Hotel room too dry? Pack this portable mini humidifier and a bottle of water.
Satechi's USB-powered Portable Humidifier is a travel-sized gadget that transforms a water bottle into a fully functioning humidifier.
How it works
All you need is a container of purified water and a USB port. Assembly is easy: Pop a filter (two are included in the original package) into the base of the humidifier, then insert it into a 500-millilitre bottle of water, and connect it via USB cord to my laptop. Cool mist streams out for about eight hours until it automatically shuts off.
Pros and cons
It's light and easy to pack, and functions silently compared with heftier humidifiers. To function properly, however, the filter has to be fully submerged. If your glass or bottle of water is too tall, you'll have to refill the water regularly. Eventually the filter has to be replaced (I used mine for a week without any hiccups), so take along a spare for longer trips. Connecting to a laptop is the most convenient option for me, but you'll have to keep it as far away as possible from the keyboard to ensure a pool of water doesn't form in the wrong place.
Final verdict
If your skin, hair and overall health suffer in desert conditions and arid hotel rooms, then you won't want to leave home without it. $29.99 (U.S.); satechi.net