VOCOlinc MistFlow, humidifier and air freshener compatible with HomeKit

VOCOlinc has launched a new humidifier that brings as its main novelty a larger water tank and that also can act as an air freshener by adding a few drops of essential oils, compatible with HomeKit in addition to other home automation platforms, and we will show you how it works.

Improving FlowerBud

A few months ago we showed you the VOCOlinc FlowerBud humidifier (link), an original humidifier that was also a diffuser of aromas but that had a clear drawback: a water tank that was too small that forced you to refill it frequently. With the use that I usually give it, I must refill it every two days, and that I use it as a setting rather than as a humidifier. With this new MistFlow we can forget this inconvenience, because it includes a fairly large tank with a capacity of 2,5 liters., which allows you to forget about refilling it in a week making a fairly frequent use of it.

To achieve this VOCOlinc has had to do without original designs, and this MistFlow is a conventional humidifier if you look at its design. Cylindrical shape, with a top cover that we must remove to fill the water tank, with a translucent finish that makes the light from its interior LEDs can be used to decorate your room. In this way we have two devices in one, a lamp with 16 million colors and a humidifier-diffuser of aromas. that in addition to creating a healthier environment in your room will give an important decorative touch. The intensity of the light does not serve to illuminate, simply to give atmosphere.

The physical buttons on the front have also been dispensed with, and now we have tactile buttons. The upper one allows you to control the humidifier function, going from deactivated mode to a low intensity one and other high intensity ones. Just below we have a button to control the lighting of the lamp and change the color if you hold down for five seconds what you will not be able to control is the brightness of the lamp. The buttons are easy to access, but the response is sometimes not entirely quick, requiring a couple of tries. The cable has also changed, which is now fixed and has a conventional plug, and the fact that it has a scale that allows you to know the level of water remaining in the tank.

The connection to our HomeKit network is made through the home WiFi, being compatible only with 2,4GHz networks. This makes it possible to place it anywhere in the house, without having to be near your accessory center, you only need to have WiFi coverage. In the list of remaining specifications we can highlight an antibacterial treatment, essential in a humidifier since humidity is a magnet for the development of germs, and functions such as auto-off, the possibility of creating programs or being able to set a target humidity and let the device be the one to turn on and off automatically to maintain it.

HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant

VOCOlinc is absolutely right when it decides which platforms are compatible with its devices - all. Why marry a single platform when you can offer the user the possibility to choose, although for obvious reasons we are going to focus on its compatibility with HomeKit, Apple's home automation platform. The linking process is the same as always including the scan of the code that is on a sticker on the back of the device or on the instruction card. Once that is done, it will be configured to be used, and Casa would recognize two different devices: lamp and humidifier. By default they will appear as one, although with independent controls, if we want to separate them it is possible within the device settings within Home.

As is usual, the house offers us quite basic controls: turn on, turn off, intensity control and color change. But we do have the possibility to include these devices in environments and create automations including all kinds of devices whatever brand they are, as long as they are in our HomeKit network. You can use your smart living room lights combined with this MistFlow, create specific lighting for when you are watching a movie, or to give a decorative touch in a room.

VOCOlinc offers us its own application, which has been recently updated and redesigned (link), good news because it was an app with a somewhat questionable aesthetic that has improved a lot after this update. In addition to the basic functions that we can do with the Home app, we can use other more advanced functions. In the case of the lamp, we can execute effects with automatic color changes and with the possibility of customization. The humidifier function also has interesting functions such as the possibility to set a target humidity or to adjust the intensity level of the humidification choosing between five levels. We can also establish operating programs and we can activate the application to notify us when the water in the tank needs to be refilled.

The scent diffuser function does not have any functionality within the application, neither in VOCOlinc's nor in Home, because it is something that we must do manually by adding a few drops of essential oils to the water tank. The intensity of the aroma will depend on the oil that we use as well as the amount that we add to the tank. MistFlow will take advantage of the humidifier function to diffuse the aroma of the oil that we have added, without further ado.

Editor's opinion

Maintaining adequate relative humidity in a room improves its habitability. The use of air conditioners or heating dries up the environment, which can cause discomfort to the eyes or mucous membranes. It is also important not to overdo it, that is why it is essential that the humidifier has an automatic regulation to maintain the humidity that you have established. The most recommended humidity for a room should be around 50%, figures that depending on the climate in your area can be difficult to achieve without a humidifier. This VOCOlinc MistFlow helps you achieve it easily, with a large water tank that allows you not to have to fill it frequently, and with a lamp function that will give an interesting decorative touch to the room. The integration with HomeKit allows you to control it through your iPhone, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch, and being able to add some essential oil to give a touch of aroma is a plus. Its price is € 69,99 on Amazon (link)