Humidifiers / Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) vs Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B)
$89.95
VSVicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
$19.79
Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) vs Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B)
A fifteen-year-old evaporative workhorse with UV — and no humidistat at all.
Wins overall by 0.5 points
Quick Verdict
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.5 points. A fifteen-year-old evaporative workhorse with UV — and no humidistat at all.
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) and Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) are both closely matched humidifier models, and the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is $70.20 cheaper than the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) ($19.79 vs $89.95). On Safety Around Children, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads (9.5 vs 2.0/10) — burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery. On Running Cost, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads (8.5 vs 5.0/10) — wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase. On Cleaning & Access, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads (8.5 vs 6.5/10) — whether the tank opening takes an adult hand, whether any part is dishwasher-safe or boilable, and how realistic the manufacturer's stated cleaning interval is to actually keep to. Overall, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores 6.8/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) | Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89.95 | $19.79 |
| Release Year | 2009 | 2015 |
| Humidification Technology | Evaporative wick with a UV chamber in the water tray — a fan pulls air through the wet HAC-504AW filter | Warm steam vaporizer. Current is passed through the water itself to boil it, which is why Vicks' own FAQ states "These units require water with minerals in it in order to function properly" — pure water does not conduct, so the unit will simply not steam |
| White Dust & Mineral Aerosol | None. The mineral load stays in the wick, which is why Honeywell's manual explains that brown or rust-coloured "mineral deposit" staining on the filter is normal and does not affect performance. Tap water is fine | None. Boiling drops the minerals out as scale inside the steam unit rather than aerosolising them. The visible particulate this unit does emit is black, not white: Vicks' cleaning instructions tell you to flush it "until black particles are no longer emitted", and those are carbon from the element |
| Tank Capacity | 1.1 gal / 4.2 L | 1.5 gal / 5.7 L |
| Rated Output per Day | "2 US gallons (7.6 liters) output per day" per Honeywell's own manual — which is nearly twice the tank. Meeting the rated output means filling the 1.1 gal tank roughly twice a day, not once | Not published by the manufacturer as a gallons-per-day or mL/hr figure. The only throughput anchor is the tank divided by the quoted runtime |
| Quoted Runtime (and at which setting) | "Up to 24 hours" — on the LOW of three settings. That is 1.1 gal in 24 h, which is barely half the rated 2 gal/day output; the two headline numbers describe two different settings | Sources conflict: Vicks' own product page says "up to 24 hours", Target's listing for the same V150SGN says 18 hours. There is no output setting to attribute either figure to — the unit has one speed |
| Rated Room Coverage | Sources conflict: Honeywell's own product page says only "medium room" with no square footage, while FiltersFast's listing for the same model states 500-800 ft² | Sources conflict: Vicks' page and Walmart's listing say 600 ft², Target's listing for the same model says 300-500 ft² |
| Humidistat | None. Three fixed output speeds on a mechanical dial, no humidity sensor, no auto mode and no auto shut-off when the tank runs dry — you are the humidistat | None, and no output control either. One switch. It boils at full rate until the tank is empty or you unplug it — the single most over-humidification-prone unit in this set |
| Noise | Not published as a decibel figure by Honeywell; the product page says only "quiet operation". It is a 60W fan drawing air through a wet wick, so the top speed is clearly audible | Not published. There is no fan, so the noise is the boil; users describe intermittent gurgling and, when scaled or over-salted, spitting |
| Filters & Cartridges (Annual Cost) | Two separate consumables. The HAC-504 "Filter A" wick is $32.95 for a Honeywell 3-pack (a compatible FiltersFast 3-pack is $22.99) and Honeywell says replace it every 30-60 days. On top of that the Protec antimicrobial cartridge is a 30-day item. A full heating season is realistically $40-70 | None required — no filter, no wick, no cartridge. VapoPads and VapoSteam are optional add-ons Vicks would like to sell you; the unit runs on plain tap water |
| Cleaning Burden & Dishwasher-Safe Parts | Among the best here. The tank and tray go on the dishwasher's top rack, the tank opening takes a hand, and the manual's disinfection routine is one teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Honeywell says only that it "requires regular cleaning" without naming an interval; the EPA says every third day | Weekly, and the routine is specific: Vicks says soak the steam unit "in 4 inches of white vinegar for 10 minutes", flush until black particles stop, then disinfect the reservoir with "1 teaspoon of bleach per gallon" for 20 minutes. The tank opening is wide. Scale build-up is what causes the spitting complaints |
| UV / Antimicrobial Claim | Two claims, both qualified. The UV chamber is rated "Up to 99.9% Germ Free*", where the asterisk in Honeywell's own manual ties it to independent testing of microbial reduction after two hours of UV exposure — a water-tray claim, not an air claim. The wick itself is separately treated as a Protec antimicrobial filter | Boiling is the entire hygiene mechanism, and Vicks makes no germ-free or sterilisation marketing claim for it anywhere in the FAQ |
| Mist Temperature & Burn Risk | Cool, invisible vapour at room temperature — no burn risk at all, which is why this is the standard nursery recommendation | Boiling. Vicks' placement guidance is to keep the vaporizer "at least four feet away from bedside" on a heat-resistant, waterproof surface. A 638W element and 1.5 gallons of near-boiling water is a scald hazard a toddler can pull over |
| Warranty | 36 months | 36 months |
| Colors | White, Black | White |
Category Scores
Freedom From White Dust
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 10.0 against 9.5 — a 0.5-point margin on the thing marketing never mentions. Ultrasonic humidifiers aerosolise whatever is dissolved in the water and deposit it as white dust on furniture — the EPA notes they are 'very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air', along with microorganisms from the tank. Evaporative and boiled-steam units do not do this at all. A high score means the technology cannot produce dust; a low score means you are buying distilled water for the life of the machine.. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Output
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 7.0 — a 0.5-point margin on actual moisture put into the room per day in gallons or mL/hr, judged against the coverage the manufacturer claims — not the square-footage number on the box. If that is what you are buying for, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Runtime & Refill Interval
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 5.5 — a 1.5-point margin on how long a full tank really lasts at a useful output setting, rather than at the lowest setting the runtime is quoted for, and how painful the refill is. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Cleaning & Access
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 6.5 — a 2.0-point margin on whether the tank opening takes an adult hand, whether any part is dishwasher-safe or boilable, and how realistic the manufacturer's stated cleaning interval is to actually keep to. If that is what you are buying for, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 5.0 — a 3.5-point margin on wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-point margin on noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Humidity Control
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads clearly here, 3.0 against 1.0 — a 2.0-point margin on whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it. If that is what you are buying for, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Safety Around Children
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 2.0 — a 7.5-point margin on burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery. If that is what you are buying for, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) if…
- • Safety Around Children matters most to you — the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores 9.5/10 here (burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery).
- • Cleaning & Access matters most to you — the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores 8.5/10 here (whether the tank opening takes an adult hand, whether any part is dishwasher-safe or boilable, and how realistic the manufacturer's stated cleaning interval is to actually keep to).
- • Humidity Control matters most to you — the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores 3.0/10 here (whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it).
- • Your main use case is nursery.
Choose the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) if…
- • Running Cost matters most to you — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 8.5/10 here (wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase).
- • Quietness matters most to you — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 8.0/10 here (noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims).
- • You want to spend less — it's $70.20 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is warm-mist.
Pros & Cons
Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B)
Pros
- +Evaporative plus UV: no white dust, no distilled water, and a genuine (if narrowly worded) kill stage on the water
- +Tank and tray are top-rack dishwasher safe, which almost nothing else in this category can say
- +2 gal/day rated output is real humidification, not a desktop trickle
- +Three-year warranty and a filter supply chain that has existed for fifteen years — parts are trivially available
Cons
- −No humidistat, no auto mode and no auto shut-off — it runs until you stop it, and the FiltersFast listing states the omission outright
- −The 2 gal/day output and the 24-hour runtime cannot both be true at once: the 1.1 gal tank means hitting rated output requires two fills a day
- −Two stacked consumables — a $23-33 three-pack of wicks every 30-60 days plus a 30-day Protec cartridge
- −Honeywell publishes no square footage and no decibel rating; retailers fill the gap with a 500-800 ft² figure Honeywell does not make
- −Honeywell's own store now marks the HCM350 discontinued and points buyers at the HEV320W, even though the model is still stocked and supported elsewhere
Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
Pros
- +Under $20 for 1.5 gallons of genuinely sterile, dust-free steam — nothing else here is close on price per gallon
- +Zero consumables: no wick, no cartridge, no distilled water, nothing to buy again
- +No fan, so there is no fan noise, and a three-year Vicks warranty at this price
- +Wide tank opening and a published, specific weekly vinegar-and-bleach cleaning routine
Cons
- −It cannot run on distilled or heavily filtered water. Vicks' own FAQ tells you to add "one or two pinches (1/8 tsp) of salt" — up to half a teaspoon — and warns that "too much salt can cause excessive boiling or blow a fuse"
- −638W of boiling water with no output control and no humidistat: one switch, full rate, until the tank runs dry
- −Real scald risk — Vicks says keep it four feet from the bed on a heat-resistant surface, which makes it a poor choice for a toddler's room despite the branding
- −Vicks and its own retailers disagree on both runtime (24h vs 18h) and coverage (600 ft² vs 300-500 ft²) for the same SKU
- −Emits black carbon flakes as the element wears, and the weekly vinegar flush is mandatory rather than advisory
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) or Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Safety Around Children, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores higher on Safety Around Children (9.5/10 vs 2.0/10) — burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery.
Which is better for Running Cost, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Running Cost (8.5/10 vs 5.0/10) — wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase.
Which is better for Cleaning & Access, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) scores higher on Cleaning & Access (8.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — whether the tank opening takes an adult hand, whether any part is dishwasher-safe or boilable, and how realistic the manufacturer's stated cleaning interval is to actually keep to.
Which is better for Quietness, the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Quietness (8.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims.
Is the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) worth the price difference over the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is the cheaper option at $19.79 versus $89.95. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Safety Around Children.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) is the better fit if you mainly care about nursery. The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is the better fit for warm-mist.
What's the warranty on the Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) vs the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) ships with a 36-month warranty; the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) ships with a 36-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Premium Option
Canopy Bedside Humidifier 2.0 — $159.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.