Humidifiers / Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier
Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier
Warm mist that never boils: 86°F is comfort, not sterilisation.
Wins overall by 0.4 points
Quick Verdict
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier takes this by a clear 0.4 points. Warm mist that never boils: 86°F is comfort, not sterilisation. The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier and Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier are both closely matched humidifier models, and the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier is $35 cheaper than the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier ($54.95 vs $89.99). On Freedom From White Dust, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads (10.0 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.. On Humidity Control, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads (8.5 vs 2.5/10) — 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 Safety Around Children, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads (7.5 vs 3.5/10) — burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery. Overall, the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 6.8/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.4/10 for the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm 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 | Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier | Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $54.95 | $89.99 |
| Release Year | 2018 | 2023 |
| Humidification Technology | Warm mist — Honeywell's manual: "The tank feeds water into the boiling chamber where it is heated to a steam vapor". A resistive element does the boiling; there is no fan and no wick | 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 |
| White Dust & Mineral Aerosol | None. Boiling leaves minerals behind as scale in the chamber rather than aerosolising them, which is the whole reason warm-mist and steam units are dust-free — and also why the chamber needs descaling | 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 |
| Tank Capacity | 1 gal / 3.7 L | 6 L / 1.58 gal, top-fill |
| Rated Output per Day | Not published by the manufacturer — neither Honeywell's manual nor its store page gives a gallons-per-day or mL/hr figure for the HWM845 | 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 |
| Quoted Runtime (and at which setting) | "Up to 24 hours" — Honeywell's store page attaches this to the LOW of two comfort settings. On high, a 1-gallon tank boiled away goes very much faster | "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 |
| Rated Room Coverage | Sources conflict: Walmart's listing for the HWM845B says 400 ft², office-supply listings for the identical SKU say 520 ft², and Honeywell's own store page says only "medium" room | 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 |
| Humidistat | None. Two fixed comfort settings on a knob, no humidity sensor, no auto mode. There is an auto shut-off for an empty tank, which is a safety cut-out and not humidity control | 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 |
| Noise | Not published as a decibel figure. There is no fan, so the only noise is the boil itself — genuinely among the quietest ways to humidify a bedroom, at the cost of the heat | 28 dB claimed by Dreo — a manufacturer figure with no independent measurement published, and comparable ultrasonics measure several dB higher in third-party testing |
| Filters & Cartridges (Annual Cost) | Nothing is required — it is filter-free. Honeywell offers the optional Protec PC2V1 antimicrobial cleaning cartridge on a 30-day cycle (roughly $20-30/yr if you use it), but the unit runs without it | 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 |
| Cleaning Burden & Dishwasher-Safe Parts | Honeywell's manual says "Weekly cleaning is recommended" and prescribes two cups of distilled white vinegar in the reservoir for 20 minutes to strip scale, plus a separate bleach disinfection. The tank opening is wide; nothing is dishwasher-safe. Skip the descaling and the element fouls and output collapses | 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 |
| UV / Antimicrobial Claim | Boiling is the kill stage — no UV lamp and no antimicrobial wick. The optional Protec cartridge is a tank-side cleaning aid, not a certified disinfection claim | None claimed. No UV lamp, no antimicrobial coating. The warm mode is not hot enough to sterilise anything |
| Mist Temperature & Burn Risk | Boiled. Honeywell's manual is explicit: "DO NOT touch the steam vapor. Steam can cause burns" and the unit "produces hot steam". The output is genuinely sterile; the trade-off is a reservoir of near-boiling water in the room | 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 |
| Warranty | 36 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black | Silver, Blue |
Category Scores
Freedom From White Dust
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 10.0 against 2.5 — a 7.5-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 6.5 — a 1.0-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Runtime & Refill Interval
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Cleaning & Access
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 6.5 against 6.0 — 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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier leads clearly here, 9.0 against 7.5 — a 1.5-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 2.5 — a 6.0-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Safety Around Children
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier leads clearly here, 7.5 against 3.5 — a 4.0-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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier if…
- • Freedom From White Dust matters most to you — the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 10.0/10 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 Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores 8.0/10 here (wicks, demineralisation cartridges, antimicrobial additives, distilled water and electricity — everything you keep paying after the purchase).
- • You want to spend less — it's $35 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is no-white-dust.
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).
- • Safety Around Children matters most to you — the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores 7.5/10 here (burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery).
- • 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).
- • Your main use case is nursery.
Pros & Cons
Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier
Pros
- +The vapour is genuinely sterilised by boiling — no white dust and no aerosolised tank bacteria, unlike any ultrasonic here
- +No fan means no fan noise; for a light sleeper this is quieter than any wick or ultrasonic unit in this set
- +Truly filter-free — there is no consumable you are required to buy, which over three years undercuts the evaporative units badly
- +Three-year Honeywell warranty at $54.95, and a wide tank opening you can get a hand into
Cons
- −It boils water in a child's bedroom; Honeywell's own manual warns the steam "can cause burns" and to keep it away from children
- −No humidistat whatsoever — two knob positions and nothing that senses the room
- −Weekly vinegar descaling is not optional: mineral scale on the heating element is what kills these units, and Honeywell's manual prescribes the routine
- −Retail listings disagree on coverage — 400 ft² at Walmart versus 520 ft² on office-supply listings for the same SKU — and Honeywell publishes no number at all
- −No published output figure, so the only throughput data point is a 1-gallon tank over 24 hours on low
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
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or Dreo HM713S 6L Smart 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 Freedom From White Dust, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier scores higher on Freedom From White Dust (10.0/10 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..
Which is better for Humidity Control, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Humidity Control (8.5/10 vs 2.5/10) — 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 Safety Around Children, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Safety Around Children (7.5/10 vs 3.5/10) — burn and scald risk from boiled or heated water, tipping hazard, and whether the hygiene story holds up in a nursery.
Which is better for Runtime & Refill Interval, the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier or the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier scores higher on Runtime & Refill Interval (8.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — 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.
Is the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier worth the price difference over the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier is the cheaper option at $54.95 versus $89.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Freedom From White Dust.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier is the better fit if you mainly care about no-white-dust. The Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier is the better fit for nursery.
What's the warranty on the Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier vs the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart Humidifier?+
The Honeywell HWM845B Filter Free Warm Mist Humidifier ships with a 36-month warranty; the Dreo HM713S 6L Smart 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.