Dreo HM512S vs Dreo HM713S

Dreo HM512S

Dreo

Dreo HM512S

~$75

vs
Dreo HM713S

Dreo

Dreo HM713S

~$90

In short: The Dreo HM512S costs $15 less; the Dreo HM713S genuinely holds a larger room (781 sq ft against 185 sq ft); they are different mechanisms entirely — ultrasonic against hybrid; the Dreo HM512S costs about $77 less a year in wicks and watts.

SpecDreo HM512SDreo HM713S
Approx. price~$75~$90
TypeUltrasonicHybrid
MistcoolWarm and cool
Rated output0.75 gal/day3.17 gal/day
Output standardComputed from the tank and the maker's longest runtime claim — the lowest settingMaker's published output rate
Honest room size185 sq ft781 sq ft
Claimed coverage500 sq ft550 sq ft
Claim vs physics2.70×0.70×
Tank size1.32 gal1.59 gal
Runtime at the claimed room16 hr17 hr
Real runtime at full output—12 hr
Yearly running cost~$33~$110
Replaceable mediaDemineralisation cartridgeDemineralisation cartridge
White dust riskNoNo
HumidistatYesYes
Noise on low28 dB28 dB
Top fillYesYes
Dishwasher-safe tankNoNo
App controlYesYes
Power32 W300 W

Highlighted cells are the better number in that row, and only where a direction is unambiguous — more output and more supported room, less noise, cost and price. Honest room size and runtime are computed from each maker’s own published figures; here is the calculation.

Pros and cons

Dreo HM512S

  • Same included-cartridge approach as the HM311S with a usefully larger tank
  • Owners report two nights between fills at the settings they actually use
  • Aroma tray sits outside the water path, so oils do not end up in the ultrasonic chamber
  • Quiet enough for a nursery on its lowest setting
  • The 500 sq ft figure implies about 16 hours of tank, which is a long way from the 42 on the listing
  • Cartridges are a recurring cost and Dreo's stated interval is short
  • Cool mist only, unlike the HM713S it otherwise closely resembles
  • Some owners report the sensor reading high, which makes auto mode stop earlier than expected

Dreo HM713S

  • One of the few ultrasonics whose published coverage claim is conservative against its own published output
  • Demineralisation cartridge plus a real output figure is a rare combination at this price
  • Warm mist and 3.17 gal/day capability in a unit that still fits on a side table
  • Owners moving from a 4L unit describe it as the first one that changed the hygrometer reading
  • Twelve hours of tank at full output, against the 60-hour low-setting claim
  • The warm setting is what makes it expensive to run; cool mist costs roughly a tenth as much
  • Cartridge replacement every two months is more often than most competitors ask
  • No aroma tray, which buyers coming from the 512S notice