Vicks V-1300 Portable Steam Therapy

I bought this Vicks hand hekd V1300 Portable Steam Therapy device over any of the electric ones because, it had all rave reviews. I heated a cup if water in the microwave for 3 minutes, poured it into the resevior to the fill line and threw in 1 of the eucslyptus scented pads. My boyfriend suffere from a deviated septum, and needs to have something handy, non addictive on hand. He can sit in his easy chair and use it when he needs to without worrying about an electrical socket to plug it in, no batteries. Its fuss free and in my opinion much better and reliable than the other steam devices, I read about. It seems to maintain a good level of heat from the 3 minutes, I heated the water up for. He said, as soon as he help it up to his nose, he could feel his sinuses opening up. We dont mind having to reheat the water, when necessary because, its a worry free device and we'll take that tradd off any day from an electric steam device. Theres a tiny hole in the back of the device to put your finger over, to build up some steam, then release your finger, for a sudden puff or extra hard shot of scented Eucalyptus steam. The mask, at the top is comfortable and fits over the front of his fsce comfortably. I highly, recommend THIS Vicks V1300 Portable Steam Therapy Device. My boyfriend says, he can smell the Eucalyptus Scent from the device, when he sets it on the table next to his chair. Mainly when its still stesming, carrying the Eucalyptus scent towards him. Great value, sturdy construction, easy to use, dish washer safe and confortable worry free way to maintain clear sinuses.

In fact it warns you not to use boiling water. Saying it is intended for "steam therapy" is grossly misleading and a lie of elephantine proportion! You'd be better off with a cup of hot water, add the inhalant and use a funnel to supply the medicated air. It'd save you the outrageous $34.06 for a piece of cheap plastic. It's a rip off. Once I realized it was a rip off, I tried to return it. Guess what? They don't accept returns! Now I'm out $34.06 +tax. I have never been more disappointed with a product purchased through Prime. DON'T BUY!

Thanks to other reviewers, I had appropriate expectations for this handy device. I heat water to boiling in my nuke in a Pyrex container, and when it's off the boil put it in the lower part of this device. After I pop in a tab impregnated with Vicks (five of them came with it,) I attach the top part and cover it with a kerchief for a minute until the whole thing warms up. I create a collar around the curved plastic part so that it forms a gasket around my face when I hold it up around my nose and mouth and breathe in the decongesting vapors. If you want a power vapor blast, hold your finger over the vent on the back to let it build up a little vacuum, begin to inhale, and then release your finger from the vent as you continue to inhale.The point is the decongesting vapors. I have had two upper respiratory issues this season already, and this thing has been very helpful in making me feel more comfortable.The other point is its portability. Because it is not an electric vaporizer intended to produce steam, you can carry it from room to room so you can move around untethered. This feature allowed me to return to work before I was completely well, like all Americans do.

So I came here to write a bad review, but after reading some positive ones, I decided to give it a second chance. Initially I thought I had been ripped off, but really, I only spent like 8 bucks on it. I should have read further into it before I bought it, but whatever. My first mistake was thinking that it was electric. Folks, it's not. I saw that it didn't have a chord but I figured it was just battery powered. It says not to use boiling water (most likely because they don't want to get sued for people being stupid) but you still have to get the water pretty hot. I would use boiling, but I doubt it's bpa free so I'm not gonna risk it. The trick is knowing how to use it. And first you must know that it's not so much a steam inhaler as a vapor inhaler. First I tried it with just hot tap water, and I didn't get much. Then I microwaved some water to get it hotter, and it was much better. And its key to use the scent pads (I use essential oils like eucalyptus 'cause it's cheaper) because that's what does the work. You also have to put your face right against it and create a seal, then inhale. Otherwise you don't get much. Make sure the little white stick inside isn't submerged, that's where the air comes from when you inhale. Also, the portability is great! I do a lot of theatre, so I think it'll be helpful during show times. All in all I think it was a good buy. I probably wouldn't spend much more than $10 on it.

I was a little bit disappointed when I first received this because I was expecting more. Basically, you do not get a lot of steam with it, just a little bit, but when you use the Vicks pads that come with it and/or the Vicks vapor rub, it gives it a little bit more. It does help with my asthma a little bit, but you are only supposed to use hot tap water in order to avoid burns - which is especially important if you have diabetes or some other ailment that prevents you from always knowing the exact temperature. It does hold the steam/heat (warmth) for around 20 - 30 minutes, which is a good time frame for a breathing treatment.The GOOD part about this product is that it is inexpensive and easy to use. It gets the job done, so to speak, unless you need a more extensive breathing treatment (like going to the hospital).The BAD part about this product is that the cost goes up with usage because you can only use one tab per use (or Vicks vapor rub).Overall it is a pretty good investment and I would recommend it to anyone who is wanting a fairly low cost way to have a portable steam therapy product.