Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3 Review: humidifier without fog formation

Test: Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3

Back in 2018, Xiaomi presented what was then an innovation hit in air humidification technology, the Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 2. But time has not stood still: Smartmi has since broken off from Xiaomi as an independent brand and released an impressive range of fans, air purifiers and humidifiers.

Five years later and with a wealth of experience and expertise behind it, the successor enters the stage: The Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3 is here and tries to raise the bar once again when it comes to indoor climate.

Design and workmanship

Smartmi relies on the tried and tested, at least when it comes to design. The recently launched Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3 clearly bears the design DNA of its five-year-older brother. The dimensions are slightly more generous at 260 × 260 × 405 millimeters than its predecessor, which measured 240 x 240 x 363 millimeters. The new one has also increased in weight and weighs an impressive 5,4 kilograms - one kilo more than the Evaporative Humidifier 2.

Not a giant, but not a tiny one either.

The reason for this growth spurt? A larger tank that can now hold a whopping 5 liters of water, one liter more than before.

Visually, however, the Smartmi humidifier remains a master of understatement. It is presented in simple white, interrupted only by a horizontal display in black. However, its reserved appearance also has its pitfalls, as visitors have often mistaken it for a “fancy trash can”.

This is where the water finds its place.

A misunderstanding that is certainly also promoted by the upper air outlet, which also serves as the filling opening for the water tank. Here, however, the Humidifier 3 scores points for its user-friendliness, because filling the tank is extremely straightforward and does not require dismantling the device.

Water can be filled directly from the top.

And if the desire for a thorough cleaning arises, that's no problem either: Thanks to the two-part structure, the device can be easily taken apart, allowing easy access to all important components such as the removable water bowl and the evaporator. A clear plus point that makes maintenance and cleaning child's play.

There is a removable filter in the water tank that catches impurities.

Evaporate instead of evaporating

Unlike the usual humidifiers, which use ultrasonic evaporators and produce a visible mist of water, the Smartmi Humidifier 3 takes a different approach. Ultrasonic technology is not used here - instead, the device works with an evaporation principle, which at first glance is more reminiscent of an "evaporator" than a classic air humidifier.

The “evaporator” with 36 fins collects the water.

During operation, slowly rotating evaporation fins are immersed in water, creating an ultra-thin film of water with an impressive area of ​​almost 2 square meters. A cross-flow fan attached above accelerates the evaporation of the water film and thus ensures gentle and even humidification of the room air.

The water sticks very well to the fine honeycomb surface.

A big advantage of this system: There is no visible fog and therefore no wet spots on walls, furniture or floors. This also means that the Humidifier 3 can be placed anywhere in the room without worrying about moisture damage.

field test

Now it's time to get down to business: the practical test of the Smartmi humidifier. The device is ready to use in less than five minutes. Simply set it up, plug it into the socket and fill it with water, that's all you need.

Operation is intuitive via the touch display, which has a button for selecting the operating mode on the left and the power button on the right. The display provides information about the current water level, the room humidity and the selected operating mode. There are three options available here: MAX mode for maximum performance, AUTO mode for automatic adjustment and sleep mode for quiet nighttime operation. A small point of criticism in the test was the somewhat oversensitive touch control, which occasionally led to unwanted mode changes.

The display provides all useful information.

The Mi Home app, which is available for Android and iOS, ensures convenient remote control. It serves as the central interface for all Xiaomi ecosystem products and is therefore likely to be familiar to many.

However, pairing the humidifier with the app may require some patience. Despite the connection via the 2,4 GHz WiFi network, several attempts were necessary until the connection was established. But once set up, the app offers a wealth of useful functions: It shows the current temperature, allows the display to be dimmed or switched off completely - a plus for getting a good night's sleep - and offers a child lock to prevent unwanted interference with the settings. Another bonus is the timer function, which allows you to set on and off times. A practical feature for everyday use.

There is good news for all smart home enthusiasts: the Smartmi humidifier can be easily integrated into systems with Google Home and Alexa. However, we have to disappoint Apple HomeKit users - unfortunately the humidifier does not offer a native connection.

As already mentioned, the Smartmi humidifier relies on evaporation instead of steam. The result: The expelled air feels pleasantly fresh without being clammy. What is impressive is that the Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3 can release up to 350 milliliters of water into the surrounding air per hour. That's easily enough to continuously humidify a 50 square meter room for up to 14 hours - at the maximum level. If you prefer the AUTO or sleep mode, you can even enjoy longer running times without having to constantly refill water.

There is a water level indicator on the side.

In the test, AUTO mode emerged as the favorite. Here the device automatically maintains a constant humidity of 50%. If you have more specific requirements, you can adjust the humidity in increments of five between 30% and 60% in the app. The humidity displayed by the humidifier was pretty much within limits in the test and only showed minimal deviations of 2% compared to a neighboring hygrometer.

The fresh air flows out here.

As far as noise is concerned, the Smartmi clearly shows its presence in MAX mode with an audible ventilation noise. In AUTO mode, the volume varies depending on the room air requirements. For everyone who likes it particularly quiet: The sleep mode impresses with its barely audible, gentle buzzing sound. However, depending on your personal sensitivity to noise, this can be perceived as disturbing in absolute silence.

The inlet is on the back.

When it comes to maintenance, the Smartmi humidifier has some well-thought-out features. This means that the lower part of the device can be taken apart without much effort, which makes cleaning easier. However, you should note that the fan is permanently installed in the upper area and cannot be removed.

The device also offers two practical cleaning modes: a half-hour pre-cleaning before each use and a drying function that is activated when the water level is low to eliminate residual water.

Despite these well-thought-out functions, the practical test also revealed weaknesses in the cleaning concept. After automatic drying, water residues often remained in the bowl and tank. The evaporation fins also require regular manual cleaning as dirt can accumulate here. A small consolation: Fortunately, there were no unpleasant smells during the test period.

Price and availability

The Smartmi Evaporative Humidifier 3 will come onto the market this September and will cost around 169 euros. If you would like to find out more now, you can find all the details on the official website  Smartmi website .