Rowenta Aqua Perfect

If there’s one downside to our climate-controlled homes, it’s how dry the air inside can be—especially in the winter. Thankfully, a humidifier can make all the difference to your family’s comfort and health. With its sleek design and quiet operation, the Rowenta Aqua Perfect is a great option for adding some moisture back into your environment. It has three settings: control, which allows you to set your desired relative humidity (RH) level; continuous, which runs the machine on high until RH reaches 90 percent or the reservoir is empty; and auto-comfort, which turns the machine on and off based on the room’s temperature and ideal humidity level, determined by readings by the humidifier’s internal thermostat and humidistat. The Rowenta also includes three mist volume options—low, medium and high—as well as a warm mist function, a timer and empty tank indicator.

In our lab tests, the Rowenta air purifier had one of the highest total outputs, meaning it converted more water than most humidifiers. But it is intended for rooms up to 577 sq. ft.—significantly greater than the maximum coverage area of many humidifiers—and overall, its output in relation to the coverage area was fairly middle-of-the-road. That said, in most living spaces, you’re going to get all the humidification you’d want with this humidifier. And if you want a model that you can move between large living spaces and smaller bedrooms, this one will have you covered.

Families that tested the Rowenta Aqua Perfect at home said it did a good job increasing the humidity, whether they ran the unit on the low, medium or high mist volume. And some said they slept better and had fewer scratchy throats. Plus, our editors and parents love that you can set a desired humidity level in control mode or use the auto-comfort mode and basically forget about it (aside from refilling the tank when needed).

Small appliances that have a motor can be noisy on some settings, but the Rowenta Aqua Perfect is super quiet. In our lab, we noticed no change in the noise levels with increased mist output, and parents who tested this model at home loved how quiet it was. Plus, if you’re running the humidifier in a bedroom, Night Mode turns off the unit’s lights and sounds so they don’t disrupt your sleep (though the lights are quite dim if you forget).

Easy-to-use products are a must for busy families, and both editors and testers found this one simple to set up and use—though it's worth noting that the quick start guide on the box is easier to follow than the somewhat wordy instruction manual. The digital control panel is easy to read, and most parents had no problems adjusting settings or using the timer. And with its large 5.87-litre tank, the Rowenta Aqua Perfect can run for about two days on continuous mode without needing to be refilled (though this can vary, depending on how dry the room is). When the water level is low, a red indicator light flashes and three beeps will sound, so you’ll never be caught running a dry machine, though if you do neglect to refill the tank, the humidifier will turn off automatically—an important safety feature. Filling the tank is straightforward and can be done easily in most kitchen sinks. But it’s worth noting that you have to turn a dial on the side of the humidifier to release the water tank—easy to do, but if you forget and try to lift the tank off (or don’t read the manual first), it can become stuck.

Cleaning a humidifier is often the most labour-intensive part of using it, and it’s one thing you don’t want to be lax about. The insides of the unit get warm and humid, and depending on the materials, they can be dark—and that’s the perfect breeding ground for mould and bacteria. Rowenta recommends cleaning the tank and stopper once a week with mild soap and warm water, and provides two packets of cleaner/descaler for the vaporizer unit, which should be cleaned whenever scale begins to appear. (Rowenta advises Krups brand anticalc kits can be used for descaling the vaporizer as well.) One thing our parent testers really appreciated was that the Rowenta doesn’t have any filters to change or clean, which is one less thing to think about.

Given that it can be used in fairly large rooms, the fact that the Rowenta Aqua Perfect comes with a remote is a super-handy feature. However, figuring out how to use it isn’t the easiest when going by the instruction manual. That said, with a range of 16 feet, it’s still an option we’re happy about.

FINAL WORD

Overall, our parent testers and editors thought the Rowenta Aqua Perfect is a great option for adding some much-needed moisture back into the air, thanks to its quiet operation, ease-of-use and effectiveness. Plus, its output is significantly greater than a lot of other humidifiers, and it's suitable for larger rooms, offering lots of versatility as your family grows and your needs change.