There's also a washable dust filter and an ionizer to eliminate airborne particles, much like one of the best air purifiers available. A light at the top of the front face changes color to let you know system status. Type:If humidity is a problem throughout the entire house, an integrated whole-home system may be the way to go. If your moisture issues are seasonal or confined to only some rooms of the house, a portable residential unit is your best bet. Smaller dehumidifiers tend to cost less and can be easier to move, but they can be less efficient when running at a constant rate. It's best to err on the side of caution by buying a larger unit than a smaller one and having the unit run less frequently. It's also well-suited to basements, the most common area for dehumidifier use. The built-in pump means you can drain out a window or into an elevated sink up to 16 feet away. And the auto defrost features will prevent the coils from freezing if the temperature dips below 32°F. Product experts and analysts at the Good Housekeeping Institute continuously survey the marketplace and manufacturers to identify the models that consumers nationwide are most likely to find in stores and online. From there, we select models for testing across different size categories to cover every need and budget.

Dehumidifiers are rated by how many pints of water they can remove in 24 hours. We tested 50-pint models, which are close to the upper end of the size range. For large spaces or very damp areas, you’ll need a higher capacity model. Based on our experts' experience with similar Midea models, we expect the unit to do a superb job removing up to 35 pints of moisture from the air per day, with minimal noise from the motor or fan. Its auto defrost function means it's safe for use in basements or other cold rooms.Whether it’s a humid summer or you have a soggy basement, your home can get too damp for comfort. Muggy weather raises humidity above the comfortable range, and damp basements and bathrooms can breed mold or mildew.

We placed data loggers to record humidity and temperature around the room. Once we’d hit our peak humidity target, we switched on the test dehumidifier. Other types include desiccant dehumidifiers, which will use a water-absorbing material, and thermoelectric dehumidifiers, which operate with charged plates. Generally speaking, neither of these latter two types are as effective as condenser models, which is why we only recommend this type in our list. Don’t get too excited about this dehumidifier’s smart capabilities. You can connect it to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, but the app is little more than a glorified remote control with only basic scheduling features and no way to integrate with existing air quality meters you might have hooked up. That aside, it’s a well-designed and effective dehumidifier, capable of extracting up to 20 litres per day into a larger-than-average six-litre tank. We found this surprisingly easy to remove from the rear of the machine when full, with a built-in handle for carrying.

The verdict: Dehumidifiers

Larger dehumidifiers give you extra capacity to cope with emergencies like leaks or spills that temporarily make your home more humid. 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.

The damp reservoir can also be a home for mold or bacteria. A gentle wash with dish detergent will take care of that. The capacity in pints relates to how much moisture the dehumidifier claims to absorb per day. The bigger the capacity, the larger and damper space it can handle. Hands-on testing begins in our Lab under controlled humidity and temperature conditions. The key performance-based test measures how much water each dehumidifier collects in a 48-hour time period. Our engineers also use a decibel meter to assess how loud each machine is when running at its highest fan speed. Usability is another important part of our evaluation; it happens in the Lab, as well as in the homes of consumer testers, allowing us to test the dehumidifiers under real-world conditions. Your Dehumidifier works properly and protects your home from an accident even when you are gone! The tank management system stops working when the container is full. Hose connection: If you'll be using a large-capacity dehumidifier for a particularly wet job, finding a dehumidifier with a hose connection can save you from having to empty the machine manually.The control panel design also elevates this model above most of the competition. The large display and touch-sensitive buttons are easy to see and use. You probably won’t need to reach for the manual to get this LG up and running. Despite the low price point, the Hisense is energy efficient at reducing humidity. It features a convenient auto mode, which adjusts the fan level as needed to keep humidity at a comfortable 50%. This saves energy as it keeps the fan speed low once the target humidity is reached. Smart Dehumidification Technology - automatically control room humidity in a comfortable range (45%-55% according to room temperature) which inhibits bacteria growth.