Is it worth buying a dehumidifier? Our experts found out
The best dehumidifiers (which, surprise, perform the opposite job to a humidifier) can eliminate excess moisture and condensation from the air, so your home doesn't fall victim to damp or spots of mould. Both are common household headaches and can be caused by everything from the steam you create when you're cooking to leaky plumbing.
A dehumidifier can also help speed up laundry drying times – essential when you're tackling rainy, changeable weather (hello, spring) that can make drying clothes a lot more difficult (especially if you don’t have one of our best heated clothes airers).
In fact, some of the dehumidifiers we've tested have specific laundry functions to help make indoor drying even quicker. They’re also cheaper to run than a tumble dryer.
To help you decide which one to invest in, the Good Housekeeping Institute tried and tested a range of market-leading models, keeping an eye on how much they cost to run and any extra features, including laundry modes. Keep scrolling for the full reviews, but here they are in one handy list:
What is a dehumidifier good for?
If you often wake up on a cold morning with condensation on your windows, a dehumidifier is a worthy investment. They tackle damp by drawing air in, removing the excess moisture and collecting it in a drip tray, before pushing the air back out into the room.
We spoke to Nicholas Donnithorne, UK Technical Services Manager at Peter Cox, the UK’s leading property care experts, to understand why managing indoor humidity is crucial to preventing issues with condensation and mould.
“On average, a family of four produces 14 litres of water vapour each day,” explains Donnithorne. “Keeping a house correctly heated and well-ventilated is an important part of preventing condensation.”
While opening a window and airing your home will have a similar effect, during winter we’re all trying to conserve heat, so dehumidifiers can help to reduce condensation without letting cold air in.
If left alone, Donnithorne warns that mould and damp can begin to form on curtains and soft furnishings, which – besides being unappealing to look at – can lead to health risks in the long run. Running a dehumidifier in your home is a quick and easy solution.
What should you know about dehumidifiers before buying?
It’s an easy mistake to make but be aware that the model’s size describes how many litres of water it can extract from the air within 24 hours – not the capacity of the water tank. For example, our highest-scoring Sharp dehumidifier has a 20L extraction capacity, but its water tank is only 3.8L, so you’d have to change it multiple times in a 24-hour period. Confusing, we know.
Plus, this figure often refers to the maximum amount of water an appliance can extract on average rather than what it will extract in a UK home in winter. Dehumidifiers tend to remove moisture more quickly in tropical climates and more slowly when it's cold. So, if yours doesn't extract a full 20L in a day, this doesn't mean it's not working, just that it's operating differently to the conditions the manufacturer tested it in.
Compressor or desiccant dehumidifiers – which is better?
There are two different types of dehumidifier to choose from: compressor or desiccant models.
Compressor dehumidifiers work by creating a cold surface for warm, damp air to move across. When the warmer air meets the cool surface, condensation forms, and the water is removed.
Desiccant dehumidifiers don’t rely on a cool surface, which means they’re effective in all temperatures. They use a desiccant wheel that absorbs the moisture from the air (much like a sponge), which is then regenerated by an internal heater and fan.
The simplest way to work out which type of dehumidifier is best for you is to consider room temperature. For situations where your ambient room temperature is likely to fall below 15 degrees often (think garages, basements, conservatories), you may want to consider a desiccant dehumidifier.
While desiccant dehumidifiers are more effective in lower temperatures, they typically cost more to run, so if you’re looking for a more energy-efficient appliance, it may be worth picking a compressor model.
What is the best dehumidifier?
Bearing that in mind, here are the other factors to consider when shopping for a dehumidifier.
Price: The dehumidifiers we tested range from £74 to £330, with pricier models boasting a range of fancy features including smart controls and accompanying apps, so it’s important to consider what factors are the most important for your household.
Noise levels: If you’re going to have a dehumidifier on when you’re working from home or while you’re sleeping, you want something that will keep the noise down. Anything under 54dBA is considered quiet, which means all the products on our list are suitable. However, if you’re a light sleeper, you may want to pick one on the lower end of the scale, such as this EcoAir dehumidifier, which runs on low at 36dB.
Size and water capacity: You’ll need to consider the capacity of the water tank based on where you’re placing the dehumidifier in your home. Bathrooms and kitchens, which are typically more humid spaces, may require a larger tank – or more frequent emptying – compared to a study or bedroom. While the size of your dehumidifier will depend on the space and how damp it is, on average, any unit around 10L will work across multiple rooms, while larger 20L models, such as the Sharp portable dehumidifier, will suit larger homes or spaces with persistent damp.
Energy consumption: Generally, the higher the wattage, the more energy intensive your dehumidifier will be. How much it costs to run a dehumidifier throughout the day will depend on each appliance – the Good Housekeeping Institute measured the energy consumption of all the ones we tested and worked out how much it would cost to run per hour based on the current energy price cap of 24.86p per kWh.
How we test
To test the effectiveness of each dehumidifier, the Good Housekeeping Institute used a controlled test chamber with a humidity of 80% and a temperature set to 18C.
The chamber’s environment was kept at the same level throughout testing to effectively measure each model’s energy consumption and extraction rate. Testers then ran each product on its highest setting to see how much water it collected.
If the model had a laundry mode, we carried out further testing to see how effective it was at drying clothes. We washed a full load of clothes (weighing between 3 to 4kg), then weighed them when wet before hanging them up to dry next to the dehumidifier. We timed how long it took the clothes to dry and then weighed them again to see how much water was removed by the dehumidifier.
Finally, our experts also assessed each product on its design, ease of use, quality of instructions and, if it had an app, how easy it was to set up and navigate. These are their top picks.
UD-P20U-W 20L Dehumidifier
Score: 98/100
Taking the crown is this 20L model from Sharp, which effectively removes excess moisture from the room and then redistributes the dry air evenly. It also boasts a simple LED control panel and soft push buttons, which our testers found straightforward and easy to use.
Over a two-hour period, this machine collected an impressive 940ml of water – with a 3.8L water storage tank, you’d need to empty it every eight hours if it were run continuously, which isn’t a big issue. The unit is weighty, but our testers found the wheels and carry handles useful for moving it around and transferring the tank to the sink for emptying. Overall, this a great buy for dealing with any damp spots in your home.
Smart 20L Dehumidifier
Score: 97/100
This has an accompanying app so you can control it when you're out and about. Testers found it straightforward to use, easily adjusting the speed and settings from their smartphones.
It's a good option for drying clothes quickly, impressing our testers by removing 85.2% of the water from our load of laundry, so you won’t have wet clothes hanging around your home for long periods.
It was a little noisy when placed on its highest setting, but that’s a minor niggle, especially given that it collected over 1L of water within two hours. It is large and heavy, but the four-wheel swivelled design makes it easy to move around your home.
Arete One 20L Dehumidifier & Air Purifier
Score: 92/100
As one of the larger models we tested, this Meaco 20L dehumidifier is a great option if you’re tackling damp and high humidity throughout your home. It removed over 850ml of water in two hours and, thanks to its large tank capacity, you’d only need to empty it around every 10 hours if run continuously, which is handy if you’re busy during the day.
It also doubles up as an air purifier and uses a medical grade filter to keep your air dry and free of dust and other allergens. Our testers loved the easy, accessible design, including the simple LED display that made navigating the menu a breeze.
Like the Princess model (above), its weight may prove tricky for some, but the combination of wheels, a handle, and pouring spout on the water tank, made emptying a mess-free task.
DD3 Classic Slimline 10L Desiccant Dehumidifier
Score: 92/100
This EcoAir model proved a great option for any family home, collecting over 800ml of moisture from the air in our tests in just two hours. With a 3L capacity water tank, this means you’d have to physically empty the tank up to three times a day, if running for 24 hours.
It’s fairly lightweight (under 7kg without water) and the handle allowed for fuss-free transportation between rooms. While it’s not the fanciest design on the market, this dehumidifier has plenty of great features including a built-in humidity sensor, a laundry mode, three fan settings, and auto shut-off when the water tank is full, which meant it scored well across the board.
One of the features our testers particularly liked was that it blows out slightly warmer air, helping to heat your space, too. You can also direct the air flow thanks to its swinging air outlet.
20L Dehumidifier
Score: 91/100
This large dehumidifier impressed our testers with its ability to dry clothes in under five hours, meaning less time with wet clothes hanging around your home. It collected 700ml of water across two hours, and we liked how the indicator told us when the 3.4L water tank was full.
On the top of this model, you’ll find a clear digital display – although, if you do get stuck with the controls, detailed instructions and diagrams are there to help you out.
There’s no spout on the water tank, so our experts found it difficult to empty it without spills. That quibble aside, they found this dehumidifier intuitive to use.
DD2 Simple Desiccant Dehumidifier
Score: 90/100
This is another stand-out desiccant dehumidifier from EcoAir; it removed over 700ml of water from the air in two hours and dried our laundry in four. It also has some smart settings that make it a more efficient buy, including the ability to automatically switch off when the room reaches your desired humidity, then monitor the air quality every half an hour and switch back on if the humidity rises again.
Testers found it easy to use from start to finish – even when changing and cleaning the filter. Its water tank has a spout for splash-free emptying and there’s a protection feature that switches the machine off automatically if it tilts. There are three fan speeds, but no wheels, so you will need to carry it about. Luckily, it’s the lightest we tested (when empty) at 6.7kg.
Tasciugo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier 12L
Score: 88/100
Sometimes, simplicity is key and that’s exactly what our testers loved about this dehumidifier. With just one on/off button and four modes (three based on the humidity of your environment, and one for laundry), it’s super easy to set up and use – it really is as simple as plugging it in and pressing the 'on' button.
Under conditions similar to those in our humidity chamber, it would take six hours to fill a full 2.1L tank, so you shouldn’t need to empty it too often. Even so, it does have an automatic switch-off feature when the tank is full, as well as a bright indicator light to tell you when it’s ready to be changed.
With a curved, slim design and a solid performance across our in-house tests, this is a great buy.
Arete Two Dehumidifier 20L
Score: 87/100
Scoring slightly less than its predecessor, Meaco’s Arete Two dehumidifier is still a fantastic option. What separates this model from the Arete One (above) is the added app functionality, which lets you control your dehumidifier via Google, Alexa or Siri voice control. The app also tells you when the water tank is full, how long your laundry has left to dry, and lets you adjust the settings and target humidity from a distance, all features our testers appreciated.
It boasts advanced DC (direct current) motors, which claim to deliver more airflow for the same energy consumption as the Arete One.
There are also three (instead of two) fan speeds, which helped to dry our clothes in five and a half hours when tested in the lab – not the quickest we’ve come across, but very effective, extracting almost 95% of the moisture. Plus, even at the highest speed, it wasn’t too noisy, measuring just 45dB.
Bora Smart Dehumidifier
Score: 86/100
A quick “Alexa turn on the dehumidifier” is all it takes to get this smart model whirring. Testers found its app easy to navigate, and the device pairing simple. They liked that you could monitor and adjust settings remotely too. Occasionally, however, the dehumidifier disconnected, which meant they had to turn it on manually to reconnect.
As its strong score suggests, it was effective at removing moisture from the air. Our experts also found it easy to use throughout testing, whether setting up its timer, monitoring the water level or changing the filter. On max, it wasn’t the quietest, but it has a night mode, and its neat design means it should fit right in wherever you place it in your home.
12L/day Low Energy Dehumidifier
Score: 83/100
With a clear indicator light that shows the current humidity level, this dehumidifier is handy for keeping a close eye on any damp environments in your home.
Our experts found it easy to assemble and quickly got to grips with the controls. Plus, the unit has a 12-hour timer, a child lock, and an adjustable humidistat that ranges between 30 and 80 per cent.
In testing, we found the dehumidifier excelled in laundry mode, removing a good level of moisture from our clothes in under five hours. We had some difficulties removing the water tank once it was full, but it comes with a continuous drainage hose to do away with any faff.
10L Dehumidifier
Score: 72/100
Dehumidifiers don’t tend to be the most aesthetically pleasing of devices, but this model's digital display and slim design make it one of the more stylish options. You can switch between three different speed settings, as well as being able to manually change the direction of the wind, to adjust to different spaces.
On test, it collected almost 500ml in a two-hour window, meaning you’d have to empty the 2.5 litre water tank every 10 hours if it ran continuously – a task made simpler thanks to its castor wheels. However, it lacks proper handles, making it a little more difficult to lift and empty the tank.
This quibble aside, our tester appreciated that the machine clearly displays the temperature and humidity of the room, a key feature many models often miss. The auto shut-off functionality is another useful addition.
Why should you buy a smaller dehumidifier vs. a larger one?
Bigger doesn't always mean better and that’s certainly the case when it comes to dehumidifiers. There are so many factors to think about when it comes to deciding on the right model for your home and a smaller model can offer some great advantages.
For starters, the obvious: they save space. If you don’t have a large home or just want a dehumidifier for small rooms, such as a home office, utility room or even a wardrobe, then these compact options are a savvy pick.
While they may not extract large amounts of water or have a huge tank capacity, they’re usually quieter, easier to empty, and can operate for a day or two without needing you to empty them. They’re also typically cheaper to run because of their small size.
If this sounds like the right fit for your home, then consider this tried and tested dehumidifier below.
Fresh Air Pro Compact 2 in 1 Dehumidifier & Air Purifier
This compact dehumidifier is discreet and requires minimal space if you need to store it away. Plus, our testers found it easy to empty and move between rooms.
In the lab, it collected 35ml of water in two hours, which means it would have taken over 48 hours to fill the full one-litre tank. Unsurprisingly given its size, this is a smaller moisture extraction rate than other models we tested, but it also doubles up as an air purifier, claiming to capture 99.95% of airborne allergens, dust, and pollen.
While it's important to note that you can’t use both features at the same time, our tester found it easy to switch between the two using the interface on top of the appliance. Thanks to its small stature, this is also the cheapest and most energy-efficient model we tested, costing just 1p an hour to run. It’s a savvy buy.
Dehumidifier or heated clothes airer – which is better for drying clothes?
Some dehumidifiers have laundry modes that tackle excess humidity to help speed up drying times. But are they a better pick than a heated clothes airer? We dug into our testing results at the Good Housekeeping Institute to find out.
Our highest scoring dehumidifier with a laundry setting is EcoAir’s DD3 Classic Slimline Dehumidifier (£299.98). In our lab, it removed the moisture from damp clothes in around four hours, using 40 pence of electricity in the process.
Our winning heated airer, Beldray’s Heated Clothes Airer Pod (£59.99), dried clothes in a speedy 45 minutes using a similar amount of electricity. It's limited to drying 12 garments at a time though, which isn’t ideal if you're tackling a big load of laundry.
Opting for a more traditional airer design, like Lakeland’s Dry:Soon Tri:Mode Heated Hub (£349.99), would work better for drying sheets, towels and piles of clothes. But it’s no quicker than our leading dehumidifier (although electricity cost was lower, at 32 pence for the four hours). Or Minky's SureDri XL Winged Heated Clothes Airer (£78.99) took just over two hours (costing 12 pence).
There's more to consider though. Heated clothes airers take time to preheat (up to 15 minutes with some models) while the effectiveness of a dehumidifier changes depending on the size of a room, taking longer to control the humidity of a larger room compared with a small one.
If you have a small room where you can put your laundry to dry, a dehumidifier is a smart choice, and dehumidifiers are objectively a more versatile buy for your home. But, if you want a fuss free, affordable solution for drying clothes, you might be better with a heated clothes airer. Ultimately, it will come down to budget and your personal needs.
The verdict on dehumidifiers
For easy moisture removal, we recommend the Sharp UD-P20U-W Portable Dehumidifier, which collected an impressive amount of water in a two-hour period.
But if you just need to remove moisture from a small room or don’t have much storage space, the Russell Hobbs Fresh Air Pro 2 in 1 Dehumidifier and Air Purifier is the perfect solution. Plus, it's the cheapest on our list and its smaller size makes it less expensive to run, too.
Why should you trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?
We’ve been testing household appliances for 100 years and, as we become more focused on the quality of the air inside our homes, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been at the forefront of reviewing the latest gadgets designed to help, including air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
Blossom Boothroyd, our homes testing manager, helped develop our dehumidifier protocols, making sure we tested them as you would use them at home and ensuring they deliver on their claims.
Our homes writer, Megan Geall, has written about hundreds of appliances and knows what to look for when interrogating test results, helping you make the best decision for your home.
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