The whole idea of products like the VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier is to add moisture to the air in your home. Dry air—such as that produced by air conditioning—is quite irritating to your respiratory system and skin, and it can lead to respiratory issues, dry eyes, cracked lips, and more. When you have a humidifier in your home, it can help to reduce these symptoms and let you live a bit more comfortably. However, there are a number of drawbacks to modern humidifiers, including that they need to be refilled and cleaned frequently. Plus, many are bulky and unsightly—not necessarily something you want to put on display in your living room. To see if the VAVA Humidifier is a worthwhile purchase, we tested it over the course of a few weeks, using it to add some much-needed moisture to the air in our living space. Here’s what we concluded.
Design: Attractive but frustrating to fill
When we first opened the box, we were pleasantly surprised by the overall design of the VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier. Don’t get us wrong: It’s not a work of art by any means, but for a humidifier, it’s quite stylish! The simple white cylinder looks very modern—kind of like an oversized speaker. As such, we found it easy to incorporate into our decor. We loved that there’s no setup required for the VAVA Humidifier. All we had to do was fill it up with water and turn it on. However, we have to say it’s not the easiest humidifier to fill. As its name suggests, this “Top-Fill” humidifier has a removable top, so you can then pour water into the main cavity. It sounds good in theory, but we had two (small) issues with this design: First, because there’s no detachable water tank, you have to carry the whole unit—cord and all—over to the sink to fill it up. We suppose you could use a large jug to bring water to the unit, but you’d be taking several trips to fill up the 4.3-liter tank. Secondly, the “misting chamber” is right in the middle of the unit, and the instructions stress that you can’t get water in it, otherwise, the unit will malfunction. So when you’re filling the humidifier, you have to carefully position the water stream to avoid splashing this component. It’s doable, but we found it to be a bit frustrating. Once the humidifier is filled, you can monitor how much water is left via the transparent window on the machine, which is illuminated by a soft blue light. We really like that when the water gets too low, the light turns red, letting you know it’s time to refill. The one thing to note here is that you can’t turn off this light, so if you’re using the unit in your bedroom at night, it might be a bit bothersome.
Performance: Quiet and long-lasting
We really have no complaints about the performance of the VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier. The manufacturer says it gives off 100 to 250 milliliters of mist per hour depending on the setting, making it ideal for a 107- to 322-square-foot room, so we set it up in the living room, which is about 170 square feet. It was quite hot when we tested the humidifier this summer, so our air conditioning was on around the clock—and some of our tropical plants were feeling a bit droopy in the dry conditions. We arranged the humidifier near them in hopes that the moisture would help make them more comfortable—anything for our plant babies, you know! At first, we solely ran it during the day—usually from around 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. or so—and one tank of water lasted for around three days on a low setting. Not bad. It’s easy to adjust the mist output via the front dial, and while there isn’t a night-and-day difference between the high and low settings, you can see and feel a change in the mist density. Plus, the unit is totally silent—so much so we frequently forgot it was running. The manufacturer says the humidifier can run for 17 to 36 hours per fill, so we also wanted to put this claim to the test. We filled up the tank and let the humidifier run on low until it automatically turned off, and it lasted around 28 hours. Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best air purifiers.
Mist Quality: Easy to adjust to your liking
From the second you turn it on, the VAVA Humidifier gives off a steady stream of cool mist. We liked that we could adjust both the mist level and direction to suit our needs. The top of the humidifier can be turned freely, allowing us to direct the mist output any way we want. After a few days of use, we found the air in the living room to be much more comfortable, even with the air conditioning running. Maybe we were imagining things, but our plants even looked a little happier, too.
Cleaning: Easier than most
One common complaint about humidifiers is that they’re frustrating to clean. You need to wash them out regularly (typically once a week or so) to prevent mold growth, but many tanks are hard to access. The nice thing about the VAVA Humidifier is that the mist chamber comes out so you can easily fit your hand inside the tank with a sponge, making it easy to wash out. It comes with a little brush to get into nooks and crannies as well, which we liked.
Price: About average
The VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier usually retails for around $40 to $60, which is pretty standard for a humidifier of this size. Given its solid performance and ease of care, we didn’t have a problem paying this asking price.
Competition: Lots of good choices available
URPOWER MH501 Humidifier: Another similar option we tested is the URPOWER Humidifier, which boasts a slightly longer run time thanks to its 5-liter water tank. It also has a similar price, modern design, adjustable mist output, and silent operation, so when choosing between these two, your choice will mostly come down to looks. Take a peek at some of the other best humidifiers you can buy. InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser and Cool Mist Humidifier: If you want to be able to diffuse essential oils via your humidifier, you’ll need a product like the InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser. While much smaller than the VAVA model, you can add a few drops of scent into this cool-mist humidifier to make your home smell amazing. Read more reviews of the best essential oil diffusers available to purchase online. All in all, our complaints about the VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier were minor. As a whole, we found this unit reasonably priced, aesthetically pleasing, and noticeably effective. Plus, it’s rare to find a humidifier that isn’t an eyesore, so we think this model is worth the investment.
