a new wick (<$20 for this model) every season or if the current wick gets moldy (which you can prevent by using the bacteriostat recommended by AirCare or regularly soaking/cleaning with vinegar).

There are a few high end brands that might be superior, but most are very similar, within their categories. No BIFL humidifiers, and better ones will be costly. For longevity, evaporative seems to be the best type. I suggest you narrow it down to what will work for you and check reviews online. I wanted to add one lower priced gallon size evaporative model for my kitchen area and concluded they all suck and don't last too long. I'm guessing you're looking for a room size, vs whole house. First consider the type: warm mist, ultrasonic, evaporative. Warm mist will cost the most to operate. Ultrasonic often leaves a white dust on surfaces. Evaporative can be noisy due to the fan. Ease of use is key - filling and cleaning, lugging to sink, capacity. Every stinking plastic contraption that deals with air has a ridiculous amount of nooks, crannies, and fins that can be impossible to clean. Check consumables for cost of replacement wicks, filters. I use two whole house evaporative humidifiers along with water additives to inhibit bacteria. One is twenty years old, a Bemis hamper style, now AirCare. In winter they run 24/7 along with woodstoves. Wicks need cleaning or replacing monthly, $25 each. Some can hold up to a vinegar soak to give it another month.