Beads and electronic humidification work perfectly when used together. The active humidification will bring your humidity level up much faster than using beads alone. The beads will dehumidify your humidor if neccessary, something that the CO cant do. Its tough to have a CO humidify your large igloo perfectly from top to bottom and side to side unless you have an extra fan setup. By spreading some beads around, you are ensuring more even humidity throughout your igloo. The beads work great, and the CO works great. By combining them, you are getting the best benefits of both.