HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe vs HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe Warm & Cool
In short: The HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe costs $60 less; the HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe genuinely holds a larger room (123 sq ft against 96 sq ft); they are different mechanisms entirely — ultrasonic against hybrid; the HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe costs about $66 less a year in wicks and watts.
| Spec | HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe | HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe Warm & Cool |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$100 | ~$160 |
| Type | Ultrasonic | Hybrid |
| Mist | cool | Warm and cool |
| Rated output | 0.5 gal/day | 0.39 gal/day |
| Output standard | Computed from the tank and the maker's longest runtime claim — the lowest setting | Computed from the tank and the maker's longest runtime claim — the lowest setting |
| Honest room size | 123 sq ft | 96 sq ft |
| Claimed coverage | 426 sq ft | 521 sq ft |
| Claim vs physics | 3.46× | 5.43× |
| Tank size | 1.47 gal | 1.38 gal |
| Runtime at the claimed room | 20 hr | 16 hr |
| Real runtime at full output | — | — |
| Yearly running cost | ~$39 | ~$105 |
| Replaceable media | Demineralisation cartridge | Demineralisation cartridge |
| White dust risk | No | No |
| Humidistat | Yes | Yes |
| Noise on low | 17 dB | 21 dB |
| Top fill | Yes | Yes |
| Dishwasher-safe tank | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Power | 30 W | 260 W |
Highlighted cells are the better number in that row, and only where a direction is unambiguous — more output and more supported room, less noise, cost and price. Honest room size and runtime are computed from each maker’s own published figures; here is the calculation.
Pros and cons
HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe
- Demineralisation cartridge and a real humidistat together at $100 is good value
- Tower shape takes almost no floor area for the water it holds
- The 426 sq ft claim is at least specific enough to look calculated rather than invented
- Filter reminder actually prompts the cartridge change, which is otherwise easy to forget
- About half a gallon a day at the 70-hour setting - the runtime headline and the coverage headline are very far apart
- Cartridges every month or two at roughly $7.50 each
- The tall narrow tank is hard to clean inside despite the top fill
- No app; the controls are a humidity display, three mist settings, a night-light and an auto-off timer
HoMedics TotalComfort Deluxe Warm & Cool
- Warm mist, demineralisation and a humidistat together at $160
- The humidistat and timer together will hold a set humidity through a night without attention
- HoMedics publishes 21-23 dBA, which with the cartridge makes it one of the quiet, dust-free units here
- The 85-hour runtime and the 521 sq ft coverage differ by a factor of about five in the output they imply - the widest gap in this catalog
- 260W on the warm side, which is nearly the whole of its running cost; cool mist is pennies
- Cartridge replacement every month or two