MABIS Facial Steamer, Steam Inhaler, FSA Eligible, Vaporizer or Vocal Steamer with Aromatherapy Diffuser and Soft Face Mask for Cleansing, Sinus Pressure, Congestion, Colds and Cough, 25mL

After a recent bout with allergies and inconsistent results from my Neti pot, I decided to look for other alternatives and thought a personal steamer might do the trick. As I looked for a consensus, I noticed there's a huge price disparity between many of them and all of them seem to have a large cadre of haters who have had bad experiences. After quite a bit of research, I decided on this unit and so far I've been very happy with the results.The MABIS is a pretty simple device. There are two water chambers. The first one is the water that gets heated and I only put distilled water into that. There's a little measuring cup that tells you how much to fill it but I usually put in a bit more which I will explain later. The water in that chamber is pulled through holes in the bottom into another section which then heats it to the point where it turns into steam, and the steam shoots out into the breathing tube. Pretty simple.The second water compartment is essentially a little plastic drawer you slide into the device and it is not heated. Instead a tube pulls the liquid out and shoots it in a fine stream into the steam from the other compartment as it rises. This 1) cools the steam so it isn't as hot, and 2) allows you to use aromatherapy with the steam. I personally only use the salt packets from my neti pot in this water compartment as the negative reviews made me nervous to try anything too fancy. I've had good results thus far. A quick note - the water 'drawer' actually has two sides. The bigger side is the one where you put the 'aromatherapy' laden water. The smaller side is under the drain and catches all the water that doesn't leave the device as steam.CARE AND MAINTENANCE - I've been worried since the beginning that the device would stop working but I've had no issues since I bought it three months ago. I'm probably jinxing myself but I've been doing a couple of things that might help others and I thought I'd share them as it took me a while to figure this out. First, I've seen people put the suction hose down into the drain section of the 'aromatherapy drawer' to get a longer run time. Don't do that! While that will work and it will allow you to run the device longer, I suspect the longer running time puts a strain on the device's heating element beyond its design. The device ships with a measure device for the 'distilled water compartment' and if you use it the two sections empty at about the same time. I stopped using the measuring cup but I think they include it as a reminder so people do not use the device for too long (they might also include it for legal reasons as without the 'aromatherapy water' to cool the steam, the steam hitting your face increases in temperature real quick). I overfill the the 'distilled section' because I had a couple of uses when it heated all the water out of the distilled section and I started to smell burnt plastic. That's never a good sign so I make sure the water in the 'distilled' chamber never runs out (which is why I put a little extra in). Then key is to only use the device for as long as the water from the 'aromatherapy drawer' isn't empty. Once it runs out (about 6-7 minutes) - turn off the device, unplug it, let it cool a bit, pull out the aromatherapy drawer and empty the drainage water. Then open the 'distilled chamber' and carefully pour the very hot water down the drain. The residual heat of the device will cause the rest of the water to evaporate, which should help its longevity as leaving water in an electrical device is never a good idea. I also make sure to allow it to completely cool if I feel the need to use it the same day.Perhaps I'm being overcautious but I've used this device almost daily for three months and been very happy. I can see where I may need to replace the soft plastic mask someday as I can't image it will take the repeated heating and cooling forever. I can see no issues with hard plastic warping that others have reported but even if it broke today I'd know I got my money's worth. This device cost less my last three months of allergy medicine and I think it has helped my sinuses more than pills or my neti pot. While I hope it isn't something that needs constant replacement, it's been well worth the price so far (and I know I've jinxed myself).

this unit boils the water in the tank and producs a lot of steam, but it two hot,,, so hot you cannot hold you face to the mask,, whcih could be a lot better, doesnt fit the face well, two small simple slips in the end of the tube, constant falls out, if you move you face to one side, it pops out easy,,, ,, their is a slide control on top that control s the amount of steam coming thru by pushing it up for more , down for less, but does not control the heat, one on off swith and its not very heavy on the line, this unit will suddly get the steam so hot , if you have to remove you mouth or nose to keep from being burned, its a very poor unit, recomend you purshace a better vaporiser,, again one more warning,,, this thing product extream high heat vapor,,,

I bought this to use for hydrating and soothing my vocal chords. I sing intensely almost every day (I'm talking huge belty Broadway songs) and I am super impressed with this steamer. I notice a complete difference in my voice and vocal ability. I put sterile saline solution in the purple medicine cup at the base of the device with the little straw in it, and the saline really elevates the hydration. People claim that nebulizers are better because the mist goes deeper into your lungs, but for singing you only need the mist to reach your vocal chords, which are located not very far down your windpipe. I prefer steam to nebulizing because you need the heat to loosen mucus and soothe irritated vocal folds. I really like how much steam this device produces and I like that the mask doesn't over the nose and mouth. I use the steamer until my 15 mL of saline runs out and then I wait 30 minutes before I warm up my voice. It's important to let your vocal chords cool down. The only downside to this device is that it's not very portable because it's not handheld or wireless, but the mypurmist steamer is too expensive. Also, many Broadway actors/actresses use this particular steamer. That's even more encouraging! I'm really glad I bought this and when I need a new one, this is what I will buy. If you're trying to decide between different steamers, this one is the best!

This device throws a surprising amount of steam compared to some of the other steamers i've owned. You could take it on a trip , it does require wall power or AC generator to run it. It has a cup for special liquid and has an over flow. my only pet peeve is i would have wanted the water tank, and some of the inners to be made of metal or stain steel or glass so as to not leach PVC's or Dioxins into the water. other than that, a very device.