If you are worried about high running costs, choose the Meaco,” says Chris Wood, another expert from Aircon Centre. “It has a control system that can reduce your energy consumption by up to 80 percent compared to other dehumidifiers.” 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.) Dehumidifiers function by drawing excess moisture from the air, helping to combat condensation, prevent mould growth and reduce damp on walls. 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. Try with our set of 3 pure essential oil blends, each designed to target a different area of wellbeing such as to ‘Energise’, promote feelings of ‘Peace’, or help you ‘Sleep’.

Ease of use: Operation is simple with just one on/off button and two LED lights that will let you know that it’s in operation and alert you when the water tank is full. It also has auto shut-off when the tank capacity is reached. This will mean you have to empty the 1.8 litre capacity tank frequently though, and this extraction rate is unlikely to be maintained except in very damp buildings.The ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier is a Peltier dehumidifier. Unlike the more common compressor dehumidifers which draw in warm moist air and then extract the moisture from the air via refrigerant gas and condensing coils, a Peltier dehumidifier uses thermo-electric technology to remove moisture from the air. If you have more serious damp issues, then although a dehumidifier can help to reduce the problem and improve the air quality in your home, it won't prevent the damp from occurring in the first place, so it's important to get to the root of the issue. Read our guide to how to get rid of damp for help in identifying the cause of your damp issues, and how to treat them. In reality, it’s probably a little too powerful for my needs, instead I’d recommend it to anyone with large, open-plan rooms in their houses or a big house with open doors, where it can sit in a hallway. While the power of 290 Watts means it only costs around 8p per hour, there are still lower energy options on this list that anyone with a smaller house or flat should consider. I tested the Silentnight 39899 in two key areas of my home, the kitchen and the bedrooms. I found it really made a difference to reducing the condensation around my windows. Plus, the air felt fresher whenever it was running, and it did really well to help eliminate steam and fumes in the kitchen whilst cooking. As a result, Peltier dehumidifiers use very little electricity with the ProBreeze 500ml Mini operating at only 23watts of power. Compared to other units which run on anywhere between 190 – 200+ watts, this is much lower electricity consumption.

Just like the MeacoDry Arete One, as well as an impressive extraction rate the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier has some great features, including an easy-to-read LED screen that displays current humidity levels and a useful Smart mode that monitors the humidity levels for you, turning the dehumidifier on and off as soon as it rises above the recommended home humidity range between 45%~55% for more economical (and hassle-free) use. There's also auto-shut off functionality when the water tank is full. This is an ideal choice for running in a little-used guest bedroom with poor air circulation and will help keep curtains, carpets and bedding damp-free and smelling fresh. 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 expert Kandola. “It’s probably about a penny an hour.” Interestingly, ProBreeze measures this units noise levels as 40dB – fairly high compared to many dehumidifiers we've tested – however, it's the type of noise as well as the volume that dictates how intrusive an appliance's noise is, and I found the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier particularly quiet in comparison to most. Portability Size, which refers to the quantity of water a machine can extract per 24 hours, is one of the most important factors when choosing a dehumidifier. As a general rule, the larger or damper the room is, the greater the required capacity.Most dehumidifiers have their noise levels listed in their specifications, although in practice we didn't find that much variation between models, with most falling somewhere between 35 and 45dB.

At the other end of the spectrum, the most powerful dehumidifiers can have capacities of up to 25 litres per day. Meaco, for example, produces the excellent Low Energy Dehumidryer with a 25 litre capacity. As you would expect, the largest capacity models tend to be more expensive. What isn’t so obvious is that temperature can affect your decision. This is because desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers work better in different conditions. The Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier is a popular choice thanks to its relatively low price point that makes it one of the best value compressor dehumidifiers you can buy.All that said, the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier still impressed our review team during testing. So, if you’re looking for a powerful dehumidifier with a cheaper upfront cost, the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L is well worth considering. Lastly, there's extra functionality to consider. The best dehumidifiers you can buy offer a Smart mode. That means you can leave the dehumidifier running and its sensors will detect the humidity levels and switch the machine on and off to keep humidity within your desired range. That saves energy (and money) as the appliance isn't running if it doesn't need to be. Performance: Along with the Russell Hobbs dehumidifier, this Challenge dehumidifier is one of the most compact in our round-up measuring just H22 x W15 x D13cm. That makes it hugely portable, although its small size does means a low 0.3L per day extraction rate (about the size of a large glass of wine) and its water tank is also small with a 0.5L capacity. Clearly, setting a lower fan speed will reduce the noise level but that also limits what the dehumidifier can do. When manufacturers quote a noise level this refers to the noise level at the lowest speed setting, so in practice the dehumidifier will often be louder. Performance-wise it draws 350 Watts, making it one of the most powerful on this list at a competitive price. I tested it in my shower room, where I usually keep a window open to prevent mould. As the mornings get chillier this dehumidifier is the perfect replacement, keeping any mould at bay and the heating in. The auto-defrosting function also means it can carry on working when the temperature drops.