URPOWER MH501 Humidifier Review

We purchased the URPOWER MH501 Humidifier so our expert reviewer could put it to the test in her home. Keep reading for our full product review.

To see if the URPOWER Humidifier is worth the investment, we put it to the test over the course of a few weeks, using it to combat the dry conditions in an air-conditioned apartment. Read on to see what we found!

Design: Straightforward and inconspicuous 

We’d describe the overall appearance of the URPOWER Humidifier as unmemorable. It’s not nearly as unsightly as many other humidifiers, so it gets points for that, but it’s by no means a showpiece, either. It has a modern matte black and silver exterior, and we found it fairly easy to work the appliance into our living room decor without drawing too much attention to it. It’s probably the best you can hope for with a humidifier.

The functional aspects of its design are straightforward. The top 2/3 of the machine is a removable tank, which you have to flip upside down to fill. The 5-liter tank has a screw-off cap and a medium-sized hole where you put water. Because the top of the humidifier is tapered, you have to hold the tank upright as you fill it. We also thought it was quite heavy to carry when full.  

Once you’ve filled the tank, all you have to do is flip it back over and place it on the base. There’s only one button on the humidifier—you can press it once to turn the machine on low, twice for medium, and three times for high. However, we found the button is quite sensitive, and we accidentally pressed it more times than intended. 

One nice feature is the “sleep mode” of this humidifier. To activate it, you simply hold the power button down, and this will turn off the indicator lights and prevent the machine from beeping if it’s low on water. We didn’t think the indicator lights are particularly bright to begin with, but this could be helpful if you’re a light sleeper. 

Performance: Better than expected

We set the URPOWER Humidifier up in our 170-square-foot living room, next to a few plants that could use a little added moisture (they don’t like air conditioning at all). According to the manufacturer, the machine can give off up to 350 milliliters of mist per hour, and it will run from 13 to 17 hours per fill. There’s no recommended room size, but other similar-sized units are recommended for around 100- to 300-square-foot spaces.

For the first week or so, we only used the humidifier while we were home and awake, usually for 8 hours a day or so. With this type of use, one tank of water lasted three or four days. We also wanted to see how long it would run continuously, so we filled the tank and let it run on low until it automatically shut off. We were surprised to find it that one tank lasted more than 32 hours—almost double what the manufacturer states. 

Additionally, this humidifier is virtually silent, making it perfect for use in a bedroom or nursery. It’s easy to adjust the mist output level between the three settings, and there is a noticeable difference in the mist stream as you turn up the unit.

Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best air purifiers.

Mist Quality: Cool and strong

This humidifier gives off mist through the slit at the top of the unit. It feels cool and moist when you hold your hand over it, and we felt a noticeable difference in the air quality after using the humidifier for a few days—even with the air conditioner running.  

The only downside about the mist of this unit is that it only blows one direction. Other humidifiers have features that let you angle the mist as you please, but you’re stuck with the mist coming out the front of this one. Not a big deal in our opinion, but just something to keep in mind.

Cleaning: Frustrating, to say the least

Humidifiers need to be cleaned regularly, as the wet environment is an ideal breeding ground for mold and bacteria. This particular brand recommends cleaning out the unit once a week or every three to five uses. While the base of the URPOWER Humidifier is easy enough to clean with a sponge or the small included brush, the water tank is a different story.  

The opening to the water tank is only a few inches wide, so there was no way we were fitting a hand in there. To scrub the interior, we had to use a long-handled bottle brush, and even with that, it was still extremely awkward to get into the corners. 

Price: What you’d expect

The URPOWER Humidifier typically retails for between $30 and $45, which is average for a humidifier of this size. You might be able to find more inexpensive options, but they will likely have a more utilitarian appearance. 

Competitors: Many to choose from

VAVA Top-Fill Humidifier: If the URPOWER Humidifier isn’t quite your style, you might like the sleek modern look of the VAVA Humidifier, which we also tested. This white cylindrical humidifier has a similar capacity, run time, and price as the URPOWER model, and it’s actually much easier to clean thanks to its top-fill design. 

Take a peek at some of the other best humidifiers you can buy.

InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser and Cool Mist Humidifier: If you want to diffuse the calming scent of essential oils into your home, you won’t be able to do it with the URPOWER Humidifier. Instead, you’ll need a product like the InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser, which lets you put essential oils into its water tank. It’s significantly smaller than the URPOWER model and, as such, only runs for a few hours at a time, but it does light up in a variety of pretty colors.

Read more reviews of the best essential oil diffusers available to purchase online.