How worthless? Let me count the ways, unless you are a child, the fit does not fit. This is not an electrical device and you are only allowed to use hot tap water, about a cup's worth, so there is no steam. Save yourself a bit of money and have a hot cup of tea, it will surely produce more steam than this ill-conceived gizmo.
This is not as big as it looks in the picture. It is tiny! You have to heat up the water yourself separately and then pour it into this piece of junk. There is no electric heating. Stay away from this.
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After reading the reviews here I wondered why on earth I had purchased this contraption. But I decided to give it a try because I had a VERY stuffy nose, it was late at night, and I was desperate. When I breathed in the vapors as indicated by the illustration on the directions not much happened. Then I tried placing my face/mouth directly on the unit creating a "seal" and breathing in deeply. The medicated vapors flooded my throat and lungs and then to my surprise I was instantly able to breathe freely through my nose! After six days of dealing with an incredibly stuffy nose, this seemed like a miracle to me! The relief was temporary but could be attained again by repeating the process. It really did help to open my nose, cool my throat, and quiet my cough. This will be coming along with me on vacation next week!
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I have submitted this review because the product is easily dismissed as a waste of money. It is not. No, the Steam Inhaler is not electric. No, it isn't meant for use with boiling hot water. No, you might not get steam (although you can if you want). Yes, it's basically a cup. But it does a fantastic job--if you know how to use it.
I followed the directions exactly--even using tap water. Bear in mind one's hot tap temperature will vary from another's, depending on the water heater settings. (Perhaps some negative reviewers don't have very hot tap water.) If you want the best results, you could always heat water to simmering temps in a water kettle or microwave. You WILL get steam this way.
The only thing that isn't specified in the instructions is how closely to hold the Inhaler to the face. If you follow the pictures on the box, you won't get optimal effects. So here's where you need to improvise: Put the Inhaler directly against your face, and it does exactly what you would want. This is also why the Inhaler isn't merely a cup. The funnel at the top concentrates the vapor/steam directly on the nose and mouth and keeps it away from the eyes. This feature alone is absolutely worth the $7-10 you'll spend on the product. While I'm sure some faces fit better than others, I suspect there are very few faces on which this product wouldn't work.
Lastly, one HUGE advantage this product has over others with heating or steam-generating features is portability. You can take this thing anywhere without needing to worry about plugging in. I take it EVERYWHERE with me in the house. You can also travel with it anywhere you can get hot tap water. For portability, this thing is a killer product.
If you get the Inhaler knowing what to expect and how to get the best results, you will probably be very satisfied.
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I would have given it a negative star. This is not an electronic device and it cannot use boiling water. I agree with the previous comment that by putting boiling water in a cup will produce more steam than this device.
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If you are using a Honeywell humidifier or any humidifier that uses a paper filter, you NEED to get these! I was even using filtered water for my humidifiers and, STILL, the filters were turning YELLOW in less than a month. I purchased the Protec Antimicrobial cartridges, and all growth has come to a STOP! I should have used them from the beginning, but I thought that by using filtered water everything should be fine...WRONG! Spend the extra few bucks and save yourself from Mold in your air and bad smells, it is truly worth it.
