This DREO Smart Dehumidifier is fast to setup, easy to use and reduces humidity in next to no time — and it's all possible with an app

The colder months of the year bring laundry drying indoors, an increase in condensation on the inside of windows and mold growth (yuck) on single-skinned walls where warm air meets cold brick. This is the case in my house anyway, so I was more than happy to put the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S to the test.

Safe in the knowledge that the best dehumidifiers can help to prevent damp, dry things out and lower humidity levels, I was relieved that this machine can challenge all three. What set it apart from all the other dehumidifiers I have had (I've had a few) is that this one was smart, meaning that I could control it with a dedicate app. It also looks smart too so it wouldn't be the elephant in the room.

I tried it out for 10 days in our utility room to help dry 10kg of wet laundry at a time, and in my daughters bedroom where the bay window needs some more insulation. To do this I followed the Ideal Home dehumidifier testing process, taking note on how it can affect humidity levels and how easy it is to use day-to-day.

At a glance

The DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S is, you guessed it, a dehumidifier, but it comes with some bells and whistles. It's a smart dehumidifier, which means that it can connect to your home WiFi for close monitoring and controlling on the dedicated DREO app, and it follows commands from Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too.

It comes in two extraction rates of either 16 litres per day or 20 litres per day. The 16L/day extraction rate machine has a 300sq-ft coverage, whereas the 20L/day extraction rate machine has a 400sq-ft coverage. Both are also available in black or silver, and all other specifications between the machines are the same.

I tested it in silver with a 20L/day extraction rate for 10 days.

On that note, during testing, I found that it was great for drying washing and lowering the humidity in the utility room from 70% to 60%, where the washing was hung up. It took just a few hours to dry lighter garments such as T-Shirts and baby grows, and it cost half the price to run compared with our energy-hungry tumble dryer.

I found it really easy to move around thanks to the four castors and carry handle. And emptying the 3.4-litre water tank was just as easy with a handle to help lift it from the front of the machine, although you do also have the option to attach a drain hose for continuous drainage.

It is not as quiet as I was expecting, though. It's advertised as being "whisper quiet" with a 38dB noise level reading. I recorded 48dB on the lowest fan speed, and there is no nighttime mode to keep the noise down, either.

While it lacks a nighttime mode and any other dedicated mode, you can switch between Auto and Continuous mode depending on how you'd like to target the humidity. You can also adjust the fan speed across three levels, set a timer, turn the LED display ON/OFF and activate/deactivate the Child Lock function. All of this can be achieved either on the machine itself or in the DREO app.

I really like the app, and controlling the machine from it is instant. I can also see a humidity data report from 24 hours or 30 days, and a real-time status of the humidity levels. With this, and all other things considered, it's a mid-priced machine which isn't overcomplicated and does what it needs to, so a little more noise and specific modes can be sacrificed.

Specifications

• RRP: £229.99
• Type: Compressor
• Extraction rate: 20L/day
• Water tank capacity: 3.4L
• Max room size recommended: up to 398sq.ft
• Noise level: 48dB
• Power: 355W
• Dimensions: H50 x W31 x D22.9cm
• Weight: 12.4kg
• Portable?: Yes, with smooth castor wheels and carry handle
• Automatic humidity sensor: Yes
• Laundry mode: No
• WiFi connectivity: Yes
• Timer: 24 hours and auto-off
• Operating temperature: 5 - 35 °C
• Additional features: removable water tank, continuous draining, digital display, washable filter, child lock, automatic shut off

Unboxing, set-up and design

Unboxing the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S was straightforward. It arrived in a snug cardboard box with plenty of packaging (not recyclable) and no fiddly bits to take apart.

Inside, you'll find the unit itself, a user manual, and a quick start guide. If you opt for Manual Drain then some tape securing the water bucket will need removing, or the drain hose will need to be connected to the drain outlet for continuous Drain before first use. Then, it's ready-to-go.

Measuring H50 x W31 x D22.9cm, it's a compact and unobstructive design that'll fit perfectly into a room without drawing too much attention to itself. The control panel and LED display are located at the top panel, framed by the collapsible carry handle and air outlet.

The display is clear and intuitive too, with a recognisable power button, "+" and "-" for adjusting the humidity level, a fan for adjusting the speed across three levels, clock for the timer, lock for child lock, a light bulb to turn the display on or off, and "M" for switching between Auto / Continuous Mode.

The 3.4-litre water bucket is located at the front of the appliance and boasts a water level indicator; you can just about make out how much water is being collected. This bucket can be easily removed and lifted by an integral handle.

It can be easily moved around the room on its four castors, and the 1.8-meter long cable is plenty long enough to reach most electrical sockets.

I could start using it right away, but to get the most out of it, I connected it to the DREO App. This was seamless. You'll just need to scan the QR Code found on the quick start guide and follow the on-screen instructions. From unpacking, connecting to the DREO App and using the appliance, it took less than 10 minutes.

First impressions? I was relieved at how quick and easy it was to start using this dehumidifier. With any device that has a hint of "smart" to it, I tend to brace myself for a bit of a headache. It also looks great and reassuring seems to have the ability to achieve everything that I need it to.

Ease of use

The DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S was predominantly tested in our garage, turned utility room to dry washing. It was so easy to set up in this space, and moving it around to dodge the laundry basket and fallen pegs was a doddle on the castors.

I liked that I could see the humidity levels on the appliance and on the DREO app. It was quick to detect the wet washing when I started to hang garments up to dry, and adjusting the settings on the app to help speed up the drying process was almost instant.

I also briefly used this smart dehumidifier in my daughter's bedroom to help prevent the buildup of mould around the single-skin bay windows and walls. It was fine while she was playing in the space, but when it was bedtime, it was too noisy for her. There isn't a dedicated nighttime mode, so even with the lower fan speed and turning off the LED display, it wasn't suitable for my little one's ears.

Performance

Overall, the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S has performed really well. I live in a 1930s semi-detached house on high ground with sporadic insulation under the floors, above the ceiling and in the bay window walls, so condensation is rife, especially in the colder months. We've also converted the backend of our garage to a utility room, which sees at least one load of washing, sometimes two, get hung up every day in the space, but the dehumidifier took this in its stride.

The digital humidity display and DREO app made it easy to track the changes. In the utility room where the DREO was running for most of the time, humidity levels climbed and fell, between 60% and 81% when a 10kg load of wet washing was on the line.

In the app, you can view either a 24-hour or 30 Days data report. It can detect whether the humidity is Wet (61% of less), Comfortable (31% - 60%) or Dry (less than 30%), and provide a Real Time Status. Throughout the past week, I've been testing, and the humidity levels in our utility room have been classed as "Wet" the majority of the time.

Lighter items of clothing, such a T-Shirts, baby grows, and underwear, were dry within a few hours, but heavier items of clothing, such as jeans, would take up to 24-hours to dry.

I carried and rolled the DREO into our daughter's bedroom to help reduce the humidity levels that are on the high-side because of the single-skin bay window, where the warm air inside meets the cold wall, and we can get some yucky mould growth. Within 40 minutes, the DREO reduced humidity levels from 66% down to 60%. I'd set a target humidity of 60% in Auto mode so dehumidification would automatically stop.

However, it was just too noisy for my daughter to leave the DREO running through the night. The lowest fan speed has a noise output of 48dB, equivalent to a quiet street, which was too distracting for her at bedtime. If the target humidity had not been reached by bedtime, I set a schedule in the app for the appliance to turn off at 19:00 (when it's not drying washing).

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The app is genuinely great. Not only can I set schedules and switch between Auto, Continuous and Custom modes, I can also adjust the fan speed to Low, Medium and High, and set preferences on the Display, Panel Sound, Child Lock and Auto Turn-On.

I must give a shout-out to the Child Lock function because, if, like me, you have a curious baby or young toddler who follows you around everywhere, you can lock down your settings so little hands don't go changing anything. This function is instant on the app, but takes three seconds to activate on the control panel, so hopefully those little hands move on after this time to keep the DREO active.

In both spaces, the utility room and my daughter's bedroom, the DREO kicked out a lot of heat. This was especially noticeable when the doors to the rooms were shut. Absolutely not a problem during the colder months, but I can see that this could be an issue in the summer.

I haven't used the continuous drainage hose because it's not suitable for the space in our utility room, but this is a good option if you do have the correct setup and wish to run the appliance uninterrupted.

Energy use

If you're curious about how much a dehumidifier costs to run, it largely depends on its wattage. The higher the wattage is, the more energy it uses.

With the current energy price cap for October 2025 at 26p per kWh, I've calculated that it costs around 9p per hour to operate the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S. This is more than half the cost per hour of our tumble dryer, which I've calculated costs 21p per hour, so to dry lighter garments within a few hours (the same time as a tumble dry), it's worth it.

Noise levels

Operating between 48dB - 59dB, depending on the fan setting, the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S isn't the quietest on the market, despite claiming it's "whisper-quiet operation". It's also not the advertised 38dB noise level. On the lowest setting, this is equivalent to a refrigerator humming or a quiet conversation, whereas the highest setting is equivalent to an ordinary conversation level. I have advised DREO of my findings.

Going between the lowest and mid-setting is barely noticeable, but ramping up to the highest setting is a sizable shift in gears.

Portability

Compared to other dehumidifiers that I've had in the past, the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S stands out for me for its ease of moving around. It's fitted with four caster wheels which glide around the floor, and a carry handle that folds down when not in use, so I can lift it should I need to.

If carrying, just make sure that the water tank is empty to save on the weight you're lifting (it's already heavy at 12.4kg) and prevent any water spillage. It'll need to be kept upright, too.

Maintenance

Looking after the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S is really straightforward. The water tank will need emptying when full (you'll receive a notification on your phone), and it is equipped with a built-in carry handle to help lift and pour. The outer surface can be cleaned as often or as little as you like with a damp, lint-free cloth and mild detergent.

DREO recommend that once a month, or after 600 hours of use, you clean the filter. Again, you'll receive a notification when this needs to be done. If this isn't cleaned for a long time, it may cause reduced operating performance and a louder noise. You can find the filter around the back of the dehumidifier behind the grill.

Then, recommended once every year, the water bucket will require cleaning with running water.

Comparisons with other dehumidifers

The dehumidifier market is fairly well stocked with different extraction rates, dehumidifier types (Compressor, Dessicant and Peltier), tank sizes and functions. How the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S compares depends on what you're looking for.

For example, it's lighter than the MeacoDry Arete Two, which weighs a hefty 15.1kg, but, unlike the DREO, it has a dedicated laundry mode and nighttime mode. The Dryzone dehumidifier and air purifier is also quieter, more energy efficient and more affordable, but it doesn't come with the smart features that the DREO has.

And then there is the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier, which has a huge capacity, compared to the DREOs' 20-litre water tank, but this makes it a heavier and larger contender.

How does the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S rate online?

The DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S is only available to buy on Amazon UK and, since it was released at the end of September 2025, it already has 147 reviews.

The machine's users speak highly about its ability to remove humidity, and the app is easy to use. The overall design appears to get a thumbs up, too, for its compact size and "intuitive" controls.

Reading the four-star and less reviews, it is mentioned by several users that the water tank isn't as large as some others, which may cause an issue if the machine isn't hooked up to continuous drainage. The noise level is also a "thing" with at least four users so far, who, may I add, did not receive a free product to review, and found it too loud for a bedroom. Some have even found the app to be a little glitchy, with some improvements required.

Verdict

If you're looking for a smart dehumidifier that constantly monitors the humidity in your home, the DREO Smart Dehumidifier 512S is one to check out. I've really enjoyed using it, especially since it costs half of what we pay to run the tumble dryer when drying laundry indoors.

It isn't the quietest dehumidifier on the market, or the cheapest, but what you get is an easy-to-set-up, simple to use, compact and well-designed appliance. I think that for £229.99 (when not on sale) it'll be money well spent. If it's on sale? Even better.