Humidifiers / Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) vs Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)
Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
$19.79
VSPure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)
$39.99
Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) vs Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)
Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series)
$20 of boiled steam that literally will not run on distilled water.
Wins overall by 0.9 points
Quick Verdict
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.9 points. $20 of boiled steam that literally will not run on distilled water.
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) and Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) are both current-generation humidifier models, and the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is $20.20 cheaper than the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) ($19.79 vs $39.99). On Safety Around Children, the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) leads (8.5 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 Freedom From White Dust, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads (10.0 vs 4.0/10) — 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.. On Output, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads (7.0 vs 3.0/10) — 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. Overall, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 6.3/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 5.4/10 for the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) | Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.79 | $39.99 |
| Release Year | 2015 | 2015 |
| Humidification Technology | 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 | Ultrasonic cool mist — a piezo disc atomises water into a visible plume |
| White Dust & Mineral Aerosol | 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 | Yes, and Pure Enrichment says so in its own catalogue: the MistAire Decalcification Cartridge Filter is described as reducing "white dust from minerals in tap water". It is a $12.99 accessory, not included, and Pure Enrichment recommends changing it every six months. the EPA's "Use and Care of Home Humidifiers" states that ultrasonic and impeller humidifiers "are very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air" and that they "can disperse materials, such as microorganisms and minerals, from their water tanks into indoor air" |
| Tank Capacity | 1.5 gal / 5.7 L | 1.7 L / 0.45 gal — the smallest tank here after the Canopy |
| Rated Output per Day | 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 | Published: 120 mL/hr on high and 60 mL/hr on low, i.e. 2.9 L/day and 1.4 L/day. That is a desk-scale output and Pure Enrichment is honest about it |
| Quoted Runtime (and at which setting) | 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 | Up to 25 hours on LOW, up to 12 hours on HIGH — Pure Enrichment publishes both, which almost nobody else in this set does |
| Rated Room Coverage | Sources conflict: Vicks' page and Walmart's listing say 600 ft², Target's listing for the same model says 300-500 ft² | Up to 250 ft² (Pure Enrichment) — the smallest claim here, and the only one that is consistent with the published output |
| 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 | None. Two mist settings on a dial and an auto shut-off for a dry tank. No humidity sensor, no auto mode, no readout |
| Noise | Not published. There is no fan, so the noise is the boil; users describe intermittent gurgling and, when scaled or over-salted, spitting | Not published as a decibel figure — Pure Enrichment says "whisper quiet". At 12W with no fan the noise is the ultrasonic hum and the water |
| Filters & Cartridges (Annual Cost) | 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 | Optional decalcification cartridge at $12.99, changed every six months — about $26/yr if you use it. Nothing is required for the unit to run, but running it on tap water without the cartridge is what generates the dust |
| Cleaning Burden & Dishwasher-Safe Parts | 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 | Small, so it is quick, but the 1.7L tank neck is narrow and the supplied disk brush exists precisely because you cannot get a hand round the transducer. Nothing is dishwasher-safe. At 1.7L you are handling it daily anyway |
| UV / Antimicrobial Claim | Boiling is the entire hygiene mechanism, and Vicks makes no germ-free or sterilisation marketing claim for it anywhere in the FAQ | None claimed. No UV, no antimicrobial coating, no bacteriostatic additive supported |
| Mist Temperature & Burn Risk | 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 | Cool mist at room temperature — no burn risk, and no thermal kill step on the water |
| Warranty | 36 months | 60 months |
| Colors | White | White, Gray |
Category Scores
Freedom From White Dust
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 10.0 against 4.0 — a 6.0-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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Output
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 3.0 — a 4.0-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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Runtime & Refill Interval
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 3.5 — a 3.5-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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) 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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) 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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) and Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) are level here, at 8.0/10 each. noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Humidity Control
The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) leads clearly here, 2.0 against 1.0 — a 1.0-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 Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 2.0 — a 6.5-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 Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) if…
- • Freedom From White Dust matters most to you — the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores 10.0/10 here (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.).
- • 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).
- • 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).
- • You want to spend less — it's $20.20 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is warm-mist or no-white-dust.
Choose the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) if…
- • Safety Around Children matters most to you — the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) scores 8.5/10 here (burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery).
- • Humidity Control matters most to you — the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) scores 2.0/10 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.
Pros & Cons
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
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)
Pros
- +A five-year warranty at $39.99, which no other humidifier in this comparison comes close to
- +Publishes both output (120/60 mL/hr) and runtimes for both settings — rare honesty at this price
- +Pure Enrichment openly sells a cartridge described as reducing "white dust from minerals in tap water", so the problem is at least acknowledged
- +12W and auto shut-off; small enough to sit on a desk without dominating it
Cons
- −1.7L and 120 mL/hr is a desk humidifier, not a bedroom one — a full tank on high lasts twelve hours and covers 250 ft² at best
- −Ultrasonic, so it makes white dust; the demineralisation cartridge that reduces it is a $12.99 accessory sold separately on a six-month cycle
- −No humidistat of any kind — two settings on a dial and nothing that senses the room
- −Narrow tank neck means you clean the transducer with the supplied brush rather than your hand
- −No antimicrobial or UV stage, and Pure Enrichment publishes no noise figure
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) or Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) 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 Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) or the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) scores higher on Safety Around Children (8.5/10 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 Freedom From White Dust, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) or the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Freedom From White Dust (10.0/10 vs 4.0/10) — 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..
Which is better for Output, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) or the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Output (7.0/10 vs 3.0/10) — 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.
Which is better for Runtime & Refill Interval, the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) or the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) scores higher on Runtime & Refill Interval (7.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — 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.
Is the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) worth the price difference over the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is the cheaper option at $19.79 versus $39.99. 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 Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) is the better fit if you mainly care about warm-mist or no-white-dust. The Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) is the better fit for nursery.
What's the warranty on the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) vs the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF)?+
The Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) ships with a 36-month warranty; the Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) ships with a 60-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.
Cheaper Option
Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer V150 (V150SGN / V150RY series) — $19.79
Premium Option
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) — $39.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.