Review on Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - Filter Free - 1 Gallon - 500 Sq Ft Coverage - Ideal Air Humidifier for Plants, Home, Bedroom, Baby Nursery, Office - Grey by Lori Marquez

I think it's mostly for aesthetics. A) The cord is short, 3 feet maximum. The instructions state to place the device on a table that is at least 2 feet high. I couldn't place my device on a 4ft tall dresser because the cord is too short to reach the outlet. The instructions also state not to place the device on carpet, fabric, wood or metal. OK. What remains is plastic. So you will need a 2 to 2.5 foot tall plastic table to use this. I decided to put my plastic lunch tray on the floor and use it. It's only 2 inches above the carpet, but it's the best I can do. b) The plastic is thin and feels flimsy. The outlet simply sits on top of the device. It doesn't screw or snap into place. So that should be fine for children's rooms, but you have to place the unit 2ft up (within reach of toddlers) on a plastic table (that won't tip over?) and the child can just take the spout right off the unit. Apparently, this device was created by someone who has never been around children under the age of 5. C) The device is very small. My toddler (19m) can lift a pool of water. As soon as I filled the basin, turned it upside down and put it in the base, half the water flowed down and the basin remained half empty. You can't add water from the top (it says right on the unit) so it's a waste of space in my opinion. I will probably need to refill the tank every 3 hours when using it at high power! Probably best for a small office or hotel room. D) The instructions say to use distilled water or their special filters. I use these devices every day, so the idea of spending about 90 cents every 26-48 hours on just one device is nonsense. I think I'll see how much the filters cost. I am currently using tap water. E) The sink may be difficult to insert into the base. Just rotate the base to face you and rotate the Crane logo towards you and it should be easier. This can be difficult the first few times. Pros: A) No big light to disturb sleep. b) Very reassuring to watch. The hollow cylinder in the middle fills up for the most part and rolls up very relaxed. The bubbles are like an aquarium filter. Nice to see. C) A cool mist flows pleasantly from above in a gentle jet. On first use it smells like a hospital/brand new barbie/a box of fresh plastic band-aids D) Really quiet. It's barely audible, which is where my senior complained that our other unit was noisy. This block will be very good for sleeping. Summary: I was planning to buy 2 of these units, one for each child's bedroom, but I only use these in my 7 year old's room and am finding something different for the child's bedroom. Not recommended for children ages 1-6 or in areas with active pets. Monitor and track when you need to refill as it will likely be at least every 8 hours. Make sure you have suitable bottled water and filtered or distilled water. My other device (for my room) is just a little more powerful and is a warm mist and I feel like it uses less water. Edit 04/05/18: My toddler was recently able to remove the control cover. but she just keeps running into her brother's room and cranks him up every time he leaves his door open. She also pulled her nose out a few times as predicted. She loves it though, so I bought her my own in white for her room. I'll put it on a plastic tray on her wooden dresser if the cord is long enough (so she can't reach it). Otherwise, you can use an extension cord. Cable. Still not 100% excited about this product but it was on sale. I plan to get a more kid-friendly brand for the living room.