Consumer Reports Gives Faulty Comfort Zone Humidifier a Don’t Buy Designation
Buying a product that has only a 50-50 chance of working right out of the box isn’t a good bet. But that’s what happened when Consumer Reports recently tested the Comfort Zone CZHD81 humidifier. Three of the first four samples we bought for between $36 and $47 did not work properly. So we bought four more at different retailers. One of them failed as well.
Given this performance inconsistency in samples purchased from multiple retailers and the fact that a consumer can't predict which units will work, we’re naming the Comfort Zone CZHD81 a Don’t Buy: Performance Problem. Here are the details.
The Comfort Zone is just one of dozens of humidifiers we’ve tested. It’s a cool-mist ultrasonic model designed for a medium-size room and can humidify up to 499 square feet. In all eight cases, the humidifier powered up when we plugged it in. But half of the models did not emit mist from the output port at the top of the unit, even when the fan was on high. In other words, it failed to perform its primary function.
We called the manufacturer after the first three failed, and the spokesman, Barry Jacobs, told us that Comfort Zone was aware of the problem and that it affected 5 percent of a batch of 70,000 models that were produced on the same day. The lot number for the four units that emitted mist and the four that didn't is 74435/CZHD81/083115. We asked Comfort Zone to comment again prior to publication but did not hear back by press time.
Comfort Zone says the defective model is covered under warranty. There’s a 12-month limited warranty, and if the unit fails within 30 days it can be returned to the retailer. After that, it must be sent to the manufacturer. Comfort Zone replaced defective units at no cost for its customers who called the company directly, regardless of the warranty.
To test the return policy, we sent one model that we originally bought at Walmart back to the manufacturer, and Comfort Zone replaced the faulty unit with one that worked. We returned a sample we purchased at Amazon to that retailer. Amazon refunded our money and we bought another sample. That one also worked. So if you own the humidifier and experience a problem, return it and get a new one. Given the performance problems we experienced out of the box, we did not put the humidifier through our full battery of tests.
Despite the attentive customer service, Consumer Reports believes the Comfort Zone CZHD81 should be designated a Don’t Buy. If you’re looking for a humidifier, consider one of these top performers from our tests.
● Small (26 to 299 square feet): CVS GUL540V1, $30
● Medium (300 to 499 sq. ft): Vicks V5100NS, $50
● Large: (500 to 999 sq. ft): SPT SU-4010, $75
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