REASONS TO BUY
Large tank capacity
Programmable
Can set on the floor
REASONS TO AVOID
Less effective
Higher price
Air Innovations MH901D Review
Lots of programmable bells and whistles with a large tank makes it great for larger rooms
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price: $110 List
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and Bob Wofford ⋅ Sep 16, 2018
RELATED: Best Baby Humidifiers
The Skinny
The Air Innovations MH901D is a large capacity ultrasonic humidifier with an extra-long mist diverter tube and a programmable digital interface. This unit can be filled while in place on the base and has an auto shut-off, timer, humidistat, a nightlight, and a standard demineralization filter to reduce the amount of white dust produced by the unit. We like the large tank and easy-to-fill flip-top lid. It is nice that it comes with a cleaning brush, but several parts of the base and mist tube are challenging to reach which could result in mold or bacteria buildup. This humidifier is somewhat louder than other ultrasonic products and it doesn't produce as much mist as quickly as the competition. However, if you hope to humidify a larger room or want the convenience of filling the tank on the base, then Air Innovations is the one to pick.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Great Innovations was started by Joe McDonnell in Miramar, Florida. The company creates and sells humidifiers, fans, air purifiers, aromatherapy diffusers, purse organizers, and totes designed to make everyday life easier. In 1999, McDonnell started selling his Rejuvenate cleaning and restoration line of products on QVC. Other product successes include Pursfection.
Performance Comparison
The base of the Innovations has several locations where mold, bacteria, and mineral deposits can hide from the cleaning process.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Cleaning
The Innovations comes with its own detail brush, which is the first indicator that it takes time and patience to clean it properly.
The tank of the Innovations is easy to wipe clean because the fill flap on the top is large enough for most hands. Using a bottle brush will help you get the mist tube clean, but the bottom of the tube narrows significantly (below left), so you'll want to choose your brush wisely. The external longer mist diverter tube is only partially accessible with a bottle brush, it is too long to reach all the way, and the brush only fits from one side.
The base has small areas and corners that require the brush (above right) to clean and vinegar to break up the mineral deposits. You have to install a rubber stopper in the inlet to the pump to avoid getting debris into the pump.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Effectiveness
The Innovations isn't as effective as the competition for humidity production.
While this unit starts strong and in line with the competition, as time went on, it struggled to keep up with the competition even at its highest setting. After an hour of running on high, this unit had one of the lowest levels of humidity in the group. Depending on your needs or ambient climate, this could be a deal-breaker or no big deal.
Noise
The Air Innovations has a decibel level of 42 at its highest setting. This level is lower than most of the competition, with only a few of the competition registering lower than 40.
The Innovations is virtually silent compared to the loudest ultrasonic competitor and evaporative humidifiers.
The digital interface on the Innovations is easy to read and program without help from the manual.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
With several programmable features including a timer, humidity level control, auto shutoff, and a fill-in place tank, the Innovations is relatively easy to use.
While single dials are obvious and easy to use, the digital interface on the Innovations is only slightly more complicated. This unit has a reasonably intuitive digital user interface we were able to figure out without using the manual. The display is easy to read, and the beeping sound can turn off to avoid waking your baby when you make late-night changes to the programming.
This unit has a flip-top (above left) on the tank so you can fill it at any time without removing the tank from the base. This feature can be very convenient for the middle of the night refills. This product uses a demineralization filter (above right) to decrease minerals and white dust in the air and on surfaces. Using distilled or filtered water can further reduce this problem and help prevent mineral deposits from hard water in the base and tank. These deposits can be challenging to clean.
The tall diverter tube on the Innovations is ideal for directing mist higher into the room or for setting the machine on the floor.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Innovations comes with a long diverter tube to direct mist output up higher away from the machine. This design means you have more control of the mist direction, and you can set the base on the floor without saturating the surrounding area as much as the competition.
Manufacturer Video
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Juliet Spurrier, MD and Bob Wofford
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