13 best dehumidifiers to help tackle damp and mould at home

Both a dehumidifier and air purifier in one compact unit, the curved design means this model will effortlessly fit into your living space. Despite it being 16kg, it’s extremely portable, thanks to the included castor wheels, and if you need to carry it to another room or between floors, there’s a pull-up handle.

Operating it is easy, as there are just four control buttons. The first button lets you cycle through the target humidity in five per cent increments from 40 to 70 per cent. It has a built-in humidistat, so, once it reaches your set humidity, it then switches off and turns back on when the humidity rises again.

It also has an automatic switch-off when the tank is full. The LED red light will be illuminated, and the dehumidifier will not work until you empty the tank. The water tank is 4.8l, and as it can take up to 20l of excess moisture out of the air daily – you shouldn’t have to constantly empty the tank, unless your space is suffering from high humidity. The water tank is situated at the front of the unit and can easily be removed by holding either side of the tank and gently pulling.

You also get two machines for the price of one – as well as removing excess moisture from the air, it can also clean the air, thanks to the built-in HEPA filter. The charcoal filter will help to remove odours such as damp or lingering food smells. The dehumidifier can be run just as an air purifier by activating the fan mode.

There’s also a dedicated laundry mode that really sped up the time it took for our clothes to dry. This mode runs the unit at 35 per cent humidity and then, after six hours, switches the compressor off at 40 per cent, while continuing to keep the fan running, which helps keep energy costs down.

Considering the powerful performance of this dehumidifier, it doesn’t make much noise. Due to the compressor getting going at first, we did find it a little loud but, after a while, it just faded to a low hum, making it perfect for running in the background while you’re watching TV.

If you have pools of water around your windows in the mornings, the Blyss curve moisture trap can help. This reusable dehumidifier doesn’t run on any electricity, so, you can place it where you like, and it will still collect a lot of moisture from the air.

We tested it by leaving it next to our old double-glazed windows, which are prone to condensation, and also in the bathroom, and we were shocked by how much water it collected in a short space of time. It has a tray capacity of 900ml, and the clear design means you can see when the water needs to be emptied.

There’s also a safety feature designed into the lid, so children’s fingers won’t get caught if they investigate it. The filter will need to be changed – how often will depend on how much moisture it pulls from the air, but you’ll see when the change needs to happen. The refills can be bought scented or unscented. It’s also super energy efficient, as it doesn’t use electricity to run.

Meaco’s ABC dehumidifiers are the company’s entry-level budget line, but that doesn’t mean they’re rubbish. Quite the contrary. A tiny, lightweight machine, the 10l Meaco ABC is a compressor dehumidifier that’s easy to pick up and move around from room to room.

The controls are really easy to use – there are only five buttons. There’s the power button, a laundry button, a timer button, a fan button (which doubles up as a child lock button) and a humidistat button. Pressing the laundry button makes the machine run for six hours before stopping – that was enough time to air dry our clothes in the winter, without any awful musky damp smell.

For those who want the device to run until the humidity reaches a specific level in your room, the humidistat is really easy to program. It’s a quiet machine that Meaco estimates costs only 4p an hour to run, and because it doesn’t have a massive water tank, it’s perfect for flats. We even used it to clear up the damp from a leaking roof, as well as take the humidity out of the flat in the summer. A super affordable and reliable machine.

Read our full Meaco dry ABC dehumidifier review

A mid-priced dehumidifier that works well in small to medium-sized rooms, this model has a sleek, modern design that means you can plonk it in any room without it looking out of place. At 11.3kg, it’s quite weighty, so feels strong and robust despite being made from plastic. However, if you need to move it around, the design features a built-in handle, making it far less of a chore.

It comes with a range of simple controls, making it easy to operate. Our favourite, of course, is the laundry mode, which adjusts the fan speed and power. It did a great job of helping to speed up the amount of time it took for our clothes to dry, which is super handy in the winter months when the washing line is out of action.

You can set the humidity manually to 40 per cent, 50 per cent or 60 per cent. We found setting it at around 40 per cent would remove most moisture from the air, making it ideal if you’re using it in the kitchen to battle condensation or if you have a particularly damp space.

The unit can remove up to 14l of moisture per day, which makes the 2.1l water tank feel a bit small, so if you have a lot of excess moisture in the air, you will be emptying the tank on a regular basis. There is an option to let it run continuously, and it does come with an extra-long hose, but you will need access to a floor drain for this function. A word of warning, too: if you do use the continuous drain function, the automatic shut-off won’t work, so make sure to unplug the hose if you bring it back inside.

Noise-wise, this is one of our favourite dehumidifiers. When it’s on the lowest setting, it’s so quiet, you wouldn’t even know it was running. This means it won’t be too loud if you want to use it in your bedroom or living space. It does throw out some noise when it’s on the highest setting, but it’s not disruptive.

When in use, the air feels cleaner, thanks to double-filtration technology. This is good news for anyone with allergies, as it will remove airborne irritants such as pollen, mould spores, pet dander and even odours.

This dehumidifier is suitable for small to medium-sized rooms. It’s quiet, so you can use it in family areas and not be disturbed. One thing we really love is the inclusion of a timer, so, when it’s running in the bedroom, it can be timed to switch off just before bedtime and then start back up again in the morning.

It’s also easy to empty and has a built-in ioniser and HEPA filter, to make sure that it pumps out fresh, clean air. The filter can also be easily removed for cleaning.

It isn’t a light machine, weighing around 15kg, but it does have castors, so pushing it from room to room isn’t an issue. The generous 2l tank has a level indicator, so you can keep an eye on when it needs to be emptied, but it’s not a problem if you forget, as it has an alarm for when the water tank is full, and it will shut down automatically when it has reached the limit.

We tested the laundry function, using it to dry a range of clothing – from light pillowcases to thick denim – and found it worked extremely well.

The last thing you want is an overly complicated appliance, which is why we love the EcoAir DD1. As the name suggests, it’s a simple dehumidifier that offers excellent performance.

With a slimline and compact design, it weighs just 6kg, and the built-in handle and castor wheels make moving it from room to room a breeze. The design includes anti-tilt protection, which is handy if you have pets or small children running around. It also comes in a choice of three colours – blue, pink and black – so, whatever your decor, it should blend in effortlessly.

We like that it’s really easy to operate. It has manual controls – including a rotary dial and just one other button, which controls the fan speed, placing the machine in either economy mode or turbo mode.

It also has a special laundry mode, so, if you’re drying your clothes indoors all winter and don’t want to use the tumble dryer, it’s the perfect solution. As a desiccant dehumidifier, it’s not as cheap to run as a compressor dehumidifier. That said, desiccants do push heat back into your home, so you’ll save money on your heating bills – ideal for smaller rooms that suffer from cold.

While not suitable for large, open spaces, it has the capacity to collect up to 7.5l of moisture from the air per day and has a decent 2l water tank, so, unless you’re running it 24/7, you won’t need to empty the tank that often. Plus, there’s an automatic switch-off function, so there’s no need to worry if you leave it running when you’re not around.

One thing that could be better is the noise level, as it isn’t the quietest dehumidifier in this review. While it’s not loud enough to really disturb the peace, it’s certainly not one you’d want to leave running overnight in your bedroom.

Finally, we were impressed with the nano silver filter built into the design, which will help trap dust and allergens. So, if you suffer from allergies or conditions such as asthma, this is the perfect solution, as the air will feel a lot fresher.

Ideal for smaller spaces that suffer from condensation or mould, this dehumidifier is solid and compact. Its size means it’ll sit comfortably in any living space, while still being small enough to store away in a cupboard when not in use.

It has an extendable handle that pulls up, so you can easily move it around, and, despite being 10.5kg in weight, it doesn’t feel too heavy to shift about. While it doesn’t have a dedicated laundry mode, it did reduce laundry-drying times, thanks to the powerful fan.

It can take 10l of moisture out of the air each day, but one thing that is a little disappointing is that there’s only a 2.1l water tank. It does have an option for continuous draining, but just note that it doesn’t come with a water tube (this needs to be purchased separately).

The water tank is situated at the front of the unit and there’s a small window, so you can keep an eye on the water level, but when it’s full the LED light will light up to indicate it needs emptying. Although, it does have an automatic shut-off function, so you don’t have to worry about it overflowing if you forget.

Operating this unit is easy – you can set your own humidity levels in five per cent increments, from 35 to 85 per cent, and the digital display will show the current humidity of the room, so you have a good idea of how humid it is when setting it. Another point to note is that it has a washable filter that will need to be cleaned often to make sure that the dehumidifier stays efficient.

We should also point out that this dehumidifier is loud, and you can’t reduce the noise by switching to a lower fan speed.

This is a non-electric dehumidifier and not only is it excellent value, it works really well, too. Despite its small size, it can collect up to 500ml of water – ideal for small spaces, such as kitchens, bathrooms or even in damp spots such as under the stairs. It works by encouraging air to circulate and flow through a tablet similar in design to a dishwasher tablet. It then stores any moisture collected in the bottom tank, which can be simply tipped away when full. It has two refills included and each tablet lasts for around three months.

It’s really easy to use and changing the tablets was a breeze. We also found this a great option to place by windows, as it sucked up all the condensation that usually appeared by morning. We found that by using just this dehumidifier for a day left a fresher smell around the place. Of course, it doesn’t gather as much moisture as its electric counterparts, but it’s silent, doesn’t use any electricity and is easy to move around, so what’s not to love?

Not one to shrink into the background, the bright yellow and black design is probably more suited to commercial settings, but this dehumidifier can still be used in a residential property. It is heavy but not unmanageable, as it weighs around 13kg, and can remove up to 18l of water per day. There’s also an option for continuous drainage, so there are no worries about emptying the 3.5l tank. It has two low and high fan settings – it gets a bit noisy when it’s on the highest setting – and there are also three drying modes, including a laundry setting.

We really loved the setting that can help dry paint and plaster, so, if you’re about to embark on some DIY, this is the dehumidifier for you. However, there is no timer built in, which is a slight disappointment.

This unit will work well in small properties with around three bedrooms, as it has a powerful extraction rate. Plus, it’s very economical, as it has a hydrophilic coating that can collect up to 40 per cent more water without using any extra power.

Sleek, compact and complete with smart connectivity, this dehumidifier can remove up to 20l of water per day from your home. To operate the device, you can either control it manually using the panel on the top, or download the app and control it from anywhere. It even works with home hubs such as Google and Amazon Alexa. It has an automatic shut-off feature when the water tank is full and an indicator light to see when you need to empty it.

Although this dehumidifier doesn’t have a dedicated laundry mode, it worked well when it came to drying clothes, especially when on full speed. Plus, this is a great option that will see you use it throughout summer too, as it has a fan mode that will cool the air while reducing humidity. We found this dehumidifier quiet, so would recommend it for bedrooms as well as living areas.

This Sharp model is able to absorb up to 20l of water per day and the swinging setting means it can cover an entire room. The LCD control panel makes the dehumidifier really easy to use – you simply select the right setting for your space, including the humidity levels, and away you go. We were shocked by just how well this machine worked – we left it running in different areas of the house, and the air felt a lot dryer and clearer.

One of our favourite functions is the laundry drying mode. We tested it with a range of fabrics, including heavy duvet covers. While, normally, they’d be sitting on the clothes horse for a couple of days, by using this machine, they were all cupboard dry within 24 hours.

It is a large machine, so you will need a dedicated space. It’s also very heavy, weighing 15kg, so if you’re planning on moving it up and down stairs in your home, you may want to reconsider. Although it does have castors, which means moving it around on the same level isn’t an issue.

This isn’t the quietest machine on our list, but the noise isn’t too distracting, so you could have it running in another room without it bothering you too much. Another great feature of this dehumidifier is that it has an auto-stop feature when the tank is full, so you can leave this running when you’re not around and have no worries about it overflowing.

This dehumidifier is perfect for small areas. It’s lightweight and compact, weighing just 2.2kg. It’s ideal if you want to move it around your home and leave it in different rooms. It’s also very energy efficient, costing approximately 27p per day to run. It has a 2l water tank and can collect around 500ml per day.

It’s very quiet – you’ll barely notice it’s on, especially if you have it in a family area where there’s other noise going on. There’s not much in the way of controls, either – you plug it in, and it gets to work. But there is an LED display that lets you know the current humidity and temperature.

It has an automatic shut-off feature that will kick in once the water tank is full, so you won’t have to worry about leaks. This dehumidifier also has an air purification function, thanks to the built-in UV light and TiO2 filter, which will remove any allergens from the air when the machine is in operation.

Perfect for small spaces and rooms up to 15 square metres, this dehumidifier is so neat and compact that it will sit neatly on your shelves or sideboard without you even realising it’s there. Plus, it feels solid and robust, despite it being light (0.9kg).

It’s really easy to use, too – there are no settings to get used to, just one simple button to switch it on and get it to work. It only has a small extraction rate of 350ml per day, so this isn’t going to work very well if you’ve got a serious damp issue. However, if you want to get rid of condensation or even excess moisture when you’re cooking, it’s perfect.

The 600ml water tank is the right size for the amount of water that’s extracted and means it won’t have to be emptied often. Plus, it features an automatic shut-off function.

It’s so quiet, that you don’t hear it running – ideal if you want to it on overnight without having your sleep disturbed. It’s also a good option for your home office, as it will sit neatly on the corner of your desk.

For colder months, it has an auto-defrost function, so, if the temperature drops below freezing, the inside of the dehumidifier will heat up to prevent the water from freezing.

This dehumidifier is currently sold out at all stockists, but we will keep you posted when it becomes available to buy again.