There is nothing quite like the Smartmi Rainforest humidifier. Ostensibly, this is a humidifier like any other, designed to make your home feel comfortable and fresh. But beyond that, this product is all about the ambiance. It creates a soothing, rainforest-inspired show in your very own home: the magic of rainfall indoors. Let’s take a look.
Smartmi Rainforest features
This humidifier is marketed differently from most of what you’ll see available. Instead of being a warm mist or a cool mist humidifier, Smartmi says that the Rainforest is mist-free. The company claims that the product humidifies by simulating rainfall. You can both see and hear the rainfall through the clear component of this humidifier.
The Smartmi Rainforest is designed to be very functional for home use. It has an LED screen, real-time water level display, smart home integration, optional voice control, and a top-fill design. (Top-fill design is one of my personal “musts” for a humidifier—they’re so much easier to use!) It uses a washable, replaceable, and recyclable polymer filter and its extra-large water tank lasts for about 15 hours.
Is this a good humidifier for large spaces?
The Smartmi Rainforest has a 3-litre water tank that can run for up to 15 hours. It has a 200mL/h humidifying capacity.
I can’t find anywhere where Smartmi recommends its Rainforest humidifier for small, medium, or large rooms. However, the brand advertises the Rainforest as being able to filter the air of a 320 square foot room in under 20 minutes. Additionally, humidifier coverage is typically calculated using a formula of 1L per 100 square foot of coverage. So, as a humidifier with a 3L water tank, we can assume that the Smartmi Rainforest is a humidifier made for a medium-sized 300 sq. ft. room.
How can a humidifer be mist-free?
The technology used in the Rainforest is designed to simulate “the natural process of rain evaporating” using centrifugal force. According to Smartmi, the Rainforest essentially flings water droplets toward the clear product shell in tiny, continuous layers. This impact forms tiny water droplets and the room is humidified through airflow.
Other sources I found during my product research suggest that Smartmi is essentially using large-scale ultrasonic humidification for this process. This is what you’d expect to see in a tabletop vaporizer that’s meant to be used with essential oils as a home fragrance tool. The concept for this is, as I understand it, pretty much the same. By both processes, water is agitated in the product quickly enough that it exists in the cool air generated in the humidifier by a fan.
Cool mist vs. warm mist vs. water enhanced evaporation
Every type of humidifier operates differently and there are pros and cons to each.
Warm mist humidifiers are the “traditional” type of humidifier. They heat water until it reaches its natural evaporation point of roughly 100ºC, then release the water as steam. They’re a great way to add humidity to the air but need a fair amount of electricity to run. The mist that exists then is hot, which can be comforting in the winter and is great for melting products like minty decongestants (I’m thinking Vicks VapoRub) into the air when you’re sick. However, warm mist humidifiers can pose a danger to small children due to the hot mist they produce and their heating elements become caked in calcium deposits in locations with hard water. As a result, warm mist humidifiers are becoming less popular as they have a high maintenance requirement.
Cool mist humidifiers are a generally safer and lower-powered choice for humidification. They’re popular for families with children, but they’re noisier to run and pose a higher health risk when it comes to bacterial growth and mold spores (which isn’t an issue for warm mist humidifiers as their water reaches a boil). In locations with hard water, the calcium in the water that isn’t latching on to a heating element gets dispersed into the air instead. This means that cool mist humidifiers can leave a gritty film of calcium on nearby furniture and surfaces. (In my experience, this can reach over 400 sq. ft. from the humidifier.)
Because of the issues with both of these methods of humidification, Smartmi’s water enhanced evaporation technology sounds pretty alluring. I believe it has the same pros and cons as a cool mist humidifier, but because Smartmi does not make it clear on exactly how this process works, I can’t confirm that.
Setting up the Rainforest humidifier
To set up this humidifier, simply remove the foam ring (from shipping), stack its components, and plug in. Download the Smartmi Link app, then fill the water reservoir by pouring filtered water directly onto the top of the product. You pour the water directly on top of the LED dome for this product. It feels a little weird to do so, but weird in a cool way—my brain keeps going “wait, you’re going to short-circuit the product!” Followed by, “whoa, I can’t believe that part is waterproof.”
Because Smartmi is a Chinese company, the language used in its app can be a little clunky. However, the Rainforest performs and connects well, with stable 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity and a super quick setup. If you need to move or adjust the Rainforest after setup, remember to lift it from the bottom as its different parts don’t securely lock into one another.
What’s it like to use the Smartmi Rainforest humidifier?
At its core, the Smartmi Rainforest humidifier is a simple, minimalistic product. Smartmi’s design team put a lot of work into creating a very unique way to humidify a room, but aside from the Rainforest’s “rain” feature, its functionality is limited. It can’t diffuse essential oils, function as just a fan, humidify large rooms, or even provide HEPA filtration—but for the one thing it was designed to do, it does a fantastic job. And, while I usually want a product that does it all, I really respect that this one focuses on its one real aim.
Out of the box, the Rainforest is a beautiful product. Once you fill it with water and turn it on, however, it’s really something. It looks so cool; serene, beautiful, and like nothing else I’ve seen on the market. I love that it features a top-fill design but that you’d never even guess where you fill it—every time I fill it, I feel almost like I’m doing something wrong!
The Rainforest isn’t designed for large spaces, but it comfortably raised the humidity level in my living room to 50% after about an hour and a half. It turns on automatically to “auto” and you can use voice or app control to fine-tune its settings. If you’re not a big fan of the Smartmi app, they’ve designed this product to work with Alexa, Hey Google, and Apple HomeKit, too.
Long-term Rainforest care and maintenance
I’ve had the Rainforest for a limited amount of time, but so far, I’m very pleased with it. For long-term use, I recommend cleaning the device frequently and, if possible, using soft or distilled water to run it. Smartmi has included a self-cleaning mode that’s designed to be used with water and citric acid, so if you’re worried about calcium buildup, there are definitely ways to tackle it when it comes.
Would I recommend the Rainforest humidifier to a friend?
Absolutely. As a humidifier, the Rainforest is a middle-of-the road product. You can find a humidifier that works just as well for a lot less money. But as a luxury product that really becomes a statement piece in your home, the Smartmi Rainforest is unbeatable. It’s uniquely beautiful and soothing. I can, and have, stared at the Rainforest for long stretches of time just to zone out during the day. There is nothing else on the market like it, which makes it very special.
Shop the Smartmi Rainforest humidifier at Best Buy today.
Definitely in my bedroom as I have allergies.
I would keep this in my home office where I spend such a large part of my day
It would look really nice in my living room or kitchen.
I would try it in a few rooms, bedroom first!
I would put it in the living room as a functional center piece because It creates a soothing, rainforest-inspired show in your very own home.
I’d definitely put this in my son’s room as the air gets SOOO dry in there particularly in the Winter.. I’d love one for my bedroom as well!!!
My daughter’s room. She gets nosebleeds often. Hopefully the extra humidity would help.
I would put the humidifier in our den, for sure.
I would place this humidifier in my nursery so my baby could benefit 🙂
I would put the humidifier in the great room as it is a combined kitchen/dining/livingroom room so would help get the humidity around. Also the floor in the great room is hardwood and needs a higher humidity.
perfect for my room!
I would put it in my son’s bedroom as he minds the dry air in the winter with our wood heat and it would help him to breathe easier and not dry out his nose.
I would use the Rainforest humidifier in my living room because that’s where my family is most of the time.
This would go in the bedroom with the TV and computer. It always gets dry in that room. Would make a huge difference especially in the cold weather.
Master bedroom, our cat sleeps on the bed and I always find myself waking up with my mouth gaping open & dry throat 😀
I would put this in my bedroom as it’s on the top floor and it gets really dry in the winter.
I would keep the Smartmi Rainforest Humidifier in my kitchen because it creates very soothing vibes.
I would use this in our bedroom because we spend 8 hours a night there.
I would put it in the living room as a functional center piece because It creates a soothing, rainforest-inspired show in your very own home. It just looks aesthetically pleasing.
I would place the humidifier in my bedroom to help add moisture to the air to combat dryness in the air.
The bedroom as that most time where i spend my time
Definitely the bedroom to reduce dry throat and skin, while taking advantage of the sound.
I would keep the Smartmi Rainforest Humidifier in my living room because it creates a very soothing ambiance.
This will go in the living room since we spend the most time there.
I would put it in the living room as a functional center piece because It creates a soothing, rainforest-inspired show in your very own home.
It would be in my bedroom because I have dry eyes.
it would be in my bedroom since i have dry mouth from snoring and it’s even drier in the winter with the furnace on
I would use it in my son’s bedroom, because he often wakes up with a dry, and sore throat.
I spend most of my day in the family room watching TV so I would put it in that room. It will help keep the air moist so that my nose doesn’t dry up during the day.
I will put it in my bedroom since it’s dry and I want to breathe better.
I would put it in my bedroom because it’s dry there.
I would put it in my bedroom since it’s dry and I breathe better when it has more humidity in it for better sleep which leads to better health.
I would put it in my bedroom. I like the stylish look and the soothing nature of the Rainforest humidifier. I get nose bleeds in the winter with dry air so it would be very helpful for me.
I would keep the Smartmi Rainforest Humidifier in the bedroom because it creates a very soothing ambience.
I would place this humidifier in the bedroom so that I can sleep comfortably without suffering from a dry throat or dry skin
I’d love this in the bedroom – humidity for sleeping better and rainforest bonus!
In my bedroom
I would say the tv room as we have a woodstove in there it gets really dry.
I would put it in my bedroom since it’s dry and I breathe better when it has more humidity in it.
I’d place this humidifier in the bedroom so that while I rest I get clean, moist air during the dry Alberta winters.
I would put it in the living room as a functional center piece because It creates a soothing, rainforest-inspired show in your very own home.
the bedroom so it’s not so dry overnight
The bedroom so I’m less likely to wake up with a dry throat.
Smartmi’s water enhanced evaporation technology sounds amazing!
We have a wide hall and the humidifer would be able to service all the rooms on the first floor.
I’d put it in the bedroom so I’m not so dry overnight
I would put it in the bedroom so I have clean air while I sleep.
Living room since it’s my pet cats hangout
i would place it in the bedroom so it doesn’t get so dry during winter
my bedroom because i open my mouth when i sleep and my throat gets dry
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