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The best dehumidifiers can help to dry clothes indoors, as well as combatting the build up of damp, mould, and condensation in our homes by extracting excess moisture from the air to maintain the ideal indoor humidity.
However, just like investing in one of the best air purifiers, wading through the technical jargon to decode extraction rates, tank capacity, and the cost to run each dehumidifier can feel a little daunting. That's where Ideal Home's experts are here to help.
We've tried and tested the best dehumidifiers on the market, putting bestsellers from Meaco, Pro Breeze, EcoAir, Silentnight, Russell Hobbs and more through their paces to compare how many litres of water each can extract from the air per day, how often you'll be emptying the dehumidifier's water tank, its ease of use, noise levels, energy use, and, of course, price.
Find our round-up of the best dehumidifier for drying clothes, the best budget dehumidifier, and the best dehumidifier overall below.
In-stock dehumidifiers
This year dehumidifiers are selling out fast. If one of our top recommendations isn't in stock when you come to shop then here are the best places to shop in-stock dehumidifiers right now.
- Shop Amazon dehumidifiers
- Shop Argos dehumidifiers
- Shop Currys dehumidifiers
- Shop Robert Dyas dehumidifiers
- Shop Very dehumidifiers
- Shop VonHaus dehumidifiers
The quick list
Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best dehumidifiers. You'll find more information on each dehumidifier and why our testers recommend it if you keep on scrolling.
Best dehumidifier overall
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.
Best dehumidifier for drying clothes
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.
Best budget buy
Tiny, affordable, and with low running costs of just 1p per hour, we think this is one of the best budget dehumidifiers for small spaces. It has a low extraction rate compared to most compressor dehumidifiers and isn't powerful enough to help dry washing, but in our tests its Peltier condenser worked well to eliminate window condensation and reduce moisture levels within rooms under 15m². Plus, its small stature means you easily can tuck it away on a shelf or bedside table.
Best desiccant dehumidifier
A desiccant dehumidifier differs from a compressor or Peltier dehumidifier in that it's more efficient at lower temperatures. The EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 can be operated in any space that's above 1°C, making it a great option for a garage, basement, or unheated rooms during the winter months. In our tests, it also performed brilliantly in normal conditions, making quick work of drying wet washing. The only downside is its price and higher running costs.
High capacity dehumidifier
This dehumidifier can extract up to 30L of moisture from the air per day, giving it one of the highest extraction rates on the market. That makes it a good choice if you have high moisture levels to deal with, plus its decent-sized 4L water tank means you won't be emptying it continually, and it offers the option of continuous drainage for very damp environments.
Low price compressor dehumidifier
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.
Best dehumidifiers of 2023
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Best dehumidifier overall
The MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifiers are some of the best dehumidifiers we've tested. They're quiet, easy to use, work superbly and are very energy-efficient compared to other compressor models. Plus, all offer a built-in air purification function to improve air quality within the home in more ways than one.
Most importantly, they also do a superb job of getting rid of excess moisture in the air. There are four different sized dehumidifiers in the Arete One range, offering moisture extraction rates of 10, 12, 20 or 25 litres per day. That means it's easy to find the right option for your home size, and the level of moisture control you need. And, all come with generous water tank capacity that means you aren't constantly emptying them, plus an automatic shut-off function when the water tank is full.
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.
Plus, the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier's Smart Laundry mode works 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 unit isn't the lightest or most compact we've tested, but then we wouldn't expect that from a machine this powerful. However, built-in wheels, a retractable carry handle, and cable tidy make it easier to move around the house and store neatly away when it's not in use.
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.
You can read our full Meaco MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier review for more detail.
Best dehumidifier for drying clothes
If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think the Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode is the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast.
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.
Like the Meaco Arete One dehumidifier, the Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier is easy to use and benefits from a built-in humidity sensor that automatically turns the dehumidifier on when humidity rises, and off when it drops to save energy (and expense). Plus, its Special Laundry Mode is the best we've tested, drying laundry far quicker than most dehumidifiers on the market.
However, it's not perfect. A powerful extraction rate of 20L, plus that Laundry boost mode, means higher running costs. This dehumidifier guzzles 440W of energy compared to the 20L MeacoDry Arete One's 216W. What the Pro Breeze 20L Premium does offer is a more generous water tank of 5.5L compared to the 20L MeacoDry Arete One's 4.8L, although in practice we didn't find ourselves emptying the MeacoDry that much more frequently.
The Pro Breeze 20L Premium is also noisy. This isn’t a dehumidifier that you’re going to want to have on whilst you’re trying to rest or sleep, and you'll likely get annoyed by having it running in the background whilst you watch TV. This may not be a problem if you're using it to dry washing and have a dedicated laundry room, but if you want a dehumidifier you can use whilst you're getting on with daily life then the MeacoDry Arete One is far quieter.
However, the Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier does win on price, coming in a fair bit cheaper than the MeacoDry Arete One.
Overall, if you can put up with its increased noise volume and absorb the higher running costs, we think the Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode is a good buy. It's definitely the best dehumidifier for drying clothes that we've tested, and anything that makes wet-weather laundry days easier is a win in our books.
Our full Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode review has more detail.
Best cheap dehumidifier
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.
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.
Its Peltier condenser isn't as powerful as a compressor dehumifier and can only be used in rooms heated to 15-35°C. But, that means this dehumidifier is small, lightweight, and really easy to pick up and move around the home – perfect for small rooms that are short on space as you don't need to give up vital floor space to it, it can be placed on a window sill, shelf, or sideboard.
The lack of compressor also means our tester found it quieter than most, emitting a low background hum whilst it was operating that she found easy enough to ignore. Plus, the Peltier design makes for low energy use compared to a more power-hungry compressor or desiccant dehumidifier. The 40W ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier costs just 1p per hour to run at current energy costs.
It lacks functionality – as you might expect from its low price point – so this dehumidifier is either on or off, there are no controls beyond that. But, that does make it extremely easy to use. And considering its low moisture extraction rate, its water tank capacity is generous at 1.5L so you won't need to empty it as often as many other small dehumidifiers at this price point. Plus, the automatic shut-off when the water tank is full is great for piece of mind.
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.
Its compact design that means it easily fits on a bedside table, relatively generous water tank, easy-to-use operation, low running costs, and affordable price tag means we think it's one of the best dehumidifiers under £100 – an ideal low cost dehumidifier for any small room where you want to combat excess moisture without breaking the bank.
For more detail, read our full ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier review.
Best desiccant dehumidifier
Unlike a compressor dehumidifier that passes air over a cold coil to condense the water from it, a desiccant dehumidifier uses a 'desiccant chemical' to absorb the moisture from the air. As a result, desiccant dehumidifiers are the best option for rooms that are likely to fall below 15°c, as at lower temperatures compressor and Peltier models can struggle to work efficiently.
The EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier can extract up to 7.5 litres of moisture per day in cold temperatures as low as 1ºc, so it's a very useful option for conservatorys, basements or garages that don't have dedicated heating, as well as unheated rooms in the home during winter months.
That said, in our tests it also worked brilliantly during normal use, quickly reducing humidity and making fast work of drying wet washing. This is helped by the warm air the Simple MK3 kicks out whilst running. EcoAir says that in general 'desiccant dehumidifiers emit warmer air (approx. 3-5 degrees celsius warmer than the ambient air) than compressor models' which can make a desiccant dehumidifier a particularly good choice for drying wet laundry indoors.
As it's name would suggest, the Simple MK3 is also very simple to set-up and operate with easy-to-use manual controls. For its price, we just found it lacked the style and added functionality of the MeacoDry Arete One – the Arete One's Smart humidity mode is particularly useful for controlling humidity without any user input and saves on energy use and running costs.
Infact, along with the higher price ticket, running costs are one of the biggest cons with this product. The 7.5L DD1 Simple MK3 uses 300-580W of electricity compared to the 10L MeacoDry Arete One's 129-199W range, which means the EcoAir model costs between 9p and 17p per hour to run at current energy prices, compared to the Meaco Arete's average of 5p per hour.
However, if you're looking for a dehumidifier for use in a cold climate, the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier's 1ºc operating temperature is hard to beat.
Learn more about this in our full EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier review.
High capacity dehumidifier