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By Emily Peck and Esat Dedezade
Keep your home as box fresh as your trainers with one of the best dehumidifiers for 2023
If you’re someone who likes to dry their best clobber on the bedroom radiator, or find that your kitchen gets a bit too steamy whenever you whip out the Ourplace pan to cook, one of the best dehumidifiers can be an excellent gadget to have to hand this season.
The best dehumidifiers, of course, do a great job at extracting excess moisture from the air to limit any potential damp, mould and condensation problems. Every home can be prone to these problems in some shape or form - a musty smell in the hall, damp stains on the wall, wet windows in the morning or spots in the bathroom silicone sealant are all tell-tale signs that mould and condensation are present. This can not only be unpleasant for your home decor, but it can also be potentially harmful to your health. Investing in one of the best dehumidifiers can help, however.
You can now find a wide range of designs online that cater for various budgets and room sizes. There are automatic models that turn on if your home reaches a certain level of humidity, and switches off after a set period or when the water tank is full, and those that combine both air purifying and dehumidifying settings in one.
‘Damp can be a big problem in the winter months,’ says Lara Brittain, kitchen expert at Currys, who has seen an increase in sales of dehumidifiers over the last six weeks with sales up by 188 per cent. ‘Whether you’re drying your clothes indoors - rather than on the washing line outside - or if your home is just more prone to damp and mould, a dehumidifier can be a great investment during the colder months.’
Read on to discover the GQ edit of best dehumidifiers that will help to see you in good stead this season.
We like the great-value Princess 368015 (£200) that works well in rooms up to 20m². It comes with caster wheels that makes it easy to manoeuvre and a 3.7L removable water reservoir. There are also three speed settings and an automatic shut off for when the reservoir is full.
Meaco Arete Dehumidifier & Air Purifier
The Meaco Arete Dehumidifier & Air Purifier (£299.99) removes water between 10°C and 20°C efficiently and doubles up an air purifier to remove 99.95% of particles from the air too.
Russell Hobbs 600ml Fresh Air Mini Compact Grey Dehumidifier
Ideal for small spaces, the sub £60 Russell Hobbs 600ml Fresh Air Mini Compact Grey Dehumidifier can extract up to 300ml water per day. It’s suitable for rooms up to 15m² and has an auto cut off for peace of mind.
With energy prices still quite high, the cost of running electrical appliances such as a dehumidifier can be of concern. How much electricity you use, however, can depend on the wattage of the device and how efficient the model.
‘To calculate the cost of running your dehumidifier the calculation is: power rating (kW)] x [time in use (h)] x [price of electricity (£0.34p per kWh),’ says Ava Pope, Energy Saving Expert at Love Energy Savings.
‘For example, a dehumidifier that can extract up to 20 litres a day - with a wattage of 480w - would use 0.48 kWh, meaning that an hour's usage would cost just under 16p. In comparison, a dehumidifier that can extract up to 12 litres a day - with a wattage of 157w (0.157 kWh) - would cost just over 5p an hour.’
The best dehumidifiers work by pulling water from the air, fast and efficiently. ‘Typical problems from excess moisture include creaking floorboards, warped wood, peeling paint and insects such as silverfish coming into your home,’ points out Lara Brittain, Kitchen Expert at Currys. ‘Dehumidifiers are great as they pull water from the air, and the best ones do it quickly and at room temperature without using too much energy.’
Tank size: You will need to empty the water tank regularly once it is full, so if it’s too small for the room and task in hand, you’ll be doing this more often than not. To combat this, look for a design with a large water-collecting tank that caters for your needs or opt for a design with a continuous drain facility to connect a hose to drain away the water if needed.
Room size: Think about how much space you want to cover and make sure the dehumidifier can handle your room size – particularly if it’s more than one.
Noise levels: Consider the maximum noise level of your dehumidifier as you’ll want to make sure that it doesn’t interrupt your sleep or annoy you when you’re trying to relax. Decibel levels vary – the MeacoDry Arete One is a whisper quiet at 40 dB, while the Princess 368016 Dehumidifier measures at around 47 decibels, for example.
Design: Do you have space to house the dehumidifier in the room that you want to place it in? Some designs can be clunky and a bit of an eyesore, so it’s worth checking the design fits before you buy.
Auto-settings: A dehumidifier with a humidistat will turn itself on or off, while a timer will be handy if you want to set and forget and save on electricity usage costs.
Pros: Easy clean filter, automatic shut off, low wattage Cons: White finish may not be easy to disguise in your living room
This slim design comes in a simple white finish, with touch controls on top that allow you to change the speed settings with ease. At 47 decibels, it’s average in terms of noise levels and hums away gently to extract moisture from the air. It has a 3.7L tank and automatic shut off when the reservoir is full so you don’t have to worry about any water overspilling. It’s 13kg with a flexible 1.5m cord and is easy to push around the room due to its easy-steer caster wheels. Depending on which of the three speed settings you choose, it is optimised to extract up to 16L moisture per day.
Pros: Attractive design, quiet, filters air Cons: On the pricier side
One of the more attractive dehumidifiers you’re likely to come across, De’Longhi’s rather handsome offering breaks the mould of its cookie-cutter white box rivals by daring for a dark dash of navy blue. Double filtration takes care of dust and allergens, while a quiet operation keeps things calm and serene when in use. You’re paying a price for its looks, mind, but at least you won’t be ashamed of leaving it in full view.
Meaco Arete Dehumidifier & Air Purifier
Pros: Whisper-quiet operation, doubles as an air purifier Cons: Price, bulky
This may be one of the pricier dehumidifiers in our round up, but it doubles up as an air purifier too. At just 40 dB, it’s one of the quieter models you can buy so you’ll hardly notice it make a noise – even on the highest fan speed at 42dB – which is reassuring if you’re looking to use it in your bedroom as you sleep. It is designed to extract water from the air most effectively between 10°C and 20°C, which is ideal for the average British household. It also has a large 4.8L water tank that is easy to empty using the carry handle.
Pros: Great for small spaces, compact and easy to store on the desk, price Cons: Only extracts up to 300ml per day
This Russell Hobbs dehumidifier is easy to store and compact and under £100, which is why we’ve highlighted it as our best budget buy. While the water tank can hold up to 600ml, it can only extract up to 300ml per 24 hours, however. But this means that you’ll be able to go for two days without having to empty it. Its small size - measuring just 22cm high - also makes it a good option for areas that are tight on space such as on the desktop, in a bedroom or utility room. It also comes with an auto-shut off when the tank gets full and a defrost feature for when the temperature drops.
Pros: Doubles up as a nightlight, good coverage, price Cons: Max noise level not stated, wattage not stated online
What sets this Pro Breeze dehumidifier apart from other designs is its rainbow LED light that can add ambient lighting to your room. You can choose from one of six vibrant colours, which comes in useful if you’re using it in the bedroom and want a nightlight, although you can also choose to have it turned off while in use. The water tank will also turn red when it’s full so you know when to empty it. The dehumidifier is designed to remove up to 450ml of moisture per day but also has a handy timer that switches off after four hours, which is ideal if you’re going out or want to use it through the night. While its water tank volume is 1000ml, it has the ability to remove up to 600ml per day.
Pros: Quiet operation, good room range Cons: Water level indicator could be larger, only has one setting
Depending on the settings you can extract up to 10 litres of water per day in this design, which has a water tank that measures 2.1litres. It has a good recommended room range that is larger than your average dehumidifier and for this reason we think it’s great value. At 43dB it’s also very quiet in operation, which is reassuring if you want to use it through the night. It has just one setting and a very discreet water indicator on the side of the design that you’ll need to keep an eye on should you want to empty the water tank. It also comes with an auto-shut off feature so you needn’t worry about it overspilling.
Pros: Covers a large area, comes with air purifying features Cons: Price, basic white design
This Igenix dehumidifier may be more expensive than most, but it is powerful and has the ability to extract up to 50 litres of moisture from the air per day. Capable of working in a space up to 115m2, it can also cover a much larger footfall than most designs we’ve seen. It has two fan speeds and two dehumidifying modes that you can adjust depending on the job in hand, while it also has the benefit of an active carbon filter and ioniser function to purify the air.
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