Dr. Qamar says that dehumidifiers can help since they’re made to take in humid air, extract some of its moisture, and return drier air back into the room. When shopping for a dehumidifier, take the type of allergies you’re experiencing into account, along with the size of the room that the device will occupy. Additionally, keep in mind that some devices can be noisy, which may be important for anyone planning to use the dehumidifier in their bedroom.
We researched many dehumidifiers and compared their ability to handle different-sized rooms, reservoir size, noise levels, portability, and price. Each of the dehumidifiers chosen were determined to be the best of these factors.
Here are the best dehumidifiers on the market today.
While this humidifier is on the heavier side, weighing 44 pounds, it comes with wheeled casters and lift handles, so you can take it from room to room. It also features an automatic shut-off feature in case the reservoir gets too full as well as humidity controls so you can get the room just the way you like it.
Price at time of publication: $269
It’s also portable, weighing only 3.5 lbs, and it can hold two cups of water. The water reservoir is clear, so you can check the level at a glance, and an LED light on the front of the dehumidifier will also tell you when the reservoir is full. A dehumidifier of this size is perfect for small office cubicles, musty closets, or humid laundry rooms.
Price at time of publication: $60
The water reservoir can hold over six pints, meaning it needs to be emptied every day and a half (when running at full capacity). But if you have the correct type of plumbing in your home, you can use the drainage pump that will self-empty all collected moisture down the drain.
Price at time of publication: $120
This humidifier covers 2000 square feet and can daily pull about 34 pints of moisture out of the air that can either be drained from the 2.5-liter capacity reservoir (complete with a “full” indicator LED light on the front of the dehumidifier) or can be auto-drained with the included 6.5-foot hose.
Price at time of publication: $240
Using thermo-electric cooling, this dehumidifier doesn’t use a compressor. As a result, it runs almost silently. There are also two easy-to-read LED lights on the top of the dehumidifier that tell you when the unit is turned on and when the water reservoir is full. And if you aren’t able to drain the reservoir in time, this humidifier features an automatic shut-off feature that turns the entire unit off when the water level gets too high.
Price at time of publication: $80
The dehumidifier sits on four-wheeled casters and can easily be rolled from room to room. It has a 1.8-gallon reservoir that can remove about 50 pints of moisture per day. It can also run continuously (it has a programmable 24-hour cycle, too) until the reservoir is filled and shuts itself off or when the job is done. This dehumidifier can also be hooked up to a drain so water can empty out easily—just make sure to pick up a drainage hose because it’s not included.
Even despite its heavy-duty design and overall power, this dehumidifier is Energy Star certified.
Price at time of publication: $230
With a 2-gallon reservoir and easy-to-program buttons, and digital readouts on top of the dehumidifier, you can remove approximately 50 pints of moisture a day from the air. Smaller models are also available at a lower price that can remove 20 or 35 pints per day.
If you forget to dump the reservoir, there is a built-in shutdown feature that turns the dehumidifier off if the water level gets too high. You can also attach a typical 3/4 inch garden hose to the unit for constant drainage while in use—no need to hunt down a brand-specific hose or size.
Price at time of publication: $250
This model is able to remove approximately 50 pints a day, and 35-pint and 20-pint models are available as well at a lower price. It can also be paired with your smartphone, so you can ask Alexa or Google to adjust your settings or send you alerts if the reservoir gets full.
Price at time of publication: $281
While the reservoir can only hold about 1.8 liters—meaning that you will have to change it every day—it comes with a 2-meter long drainage hose.
Price at time of publication: $223
Once we narrowed down our options, we compared each dehumidifier’s benefits to its price tag. While some choices on our list may be more expensive, we wanted to give a wide range of options that would fit all needs and budgets. Based on all of these factors, we compiled this list of the best dehumidifiers.
What to Look for in a Dehumidifier
Humidity Level
If your home or office is particularly humid, you run the risk of creating an environment where mold and other allergens can grow. “A dehumidifier can remove moisture from the environment,” says Kanao Otsu, MD, an allergist, and immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. “This may be helpful for individuals who have mold or house dust mite allergies who live in a humid/moist environment.”
All dehumidifiers will list how much moisture they can remove from the air in a single day. This is often listed in pints or ounces. If a dehumidifier can remove a large volume of moisture on a given day, your air will be far less humid and less likely to grow mold, explains Dr. Otsu.
Space
The space you plan to dehumidify will be a major factor in your shopping decision. In the same way that you wouldn’t need a massive dehumidifier for your bathroom, a smaller dehumidifier wouldn’t be able to significantly change the humidity of a large room.
That’s why it is important to get a dehumidifier that matches the room so that you don’t create humid areas that your dehumidifier can’t reach. “Mold or fungi require moisture for optimal growth,” says Dr. Qamar. “You can eliminate mold by eliminating sources of moisture.”
Before making your purchase, measure or estimate the square footage of the room you plan to use the dehumidifier in. Each dehumidifier on this list shares its recommended square footage, which will help you buy the best one for your needs.
Programmable Humidistat
Similar to your home’s thermostat that tracks the temperature in your home, a humidistat can track the humidity (measured as a percentage out of 100) in a room and can make adjustments as needed. Less expensive models often don’t come with a humidistat, meaning you will need to buy one separately if you want to track the humidity, and you will need to manually turn the dehumidifier on and off as needed.
“If you have allergies to dust mites and mold,” explains Dr. Qamar, “decreasing the humidity to less than 50 percent can significantly improve your allergies.” So, if you want to take the guesswork out of your room’s humidity levels, a dehumidifier with a programmable humidistat might be the best way to go. You can easily set it at around 50 percent (or to whatever’s comfortable for you) and leave it alone, knowing that it will turn on and off to stay at your preset percentage.
Reservoir Capacity
“A humidifier will add moisture to the air while a dehumidifier will remove moisture from the air,” says Dr. Qamar–which is why reservoir capacity is so important when ultimately choosing a dehumidifier. With all that extra collected moisture, how often do you realistically think you will be able—or willing—to dump the collected water?
Some reservoirs are very small and can only hold a few pints, while others can hold gallons of water, meaning that you can go longer between removals. Some models also come with a drainage house too that lets you hook up a hose that you can run into a drain or sink so that the collected water can be removed just as soon as it’s collected.
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“Certain mold thrives in high humidity,” says Dr. Otsu. “Removing the moisture can decrease mold growth.” So if you’re worried about mold growth in your home—or worse yet, start to see it growing in high humidity rooms like the bathroom—you should consider using a dehumidifier.
If your home is especially dry (like during the winter) or is too humid for your comfort (like during the summer), it’s worth purchasing the right device so you can adjust the humidity to your liking all season long.
“Keeping humidity below 50% with a dehumidifier can eliminate mold,” explains Dr. Qamar, “if you can also remove any other sources of condensation (such as water leaks from pipes, removal of any standing water, and dampness in the basement or crawlspace).”
In addition, you should clean your dehumidifier’s filter regularly. This will help prevent mold or mildew growth, especially if the filter gets clogged or is overused.
