[Mania] "Water Bottle Capacity Doubled"... Tried the Renewed LG Hydro Tower

LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower
Air Purification and Humidification in One
Slim Design That Doubles as Interior Decor
Purification, Sterilization, and Cleaning Filters, Plus Automatic Drying

"Yesterday was fine dust, today is dryness, tomorrow will be cold wave..."

Due to the rapidly changing weather during winter, many households line up air purifiers, humidifiers, heaters, and other devices by function and purpose. However, if space is limited or time is tight, it is not easy to take out the appropriate device every time. Recently, converged home appliances that solve these concerns have been emerging.

The ‘LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower,’ released in a new version at the end of last year, is a perfect product to solve consumers' worries. It allows users to select the desired mode without replacing the device depending on the situation, such as dryness, cold, or poor air quality. Especially, this product can be used as an air purifier even in summer, so there is no need to store it in the closet when the season changes. On the 31st, the reporter personally tried the product.

LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower. Photo by Junyi Park.

The first impression of the Hydro Tower, which is 986 mm tall and 310 mm wide, was that it was "big." It was quite large, reaching about two-thirds the height of an average 160 cm tall adult woman. The weight was also 17.5 kg, making it difficult to move alone. It seemed better to designate a fixed spot like an air conditioner rather than moving it around like a typical air purifier or humidifier.

However, after using the Hydro Tower directly, considering its various functions and sleek appearance, the size and weight are worth enduring. One of the important factors many people consider in home appliances is design. This product, with its slim cylindrical body and subtle mood light function, doubled as an interior accessory when placed in a corner of the living room. Especially considering the space previously occupied separately by an air purifier and a humidifier, the size was not bad.

First, after filling the water tank at the top of the product and turning it on, the screen displayed the message "Sterilizing." The core feature of the Hydro Tower is its self-sterilizing and purifying function through a three-step management process of "purification filter - high-temperature sterilization - cleaning filter." When switching modes, three operation modes could be selected: "Humidify," "Humidify & Purify," and "Air Purify." The advantage is that with just one button, you can easily switch functions when you want to use it as a humidifier, an air purifier, or both.

Humidify - Humidify & Purify - Air Purify mode. Photo by Park Joon-yi.

Internal view of the water tank of the LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower. Photo by Junyi Park.

When the air purification mode was turned on, the product quickly circulated air with the message "Air quality very poor." Even when the intensity was increased, it did not produce noise as loud as a typical air purifier. The Hydro Tower has a function that automatically adjusts the intensity according to indoor air quality. Within less than an hour, the status changed to "Air quality moderate."

When switched to humidifying mode, the sound of heating the water previously added was heard. The Hydro Tower is a hybrid humidifier that heats the water filtered through the purification filter to 100 degrees Celsius once more. The filter removes most harmful substances, minerals, and the white residue usually left when water dries in general humidifiers. After the purification process, mist spray humidification started from the top of the product. With a humidification capacity of 700 cc per hour, a large amount of water was emitted, quickly raising the humidity in the room. Although there was noise from the water heating process, the overall noise level was not significantly disturbing for daily life.

The humidifying mode of the LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower releases a large amount of water at once. Photo by Junyi Park.

Especially, this product, renewed at the end of October last year, has an increased water tank capacity needed for humidification. The initial model could hold only up to 2.8 liters of water, but after renewal, it increased to 4.5 liters, about twice as large. This is expected to partially address consumers' previous complaints about the relatively small water tank capacity compared to the body size. However, it was disappointing that the dark-colored filter cover made it difficult to check the water shortage status inside the tank during use.

Another advantage of the product was seen after completing all functions. When powered off, the screen displayed the message "Collecting remaining water for sterilization," and the automatic drying function was activated. A troublesome point when using a general humidifier in winter is that if cleaning and drying are not done frequently after use, bacteria can breed. This product is very convenient because it automatically dries the water tank and filter for about six hours after use.

All these operations were also possible through the ‘LG ThinQ’ application (app). By accessing the app via the QR code attached to the product's surface, users could adjust the operation mode, intensity, humidification temperature, and amount anytime and anywhere via their phones. Especially, the subtle light visible in the center of the product could be selected according to the desired color and brightness intensity. Additionally, through "Smart Diagnosis," users could check the filter replacement cycle and whether there were abnormalities in temperature, water quality, humidity, and water level sensors.

'LG ThinQ' app screen linked with the product. Photo by Junyi Park.

LG PuriCare Objet Collection Hydro Tower. Photo by Junyi Park.

However, the energy efficiency rating is grade 3, so there may be an electricity bill burden. Also, with a price of 1.39 million KRW based on 2023 shipments, it may not be easy to decide to purchase unless consumers are looking for a "premium humidifier." According to LG Electronics, the Hydro Tower is mostly purchased by customers in their 30s and 40s who are particularly interested in family health.