The Pro Breeze is great if you’ve got a smaller space and you want something that doesn’t cost a lot to run,” says Kandola. “It’s probably about a penny an hour.” The recommended humidity for your home is 40-60 per cent in the summer months and between 30-50 per cent in the winter. You can measure it with a hygrometer (a humidity gauge - they’re not expensive). If it goes over 70 per cent, you run the risk of condensation, damp, mould, fungi and bacteria. That’s when you need a dehumidifier. Which is better, a compressor or desiccant dehumidifier? A compressor dehumidifier is almost like a mini-fridge that cools the air and converts it into water that you can pour away,” says Ryan Kandola, a dehumidifier expert from Aircon Centre, “whereas desiccants take the air and run it over a rotating flywheel which absorbs the moisture, before heating it so the wheel doesn’t get saturated.” How do you know when you need a dehumidifier? If you’re pulling out 15 to 20 litres per day, the dehumidifier needs to have a tank with the capacity to handle it or you will be emptying it out every few hours. Three litres is the absolute minimum, while five or six litres will give you a bit less emptying to do. Is there anything else worth looking out for? Dehumidifiers are the best way to reduce humidity in your home and many are cost effective and energy efficient. They range from bathroom dehumidifiers to compact ones for your car and even ones you can control from your mobile phone. Small dehumidifiers are ideal for flats or smaller spaces, while the bigger models can dehumidify a five-bedroom property or a small business space.

This varies according to the design, size and extraction rate. Generally speaking, desiccant dehumidifiers use more energy per hour than a compressor model, but can also work more effectively at removing moisture, which means costs tend to even out. The Honeywell features a smart digital humidistat,” Air Con Centre’s Ryan Kandola says. “It automatically senses the moisture levels of your room to maintain your pre-programmed humidity level. There’s also a washable dust filter to purify the air that has already been dehumidified. It’s a good all-rounder.” High-capacity dehumidifiers are usually power-hungry and noisy, but the MeacoDry Arete One is designed to do more with less energy and a lower volume, topping out at 40dB during typical use and keeping consumption to around 200W. In fact, both figures fall dramatically as humidity levels start to drop. It’s an excellent dehumidifier for larger spaces and, unlike most compressor models, will work at temperatures of between 5 and 25°C. Just like the larger model, the 10L has a laundry mode to dry your washing, and can double as an air purifier with the bundled HEPA filter inserted – although we found it a little less effective in our air-purifying tests than most dedicated models. As a dehumidifier, it’s hard to fault, working efficiently in small and medium-sized rooms to reduce humidity levels and get rid of mould and moisture. Throw in the intuitive controls and easily removable water tank, and this is the best of the compact options, and ideal for smaller rooms and homes. It all depends on how much space you need to dehumidify. Dehumidifiers are often rated in terms of their extraction rate: how much water they can remove from the air in a single day. This is separate from their water tank capacity, which covers how much water they can store before you need to empty them out.Solid, compact and not bad looking, the Honeywell 24L Portable Dehumidifier is designed for medium to large-sized homes with three to five bedrooms. Weighing 14.8kg and a little over half a metre in height, with omni-directional castor wheels, it’s not hard to manoeuvre around your property. That will be especially useful over the winter months as it means you won’t have to keep your heating on as long to dry your clothes, reducing your energy bills in the process,” says Wood. Don’t get too excited about any claims of silent running – we found that, while actively dehumidifying, it puts out around 50dB on all of its three settings, so you won’t want to sit and watch the TV while it’s on. However, it’s a good performer for its size, reducing humidity in a damp-prone living room by 9% in the first hour and by nearly 22% within two hours. The laundry function’s quite effective too, helping dry your washing indoors without adding a layer of condensation to the windows. And at 9kg it’s light enough to take from room to room, making this a great dehumidifier for the average flat or small to medium-sized home.

Compressors are generally efficient at room temperature, but they can’t handle the winter cold so well. If the temperature drops below three or four centigrade, they will tend to stop working. That’s not the case with desiccants, although they can be more expensive to run. How to use a dehumidifier It’s bad for you because bugs and mould love high humidity levels. Dust mites and mould spores thrive and can trigger allergies, skin irritation and respiratory problems such as asthma. Moods and general wellness can also be affected.

With advice from air conditioning experts Ryan Kandola and Chris Wood, we have selected the best dehumidifiers on the market for energy efficiency, drying power, value for money and, where possible, quiet running. “Remember, size isn’t everything,” Ryan says. “Look at the area you’re dealing with and choose the right size of unit. You’ll be surprised at just how powerful some of the small dehumidifiers are.” High demand If you are worried about high running costs, choose the Meaco,” says Chris Wood. “It has a control system that can reduce your energy consumption by up to 80 percent compared to other dehumidifiers.” Compressor dehumidifiers work in much the same way as a fridge or freezer. They draw in air and cool it, condensing any moisture as it passes across a refrigerated coil. The water then drips off into a water tank below, while the air is reheated and released into the room. Compressor dehumidifiers can be noisy and may use more energy than other types, although new compressor technology and refrigerants are bringing improvements on both counts. They’re most efficient at warmer temperatures of 20°C and above, and your best bet if you need to remove lots of moisture from a larger space. This EcoAir model can extract up to seven litres of moisture per day, and as a desiccant-type dehumidifier, it works at lower temperatures than your average refrigerant device.

Keep it running all day long and the costs could mount up, but this is an excellent dehumidifier for situations where a refrigerant model just won’t work. The cost of one kiloWatt-hour of electricity is capped at 30p under the Energy Price Guarantee as of July 2023. Although prices do vary by region and contract (economy 7 tariffs are more expensive by day and cheaper by night, for example), we use the capped price to estimate running costs. The beauty of a desiccant dehumidifier is not only that they are typically quieter than compressor models, but they are ideal for smaller, unheated areas such as conservatories, campervans, garages, boats and cellars. They’re also fantastically efficient. The Princess isn’t as quiet as Meaco’s Arete models, but you can live with the 46dB it puts out at its highest fan setting, or the 40dB noise levels at low. It also has a useful laundry drying feature that makes the most of the vertical swing on the air output and the powerful fan. It’s simple to control, either through the app or via the built-in controls, and you can keep an eye on the current humidity level through a subtle “hidden” digital display on the front. Rival dehumidifiers have the edge on noise and performance, but the Princess gives you a great set of features at a very reasonable price. All dehumidifiers do the same basic job of removing excess moisture from the air. However, there are three different technologies that do all the hard work.For a bathroom, you should position the dehumidifier just outside the bathroom door and ensure the door is left open so the unit can draw the moist air towards it. If you’re drying clothes, just place the dehumidifier in the room, making sure the door and windows are all closed. It’s simply a matter of setting the desired humidity level and the unit will do the rest. What you will need to do is empty the water tank from time to time. Where should you place a dehumidifier? Dehumidifiers don’t have to be noisy, and there are some good near-silent options. They will work discreetly in your home without interfering with your sleep or work, so a quiet mode or eco mode is well worth any extra, particularly if it will save you some cash in running costs.

NATURAL GRANULES– Filled with approximately 350g of activated environmentally friendly Silica Gel that can incredibly absorb up to 40% of its weight in moisture. Rather than being a compressor or a desiccant, the ProBreeze instead uses peltier technology, similar to that used in some mini fridges, to cool water vapour into water. It’s much quieter than the other methods.Key specs – Dehumidifier type: Desiccant; Tank size: 2l; Extraction rate: 6 litres per day; Dimensions: 48.5 x 29 x 17.5cm; Weight: 6kg; Warranty: 2 years Domestic dehumidifiers can extract up to 25 litres of water per day. We have largely focused on 20l models since these are the most popular for domestic use. For larger spaces, damper environments or colder temperatures, choose something more powerful. (Or vice versa for smaller spaces.) PORTABLE COMPACT DESIGN– Our portable reusable dehumidifier is ideal to use all year round in cars, caravans or motorhomes, continuously absorbing excess moisture from the air. You can even use it indoors at home or at work close to a window you want to demist. It doesn’t take up much space as it only measures just H200 x W115 x D35mm. If you have a small space that’s prone to damp air, like a kitchen or a bathroom, you need a dehumidifier that’s compact and quiet. Standing 22cm high and weighing little more than a bag of sugar, unlike some dehumidifiers The ProBreeze is easy to move around and won’t stand out like a sore thumb once it’s in place. With a two-litre tank, it might need emptying more regularly than some models, but there’s a 1m hose if you need continuous draining into a sink or drain. And while there’s no timer, you do get a laundry mode and a choice of quiet and turbo functions, and the rotary control is – as advertised – simple and easy to use.