They are also cost effective and you do not have to clean it as often. These electric appliances are also very affordable and you can practically buy it at your nearest department store or appliance center. Who are Electriq though? Which are the company's the best dehumidifiers? And are there any you should avoid? Let's find out. Who Are Electriq? First up, it's worth making clear that this small dehumidifier has a low extraction rate compared to many others on our list. The ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier can extract just 0.5L of moisture from the air per day. For comparison, the lowest extraction rate offered within the MeacoDry Arete One range is 10L of moisture extraction per day.

Noise levels This dehumidifier uses a Peltier condenser that means there's no noisy compressor to disturb you, however, that doesn't make the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier totally silent, there's still the noise of the fan to adjust to. I left it running in my bedroom overnight, and although the 40dBA noise is noticable and initially bothered me, I soon zoned it out. Plus, there’s no varying fan speed which means its white noise is easier to ignore. Unlike a compressor dehumidifier that passes air over a cold coil to condense the water from it, a desiccant dehumidifier uses a 'desiccant chemical' to absorb the moisture from the air. As a result, desiccant dehumidifiers are the best option for rooms that are likely to fall below 15°c, as at lower temperatures compressor and Peltier models can struggle to work efficiently. Dehumidifier manufacturers have started to update their older models or create new ones using refrigerant gases with less of a global warming impact, such as R290. If you buy an older second-hand model, it may use a HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerant that can be a potent greenhouse gas if leaked. Despite its compact size, this dehumidifier is also heavy. And noisy. We also didn’t find it that much help with drying clothes, although it did a good job of managing general damp and reducing condensation and mould on windows and walls.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. However, these smaller and cheaper dehumidifiers can still be good for keeping on top of low levels of excess moisture within the home.

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. However, if you're looking for a dehumidifier for use in a cold climate, the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier's 1ºc operating temperature is hard to beat. For more details, you can read our full Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier review. How to choose

If you’re only planning to dehumidify occasionally – for a few hours here or there in a kitchen or bathroom, for instance – you can get away with a mini-dehumidifier with an extraction rate of less than one litre. It will be cheap to buy, cheap to run and perfectly effective. The same applies if you’re trying to fight damp or mould in a smaller area, such as a wardrobe, utility room or box bedroom. litres – medium capacity. Suitable if there are more of you creating moisture through activities such as showering, cooking and washing clothes at home, and/or your damp problem is more severe. During our testing process we found it really easy to use and operate, and our reviewer loved the Smart App connectivity (something few dehumidifiers offer) as it gave her a lot more control over how she could use the machine, saying 'the in-App experience is fantastic, the menus are really clear, and changing the settings is simple'. 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. Some dehumidifier brands routinely do well or badly in our tests, while others are a lot more hit and miss.

It has a powerful extraction capacity of up to 50 litres per day, ensuring that your targeted space is kept away from condensation, damp and mould, particularly those that have experienced leaks, floods, or construction work.The other controls let you choose between quiet Sleep mode, powerful High mode for laundry and economic Low mode for daytime use. You can fine-tune these by setting the fan speed and desired humidity level (you’ll want it under 50 percent, see below). But that’s it. Very much a fire-and-forget machine. I like the way it looks, too. Although it’s an American company, there’s something reassuringly Swiss about it. Maybe that’s just me. 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 Dehumidifiers are proving exceptionally popular this year and our top-rated airers may temporarily sell out. These are currently the best places to look for alternatives:

Desiccant dehumidifiers, on the other hand, are also known as absorption dehumidifiers which bond water from the air using hydrophilic materials like silica gel. There are commercial Desiccant dehumidifiers that have hot air recover systems to remove humid air. 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. If available, make use of timer or automatic shut-off features so the dehumidifier isn’t running continuously while you’re out of the house or asleep.

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. 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? It's also important not to confuse the extraction rate with a dehumidifiers water tank capacity. As both are generally measured in litres or millilitres this can sometimes cause confusion.