In-depth reviews guided by a Pediatrician

Crane Adorable Review

Cutest package with high mist output and a family-friendly price
Top Pick Award
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Price:   $50 List | $45 at Amazon
Pros:  Cute, easy to clean base, filterless, large tank
Cons:  Mist output varies, larger footprint
Manufacturer:   Crane
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and Bob Wofford  ⋅  Sep 16, 2018
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66
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#3 of 10
  • Ease of Cleaning - 45% 5
  • Effectiveness - 25% 8
  • Noise - 20% 9
  • Ease of Use - 10% 5

The Skinny

The Crane Adorable ultrasonic humidifier comes in a variety of animal designs with various mist output locations. It is a cheery addition to any baby's nursery and operates quietly to keep little ones resting peacefully. This unit is a strong performer with continuous mist output and easy dial operation. While this unit creates a good deal of humidity and has a reasonable price tag, it is more difficult to clean than most and it lacks any kind of programmability to monitor or limit humidity without regular monitoring. Despite this, we think this humidifier is so cute and quiet that it may be a good fit for some nurseries. If you don't mind more effort to clean it and you value cute and quiet over bells and whistles, then the Crane Adorable could be a good fit for you.


Compare to Similar Products

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This Product
Crane Adorable
Awards Top Pick Award Editors' Choice Award Best Value Award  Top Pick Award 
Price $50.00 List
$44.99 at Amazon - 10% off		$160.00 List
$159.99 at Amazon		$30.00 List
$24.99 at Amazon - 17% off		$120.00 List
$89.99 at Amazon - 25% off		$38.00 List
$35.99 at Amazon - 5% off
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Pros Cute, easy to clean base, filterless, large tankVery effective, high quality, limited parts, fill from the topPrice, easy to cleanEasier to clean and useQuiet, budget-friendly, effective, small footprint
Cons Mist output varies, larger footprintExpensive, louder, some parts are hard to cleanSmall capacity, limited features, louderMore noise and less effective, expensiveChallenging to clean and not as easy to use, always on light
Bottom Line Budget-friendly and effective make this cute humidifier a no-brainerEffective unit you fill from the top but it is louder and costs moreEasy to clean parts and a budget-friendly price make this compact choice a real people pleaserLess effective and expensive for a louder than average unitLess effective but the quiet operation and lower price make it a potential option
Rating Categories Crane Adorable Boneco U300 Honeywell HUL520 Levoit LV600HH TaoTronics TT-AH002
Ease Of Cleaning (45%)
10
0
5
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
7
10
0
5
Effectiveness (25%)
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
6
10
0
5
10
0
7
Noise (20%)
10
0
9
10
0
5
10
0
5
10
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6
10
0
9
Ease Of Use (10%)
10
0
5
10
0
7
10
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6
10
0
7
10
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4
Specs Crane Adorable Boneco U300 Honeywell HUL520 Levoit LV600HH TaoTronics TT-AH002
Mist Type Cool Cool Cool Cool
Warm		 Cool
Technology Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic Ultrasonic
Tank Capacity 1 gal 1.3 gal 0.5 gal 1.5 gal 1 gal
Visible Water Reservoir Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Room Humidification Area (Sq Ft) 250 sf 540 sf Small Rooms 285 sf 270 sf
Max Run Time Up To 24 hrs Not Specified Up To 20 hrs Up To 20 hrs Up To 10 hrs
Humidity Output Control Variable Mist Control Variable Mist Control Variable Mist Control Variable Mist Control
Humidistat		 Variable Mist Control
Demineralization Cartridge/Filter No Yes No No Yes
Night Light No No No No No
Empty Tank Auto-Shut Off Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dimensions (BGL) 9.5"W x 12"H x 9.5"L 12.3"W x 12.7"H x 6.6"L 8.1"W x 9"H x 8.1"L 7.6"W x 11.2"H x 12"L 8.5"W x 14.2"H x 5.5"L
Empty Weight (BGL) 4 lbs 6.5 lbs 2.6 lbs 5 lbs 2.7 lbs
Max Operation Noise Level in dB (BGL) #REF! #REF! #REF! #REF! #REF!

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Crane company is part of the Wachsmuth & Krogmann, Inc (W&K) company working out of Itasca, Illinois. Crane launched in 2005, and they continue to add new designs regularly. Crane designs their products with style and efficiency in mind to make you smile. Crane sells humidifiers, air purifiers, and personal fans and heaters.

Performance Comparison



Only a few areas of the Adorable base are challenging to clean. It is easier if you invest in a straw brush that will let you reach in the float and mist output vent.
Only a few areas of the Adorable base are challenging to clean. It is easier if you invest in a straw brush that will let you reach in the float and mist output vent.

Ease of Cleaning


Earning a 5 of 10 in ease of cleaning, the Adorable has a relatively simple design with only a few parts. Each animal has a slightly different design, but each has only a few pieces with a base, tank, and decorative "face." Crane recommends changing the water daily and completely cleaning weekly. The base is easy to clean, but the tank is hard to clean because your hand won't fit, and a bottle brush may not reach all parts of the container. Cleaning the inside of the tank requires water and vinegar soaking for at least 20 minutes. The faceplate also requires removal to wipe condensation on the underside to avoid microbe accumulation.

The tank opening on the Adorable is much too small for any hand to fit inside. It is a good idea to add a bottle brush to your cleaning kit so you can reach inside to ensure no mold or bacteria buildup occurs.
The tank opening on the Adorable is much too small for any hand to fit inside. It is a good idea to add a bottle brush to your cleaning kit so you can reach inside to ensure no mold or bacteria buildup occurs.

Because this Crane is filterless, we recommend using distilled or filtered water to reduce white dust and minerals in the air. With tap water, you'll need to purchase the Crane Universal Filter, which should be changed about every 60 fillings.

The Frog Adorable is very effective with high mist output and one mist port on the top of the head.
The Frog Adorable is very effective with high mist output and one mist port on the top of the head.

Effectiveness


The Frog Adorable performs well enough for effectiveness compared to the competition. This score is better than the Cow Adorable from our previous review. We aren't sure why the Frog created more humidity, and we aren't sure if this is a design difference or an indication of poor quality control. This unit starts strong, and after an hour, produced one of the highest levels of humidity in our tests.

Noise


This Adorable is very quiet. The Frog creates less than 40 decibels according to our tests, while the previous Cow made 52 decibels. This disparity indicates there is a noise difference between animals likely based on the faceplate and mist output design.

The Adorable has a single variable mist control knob to control the humidity output.
The Adorable has a single variable mist control knob to control the humidity output.

Ease of Use


The Adorable has a basic dial adjustment knob for humidity production. This dial is easy enough to use, but the inability to monitor humidity or program it to maintain a certain humidity level hurt its ease of use score earning only a 5 of 10. Also, the mist on the Frog is not direction adjustable and only shoots out of his head. Each animal is different, but none have mist diverters you can control. To send the mist in another direction, you have to reposition the entire unit.

The handle on the Crane Adorable humidifier is embossed with the words "Don't carry full tank by handle."
The handle on the Crane Adorable humidifier is embossed with the words "Don't carry full tank by handle."

The Adorable has a tank handle you can't use when full, which is a bummer because the shape of the tank is awkward and hard to hold when wet. You can only use it to lift an empty container from its base. Also, filling the tank is challenging because the tank top is round, so you'll need to hold the tank to prevent it from tipping over.

The Adorable tank is relatively large but difficult to fill because it won't stand on its own.
The Adorable tank is relatively large but difficult to fill because it won't stand on its own.

The Adorable tank holds 1-gallon of water, making it one of the larger options we tested with a capacity that can run all night on high without running out of water.

Free Nightlight Alert
If your little one needs complete darkness to sleep, this humidifier may not be a good option. The "on" light at the front of the unit is very bright, and you cannot turn it off while the unit is running.

Manufacturer Video


Cleaning guidelines


— Juliet Spurrier, MD and Bob Wofford