Info: Model U50 Ultrasonic Desktop Humidifier with LED Lighting
The humidity levels in either air conditioned or heated spaces can become so low that you end up being their unwilling moisture donor, which can take a real toll on your skin, hair and nails and aggravate respiratory problems. But with the small portable Boneco U50, you can protect yourself wherever you may be (whether an office, hotel, staying in someone else's home, or even in your vehicle).
Product Notes:
Great for small spaces, the portable Boneco Model U50 is about the same size as a large travel mug. In fact, because many people travel extensively in air-conditioned vehicles, it's actually designed to fit into the same cup holders they do, and with such a small footprint, it can also fit easily onto virtually any office desk or nightstand. And when you tighten the top as directed, there is a seal between it and the water reservoir on the bottom, so you can safely transport the unit without having to empty it first.
Ultrasonic
Rather than using heat to generate steam, the U50 uses the same type of ultrasonic technology used in many aromatherapy devices: a special 'transducer' disc which makes high-frequency vibrations, which transforms the water passing by it into an ultrafine mist. This consumes very little power, and generates very little noise.
To transport the water from the tank to the disc, this particular device uses a stick of cotton inside a tube to draw it up like a wick in an oil lamp. (It is in the middle of the head unit, as shown in the components diagram, which also shows the stick, spring, and tube separately, to the right.)
Lighting
These units also have an LED lighting function, to illuminate the ring around the middle of the tank, a strip in front of the unit, and especially a patterned grill on top, to highlight the mist emerging from the machine. These lights can either alternate between several colours, or be fixed on a single one, or be turned off altogether, depending on your preference, using the same control button that turns it on or off.
Consumables
The cotton stick wicks should be replaced after about three months of use (the device ships with one extra one, to provide six months of continuous use). They come in replacement packs of 6 cotton sticks (AU50) along with spare springs to fit in the tubes. As with any humidifier, you should also use a cleaner and descaler such as Boneco's EZCal (A7417) periodically, to remove the mineral deposits left by the water.
Technical Specifications
Dimensions (L x W x H): 10.2 x 10.2 x 13.5 cm (4 x 4 x 5.3 inches)
Weight (Empty): 240 g (0.53 lb)
Power Consumption: 3 Watts
Operational Noise Level: 30 - 35 dB(A)
Water Capacity: 200 ml (7.1 ounces) per fill; for up to 1.5 litres of output per day (if continually refilled)
What's Included in the Box:
The U50 Desktop Humidifier unit with LED lights; a USB-C power cable (stored in a container that fits underneath the tank); an additional cotton stick (to provide an additional 3 months of use before needing replacements); a Quick Manual; and Safety Instructions.
Power: While a power cable is included, it's meant for use with any existing USB phone charger or device; a separate plug-in adapter is not included.
Operating Directions:
Once you're already familiar with the device and have already extracted cable, it's really simply a matter of twisting off its cap, filling it with a bit of water, popping the cap back on, plugging both ends of the cable in, and hitting the button to power it on. But for more detail, the full initial steps for operating the device (8 essential, and 2 optional) that were set out in its universal operating manual have been extracted into one of the product photos here, to accompany the following explanation of them:
1) To remove the chamber which stores the USB cable, hold the device up in one hand, and grasp the handle of the clear plastic part on the bottom with your thumb and index finger, twist it to the left, and pull down.
2) Remove that cable, and replace the chamber (by reversing step 1).
3) To remove the top, hold the water tank (the bottom half of the device) with one hand, and twist it to the right and lift it up with the other.
4) Fill the water tank with up to 200 ml (about 7 ounces) of clean water.
5) Lower the top part back in and twist it closed.
6) Connect the smaller end of the cable to the port on the back of the top part.
7) Connect the larger end into your phone charger or any device capable of powering USB devices (be it a laptop or personal computer, or the console connection in a vehicle).
8) Click the button on the front quickly once to turn it on to its lower humidification setting, or twice to go to the higher setting, or a third time to turn it off.
9) Its default setting is to alternate between the various colors it can show in the thin strip on the front of the tank. But if you click on the button and hold it for three seconds, you can get it to stay on your preferred colour. To reverse that, click and hold for another three seconds.
10) Alternately, by holding the button for two seconds, you can deactivate the light altogether (and reverse that by clicking and holding for two seconds, once again).
Safety Feature
The unit will automatically shut itself off when it runs out of water. If you power it back up, the LED strip will flash red three times, to indicate that the unit is out of water and needs refilling.