Xiaomi Smartmi Standing Fan 3: With remote control for 93€/$134

The manufacturer Smartmi has also made the smart fans from the Xiaomi ecosystem (Mi Home app) popular in this country. Meanwhile, there are already three fans from Xiaomi globally. However, none of them is the counterpart to the Smartmi Standing Fan 3, which not only comes with a battery, but also an ionizer.

• Smartmi Standing Fan 3
  • at Amazon for $133.99 – activate 5% coupon | Geekmaxi for 106,99€ – Coupon: SmartmiFan3 (EU warehouse) | Amazon.de for 92,90€

Smartmi vs Xiaomi: Are the fans identical?

Smartmi is theoretically its own manufacturer, so the Smartmi fans are not a Xiaomi product. In Europe, there is now the Xiaomi Mi Fan 2 Lite (formerly 1C), Mi Fan 2 and the Xiaomi Mi Fan Pro. The fans can be distinguished by the fan bar, for example, which is silver for the Smartmi Fans and white for Xiaomi. Furthermore, the Smartmi logo can be found in the center instead of the Mijia logo. And you can also tell them apart in terms of operation, the Smartmi devices only have two buttons.

The Smartmi Standing Fan 3 arrived at Geekmaxi within a few days of our order. Everything is securely packaged as usual, the box is just as big as the smartmi standing fan 2 and noticeably bigger than the Mi Smart Standing Fan 2. This is due to the fan rod in this case, which consists of two parts at Xiaomi. The scope of delivery includes the fan motor including the permanently mounted rod, the base, the protective basket, the rotor blade, the base, an EU power cable and a screw including a hexagonal wrench. By the way, the power cable comes with a Xiaomi logo, so much for “they don’t belong together”.

The assembly goes quickly and is done in a few minutes. First, attach the fan rod to the base and then put the screw in from below and tighten it. This gives the Smartmi a noticeably more stable stand than the Xiaomi Mi Fan 2. Then you have to attach the back of the protective basket, fix it with the white plastic “nut”, attach the rotor blade and then close this with the gray knob. Finally, just screw in the front of the protective basket.

Old design somewhat refreshed

In the third generation, the manufacturer Smartmi relies on a very similar design to the Xiaomi Smartmi Standing Fan 2 and 2S. The Smartmi Standing Fan 3 is also 96 cm high, but you cannot adjust its height, unlike the Xiaomi Mi Fan 2. The combination of the silver fan pole and the white guard looks chic and timeless, and should easily blend in with most interior styles.

Unlike the Xiaomi fan, the bar is not only silver instead of white, but in contrast to the predecessor, the status LEDs are also located there. They are usually located at the top of the control buttons, but now you get a small display. This provides information about the speed levels, of which there are four here. Up to 100 speeds are possible via the app. In addition, there is the active WiFi connection and the information whether the ionizer and the nature mode are activated.

The seven rotor blades still do their rounds in the guard. Newer models from Xiaomi like the Mi Fan Pro rely on a 5+7 rotor blade. The workmanship of the Smartmi Standing Fan 3 is good as usual, the plastic is high-quality, the fan rod is stable and the fan has a good stand. Despite the higher price, however, the workmanship is not better than the cheaper Smartmi Standing Fan 2.

Performance & volume

With its rotor blades and 25W motor, the Smartmi Standing Fan 3 provides a cool breeze. Apparently, the same DC motor is used here as in the other two Smartmi models and the more expensive Xiaomi fans. Since it is a DC motor, the consumption is a bit lower and the fan can work whisper-quiet. Only Xiaomi’s Mi Fan 2 Lite uses AC motor, which makes it not quite as energy efficient and a bit louder.

However, the consumption of 25W is higher than Xiaomi’s Mi Smart Standing Fan 2, which is probably due to the battery that the Smartmi Standing Fan 3 has to charge as well.

I have the Smartmi Standing Fan 3 and the Standing Fan 2 running side by side simultaneously during the test period and cannot see any difference in performance. The fan is really whisper-quiet up to level 2, so you can use it even when you are sleeping lightly. The volume turns out to be the same as in Xiaomi’s device. However, everything above setting 50 is then already noticeably louder. It is then loud from level 4, but the wind power is felt to be very high, so that the airflow still reaches you at a distance of ten meters.

Especially in summer, I wouldn’t want to miss the fan anymore, because it manages to cool down smaller rooms well. Especially when sleeping, the breeze is already very pleasant at half the maximum setting.

The myth: the ionization function

There were some rumors about the so-called ionization function in the run-up. This was promised in the Chinese stores, while others reported that this function is not available. Unfortunately, both are kind of true. In theory, such an ionizer is supposed to create charged ions that attach to dust particles, thus creating larger clusters that can then be better filtered by an air purifier. This function can be activated and deactivated via app, for which Smartmi cooperates with the company anion, as can be seen from the logo.

In theory, you can only achieve a real effect when you use a Xiaomi Air Purifier Pro or a similar model at the same time. So in the test we can’t really evaluate the function, I wouldn’t buy the Smartmi Standing Fan 3 because of that.

Operation of the Smartmi Standing Fan 3

There are two function buttons on the fan itself. On the top of the motor is the button for changing the level, via a long press you can also switch the fan on and off. On the back of the motor, on the other hand, is the swivel button, which makes the fan oscillate. In my opinion, however, it is better to adjust the oscillation via the app. As mentioned, the status LEDs are in the fan bar this time and no longer on the motor. This is rather disadvantageous for direct operation, but the status LEDs are also easier to read from a distance due to the contrast.

Smartmi Standing Fan 3 controlled via app

The app integration succeeds via the Mi Home app, which is available for Android and iOS, just like the other models. This is probably where the confusion between Smartmi and Xiaomi fans originated. If you don’t have a Mi account yet, one can also be set up via your Google account. Then simply click on the plus in the upper right corner and either scan for the device or select the fan via the categories. Then all that’s missing is resetting the fan and the Wi-Fi password. We use the Mi Home app via the German server, here it works without any problems.

One of 100 different speed settings for the smart home gadget can be set via the app. If you fine-tune the settings via the slider, the fan switches between levels 1 to four. You also have the option to switch to nature mode here, which is also symbolized on the display when switched on. In this case, the fan imitates natural wind and changes the intensity of the wind irregularly – highly recommended!

You can also set the oscillation here, which ranges from 0° to 120°. However, you can also move the orientation to the left or right in individual steps. Thanks to the app, you can set a (sleep) timer, set up a parental control, but also pair a voice assistant like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. It is also important that you can deactivate the volume, i.e. the beep, and also adjust the display brightness of the status LEDs. This is also possible via slider, so you can dim them or turn them off completely. This is especially advantageous at night.

This is all known so far. The only new feature is the apparently integrated sensor for temperature and humidity. This is now displayed in the app. It also saves the Xiaomi temperature & humidity sensor, as the integrated sensor can also be used for automations in the Mi Home app. A nice extra, but nothing more.

Smartmi Standing Fan 3 controlled via remote control

Unlike the Smartmi Standing Fan 2S, there is even a Bluetooth remote control in the scope of delivery. Smartmi has even thought of a AAA battery. The remote is just about 11 cm long, white and relatively thin. To pair the remote, you have to hold down the two buttons on the remote for five seconds, then the status LEDs on the control and on the fan will flash. Within 30 seconds, you then need to press one of the two buttons on the fan, and the remote will connect via Bluetooth.

The remote control offers only two buttons, one for speed level and one for oscillation & nature mode. The operation works smoothly and is convenient if you always have it by your bed, for example. Still, it seems to me like having dual speed and nature mode would make more sense. Also, I would have liked a timer function on it, since this is already not possible on the fan itself. So you have to go into the app every time for that – too bad!

With integrated battery

As with the Xiaomi Smartmi stand fan 2S, a 2,800 mAh battery is integrated, so that the fan can also be used up to 20 h without a power cable. Of course, 20 hours is the maximum and only applies when you constantly use the fan on the first level. If you use a higher setting, the runtime is noticeably reduced. It is still just under three hours on the highest setting, but up to ten hours are possible on medium settings. Charging the battery takes about four hours.

In contrast to the 2S, the status display is actually an advantage here, providing information about the battery status. However, this is only a small LED in the base, which lights up green, yellow or red when the fan is switched on. Thus, you only get a vague information and not a precise indication. Unfortunately, there is also no exact information in the app, which I find an absolute omission. Finding at least a percentage would be a real advantage.

Assessment

The Xiaomi Smartmi Standing Fan 3 is largely based on the already very popular Smartmi Standing Fan 2S. What is new is the status display, the temperature & humidity sensor, the ionizer and the Bluetooth remote control. This can definitely justify the price difference and those who are already building their small Mi Smart Home will be happy about the integrated sensor. The remote control is also quite practical, so you do not always have to get out your cell phone.

However, those who simply want the battery can get away with the Smartmi Standing Fan 2S or the Mi Fan Pro for a lower price, depending on the offer. The differences are minimal overall, and the actual “performance” of the devices is basically identical. Personally, I don’t want to miss my Smartmi Standing Fan 2 anymore and I don’t really need the battery either. However, I can see that it simply makes everyday handling even more convenient. But then I would like to have a better battery status display, both on the fan, as well as in the app.

Do you already have a Xiaomi fan? If so, which one?