A Decent Soap Dispenser with Major Downsides

Hello and thanks for reading my review!

I've been using this Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser for a while now, and it's been a real time-saver. No more fiddling with buttons or soap bars – just place your hand under the sensor and you've got a perfect dollop of soap in 2 seconds. Xiaomi's got a reputation for delivering quality, but this dispenser is a bit of a letdown.

Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser reviewProduct details

Brand: Xiaomi

Country of origin: China

Purchase price: 926 rubles (bought at Sber Megamarket, which had the best deal at the time) - link

I picked up the Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser from AliExpress for over 1100-1200 rubles.

Unboxing

The packaging is a standard cardboard box with a minimalist design that's quite sleek:

Dose control for liquid soap Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser packagingThe box highlights the main features of the dispenser:

- touchless

- creamy foam

- IPX4 water resistance (full protection from splashes in any direction)

- elegant and sturdy

On top of the box, you'll find the manufacturing date.

Additionally, you can check the weight, dimensions, and power type of the dispenser – 4 AA batteries (button cells), which aren't included in the package.

There's a sticker with information about the manufacturer, Russian importer, and the address of the warranty service center.

Inside the box, I found the dispenser and the instruction/manual (the soap bottle itself was sold separately).

Instruction:

Thanks for including the Russian language guide, which comes with a full description of the dispenser's features and how it works, complete with illustrations – it's super easy to understand.

They even included a description of potential issues and how to troubleshoot them.

As for the warranty, it's noted that the dispenser comes with a limited warranty. While the sticker on the packaging mentioned a 1-year warranty, which is standard for a device like this, I'm happy to report that it's been working flawlessly for over six months now, so we haven't had to visit the service center.

Construction

The dispenser is made from high-quality ABS plastic, with a smooth, curved design and a crisp white finish.

Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser ReviewOne thing that caught my eye was the nozzle – it's the only part of the dispenser that's visible, and it's a sleek black color.

The assembled dispenser with the soap container is roughly the size you'd expect from the photos.

Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser ReviewThe design is super minimalist – there's only one control element, a sensor button that turns the dispenser on and off, and also serves as an indicator.

The LED light is white when the dispenser is working, and orange when it's turned off or the batteries are dead (you can tell by the longer glow time).

The dispenser comes with a sticker on the body.

Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser ReviewInside the battery compartment:

It opens with a wave of the hand:

You need to insert 4 AA batteries or a 2450 mAh NiMH rechargeable battery like the ones I use:

I'm using Eneloop batteries:

How long do these 2450 mAh NiMH batteries last?

For me, they last around 3-3.5 months, but that's a rough estimate. It really depends on how often you use it, and that's something that's hard to predict. In my household, only two people use this dispenser.

Usage

I couldn't find the sensor on the diagram in the manual, but it's not like it's a noticeable part of the design. I'm assuming it's built into the body near the black nozzle.

The sensor starts working at a distance of 5 cm from the nozzle and gets triggered all the way up to the nozzle. The sensor's range is shown in the manual:

One thing I noticed is that it's best to hold your hand about 3-4 cm away from the nozzle. If you hold it too close, the soap can clog the sensor, and the indicator will start flashing orange.

Dose control for liquid soap Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser reviews

The amount of soap it dispenses at once is just right for getting your hands good and clean.

Dose control for liquid soap Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser reviewsReplacing the soap

Xiaomi's got it right with the interchangeable soap blocks.

Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser ReviewAnd now, here come the downsides – and they're pretty major regrets for me.

1) The soap container design is a total non-starter for refills! It's like Xiaomi expects you to only buy their soap and in this specific form. I mean, couldn't they release a more affordable packaging option with a bigger volume and sell it at a lower price? But no, Xiaomi only has this soap and this packaging.

2) The soap from Xiaomi is a total disaster – it left everyone's hands dry and flaky! It's either super concentrated or just plain rubbish, I'm not sure. It dried out my skin something awful, and after using it, I had to apply moisturizer to get any relief.

We ended up not using this weird Xiaomi soap and bought a different one instead.

Removing the cap was a bit of a challenge:

The cap itself is pretty flimsy, and I'm worried it might not last long. If it breaks, I'll have to buy a new one – not ideal.We've been using a different soap lately:

I really like it – the scents are great, and it cleans well.

Дозатор для жидкого мыла Xiaomi Mijia Automatic Foam Soap Dispenser отзывыThe Verdict

In general, the dispenser works well and has lasted over six months without any issues. However, refilling it with my soap is a real pain – this is a major downside for me, especially since the soap I'm using dries out my hands.

I'm still trying to figure out what the engineers at Xiaomi were thinking. There are plenty of dispensers out there that are easy to refill without having to take apart and reassemble the whole thing.

If the soap container breaks, I might not bother replacing it – I'd just switch to a different dispenser.

I'm really happy with the amount of foam it produces – it's consistently good.

The foam is also really airy.

And the design is great.

Downsides:

- It's a bit tricky to refill.

- I've found that the Xiaomi soap really dries out my skin.

- The lid on the soap container is flimsy and not designed for refills.

Hope my review was helpful – have a great day!