Research editor: Nicholas Bauer, Founder & Research Editor · Manufacturer sources reviewed October 6, 2026
The short answer
Start with HAVA R01 if you want to avoid a faucet supply hookup and its taller body fits your space. Start with Danby DDW631SDB if overhead height is restrictive, you can spare the extra width and depth, and the faucet connection is compatible.
This is our interpretation of their documented setups. We have not measured cleaning or drying performance, so neither is declared the better washer.
| Decision point | HAVA R01 | Danby DDW631SDB |
|---|---|---|
| Water supply | Refillable tank or faucet | Faucet; no tank |
| Body H × W × D | 18.1 × 16.9 × 16.9 inches | 17.25 × 21.65 × 20.65 inches |
| Plate check | 10.2 inches upright / 10.6 angled | Maximum diameter not verified here |
| What to check next | Filling access and door-open space | Faucet compatibility, hoses and plate layout |
| Explore the offer | View HAVA on Amazon ↗Paid link | View Danby on Amazon ↗Paid link |
Imagine doing the setup every day
A tank sounds simple, but you must be happy reaching it and adding water. A faucet connection avoids manually filling a tank, but the tap and hose arrangement become part of your routine. Pick the friction you can comfortably live with.
Watch the actual products
These are manufacturer videos, including promotional material. They show the appliances and setup; they do not provide an independent head-to-head test.
Use your dishes as the deciding factor
A capacity label is not a photograph of your next dinner load. List the bowls, cups and plates you usually need to wash, then compare their sizes with the rack information. One awkwardly large plate can matter more than another wash program.
Which one would reduce your actual dishwashing workload?
Start with the ordinary dinner you repeat, not the largest place-setting number. Our dish-load planner separates dishwasher-approved pieces, handwash-only pieces and items whose care still needs checking. Save that list before comparing a current offer.
| Your main requirement | Decision to settle first | A reason to pause |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the supply faucet free | Check the R01 tank-filling and drainage routine in your intended spot. | You cannot reach the fill opening comfortably, or do not have an approved drain route. |
| Use a low cabinet opening | Screen the Danby’s closed-body size, then confirm the full installation drawing and faucet compatibility. | The shorter body fits but the hoses, open door or usable counter space do not. |
| Wash the evening’s dishes together | Compare your diary with the exact rack diagram, including bowls, handles and plate spacing. | Only individual diameter claims are available; the mixed arrangement remains unconfirmed. |
| Stop scrubbing a large pan | Confirm that specific pan’s care and loading requirements before choosing either model. | The main chore would remain a handwashing job after the purchase. |
What about cleaning performance?
Our R01 review now compares two credited hands-on reports; the Danby review adds Reviewed’s test context. Those reports were not a controlled HAVA-versus-Danby trial. Different loads, dates and procedures prevent us from naming a cleaning winner by combining their results.
If both pass your checks: compare the complete delivered cost and the setup you are willing to repeat. If neither passes: keep the handwashing setup or investigate another appliance format. A discounted machine that misses your main requirement is not automatically good value.
Decision worksheet added November 2, 2026. This is our planning framework, not physical testing or a guarantee of fit.
Our buying rule
If both models suit your routine, compare the current delivered offer, seller identity and return terms. Do not pay more just because a listing says compact or portable. You are buying a way to reduce a chore, and the practical setup has to earn its place on the counter.
Manufacturer sources reviewed October 6, 2026. Sources: HAVA specifications · Danby specifications. We have not physically tested either model.
Two R01 size figures: what should you plan around?
HAVA’s product page lists 16.9 inches wide × 16.9 deep × 18.1 high. Its manual specification table lists 16.86 × 16.75 × 18.05 inches. Neither height fits a fixed 18-inch gap. Our checker uses the larger product-page dimensions for an initial screen.
Do not use the smaller figure to rescue a tight fit. Confirm the current US installation drawing, filling access, hose route and open-door space before ordering. See the R01 source checks for the limits behind these numbers.
Choose the job you want it to take over
Choose the R01 routine when the supply tap must stay free
A tank can be useful when attaching a water-supply hose to your faucet is unsuitable. You still carry refill water and arrange drainage. Before choosing, picture a full evening load: cups, bowls and everyday plates, with unsuitable cookware left for handwashing. Check the faucet guide if the tap is your deciding constraint.
Choose the Danby routine when the wider footprint is workable
Its listed 17.25-inch body is shorter, but its width and depth need more counter space. A lower body alone does not approve installation. Follow the exact manual for connections, hoses and clearance, and check whether loading leaves a usable path to your sink.
Compare complete routines, not just wash times
The R01 program table separates a 69-minute Normal wash from 60 minutes of drying: 129 minutes for those listed stages. The Danby table lists 110 minutes for Normal. Its drying guidance describes no separate drying cycle. These different descriptions do not establish a head-to-head ready-to-store time or a cleaning winner.
When neither is the right purchase
Keep looking if your only available spot cannot meet installation requirements, or if the main items you want to stop washing have unconfirmed rack fit. HAVA’s 10.2-inch upright and 10.6-inch angled round-plate limits do not establish a 12-inch fit. We have not verified a maximum Danby plate diameter. Check your plates and mixed load before treating a capacity label as a promise.
For the full evidence, read the R01 research review and Danby research review. If both setups work, compare the exact current model, seller and return terms using the offers above.
