Expensive, but very effective.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Extremely effective, easy to use

Cons: Works best with Venta Additive

The Bottom Line: 
Get over the price issue and buy it.

Author's Review
I was initially attracted by the promises of not having to worry about bacteria-ridden filter pads. The price is somewhat off-putting, but I thought I'd take a chance, particularly since Bed Bath & Beyond provides a two-week refund period. I will say that I was slightly disappointed the learn that I needed to use the venta washing additive for optimal operation. To test the validity of this claim, I tried using the unit initially without the solution. I found that the unit works much better with the solution, so factor this into your decision.

Anyway, I gave it a two-week trial, all the while suspecting that I'd end up returning it within the first two-weeks. However, I was amazed at the difference it made. I live in New York City, in an older building with an abundance of centralized radiator heat. Anyone who's visited in NYC in the winter knows how overheated the buildings are and how dry your skin becomes in the winter. This thing pumps out two gallons of water in the air a day when operated on the medium setting. My skin is no longer dry, my sinuses are not clogged, and it seems to reduce the amount of dust. When I come home from work and open the door, the difference between the dry air in the common hallway and the humid air in my apartment is amazing.

I'm not sure that these things are optimal for every type of heating system. For instance, if you have a forced air system, which blows hot air around the room, etc., they may not work as well. But for my one-bedroom apartment with radiator heat, it works amazingly. I love how the thing is self-regulating - there's never an over-abundance of moisture or the smell of mildew. It also appears to do a great job cleaning the air - the color of the water that remains in the system after two weeks is slightly horrifying.

The design is very simple, but effective. My only complaints are that it's rather unattractive, and that there's no way to determine if it needs refilling. Though to be fair, at least it's not over-designed like some of its competitors which look almost like little robots. Additionally, I suppose that a simple design is best since fancier features, like auto shut-off, etc., are just features waiting to break-down.