When the weather turns cold and rainy, and you have to start to dry laundry indoors, this creates extra moisture in your home. Our latest dehumidifiers test of 14 refrigerant dehumidifier has uncovered one new Best Buy to help you fight damp.
Dehumidifiers can be a useful ally in keeping humidity levels down in your home. But dehumidifiers can be a confusing appliance to buy – there are differences in size and type, and it may be hard to tell which is right for you.
Each dehumidifier has a claimed extraction rate, which is the amount of water the manufacturer claims that the dehumidifier can pull out of the air in a day. However, we’ve found from our years of testing that the average dehumidifier used in the UK don’t come close to meeting the claimed extraction rate.
What you can use the claimed extraction rate for is to help you figure out which size you need. So we’ve rounded up the 14 new dehumidifiers we’ve tested by size to help you choose the right model for your home.
Know what size you’re looking for? Head straight to our round-up of the best dehumidifiers.
10-litre dehumidifiers
Generally speaking, the smaller the space, the smaller the dehumidifier you’ll need.
Depending on which manufacturer you listen to and which dehumidifier you are looking to buy, 10 litres will be good for a space the size of a large room or a small studio flat (or around 15 square metres).
But with prices ranging from £99 to £168, which should you get? For the most part, the bigger the dehumidifier, the more you’ll have to pay. But we’ve found that sometimes price and quality don’t go hand in hand.
10-litre dehumidifiers on test
This Vax Power Extract dehumidifier features two automatic fan speeds, but has no timer. It’s a bit pricier than some other 10-litre models, but does it do a good job at reducing humidity?
This basic Argos dehumidifier is somewhat lacking in features – it has only one fan setting. But read our review to see if it managed to extract impressive amounts of water from the air when we tested it.
Billed as being able to handle a three-bedroom home, we think this Electriq dehumidifier is probably better for spaces a bit smaller than that. It features a timer and a backlit digital display that tells you what the humidity is in the room.
This 10-litre Currys dehumidifier is quite simple. However, it does have a timer that you can program to run for two, four or six hours.
Setting itself apart from the other white boxes in the corner, this bold blue DeLonghi dehumidifier comes with an anti-dust filter and a clothes-dry function.
12-litre dehumidifiers
While a higher extraction rate is better for a larger space, don’t expect any dehumidifier to reach its claimed extraction. Manufacturers base these claims on conditions more akin to a rain forest than your living room.
Going from a 10-litre dehumidifier to a 12-litre dehumidifier means you can cover a bit of a larger space – perhaps up to a very small two-bed flat.
12-litre dehumidifiers on test
We found this Ebac dehumidifier had some useful features. This includes two fan-speed settings and an eight-hour boost setting, which is good for laundry drying.
- Ebac 2250e review, £149
Features such as a large digital display and a timer that can be set for up to 24 hours (in one-hour steps) make this Meaco dehumidifier a bit more versatile than others.
- Meaco 12L-AH review, £140
While most dehumidifiers have one or two fan settings, this Bionaire has three. It also has a clear tank so you can see when it’s time to empty it of water.
- Bionaire BDH001X review, £160
Available at Argos, this model comes complete with an LED display and transparent water tank, but only has one fan setting.
18-litre dehumidifiers
Advice from manufacturers varies about what size of dehumidifier is best for any particular space. But, based on our independent labs tests, we know that the higher the extraction capacity, the larger the space it can handle.
An 18-litre capacity dehumidifier should be able to handle a large room and up to a small two- or three-bedroom home.
18-litre dehumidifiers on test
The Ecoair DC18 dehumidifier features an LED display that tells you the current humidity level and two fan speeds. You can also use the timer to set the unit to run for two or four hours.
- Ecoair DC18 review, £145
20-litre dehumidifiers
If you have a three-bed home that suffers from damp, you’re going to need a powerful humidity extractor.
A dehumidifier will be more effective in the area it’s placed, so if you have damp all over you may have to move it from room to room, or stick it somewhere more central.
20-litre dehumidifiers on test
This large and relatively affordable Logik dehumidifier could be a great ally in the fight against damp. It features two fan-speed settings, a fast-dry laundry function and a timer that can be set for one, two, four or eight hours.
- Logik L20DH16 review, £140
The humidity of your room is shown on a digital display – backlit with LED lights – so you can make sure your home is at a healthy humidity level. This Electriq dehumidifier also has an air purifier with an ionizer, claiming it can purify the air of allergens.
This Vax model can be used in fan-only mode to keep the air circulating in your home even when the humidity isn’t an issue. It also features a 24-hour timer, two fan speeds and an auto mode. The auto mode means that you can set your desired humidity levels (high and low), and you don’t have to worry about switching the dehumidifier on and off.
28-litre dehumidifiers
Have a large house with more than three bedrooms that suffers from damp? Then you will need the help of a large-capacity dehumidifier.
28-litre dehumidifiers on test
This large-capacity Blyss dehumidifier has a 24-hour timer that you can program in one-hour steps. It also has an LCD display, two fan speeds and a reusable air filter to help tackle allergens in your home.
(Prices are standard and correct as of October 2017.)
Want to reduce pollutants in your home? Find out which air purifiers really work – see our best air purifiers.