Roolen BREATH Humidifier FirstLook
Humidifiers are great for adding moisture to dry Winter air. We run our humidifier from November until April. The added moisture makes the room feel warmer, breathing easier, and virtually eliminates the static shocks so common to this time of the year. Unfortunately, humidifiers are…not the most attractive of devices. We put up with them because we value the function over the form. However, we secretly wished for a unit which was attractive, quiet, and simple to operate. With the Roolen BREATH, it appears that our wish has been granted.
The Roolen BREATH is a “smart ultrasonic humidifier.” It has the following specs:
- Humidifying Capacity 400sq.ft / 28m2
- Noise < 25db
- Available Colors Black, White
- Weight 1.1KG
- Dimensions 20x20x26 cm
- Rating Voltage 100-240v Frequency 50/60hz Power 20W
- Water Tank Capacity 3.15 L
- Low / High / Auto Mode
- Run Time 24 hrs / 12 hrs / 24+ hrs
The Roolen BREATH humidifier is about as simple to operate as a light switch. There is one button and three settings: Low, High, Auto. The LED in the front of the unit changes color to indicate the currently selected mode. The water tank is easy to fill and has a three liter capacity, sufficient to continously humidify a room for 24 hours on the Low setting. For us, it translated to about four days of unattended automatic operation.
The unit is small in size but works as well if not better than our larger unit. The small size has the benefit of being able to be placed on a desk, night stand, as well as the floor. The unit is comprised of two parts, the tank and the base. All the “smarts” (fan, atomizer, sensor, etc) are housed in the base. Pressing the latch will release the catch holding the tank in place and allow it to be lifted from the base.
Filling the tank is simple: Lift the tank, unscrew the cap, fill with water, replace the cap, place back onto the base. No fuss, no muss. Note that the use of filtered water is recommended, but tap water may be used. It just means that the unit may have to have some periodic maintenance to cleanse it of hard-water residue and the like.
The first thing we noticed after turning the BREATH on was that it was SILENT! The only thing that indicated that the machine was working was the color LED (green) in the front. A moment later, a fine mist was propelled into the air about a foot or so and gently cascaded down/dissipated. To raise the moisture level higher, just put the unit on High (bright green). The downside of this mode is that if air circulation is not that strong, you will get some wetness on the floor or on the surface around the unit. We would not recommend leaving the unit on the “High” setting around your computer or other electronics. We found that if the unit was set to “Auto” this doesn’t happen.
After using the unit for a few days, we can say that the Roolen BREATH works exactly as advertised. In Auto mode (white LED), it ran until it reached some internally set limit, turned itself off, and came back on when it detected that more humidity was needed. According to the Roolen spec, the lower threshold would be a bit above 40% and the upper limit just under 60% relative humidity.
What would we like to see in Version 2 of the BREATH? We would love to see the following:
- Water level indicator – While the unit will shut down when the water gets too low, some users would like to be able to glance at the side and get an idea of where things stand. No biggie. Just a “nice to have.”
- A more powerful fan – We would love to see the moisture distributed to a larger area. However, we would not be willing to trade that for a higher noise level. Yeah, we are hard to please.
- Battery operated – OK. This may be a crazy request, but we would love to be able to use this unit anywhere. Yes…battery powered, but rechargeable. Thank You.
BTW, the BREATH is not just for home use. Whether you work in a cubicle or in an open-office, if the air is not to your liking, consider putting a BREATH humidifier
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