The 9 Best Dehumidifiers
Special Honors
Quest Climate Founded in Wisconsin more than 40 years, this company provides industrial-scale solutions for commercial grow rooms and anybody else with extreme climate-control challenges. Its blog posts can be sorted by category, so you can skip right to the advice that's specifically relevant to your application. questclimate.com
Phnix Heat Pump Dehumidifier Designed to pair perfectly with the company's pool appliances, this model effectively combats condensation caused by your swimming hole's heat pump. It features a glass front panel and is available in black or white, with both styles looking quite attractive and modern. phnix-e.com
Editor's Notes
March 17, 2021:
It wound up being quite a busy round of updates for us, with several models needing to be replaced or removed. We swapped out the AlorAir Sentinel HDI90 for the AlorAir Storm LGR Extreme – which looks to be a very similar unit, only offered with app connectivity and four, fun colorways – and eliminated the Black & Decker BDT70, EcoSeb Classic DD322EA, Keystone Electronic KSTAD70B and Frigidaire FFAD7033R1, all due concerns related to availability — although we were able to replace our latter loss with a like-branded new entry.
The Frigidaire FFAP5033W1 is a 50-pint unit with a two-gallon reservoir, and in terms of power, it’s quite comparable to our second new addition, the GE Appliances APER50LZ. Both of these models feature built-in pumps that allow you to place them as far as 16 feet away from the nearest drain during continuous operation, and both are backed by one-year warranties, although the Frigidaire model comes with an additional three years of coverage on its sealed components.
Our last new addition was the Waykar PD1201B, and it’s easily the most powerful model we ranked today, with a 296-pint rating that allows it to pull up to 37 gallons of moisture out of the air in a single day. It isn’t the most affordable unit out there, but considering it’s industrial abilities, it is quite an attractive appliance.
If continuous drainage is a must for you, we maintain a separate list of dehumidifiers with built-in pumps. And, if some of the choices toward the bottom of this list are just to small for you, them maybe you’d rather jump over to our lit of whole-house dehumidifiers.
January 26, 2020:
We removed a couple of items from our last selection due to durability issues, with the Friedrich 50-Pint D50BPA posing a particular problem with both lifespan and warranty service. In their places, we found some great new models like the Crane Moisture Removal, which is compact and quiet enough to use at your bedside while sleeping.
Features like automatic shutoffs and high CFM were important, but you'll notice that as you move your way up the list there are more models that use their integrated hygrometers to turn their compressors on and off, effectively giving you more exact control over the specific humidity in a space than other options would. This is a particularly important feature if you're trying to maintain a cigar vault or a set of instruments in a controlled space. We also prefer models that offer drainage hookups and allow you to run them continuously, as these are the most useful in very damp basements and other areas where persistent humidity is a big problem.
Picking The Right Dehumidifier
The only way to consistently remove humidity from the air in your home or office is to use a good dehumidifier.
If you live between the latitudes of 37 and 60 degrees north, then you live in a zone known to scientists and meteorologists to have a Humid Continental Climate. However, residents of many southern states will tell you that humidity is plenty prevalent there as well. And when humidity is at its worst during the summer months, interior air in these regions can become so damp as to be unpleasant or even unsafe. The only way to consistently remove humidity from the air in your home or office is to use a good dehumidifier.
The most basic component of your decision when it comes to choosing a dehumidifier is to know how much area you need the unit to cover. Don't worry, dehumidifiers are rated based on the square feet (or sometimes square meters) of area they can cover, so there is no need for a computation of the actual volume of air in the rooms in question. Unless your home or office has exceptionally high ceilings, you can generally achieve an accurate assessment of the coverage you need just by knowing floor area.
Once you know how much area you need your dehumidifier to cover, it's time to consider the various settings and features available on different models. If you want to allow a certain humidity level for comfort (or for the maintenance of indoor plants, a large cigar humidor, or for any other reason), then select a model that allows you to program the desired humidity level. Also, consider units with variable fan speeds and with timers, as these features can help you deal with the most humid times of the day, such as the early morning in many regions, and then reduce the power or turn off the unit before its reservoir is filled.
Many dehumidifiers can be set up to run indefinitely when paired with a drain hose. If your property gives you the ability to set up continuous operation, doing so is the best way to reliably reduce moisture in the air without the need for regularly emptying a reservoir.
Finally, remember that while larger dehumidifiers can handle larger areas, that doesn't necessarily mean one massive dehumidifier is the best answer to dealing with your large, humid property. Instead, consider buying several smaller dehumidifiers that can be strategically placed about the home or throughout a suite of offices.
If you do choose a smaller dehumidifier, consider one with an indicator light that lets you know its reservoir is full. Many diminutive dehumidifiers operate so quietly as to be scarcely noticed, which is a bonus save for the fact that you may fail to realize they have ceased running once their tanks are filled, thereby inadvertently allowing ambient humidity to build up again.
Why A Dehumidifier Is An Important Appliance
Most people think the primary purpose of a dehumidifier is to maintain creature comfort in the home, office, shop, or school. And in most cases, this is correct: dehumidifiers make interiors more pleasant for people. But their function goes well beyond this purpose, as well.
It might come as a surprise to learn that one of the chief culprits for severe indoor allergies has nothing to do with pollen or dander, but is in fact humidity.
It might come as a surprise to learn that one of the chief culprits for severe indoor allergies has nothing to do with pollen or dander, but is in fact humidity. Excess indoor humidity facilitates the growth of bacteria and dust mites that can greatly increase an allergy sufferer's symptoms.
Excessive humidity can also lead to the growth of mildew and molds, many of which can be quite hazardous to human health, with the young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems at the greatest risk of affliction. A dehumidifier can't necessarily do much to reduce mold growth that has already occurred, but it can create an environment less hospitable to new mold growth or to the spread of existing spores.
Beyond impacting human (and animal) comfort and health, excess humidity can damage carpets and wood flooring, artwork, photos, wall paper and paint, and more. By ensuring your home or offices are at a moderate level of humidity, you help to protect everything and everyone within.
Giving Your Dehumidifier A Hand
A good dehumidifier can do much to reduce the moisture in the air inside your property, but there's plenty you can do to help these devices out.
Your HVAC system is a great ally against humidity provided that it is running as intended.
First and foremost, you must remove any sources of actual liquid water. This means drying up everything from a spilled glass of water to a carpet sodden after a flood. Using a good shop vacuum can do much to help suck up spilled water whether it's on tile, carpet, concrete, or any other surface. Inspect water pipes periodically to make sure they are not dripping or even actively leaking.
If your property has a central heating and cooling system, make sure that all vents are clear of obstructions, all air filters are clean and properly inserted, and that all ducts have been recently inspected to ensure they are in good working order. Your HVAC system is a great ally against humidity provided that it is running as intended.
Make sure that all other appliances that deal with water and moisture, such as your washing machine and dryer, are properly connected and, if applicable, are venting their heated, moist air out of the house or building. Also inspect the lines of your dishwasher from time to time.
One of the best ways to reduce interior humidity is also one of the simplest: provided it is not excessively humid outside, simply open as many windows and/or doors as possible now and then, allowing your property to circulate fresh air throughout its rooms. Make sure to have basement doors open during this airing out.