Humidifiers / Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier vs Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier vs Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier
Warm mist that never boils: 86°F is comfort, not sterilisation.
Wins overall by 0.9 points
Quick Verdict
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier takes this by a clear 0.9 points. Warm mist that never boils: 86°F is comfort, not sterilisation. The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier and Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier are both closely matched humidifier models, and the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is $45 cheaper than the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier ($44.99 vs $89.99). On Humidity Control, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads (8.5 vs 2.0/10) — whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it. On Runtime & Refill Interval, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads (8.0 vs 5.5/10) — how long a full tank really lasts at a useful output setting, rather than at the lowest setting the runtime is quoted for, and how painful the refill is. On Output, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads (7.5 vs 6.0/10) — actual moisture put into the room per day in gallons or mL/hr, judged against the coverage the manufacturer claims — not the square-footage number on the box. Overall, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 6.8/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 5.9/10 for the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier | Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89.99 | $44.99 |
| Release Year | 2023 | 2010 |
| Humidification Technology | Ultrasonic, sold as "cool and warm mist". The warm mode pre-heats the water before the piezo disc atomises it — it does not boil it | Ultrasonic cool mist — a piezo disc atomises water into a visible plume, no fan and no wick |
| White Dust & Mineral Aerosol | Yes, in both modes. Warming the water does not change the mechanism: a piezo disc still aerosolises everything dissolved in it. the EPA's "Use and Care of Home Humidifiers" states that ultrasonic and impeller humidifiers "are very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air" and that they "can disperse materials, such as microorganisms and minerals, from their water tanks into indoor air". Dreo fits a mineral-absorption pad and sells no first-party replacement, so the aftermarket pads on Amazon are third-party and unverified | Yes, and Crane's own manual says so plainly: "filtered or distilled water is recommended to avoid white dust if tap water is too hard". Crane sells a demineralisation filter as an accessory, but retailers cannot agree on which one — Home Depot's listing cites HS-1932 and FiltersFast cites HS-3161. the EPA's "Use and Care of Home Humidifiers" states that ultrasonic and impeller humidifiers "are very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air" and that they "can disperse materials, such as microorganisms and minerals, from their water tanks into indoor air" |
| Tank Capacity | 6 L / 1.58 gal, top-fill | 1 gal / 3.78 L |
| Rated Output per Day | Published, unusually: 300 mL/hr in cool mist, 500 mL/hr in warm mist — 7.2 L/day and 12 L/day respectively if run continuously. Both exceed the 6 L tank, so the 60-hour runtime cannot be a high-output figure | "Approx. 2.3 Gallon / 8.7 Liter" per Crane's manual — from a 1 gallon tank. Reaching rated output means filling it two and a bit times in 24 hours |
| Quoted Runtime (and at which setting) | "Up to 60 hours" — arithmetic settles this one. 6 L at the published 300 mL/hr cool-mist rate is 20 hours, and at 500 mL/hr warm it is 12. The 60-hour claim implies about 100 mL/hr, i.e. the lowest setting only | Crane's manual gives both ends: "Max. up to 24 hours / Min. 11 Hours". Retail listings quote only the 24-hour figure, which is the lowest output setting |
| Rated Room Coverage | Not published by Dreo on the product page — the only sizing language is the retail headline "for Large Room". Dreo publishes output instead, which is arguably the more useful number | Sources conflict outright: Crane's own manual says "Up to 250 sq. ft. / 23 m2", while Home Depot and Lowe's list the identical EE-5301 at up to 500 ft² — a 2x discrepancy between the manufacturer's manual and its own retail listings |
| Humidistat | Real closed-loop humidistat. Dreo rates the sensor at ±5% precision with a 30-90% RH adjustable target, plus manual, auto and sleep modes and 30 days of app-side history | None. A variable-output knob and an auto shut-off for a dry tank. There is no humidity sensor and no auto mode anywhere in the Drop line |
| Noise | 28 dB claimed by Dreo — a manufacturer figure with no independent measurement published, and comparable ultrasonics measure several dB higher in third-party testing | Not published as a decibel figure — the manual and retail listings say only "whisper quiet". No fan, so the noise is the ultrasonic hum |
| Filters & Cartridges (Annual Cost) | A mineral-absorption pad sits in the tank. Dreo does not sell a first-party replacement pack; the only replacements listed are third-party multi-packs, so budget is unclear and the pad does not eliminate white dust regardless | Nothing required — Crane's design is explicitly filter-optional. The demineralisation filter is an accessory whose part number varies by retailer; distilled water is the alternative, at roughly $1-1.50/gal |
| Cleaning Burden & Dishwasher-Safe Parts | Top-fill opening takes a hand and the aroma tray lifts out, but the warm-mist heater adds a scale surface an ordinary cool-mist ultrasonic does not have. Nothing is dishwasher-safe. Dreo ships a cleaning guide and brush in the box, which is more than most | Crane's manual asks for daily emptying and a weekly deep clean: half a gallon of warm water plus two tablespoons of white vinegar in the tank, shaken and left 20-30 minutes, then repeated for the basin. The tank has a detachable bottom cap and a removable level sensor, which genuinely helps. Nothing is dishwasher-safe |
| UV / Antimicrobial Claim | None claimed. No UV lamp, no antimicrobial coating. The warm mode is not hot enough to sterilise anything | Claimed by retailers, absent from the manual. Home Depot's listing says the unit is "made with clean control anti-microbial material which reduces mold and bacteria growth by up to 99.96%"; FiltersFast's listing for the same model says no antimicrobial claims are made, and Crane's own manual contains no such claim. Treat the 99.96% figure as unsubstantiated |
| Mist Temperature & Burn Risk | This is the trap. Dreo's own spec says warm mode "reaches 86°F in 5 minutes" — 30°C, barely above body temperature. That is comfort, not sterilisation: a genuine warm-mist unit boils at 212°F. It also means the 280W warm mode buys you no hygiene benefit at all, and the mist is not sterile | Cool mist at room temperature — no burn risk, no heater, no thermal kill step |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Silver, Blue | White, Blue/White, Clear/White, Grey, Pink, Orange |
Category Scores
Freedom From White Dust
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 3.5 against 2.5 — a 1.0-point margin on the thing marketing never mentions. Ultrasonic humidifiers aerosolise whatever is dissolved in the water and deposit it as white dust on furniture — the EPA notes they are 'very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air', along with microorganisms from the tank. Evaporative and boiled-steam units do not do this at all. A high score means the technology cannot produce dust; a low score means you are buying distilled water for the life of the machine.. If that is what you are buying for, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Output
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.0 — a 1.5-point margin on actual moisture put into the room per day in gallons or mL/hr, judged against the coverage the manufacturer claims — not the square-footage number on the box. If that is what you are buying for, the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Runtime & Refill Interval
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.0 against 5.5 — a 2.5-point margin on how long a full tank really lasts at a useful output setting, rather than at the lowest setting the runtime is quoted for, and how painful the refill is. If that is what you are buying for, the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Cleaning & Access
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on whether the tank opening takes an adult hand, whether any part is dishwasher-safe or boilable, and how realistic the manufacturer's stated cleaning interval is to actually keep to. If that is what you are buying for, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-point margin on wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase. If that is what you are buying for, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.5 — a 0.5-point margin on noise at the setting people actually run it overnight, weighted toward independently measured figures over manufacturer claims. If that is what you are buying for, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Humidity Control
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.5 against 2.0 — a 6.5-point margin on whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it. If that is what you are buying for, the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Safety Around Children
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.5 — a 1.0-point margin on burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery. If that is what you are buying for, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier if…
- • Humidity Control matters most to you — the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 8.5/10 here (whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it).
- • Runtime & Refill Interval matters most to you — the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 8.0/10 here (how long a full tank really lasts at a useful output setting, rather than at the lowest setting the runtime is quoted for, and how painful the refill is).
- • Output matters most to you — the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 7.5/10 here (actual moisture put into the room per day in gallons or mL/hr, judged against the coverage the manufacturer claims — not the square-footage number on the box).
- • Your main use case is warm-mist.
Choose the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier if…
- • Freedom From White Dust matters most to you — the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier scores 3.5/10 here (the thing marketing never mentions. Ultrasonic humidifiers aerosolise whatever is dissolved in the water and deposit it as white dust on furniture — the EPA notes they are 'very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air', along with microorganisms from the tank. Evaporative and boiled-steam units do not do this at all. A high score means the technology cannot produce dust; a low score means you are buying distilled water for the life of the machine.).
- • Running Cost matters most to you — the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier scores 7.0/10 here (wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase).
- • You want to spend less — it's $45 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier
Pros
- +One of the very few humidifiers at any price that publishes a real output figure — 300 mL/hr cool, 500 mL/hr warm
- +Genuine closed-loop humidistat rated ±5% with a 30-90% setpoint range and 30 days of app history
- +6L top-fill tank plus app, Alexa and Google control for $89.99
- +Because output is published, you can actually compute the refill interval instead of trusting a runtime claim
Cons
- −"Warm mist" tops out at 86°F by Dreo's own spec — warm water, not steam. It does not sterilise, and it costs 280W against 26W in cool mode
- −Ultrasonic in both modes, so it aerosolises minerals as white dust; the mineral-absorption pad reduces scale, it does not stop dust
- −The 60-hour runtime and the published 300-500 mL/hr output contradict each other — 6L at 300 mL/hr is 20 hours, so 60 hours is the lowest setting
- −Dreo sells no first-party replacement mineral pad; the only options are unverified third-party multi-packs
- −Twelve-month warranty and no published coverage figure or independent noise measurement
Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Pros
- +Crane's manual is unusually honest — it publishes 2.3 gal/day output, both ends of the runtime range, and tells you outright to use filtered or distilled water to avoid white dust
- +Detachable bottom cap and removable water-level sensor make the tank genuinely easier to clean than most ultrasonics
- +Variable-output knob rather than two or three fixed steps, so you can dial in a low continuous rate
- +A gallon of capacity and six colour options for $44.99
Cons
- −Crane's own manual (250 ft²) and its own retail listings (500 ft²) disagree by a factor of two on coverage, and by nearly $21 on price
- −Ultrasonic white dust, and the demineralisation accessory has two different part numbers depending on which retailer you ask (HS-1932 vs HS-3161)
- −The "reduces mold and bacteria growth by up to 99.96%" antimicrobial claim appears on retail listings and nowhere in Crane's manual — another retailer says the model makes no antimicrobial claims at all
- −2.3 gal/day rated output from a 1 gallon tank means two-plus refills a day to hit the number
- −No humidistat, no humidity readout, and a one-year warranty against five on the cheaper Pure Enrichment
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier or Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Humidity Control, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier or the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Humidity Control (8.5/10 vs 2.0/10) — whether there is a genuine closed-loop humidistat holding a setpoint, or just fixed output steps and a timer with a humidity label on it.
Which is better for Runtime & Refill Interval, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier or the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Runtime & Refill Interval (8.0/10 vs 5.5/10) — how long a full tank really lasts at a useful output setting, rather than at the lowest setting the runtime is quoted for, and how painful the refill is.
Which is better for Output, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier or the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Output (7.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — actual moisture put into the room per day in gallons or mL/hr, judged against the coverage the manufacturer claims — not the square-footage number on the box.
Which is better for Freedom From White Dust, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier or the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier scores higher on Freedom From White Dust (3.5/10 vs 2.5/10) — the thing marketing never mentions. Ultrasonic humidifiers aerosolise whatever is dissolved in the water and deposit it as white dust on furniture — the EPA notes they are 'very efficient at dispersing minerals in tap water into the air', along with microorganisms from the tank. Evaporative and boiled-steam units do not do this at all. A high score means the technology cannot produce dust; a low score means you are buying distilled water for the life of the machine..
Is the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier worth the price difference over the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is the cheaper option at $44.99 versus $89.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Humidity Control.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier is the better fit if you mainly care about warm-mist. The Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is the better fit for nursery.
What's the warranty on the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier vs the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier ships with a 12-month warranty; the Crane Drop EE-5301 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (PEHUMIDIF) — $39.99
Premium Option
Carepod One Stainless Steel Humidifier (MS031S2) — $279.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.