Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier review

Humidifiers are some of the last domestic appliances to catch up with the smart revolution. While many of the best air purifiers or best electric toothbrushes wow with digital displays and connected apps, their design has hardly changed over the years. Even some of the best humidifiers are entirely devoid of smart features. However, smart humidifiers like the Dreo 713S could indicate that things are about to change.

The Dreo 713S has all the bells and whistles you might expect in a smart appliance these days, from a colorful touchscreen to a connected app and voice control. Other specs are no less promising. As an ultrasonic humidifier, it increases relative humidity by dispersing tiny water droplets into the air, and since the Dreo 713S releases both cool and warm mist, it can be used all year round. Moreover, this humidifier has a built-in moisture sensor and an auto mode that allows you to keep the indoor humidity exactly how you like it. It even has a dual-aroma pad tray that allows you to switch between two fragrances should you wish.

For $89.99, the Dreo 713S seems to offer good value for money. But does it have what it takes to earn a prime spot in our guide to the best humidifiers?

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier review

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier: Design

• Looks great, but its narrow shape requires space to accommodate it
• The water tank is easy to refill and move around
• Cleaning the unit can be complex and time-consuming

The first thing we noticed about the Dreo 713S was its somewhat odd shape. Most humidifiers are cylindrical or otherwise “pudgy”. This one, on the other hand, is unusually slim. The Dreo 713S measures nearly 14-inches (36 cm) in height and 12-inches (29 cm) in depth — but just 6 inches (15.6 cm) in width. This narrow shape has its pros and cons.

For example, it makes the humidifier easy to grab hold of and move around. At the same time, it requires quite a lot of space to accommodate it. According to the manual, the Dreo 713S can't be placed on the floor or carpet, and its nozzle needs to be at least 12 inches away from the wall. This means you have to put the humidifier vertically in relation to a wall. It may not fit on a narrow shelf or small bedside table, for example.

The Dreo 713S looks great nonetheless. Unlike most humidifiers, it does not have buttons and other protruding controls. Instead, it features a crisp and colorful touchscreen display. The Dreo 713S is sleek, modern and easy on the eye — and that is something we do not say often about humidifiers.

We liked its water tank, too. Thanks to its 1.58 gallon (6 L) capacity, we did not need to refill it a lot. Of course, this also means it inevitably gets heavy when full, but its built-in handrail made it relatively easy to detach the water tank from the base and refill it without causing spillages. The tank is also semi-transparent, which helps to keep an eye on the water levels.

However, there are two downsides. First, the unit itself can be a hassle to maintain. While the water tank is relatively quick and easy to clean, other parts of the Dreo 713S, such as the mist tube or noise silencer, require a more complex cleaning procedure. Given that weekly cleaning is recommended, some people may find this impractical.

Moreover, the Dreo 713S lacks some durability. This humidifier is made predominantly of plastic, making it light but somewhat feeble — we would not bet on it surviving a fall from height, for example. In all fairness, though, we had no issues with the Dreo 713S during testing.

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier: Features

• Warm and cool mist at three output levels
• Humidistat and auto mode
• Plenty of smart features

The Dreo 713S disperses warm and cool mist, both of which can be manually adjusted across three output levels. Thanks to a built-in humidistat (a sensor that continuously measures relative humidity), it also has an auto mode in which the mist output is automatically adjusted to a chosen level. Target humidity can be set between 30% and 90% at 5% intervals.

The Dreo 713S also comes with a 12-hour timer button, brightness control button, low water indicator and a humidity indicator light — which turns yellow when the humidity level drops below 30%, green when it is between 31% and 60%, and blue when the humidity rises above 61%.

The Dreo app comes with more features, such as a cleaning reminder, setting schedules or enabling voice control assistants. The app will also store the humidity measurements from the past 30 days. This easy-to-understand graph can be particularly useful for identifying the potential causes of drops and spikes in relative humidity over time.

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier: Performance

• Fast and efficient at increasing relative humidity
• Quiet when in use
• The humidistat may be slightly imprecise

The Dreo 713S impressed us with its efficient and long-lasting humidification — especially in auto mode. This smart humidifier did a good job at keeping the target humidity by adjusting the mist output accordingly and switching itself off once the target was achieved. This helped prevent damp build-up, and a full tank could last for days on end (or at least, it could in our mild climate).

The Dreo 713S was also near-silent. When we measured its noise levels with a Sound Meter decibel-counting app, we did not get a reading higher than 14 decibels — which is about as loud as a whisper or leaves rustling in the wind.

We tested its humidifying capabilities and the accuracy of its built-in humidistat using a Perfect Prime air particle counter, an industry-grade device that provides precise measurements of air pollution and relative humidity. We put the Dreo 713S in a closed, medium-sized room and ran it on the highest cold mist output for two hours, making note of changes to relative humidity. After an hour, the relative humidity increased from 59% to 72%, and after two hours it rose to a whopping 83%. However, we also noted that Dreo's built-in humidistat tended to underestimate the readings by roughly 2 to 4%. This is not a huge discrepancy — but significant enough for those who need precise humidity control.

Then, we repeated the test on the highest warm mist setting. We obtained similar results in relative humidity, but understandably, after two hours of testing the room felt much warmer than when we started. We also noted a much higher spike in our electricity usage. The warm mist in the Dreo 713S is quite a powerful feature, so if anything, we would suggest starting from a low output first and going up from there. At the same time, this means the humidifier can be handy during cold winter months.

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier: User reviews

The Dreo 713S scores 4.4 out of 5 stars at Amazon. Users praised this humidifier for its sleek design, intuitive controls, easy-to-clean water tank and most importantly, the ability to quickly raise humidity levels without making hardly any noise.

One user said, "I had a Levoit humidifier but it made the carpet wet even from up on a table and went through a gallon of water in just a few hours. This one is SO much better! It brought my little room with my cello up to target humidity very quickly using a mere fraction of water. Plus it looks sleek and the indicator light is really helpful to gauge humidity at a glance just by color. Also, the top fill is so much easier than the bottom fill Levoit. Super quiet too and holds an ample 1.5 gallons. And the carpet is dry."

Negative remarks tended to revolve around defective units and overall value for money. Several users also complained about leakages from the unit's base. One review stated: "I was pretty happy, until I woke up to the sound of dripping water coming from the top of my dresser, twice within the same week. Unfortunately, I experienced the same issue as other reviewers. There is a design flaw that allows for the base to overfill, and flow out onto your furniture. What good is a $80 unit if it will ruin a $1,000 dresser?"

Should you buy the Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier?

✅ Buy it if: You are looking for a user-friendly smart humidifier that can be used all year round. The Dreo 713S releases both warm and cool mist, and its output can be customized across three levels of intensity. This smart humidifier can also automatically adjust its mist settings to maintain target humidity, and its wide range of features adds to its overall functionality.

❌ Don't buy it if: You need something small and easy to maintain. The Dreo 713S requires a lot of space to accommodate it, and quite some time and effort to clean it.

If Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier isn't for you

The Levoit LV600HH is a great alternative to the Dreo 713S. This humidifier also offers cool and warm mist, an auto mode and a built-in humidity sensor, and costs just 10 dollars more. However, we also think its humidistat is a tad too sensitive.

If smart features are your priority, check out the Dyson AM10 Humidifier. This appliance can be controlled remotely, and it comes with a built-in fan, UV light sanitizer and the ability to set target humidity. The caveat? It costs a whopping $599.

But if you want something unique, consider the Homedics TotalComfort Deluxe Ultrasonic Humidifier. It features a modern, quirky design, intuitive controls and programmable humidity levels — but at $119.99, it is slightly more expensive than the Dreo 713S.

Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier: How we tested

We tested the Dreo 713S Smart Humidifier for a week, looking at its design, features, performance, ease of use and maintenance. We also tested its humidifying capabilities and the accuracy of its built-in humidistat using an industry-grade Perfect Prime air particle counter. We placed the Dreo 713S in a closed, medium-sized room and ran it on the highest cold mist output for two hours, making note of changes to relative humidity. Then, we repeated the test on the highest warm mist setting. We also measured how loud this humidifier was with a Sound Meter decibel-counting app.