MA1201

honestly just got the aircare ma1201 and it's pretty solid for maintenance - the tank pops right off and you can actually reach all the corners to scrub it clean. the woodgrain ones look decent but they're basically the same guts inside, just get whichever matches your hallway vibe

I bought this [Aircare Evaporative Humidifier](https://a.co/d/gVbS0RB) in 2022. Used it for the last three years and about to use it for a fourth. You have to purchase replacement filters and demineralization cartridges but I only had to replace them once or twice per winter season.

I bought this [Aircare Humidifier](https://a.co/d/dRN6boa) from Amazon. This is the fourth year I’m using it and it works well. It’s an evaporative model. I only have to replace the wicking filter once a month and the demineralization filter once a season. I also only clean it before I put it up for the year.

Aircare Console MA1201 Evaporative Humidifier like this one

Size of the area is important. I have gone through many humidifier over the years. I have hard water and don’t want to buy distilled water. So I do not use cool/warm mist/ultrasonic. I use evaporative. It’s a simple design with a wick and fan. Add bioterioststic treatment to the water to prevent mold. Replace the wick as needed. 1. Look for a unit that has third party filters/wicks. 2. Look for a unit that is easy to clean. 3. Has the capacity you need That being said, I use an aircare console MA1201. It’s easy to fill and clean. Has 3.6 gallon capacity. Have had it for 4ish years. It generally keeps my home comfortable. I am looking to replace it with the space saver model which has a 6 gallon capacity. Keep in mind these are simple devices. They are well priced and do exactly what they are made for. There are no apps, pumps, ai, or other gizmos to break.

I would likely recommend an evaporative humidifier, not a warm mist one. The mist ones have a lot of problems, such as being more prone to bacteria growth and harder to clean. They also try to add more moisture than the air can actually hold, resulting in mineral condensation (white dust) appearing everywhere over time, especially if you have hard water. Aircare makes a decent console-style evap humidifier with a decent tank size and is pretty easy to clean. I used one for years until we moved to a house with a humidifier on the furnace. Now I use a smaller Honeywell evaporative humidifier upstairs only. It gets filled each evening, runs constantly all winter, and cleaned each weekend. I went through about half a dozen of those warm mist ones before converting. It didn't matter the brand, how much I treated the water of cleaned them, they were all pieces of junk that lasted only 1-2 years. Crane ones were probably the worst.