The Best Dehumidifier For Every Situation

Dehumidifiers are a critical tool for managing dampness in your home. We’ve rounded up the best dehumidifiers out there with an emphasis on cost, features, and effectiveness.

Critical is a strong word, but for anyone who struggles with moisture issues in their home it’s an appropriate one. Why are dehumidifiers so important?

Constant moisture in your home encourages mold growth, as well as damages wood within your property and leads to mildew problems. If you have any allergies or sensitivities, you can run into some significant health problems by not tackling the issue head on and, health concerns aside, nobody wants a gross smelly basement. While ideally we’d all tackle the moisture problems in our homes head on, the expense of redoing all the drainage around your home and waterproofing your basement is quite high. Even a massive premium humidifier, by comparison, is a (very effective) bargain.

When buying a dehumidifier, you need to be aware of a few different things. Setup for all of these stand alone units is straight forward (just unpack it and plug it in). Beyond that, the biggest consideration is capacity, on two fronts. First, what is the unit’s capacity for removing moisture from the air (typically measured in pints) and storage capacity in the device (also measured in pints).

Related to that last bit, there’s also the issue of where the water goes once you’ve got that far. Dehumidifiers have a reservoir that stores the water, but large units also typically allow for a simple gravity hose (you screw a short garden hose onto the device and it continuously drains into a floor drain or sink). Placement becomes key with those models as it needs to be near a drain. However, if you have a dehumidifier with a built-in pump, this is less of a concern as water will continue to be pumped out as and when needed. That sounds so much more useful, but if the pump fails, you instantly run into issues, unlike with gravity based draining. We’ve looked at both kinds as it all depends on what you need it for.

Regardless, If you’re dehumidifying a large space like a damp basement, we can’t recommend a continuous draining model (either a gravity drain or pump model) enough. During the rainy season it’s easy for a dehumidifier in an old basement to pull gallons and gallons of moisture out of the air and only continuous drainage will keep up with that.

Similarly, the best case scenario has you purchasing a larger model as they typically work faster than smaller models, but it all depends on your space requirements. If you have a small property, you don’t want excessively large appliances, so we’ve checked out those too.

Here’s our pick of the bunch when it comes to the best dehumidifiers, no matter what your requirements.

Best Over All: Frigidaire FAD704DWD 70 Pint Dehumidifier ($264)

Consistently well reviewed, the Frigidaire FAD704DWD Energy Star 70 Pint Dehumidifier is an ideal unit to purchase (as long as a built-in pump isn’t essential for you). The dehumidifier promises to suck up 50 pints per day with an easily accessible collection container that highlights what level the water is at any given time. There’s a washable antibacterial mesh filter too that reduces bacteria, room odors, and any other airborne particles that can aggravate the allergy prone.

With the option for continuous operation when located near a suitable drain, or the choice of auto shut-off when the tank hits full, you won’t have to worry if you’re out for a long period of time.

A top handle as well as side handles and wheels means you can move this unit around, if you need to tackle more than one area of your home. Plus, there’s the ever valuable Energy Star certification. As a general all-rounder, this is a great option if you’re keen to utilize gravity rather than a built-in pump.

Best Pump Model: Frigidaire Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump ($245)

Oftentimes, it’s useful to have a built-in pump as it removes the need for a nearby floor drain and allows you to pump the water right out of the basement.  The Frigidaire Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump is perfect for such needs.

It works much like the other Frigidaire dehumidifier, with a 70 pints per day capacity, easy to use electronic controls, and a digital humidity readout. There’s a 24 hour timer as well, plus a pull out tank if you prefer a more traditional setup.

Where the Frigidaire Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump really stands out though is through that pump. It means it’ll continuously discharge water upwards, rather than relying on gravity, ensuring you can place it in a more convenient location than simply relying on gravity hose methods.

 

Best Budget Choice: MISS Pet Dehumidifier ($64)

Sometimes, a tight budget can mean you don’t get the tech you really crave. The MISS Pet Dehumidifier is there to give you a good quality dehumidifier at a low budget price, providing you don’t need to use it in large areas.

The dehumidifier covers 2200 cubic feet, soaking up 500ml per day. Because of that, it’s low energy and it’s quiet too, but don’t expect it to perform wonders along the way. This is a dehumidifier designed for small areas like your closet or a small office space, rather than anything like your basement. Like the others here (and understandably so, given the price) it relies on gravity and you manually emptying the container, although unlike the others, there’s no space for a drain hose with the collection tank in place. But that’s hardly a concern given the low capacity.

Elsewhere, there’s an automatic shut-off feature for when the water tank is full so you’re covered when it comes to safety. For small areas, this is a pretty portable and convenient dehumidifier that’s perfect for closets or storage areas.

Best Tiny Option: Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier ($40)

Was the MISS Pet Dehumidifier still too big for you? Get even smaller with the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier. This really isn’t designed for your basement. It’s designed for small spaces like your camper van or if you have a small bathroom. On the plus side, that means it’s very portable. It only weighs 2.5lb which makes it an ideal option for those with mobility issues or who simply don’t want to carry around anything too hefty.

Due to its tiny size, it only works in areas of 1200 cubic feet, removing about 9 ounces of water per day. Its tank is only 16 ounces in size, after all. However, it’s incredibly quiet, and perfect if you have a minor moisture issues in a small space.