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Finding the best dehumidifier for your home depends a lot on the type of moisture issue you're trying to solve, so it's always worth speaking with the customer service department of the manufacturer you're hoping to buy from to ensure you have the right model for your needs. Most of the dehumidifiers in our round-up feature automatic shut-off functions that mean they automatically switch off and sound an alarm or activate a warning light once the tank is full. However, a small capacity tank potentially increases the amount of time the dehumidifier will be out of operation before you notice and empty the tank. However, thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier does win on price, coming in a fair bit cheaper than the MeacoDry Arete One. If you need a dehumidifier capable of reducing moisture in a larger space or have more significant damp levels, then you need a dehumidifier with a high extraction rate. This Russell Hobbs model can extract 20L of moisture from the air per day, and whilst it doesn't quite offer as much functionality as the comparable 20L MeacoDry Arete One (and can't beat the Meaco on energy efficiency) it is a cheaper upfront investment.
It's fair to say that most dehumidifiers aren't the most stylish of appliances, which is why the De'Longhi Tascuigo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier is something of a breath of fresh air amidst the usual boxy white plastic designs. If you’re looking for a dehumidifier that can clear moisture in a larger space or deal with significant damp levels within the home, then you need a dehumidifier with a high extraction rate. The Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier is a popular choice thanks to its relatively low price point that makes it one of the best value compressor dehumidifiers you can buy. Whilst we don't think it can quite beat the MeacoDry Arete One on overall performance, Pro Breeze's latest launch, the 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode, is the best dehumidifier for drying clothes that we've tested. That's as long as you don't mind accepting noisier operation and higher running costs for its powerful laundry-drying performance. Lastly, there's extra functionality to consider. The best dehumidifiers you can buy offer a Smart mode. That means you can leave the dehumidifier running and its sensors will detect the humidity levels and switch the machine on and off to keep humidity within your desired range. That saves energy (and money) as the appliance isn't running if it doesn't need to be.The only real downside is the premium you pay for that design-led exterior, with the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier & Air Purifier offering better value in terms of extraction and tank capacity for the price. Did you know that you can shop for candles over Prime Day? These our the Ideal Home team's favourites to get your home smelling divine As cleaning expert, Matthew Harrison from Price Your Job explains, if you house suffers from more serious damp issues, then 'to prevent future mould problems, you should consider draught-proofingand other jobs which will prevent moisture from entering your home in the first place'. Do dehumidifiers help to dry clothes? It can't quite beat the MeacoDry Arete One on overall performance, but if you're willing to put up with noisier operation and higher running costs in exchange for its powerful performance, then this Pro Breeze model will make short work of getting wet washing ready for the airing cupboard. In our opinion, the Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier can't beat the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier on performance, nor is its energy use lower than the comparable MeacoDry 12L Arete One. However, it's a popular choice thanks to its lower price tag, and the fact that – unlike the Meaco dehumidifier range – you can regularly find the Pro Breeze 12L reduced further during sale periods.
And whilst its energy use is low compared to many dehumidifiers on the market, it can't beat the super energy-efficient MeacoDry Arete One in this regard. The Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy dehumidifier uses 220W, whereas the comparable MeacoDry 12L Arete One uses just 151W of energy, and doesn't cost that much more upfront at full RRP. The MeacoDry also offers a built-in air purifier, a larger 2.5L water tank, better laundry drying performance, and quieter operation. A desiccant dehumidifier differs in that it uses an absorbent material or chemical dessicant to extract moisture from the air. This means they can operate efficiently in lower temperatures, down to just 1°C, and are useful for garages, basements, conservatorys, or unheated rooms in the house over winter. However, they're usually more expensive both upfront and in terms of running costs than a compressor dehumidifier, so unless you're looking to remove damp at cold temperatures you're generally best off with a compressor model. A dehumidifier's extraction rate is an average of how much moisture it can remove from the air during a given timeframe. Most commonly this is measured in litres per day, so an extraction rate of 10L/per day means the dehumidifier should be able to extract 10 litres of moisture within 24 hours if running continuously. In practice, this also depends on the humidity levels of the room, and the ambient temperature. First up, it's worth making clear that this small dehumidifier has a low extraction rate compared to many others on our list. The ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier can extract just 0.5L of moisture from the air per day. For comparison, the lowest extraction rate offered within the MeacoDry Arete One range is 10L of moisture extraction per day.As for energy consumption, you can find out more in our guide to ' How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?'. However, the easiest way to find out is to compare each dehumidifier's wattage. The higher the number of Watts the appliance requires, the more expensive running costs will be. It's also worth considering noise levels and energy consumption before you invest in a dehumidifier. What's the quietest dehumidifier? If you have more serious damp issues, then although a dehumidifier can help to reduce the problem and improve the air quality in your home, it won't prevent the damp from occurring in the first place, so it's important to get to the root of the issue. Read our guide to how to get rid of damp for help in identifying the cause of your damp issues, and how to treat them. This 1960s bungalow has been given a Scandi-style overhaul - and the prettiest pantry we've ever seen When I tested the laundry function on the Russell Hobbs 20L dehumidifier to dry t-shirts in a small bedroom, it definitely sped up the drying time' said our reviewer. 'The T-shirts closest to the dehumidifier dried in 3 hours, but those further away took aboutdouble that time to completely dry'. How we test
Despite its compact size, this dehumidifier is also heavy. And noisy. We also didn’t find it that much help with drying clothes, although it did a good job of managing general damp and reducing condensation and mould on windows and walls. All that said, the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier still impressed our review team during testing. So, if you’re looking for a powerful dehumidifier with a cheaper upfront cost, the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L is well worth considering. So, if you’re after the smallest dehumidifier on the market, we think the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G wins the accolade of best small dehumidifier, with good all round performance for its size housed in one of the smallest builds on the market – along as you don't expect too much from that 0.3L extraction rate. If you’re looking for a small dehumidifier, then the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier is about as compact as it gets, measuring just H22 x W14 x D14cm and weighing in at 0.9kg. Overall, it's not the most powerful dehumidifier you can buy, and it can't cope with high moisture levels – we found it made little difference when drying wet washing for example. However, it did a great job of clearing condensation on windows and managing moisture levels in a small bedroom when left running overnight.Compressor dehumidifiers tend to be the most common design available in the UK. They work by drawing air into the dehumidifier via a fan, and then running the air over over cold coils to condense the moisture from it, whereby the condensed water is collected in a water tank.The coils are kept cool by refrigerant which means the unit also needs a compressor built in. The only downside of compressor dehumidifiers is that they need the air to be warm for this process to work. Most will work above 5°C, but they're most efficient at an ambient temperature of around 20°C (depending on the individual model). As Chris Michael, Managing Director of the air quality brand Meaco says, inside the home, 'excess moisture in the air can come from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing, and the damp British weather.' Just like the MeacoDry Arete One, as well as an impressive extraction rate the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier has some great features, including an easy-to-read LED screen that displays current humidity levels and a useful Smart mode that monitors the humidity levels for you, turning the dehumidifier on and off as soon as it rises above the recommended home humidity range between 45%~55% for more economical (and hassle-free) use. There's also auto-shut off functionality when the water tank is full. If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast.
However, to help give an overview, here are some key facts it's useful to know before searching for the best dehumidifier for the task in hand. What are the main types of dehumidifier? The best dehumidifier we've tested, the MeacoDry Arete One is quiet, easy to use, works superbly and is very energy-efficient compared to other compressor dehumidifiers. Plus, its Smart Laundry Mode is brilliant at drying wet washing. There are Arete One models that can extract 10, 12, 20 and 25 litres of moisture from the air per day and all offer a built-in air purifier that means they improve indoor air quality in more ways than one. Overall, this is a best-in-class dehumidifier that does a fantastic job of extracting moisture from the home and is one of the best dehumidifier for drying washing fast. The tank capacity dictates how much water the water tank of the dehumidifier can hold before it needs emptying. A larger tank capacity – such as the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier's generous 2.5L or 4.8Ltanks – means you won't be emptying it as frequently. It's also important not to confuse the extraction rate with a dehumidifiers water tank capacity. As both are generally measured in litres or millilitres this can sometimes cause confusion.If you want a dehumidifier of a similar power and price point, the slightly more expensive ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier remains our best budget buy, offering a better extraction rate of 0.5L and a larger 1.5L water tank, which means you won’t be emptying it quite so frequently. That said, the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier is also larger in size, measuring H30 x W22 x D16cm compared to the Russell Hobbs' H22 x W14 x D14cm frame. And, the ProBreeze 1500ml is twice the weight, weighing in at 1.85kg. Plus, the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier'sSmart Laundrymodeworks brilliantly for drying washing indoors – wet laundry was dry in hours rather than the days it can usually take in the draughty Victorian terrace we tested the unit in. The cheapest and smallest dehumidifiers on the market can often only extract 0.5L of water from the air per day – in many cases even less – but larger and more powerful dehumidifiers can extract up to 25L per day which can make a huge difference to your home's health if you struggle with damp issues and condensation. This dehumidifier is designed for managing fairly low moisture levels in small rooms up to 15m² or 2200 cubic feet, so it isn't going to cope with major damp issues or be able to control humidity within an entire house like larger capacity dehumidifiers. That said, the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier still impressed us during testing, and as long as you don't expect too much of it, this mini dehumidifier has a lot of plus points, not least its affordability. There's also plenty of useful functionality on the models. The automatic Smart Humidity Mode works perfectly and is hassle-free, turning the dehumidifier on when moisture-levels rise and automatically shutting the appliance off when the desired humidity is reached so there's no wasted energy or expense.And in our tests, the Arete One reduced moisture levels in damp-prone rooms in a very short period of time.