You may have heard of a product called a humidifier, but what is it for, what are its features, and do you need it at all?
I will explain everything you need about this simple, yet very handful device in this Vicks Humidifier review article today.
- Best humidifier for coughing at night & humidifier for bronchitis
- Vicks Humidifier review
- Is the Vicks humidifier loud?
- Vicks features
- Does a humidifier help with cough?
- How much does Vicks Humidifier cost?
- Vicks Humidifier for baby
- Vicks Humidifier Menthol Pads and where to buy them
Best humidifier for coughing at night & humidifier for bronchitis
A couple of weeks ago, my wife has gotten quite serious bronchitis while being pregnant for 4 months. Firstly, what is bronchitis? NHS describes it as: “Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. The main symptom is a cough, which may bring up yellow-grey mucus (phlegm). Bronchitis may also cause a sore throat and wheezing”. In the worst hours, she was coughing up green mucus repeatedly every 5 minutes, with body aches and headaches from the cough. Truly unpleasant experience.
Upon researching the best ways to cure bronchitis, I’ve found out, after reading so many helpless stories of the sickness persisting for months or two, that it attacks pregnant women more often than it may seem. One Reddit post, however, suggested using a humidifier to ease the coughing up of the mucus, as there really isn’t any cure, other than antibiotics, which supposedly do not always work, and are of course usually the last resort, while being pregnant.
Having a little table-top humidifier that helped me to breathe a bit better in our old, dry-air apartment, seems like a great time to upgrade to something more effective.
What I have chosen is the Vicks VUL525E1 Ultrasonic Humidifier which is one of the top options that comes up when picking such a device. Given a familiar brand name and immediate availability in Argos, I didn’t hesitate and bought one.
Vicks Humidifier review
Vicks humidifier consists of two parts – the base and the water tank. After unpacking the device, it only takes a minute to get it going, although the instructions I believe suggest it should be cleaned prior to use, as it may give a slight ‘plastic odour’.
The water tank has a 180-degree mist nozzle (adjustable direction) at the top and can be filled only from the bottom, via a sealed opening. As it is easily detachable from the best only by lifting it up, the base can stay plugged in all the time, while only refilling the tank. The tank also has a handle that helps with the overall manipulation.
After filling the tank (with cold water) you can start the humidifier simply by turning the front knob. The more your turn it, the higher cool mist intensity you get.
The knob has a little green led light to be able to find it during the night. It is visible, but not that disturbing I would say.
Is the Vicks humidifier loud?
The humidifier starts to produce a cool mist right away, while s staying relatively quiet, with a bit more noise during higher intensity (at around 39 dB). The only thing making noise is basically the water mist escaping the nozzle. From my point of view, very acceptable for the performance it gives.
It also has an indicator that lights up in amber colour with quiet beeps telling you when the humidifier should be cleaned, although I have found out it to be a bit of a nuisance as it often comes up even when shouldn’t.
Vicks features
With its 1.8-litre water tank, the Vicks humidifier can run for up to 24 hours if on the lowest settings, after which it will automatically turn itself off.
The manufacturer states the Vicks is suitable for rooms of up to 15m² to feel any significant difference.
From my own experience, the difference in the air humidity and some sort of “freshness” in the air became quite noticeable after entering the room after around 2 hours.
Does a humidifier help with cough?
Yes. The cool mist helps to loosen mucus and the humid air soothes the throat.
As a result of having this incredibly simple, yet so handy device, my wife’s bronchitis cough has reduced by roughly 20-30% on the first night and more and more every day after that. Although the person in the room might not feel any immediate difference at the time, I have certainly seen a positive impact on health in a surprisingly short time (while keeping other remedies like honey and lemon, chamomile tea or gargling salt water). Sure, it may not work for everybody as everyone’s condition might be slightly different, however, it’s certainly worth a try.
How much does Vicks Humidifier cost?
The Vicks Humidifier currently costs around £55 on Argos and £49 on Amazon (with a discount at the time of writing).
Vicks Humidifier for baby
It has also been pointed out by many that humidifiers are also good for kids’ health, especially, to a certain level, helping with allergies or sleepless nights. Also due to the cool mist, the overall temperature in the room slightly drops, making it a good companion on hot sleepless summer nights.
Vicks Humidifier Menthol Pads and where to buy them
The Vicks has also got a double slot for VapoPads which are little pads soaked in methol oil, giving the air a pleasant methol scent. There are 2 included in the box. They, unfortunately, didn’t last very long, perhaps just over half a day.
You can buy refills on Amazon for under £10. The company also sells pads with Rosemary & Lavender scent for around £6. You can also buy a Vicks 21 bundle pack for £22 on Argos with 2 packs of methol and 1x Rosemary & Lavender scents.
Conclusion
Vicks Humidifier was certainly a smart purchase. More than easy to operate, quiet and although we don’t use the device every day, it surely comes in handy whenever any of the family members get sick or suffer on hot summer sleepless nights. For its relatively low price, with its benefits to health, I Am glad to own one.
