If you’ve noticed mould, condensation or a musty odour around your home, then it may be time to invest in a dehumidifier.
These machines work by removing any excess water from the air and lowering humidity levels, which can get rid of pollutants, mould, damp, and allergens. But if you’re thinking of investing you need to be mindful of the space and size you have for one. If you’re only planning to use it in a small area, for example, a bathroom or cupboard, then a mini-dehumidifier will suffice. If you want to cover a whole floor or a large room, you’ll need to look at a machine with a larger capacity – we suggest a machine that can capture between 18-25l a day.
When choosing the right dehumidifier for your property, you may also want to consider the amount of noise you’re willing to live with, especially if you’re planning on running it overnight. Many modern dehumidifiers have an eco mode that runs quieter and also save money on energy.
On the note of energy efficiency and in light of the price-cap hike – which took effect from 1 October – a dehumidifier can offer a more-affordable way to dry your washing. Yes, you read that right – these nifty home appliances draw all moisture and allergens away from clothing. Better still, they’re cost-efficient to run, with the running cost of an average model being less than 40p an hour, compared with a tumble dryer, which can cost up to £1.55 an hour to operate.
To help you find the best dehumidifier, we’ve put together a guide to the top models across a range of sizes, budgets and styles to help you protect your home and health against excess damp, mould and condensation – for good.
To get the best from any dehumidifier, it’s best to run it continuously, so we set each dehumidifier up in its own room according to what size room it was suited to, and left it to run for at least 48 hours. We looked at how energy efficient each unit was, which is important in this climate of rising energy bills. We also checked the noise levels and whether we could work, relax and even sleep while the dehumidifier was running, and tested each one to see how easy it was to move from room to room.
