Humidifiers / Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier
$54.95
VSVicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
$19.79
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier
Genuinely sterile boiled steam for $55, and a scalding chamber to go with it.
Wins overall by 0.1 points
Quick Verdict
This is close. The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier edges ahead by 0.1 points, but that margin is inside the noise — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is a defensible pick on its own terms. $20 of boiled steam that literally will not run on distilled water.
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier 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 $35.20 cheaper than the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier ($19.79 vs $54.95). On Humidity Control, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads (2.5 vs 1.0/10) — 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. On Safety Around Children, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads (3.5 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 Runtime & Refill Interval, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads (7.0 vs 6.0/10) — 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. Overall, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 6.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. 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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier | Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $54.95 | $19.79 |
| Release Year | 2018 | 2015 |
| Humidification Technology | Warm mist — Honeywell's manual: "The tank feeds water into the boiling chamber where it is heated to a steam vapor". A resistive element does the boiling; there is no fan and no wick | 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. Boiling leaves minerals behind as scale in the chamber rather than aerosolising them, which is the whole reason warm-mist and steam units are dust-free — and also why the chamber needs descaling | 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 gal / 3.7 L | 1.5 gal / 5.7 L |
| Rated Output per Day | Not published by the manufacturer — neither Honeywell's manual nor its store page gives a gallons-per-day or mL/hr figure for the HWM845 | 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" — Honeywell's store page attaches this to the LOW of two comfort settings. On high, a 1-gallon tank boiled away goes very much faster | 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: Walmart's listing for the HWM845B says 400 ft², office-supply listings for the identical SKU say 520 ft², and Honeywell's own store page says only "medium" room | Sources conflict: Vicks' page and Walmart's listing say 600 ft², Target's listing for the same model says 300-500 ft² |
| Humidistat | None. Two fixed comfort settings on a knob, no humidity sensor, no auto mode. There is an auto shut-off for an empty tank, which is a safety cut-out and not humidity control | 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. There is no fan, so the only noise is the boil itself — genuinely among the quietest ways to humidify a bedroom, at the cost of the heat | 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) | Nothing is required — it is filter-free. Honeywell offers the optional Protec PC2V1 antimicrobial cleaning cartridge on a 30-day cycle (roughly $20-30/yr if you use it), but the unit runs without it | 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 | Honeywell's manual says "Weekly cleaning is recommended" and prescribes two cups of distilled white vinegar in the reservoir for 20 minutes to strip scale, plus a separate bleach disinfection. The tank opening is wide; nothing is dishwasher-safe. Skip the descaling and the element fouls and output collapses | 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 | Boiling is the kill stage — no UV lamp and no antimicrobial wick. The optional Protec cartridge is a tank-side cleaning aid, not a certified disinfection claim | 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 | Boiled. Honeywell's manual is explicit: "DO NOT touch the steam vapor. Steam can cause burns" and the unit "produces hot steam". The output is genuinely sterile; the trade-off is a reservoir of near-boiling water in the room | 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 | Black | White |
Category Scores
Freedom From White Dust
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier and Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) are level here, at 10.0/10 each. 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. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Output
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — 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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Runtime & Refill Interval
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Cleaning & Access
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 6.5 against 6.0 — a 0.5-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 8.0 — a 0.5-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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-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 Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Humidity Control
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 2.5 against 1.0 — a 1.5-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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 3.5 against 2.0 — a 1.5-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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier if…
- • Humidity Control matters most to you — the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 2.5/10 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).
- • Safety Around Children matters most to you — the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 3.5/10 here (burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery).
- • Quietness matters most to you — the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 9.0/10 here (noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims).
Choose the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) if…
- • Runtime & Refill Interval matters most to you — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 7.0/10 here (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).
- • Output matters most to you — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 7.0/10 here (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).
- • You want to spend less — it's $35.20 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier
Pros
- +The vapour is genuinely sterilised by boiling — no white dust and no aerosolised tank bacteria, unlike any ultrasonic here
- +No fan means no fan noise; for a light sleeper this is quieter than any wick or ultrasonic unit in this set
- +Truly filter-free — there is no consumable you are required to buy, which over three years undercuts the evaporative units badly
- +Three-year Honeywell warranty at $54.95, and a wide tank opening you can get a hand into
Cons
- −It boils water in a child's bedroom; Honeywell's own manual warns the steam "can cause burns" and to keep it away from children
- −No humidistat whatsoever — two knob positions and nothing that senses the room
- −Weekly vinegar descaling is not optional: mineral scale on the heating element is what kills these units, and Honeywell's manual prescribes the routine
- −Retail listings disagree on coverage — 400 ft² at Walmart versus 520 ft² on office-supply listings for the same SKU — and Honeywell publishes no number at all
- −No published output figure, so the only throughput data point is a 1-gallon tank over 24 hours on low
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 HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier 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 Humidity Control, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores higher on Humidity Control (2.5/10 vs 1.0/10) — 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.
Which is better for Safety Around Children, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores higher on Safety Around Children (3.5/10 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 Runtime & Refill Interval, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Runtime & Refill Interval (7.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — 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.
Which is better for Quietness, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores higher on Quietness (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims.
Is the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier 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 $54.95. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Humidity Control.
What's the warranty on the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier 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
Honeywell HCM350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier (HCM350W / HCM350B) — $89.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.