I don't use the my Honeywell humidifier regularly, but I use it from time to time and honestly I like it more than any other humidifier I've used. I've found it very easy to keep clean, works really well at increasing the humidity without turning the room into a swamp and I've never had any issues with the wick becoming gross. I exclusively use RO/DI water in the humidifier, never any tap water, so maybe that is helping with a lot of the issues.
I use my Honeywell 24/7 and also find it effective [1] and easy to clean [2], even with our "hard" tap water. It might help that I use a good air filter nearby, which solves the dust problem.
I used to use an ultrasonic humidifier like they suggest but definitely prefer the evaporation-based unit.
The article read a little like one of the clumsy actors in an infomercial. The tank slides out and has a screw top! How can they spill so much while carrying it from the sink that it forms puddles?
[1] It goes through a tank almost every day. That water is going somewhere.
[2] I replace the wick and do a light bleach clean roughly quarterly.