16 best dehumidifiers to get rid of damp and mould in your home, tried and tested

How we test dehumidifiers

To test the effectiveness of each dehumidifier, the Good Housekeeping Institute uses a controlled room with humidity set to 80% and the temperature at 18C. We start by assessing how easy each model is to unpack and set up, using any connected apps and control panels to see how straightforward it is to get the dehumidifier up and running. We then carry out the following tests.

• Water collection: We run each dehumidifier for two hours on its highest setting to see how much water it collects. This shows how effective it is at removing moisture from the air and reducing the humidity of the room.
• Energy and noise levels: We also measure each model’s energy consumption on the highest setting, so we can work out the running cost of each dehumidifier, as well as measuring the noise level (in decibels) on both the highest and lowest speeds. All energy prices are calculated using the latest energy price cap of 26.11p per kWh.
• Laundry mode: We wash a load of clothes (weighing between 3 to 4kg) and weigh them when wet, before hanging them up to dry next to the dehumidifier. We time how long it takes the clothes to dry and then weigh them again to see how much water was removed by the dehumidifier.

Finally, our experts assess each product on its design, quality of instructions, general ease of use and extra features before awarding a score out of 100.

Score: 97/100

This dehumidifier has an accompanying app so you can control it when you’re out and about. Testers found it straightforward to use, easily adjusting the speed and settings from their smartphones.

It’s a great option for drying clothes quickly, impressing our testers by removing 85.2% of the water from our load of laundry, so you won’t have wet clothes hanging around your home for long periods.

It was a little noisy on its highest setting, but that’s a minor niggle, especially given that it collected over 1L of water within two hours. Despite its size, the four-wheel design makes it easy to move around your home.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want to use your dehumidifier regularly in damp living rooms or bedrooms and want something you can easily control from your smartphone.

Key specifications

Score: 92/100

As one of the larger models we tested, this Meaco 20L dehumidifier is a great option if you’re tackling damp and high humidity throughout your home. It removed over 850ml of water in two hours and, thanks to its large tank capacity, you’d only need to empty it around every 10 hours if run continuously, which is handy if you’re busy during the day.

It also doubles up as an air purifier and uses a medical grade filter to keep your air dry and free of dust and other allergens. Our testers loved the easy, accessible design, including the simple LED display that made navigating the menu a breeze.

Like the Princess model (above), its weight may prove tricky for some, but the combination of wheels, a handle, and pouring spout on the water tank, made emptying a mess-free task.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You’re tackling damp and mould. The effective moisture extraction together with the air purifying function and medical grade filter makes this an excellent choice, plus it’s good for those with allergies.

We’ve also tested Meaco’s Arete Two 20L Dehumidifier, which scored 87/100, Meaco’s Arete Two 12L Dehumidifier, which scored 83/100, and Meaco’s Arete One 6L Dehumidifier, which scored 81/100. While the Arete Two 20L model is a newer version of the one reviewed here, we preferred the Arete One because of its easy-to-use, slightly more affordable design. If you like being able to control your appliances from your smart phone, then the Arete Two dehumidifier is a worthwhile investment.

The Arete 12L has the same smart features, but wasn’t as effective at removing moisture, making it a better pick for smaller homes looking to keep on top of humidity rather than tackle damp. Choose either of the 20L models if that’s the case.

For those looking for a smaller dehumidifier for studio flats or single rooms, the Arete One 6L dehumidifier is a great choice. It was very effective on laundry mode, drying a full load in under five hours.

Key specifications

Score: 92/100

This EcoAir desiccant dehumidifier proved a great option for a family home, collecting over 700ml of moisture from the air in our tests in just two hours. With a 3L capacity water tank, this means you’d have to physically empty the tank up to three times a day, if running for 24 hours.

It’s fairly lightweight (under 7kg without water) and the handle makes it easy to move between rooms. While it’s not the fanciest design on the market, this dehumidifier has plenty of great features including a built-in humidity sensor, three fan settings, and auto shut-off when the water tank is full, which meant it scored well across the board. Its laundry mode struggled to remove water from our load of laundry though.

One of the features our testers particularly liked was that it blows out slightly warmer air, helping to heat your space, too. You can also direct the air flow thanks to its swinging air outlet.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You’ll be using your dehumidifier regularly in unheated or colder rooms like garages or basements. It’s also our top choice if you want a quiet dehumidifier.

We’ve also tested the EcoAir DD2 Simple Desiccant Dehumidifier, which scored 90/100. Both impressed but the DD2 model is slightly smaller, making it better suited to single rooms or for drying laundry in an enclosed space. It’s cheaper and more cost-effective too.

Key specifications

Score: 92/100

Extracting 98.2% of water from our load of laundry, this dehumidifier is an excellent pick for anyone struggling to dry clothes indoors. There’s no specific laundry mode, as you get with some models, but we popped this on the maximum fan speed on continuous dehumidifying mode, and it worked a treat – only the collar and cuffs on of our shirts were left slightly damp after five hours.

It also decreased the humidity of the testing room by almost 30% in two hours, removing nearly 700ml of water. A truly impressive performance. But what makes this dehumidifier extra special is its app.

You can switch it on, change modes, set timers, monitor usage data, and check on the current humidity level – all from your phone. It also gives you helpful cleaning reminders and maintenance guides. And to top it all off, it’s compatible with Alexa and Google Home, so you can reduce the moisture in your home without touching a button.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You’re a tech lover who knows they’ll use the connected app to remotely control your dehumidifier. The Dreo app allows you to monitor energy-use data too, making it a good choice if you want to keep an eye on energy costs.

Key specifications

Score: 91/100

This large dehumidifier impressed our testers with its ability to dry clothes in under five hours. It collected 700ml of water across two hours, and we liked how the indicator told us when the 3.4L water tank was full.

On the top of this model, you’ll find a clear digital display – although, if you do get stuck with the controls, detailed instructions and diagrams are there to help you out.

There’s no spout on the water tank, so our experts found it difficult to empty it without spills. That quibble aside, they found this dehumidifier intuitive to use.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want a simple, easy-to-use dehumidifier that performs well and is suited to large rooms.

Key specifications

Score: 90/100

This large dehumidifier scored full marks in our laundry test, drying a whole load in just over four hours and leaving clothes ready to wear.

Despite its more affordable price tag, it still has a smart companion app, allowing you to set it up and control it from your smart phone. Everything was responsive and easy to adjust via the app, but the control panel worked just as well if you’d prefer to stay screen-free.

On high, the dehumidifier removed 579ml of water in two hours (less than the more premium models above) and there are only two fan speeds, so it isn’t the most effective at reducing the humidity in large, damp rooms. However, for smaller spaces (and for drying your laundry), it’s a good pick.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want an affordable all-rounder that can be controlled through your smartphone.

Key specifications

Score: 88/100

Sometimes, simplicity is key and that’s exactly what our testers loved about this dehumidifier. With just one on/off button and four modes (three based on the humidity of your environment, and one for laundry), it’s super easy to set up and use – it really is as simple as plugging it in and pressing the 'on' button.

Under conditions similar to those in our humidity chamber, it would take six hours to fill a full 2.1L tank, so you shouldn’t need to empty it too often. Even so, it does have an automatic switch-off feature when the tank is full, as well as a bright indicator light to tell you when it’s ready to be changed.

With a curved, slim design, quiet operation and a solid performance across our in-house tests, this is a great buy for controlling humidity in your bedroom.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You’re trying to control moisture in your bedroom and want a model that’s quiet to use overnight and won’t take up too much floorspace.

Key specifications

Score: 87/100

With a large 5.6-litre water tank and impressive extraction rate, this dehumidifier is well-equipped to remove moisture from your home without needing to be emptied constantly.

Our testers rated it highly for ease of use, praising its straightforward control panel, different running modes, and programmable timer. The laundry mode effectively dried a load in under five hours, while the standard mode collected 720ml of water in just two hours, reducing the humidity of the room to under 50 per cent. An active carbon filter also freshens the air at the same time, helping to reduce odours from your home.

There are only two fan speeds, and we found it tricky to empty all the water from the tank but otherwise this is a great household dehumidifier.

We’ve also tested the ProBreeze OmniDry 12L/Day Dehumidifier, which scored 82/100 and the ProBreeze 12L Dehumidifier with Built-in Humidistat (RRP £139.99), which scored 80/100.

Choose the ProBreeze 20L Compressor Dehumidifier if: You’re tackling lots of damp in different sized rooms.

Choose the ProBreeze OmniDry 12L/Day Dehumidifier if: You want something smaller, quieter, and less bulky that will suit small rooms.

Choose the ProBreeze 12L Dehumidifier with Built-in Humidistat if: You want a simple, easy-to-use model that will speed up drying clothes indoors.

Key specifications

Score: 86/100

A quick “Alexa, turn the dehumidifier on” is all it takes to get this smart model whirring. Our testers found its app easy to navigate, and device pairing was simple. They liked that you could monitor and adjust settings remotely too. The dehumidifier did disconnect occasionally, though, which meant they had to turn it on manually to reconnect.

However, as its strong score suggests, it was effective at removing moisture from the air. Our experts also found it easy to use throughout testing, whether setting up its timer, monitoring the water level or changing the filter. On max, it wasn’t the quietest, but it has a night mode, and its neat design means it should fit right in wherever you place it in your home.

We’ve also tested the Duux Bora 12L Dehumidifier (RRP £169.99), which scored 80/100. It doesn’t have the same smart controls as the 20L model, making it a better choice if you prefer a simpler, manual operation.

Choose the Duux Bora Smart 20L Dehumidifier if: You want the smart functions and you’re tackling damp in larger areas of your home.

Choose the Duux Bora 12L Dehumidifier if: You want a dehumidifier for drying laundry and aren’t too bothered about having one with a large water tank or app-control.

Key specifications

Score: 86/100

This dehumidifier is designed for larger rooms, claiming to remove up to 30L of moisture a day. In the lab, it collected 677ml within a two-hour period – impressive, although not quite the extraction rate promised. It proved effective at reducing the humidity of the room though, as it went from 78.9% to 50.2%. The laundry mode impressed too, helping to dry a load of shirts in under five hours.

App connectivity makes it easier and more convenient to use, too. It’s quick to adjust the settings and you can even use voice commands – however, this wasn’t quite as effective, taking a minute to change features.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You’re looking for a model to control humidity in larger rooms without the premium price tag.

Key specifications

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Score: 84/100

With a built-in carbon filter, this model claims to help with odour control and dust filtering, while also tackling damp around your home.

In testing, the control panel was super easy to use, with settings for the two fan speeds, plus the laundry and night mode. The laundry feature was a real bonus, helping to remove over 90% of the water from our washing in five hours, leaving most shirts completely dry.

It impressed on our standard test too, collecting over 500ml of water in two hours and reducing the humidity of the room by over 30%. There isn’t an app nor smart features and we’d have liked the cord to be longer (it’s about a metre long) for more flexibility in where it’s positioned, but otherwise, it’s a reliable buy.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want to tackle more persistent damp and clear your home of musty smells at the same time.

We’ve also tested the Devola 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier, which scored 83/100. Choose this dehumidifier if you want a good value option for a single room that’s quiet and economical to run.

Key specifications

Score: 83/100

With wheels and two carry handles, this is a more portable dehumidifier than many. It’s still heavy, but if you need one you can move from room to room on the same floor, then this will suit nicely. Plus, a long, 1.5-metre power cable means it’s no problem if plug sockets are relatively sparse in your home. Even the water tank has a foldable handle, which is useful for emptying.

It’s designed to automatically maintain the humidity of your room between 45 and 55 per cent, and impressed in our water collection and laundry drying tests, drawing in 729ml in two hours. Its effective compressor system, large tank capacity, and three fan speeds will make tackling window condensation much easier throughout the colder months.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want a model that’s portable or you specifically struggle with condensation on your windows.

Key specifications

Score: 82/100

This large dehumidifier aced our laundry tests, removing 99% of water from our clothes in two hours and 17 minutes with its specific laundry setting. On the standard setting, it collected around 500ml of water in two hours and the humidity light clearly displays the moisture level in the room by switching between red, green and blue.

The controls are easy to understand and responsive, allowing you to quickly change between fan speeds and set timers, and we had no issues removing and emptying the water tank thanks to the carry handle. This model is a little noisier than others, registering around 50.6dB on high (similar to the noise of rainfall outside), but it shouldn’t disturb your day-to-day activities at home.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want to dry laundry inside more quickly.

Key specifications

Score: 82/100

This dehumidifier is perfectly suited to removing moisture from small rooms, thanks to its compact design and lower extraction rate. In testing, it was easy to set-up, and we liked the colour-coded humidity indicator which makes it clear to see how much moisture is in the room. It only collected 375ml of water in two hours, so won’t be the best choice for dealing with damp, but its performance on laundry mode was much more impressive, removing 99% of water in under five and a half hours.

The lightweight design, carry handle, and castor wheels made it easy to move from place to place, and while removing the water tank was a little fiddly, slotting it back into place was much simpler.

At under £100, this dehumidifier performs well, but its best for drying laundry quicker or removing moisture from small rooms one at a time.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want to tackle moisture in small rooms without spending a lot.

Key specifications

Score: 82/100

This dehumidifier has a clear LED humidity indicator, which allows you to see the dampness of your room at a glance – it glows blue for under 50%, green up to 70%, and red for over 70% humidity.

It has a huge 6.5L water tank – the largest of all the dehumidifiers we’ve tested – so you don’t have to empty it as frequently. That said, it only removed 460ml of water in two hours on its highest setting so it will take a while to fill up. The laundry mode impressed us though, removing almost all the moisture from our clothes in four and a half hours, which is one of the quickest we’ve tried.

It doesn’t have a smart app like some of the more premium picks, but the controls are easy to use and clearly labelled. It’s a weighty buy at 14.5kg but the castor wheels helped when we were moving it from room to room.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You don’t want the faff of emptying the water tank often.

Key specifications

Score: 78/100

This compact dehumidifier is discreet and is designed for reducing humidity in cupboards or box rooms, rather than tackling damp in larger spaces.

In the lab, it collected 35ml of water in two hours, which means it would have taken over 48 hours to fill the full one-litre tank. Unsurprisingly given its size, this is a smaller moisture extraction rate than other models we’ve tested (which has impacted its score), but it also doubles up as an air purifier, claiming to capture 99.95% of airborne allergens, dust, and pollen.

While it's important to note that you can’t use both features at the same time, our tester found it easy to switch between the two using the interface on top of the appliance. Thanks to its small stature, this is also the cheapest and most energy-efficient model we tested, costing just 1p an hour to run. It’s a savvy buy.

Choose this dehumidifier if: You want a two-in-one model to tackle moisture and musty smells in cupboards or wardrobes.

Key specifications

These also passed…

We’ve tested 42 dehumidifiers in our lab, so if you can’t find the perfect model for your home in our top 16, it’s worth checking out one of the GHI-Approved models below.

Bosch Dry 4000, £219
Score: 78/100 – Choose this dehumidifier if you’re dealing with moisture in medium-sized rooms or want to dry clothes more quickly. It’s super quiet too, at just 44.6dB on high, making it a good pick for home offices.

VonHaus 12L/Day Dehumidifier, £109.99
Score: 77/100 – Choose this dehumidifier if you want an affordable, easy-to-use model for small-to-medium sized rooms.

Silentnight Airmax 1200 Dehumidifier, £144
Score: 77/100 – Choose this no fuss, no thrills dehumidifier for keeping on top of light, everyday damp over the winter months.

Belaco 12L Dehumidifier, £106.71
Score: 74/100 - Choose this dehumidifier if you’re after something that’s both affordable upfront and cheap to run (it used 0.187kWh per hour, costing 4.9p).

Why should you trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?

We’ve been testing household appliances for more than 100 years and, as we become more focused on the quality of the air inside our homes, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been at the forefront of reviewing the latest gadgets designed to help, including the best air purifiers and the best humidifiers as well as dehumidifiers.

Blossom Boothroyd, our homes testing manager, helped develop our dehumidifier protocols, making sure we test them as you would use them at home and ensuring they deliver on their claims.

Our senior homes and lifestyle writer, Megan Geall, has written about hundreds of appliances and knows what to look for when interrogating test results, helping you make the best decision for your home. She regularly tackles damp in her home using a dehumidifier so knows what features are most helpful in day to day use.

How to choose a dehumidifier

Before shopping for a dehumidifier, these are the key factors to consider.

Extraction rate

Be aware that the dehumidifier’s size describes how many litres of water it can extract from the air within 24 hours, not the capacity of the water tank. For example, our winning pick, the Princess Smart 20L Dehumidifier, has a 20L extraction capacity, but its water tank is only 3.7L, so you’d have to empty it multiple times in a 24-hour period. Confusing, we know.

Plus, this figure often refers to the maximum amount of water an appliance can extract on average, rather than what it will extract in a UK home in winter. Dehumidifiers tend to remove moisture more quickly in tropical climates and more slowly when it's cold. So, if yours doesn’t extract a full 20 litres in a day, this doesn’t mean it’s not working, just that it’s operating differently to the conditions the manufacturer tested it in.

Price

The dehumidifiers we tested range from £74 to £330, with pricier models boasting a range of fancy features including smart controls and accompanying apps. It’s important to consider what factors are the most important to you, as there’s no point paying for extra features you won’t use.

Noise levels

If you’re going to have a dehumidifier on when you’re working from home or while you’re sleeping, you want something that will keep the noise down. Anything under 54dB is considered quiet, which means all the products on our list are suitable. However, if you’re a light sleeper, you may want to pick one on the lower end of the scale, such as this EcoAir dehumidifier, which runs at 36dB on its lowest setting.

Size and water capacity

You’ll need to consider the capacity of the water tank based on where you’re placing the dehumidifier in your home. Bathrooms and kitchens, which are typically more humid spaces, may require a larger tank – or more frequent emptying – compared to a study or bedroom.

The size of the dehumidifier you need will depend on the space and how damp it is. On average though, it’s worth following these guidelines:

• From 6L to 10L: small rooms, bedrooms, or single damp room
• From 10L to 20L: larger rooms, living spaces, studio flats
• 20L: whole homes, very damp rooms, rooms with wet laundry
• Above 20L: Large open-plan spaces, rooms with lots of damp issues

Energy consumption

Generally, the higher the wattage, the more energy intensive your dehumidifier will be. How much it costs to run a dehumidifier throughout the day will depend on your choice of appliance.

The Good Housekeeping Institute has measured the energy consumption of all the ones on this list and worked out how much it would cost to run per hour based on the current energy price cap from July 2026 of 26.11p per kWh. You’ll find the results in the key specs above.

Compressor or desiccant dehumidifiers – which is better?

There are two different types of dehumidifier to choose from: compressor or desiccant models.

• Compressor dehumidifiers work by creating a cold surface for warm, damp air to move across. When the warmer air meets the cool surface, condensation forms, and the water is removed. They’re best for heated homes and are usually more energy-efficient, making them the more economical choice for everyday use.

• Desiccant dehumidifiers use an absorbent material to draw in moisture, which is then dried out by a built-in heater. Because they don't rely on warm air, they’re great for colder spaces where the temperature often falls below 15 degrees (think garages, basements, conservatories), though they tend to cost a bit more to run.

Why should you buy a smaller dehumidifier over a larger one?

Bigger doesn’t always mean better and that’s certainly the case when it comes to dehumidifiers. There are so many factors to think about when it comes to deciding on the right model for your home and a smaller model can offer some great advantages.

For starters, the obvious: they save space. If you don’t have a large home or just want a dehumidifier for small rooms, such as a home office, utility room or even a wardrobe, then these compact options are a savvy pick.

While they may not extract large amounts of water or have a huge tank capacity, they’re usually quieter, easier to empty, and can operate for a day or two without needing you to empty them. They’re also typically cheaper to run because of their small size.

If this sounds like the right fit for your home, then consider this tried and tested dehumidifier below.

What are the signs I need a dehumidifier?

If you often wake up on a cold morning with condensation on your windows, or you struggle with mould, a dehumidifier is a worthy investment. They tackle damp by drawing air in, removing the excess moisture and collecting it in a drip tray, before pushing the air back out into the room.

Not dealing with damp in your home can lead to black mould or mildew appearing on the walls or behind furniture. Signs of excess moisture could also include general mustiness around the home, damp patches on the walls, or a stale smell to your clothes.

We spoke to Nicholas Donnithorne, UK Technical Services Manager at Peter Cox, the UK’s leading property care experts, to understand why managing indoor humidity is crucial.

‘On average, a family of four produces 14 litres of water vapour each day,’ explains Donnithorne. ‘Keeping a house correctly heated and well-ventilated is an important part of preventing condensation.’

While opening a window and airing your home will have a similar effect, during winter, we’re all trying to conserve heat, so dehumidifiers can help to reduce condensation without letting cold air in.

If left alone, Donnithorne warns that mould and damp can begin to form on curtains and soft furnishings, which – besides being unappealing to look at – can lead to health risks in the long run. Running a dehumidifier in your home is a quick and easy solution.

Will a dehumidifier stop window condensation?

A dehumidifier is certainly capable of reducing or stopping window condensation. Make sure to run it in the affected room with the windows closed and set a low target humidity of around 50-55%.

It might not eliminate all condensation on very cold mornings, particularly if you have single glazed windows. If you find there’s still lots of condensation, it might be worth removing the excess moisture with a window vacuum before switching the dehumidifier on.

How many hours should you run a dehumidifier?

There’s no set time frame for how long you should leave your dehumidifier on, as it depends on the size of your room and how damp it is. For rooms with lots of excess moisture, it’s worth running a dehumidifier for 24 hours to start with to help bring the humidity down.

You can then run it for a few hours a day to manage condensation, or set a target humidity level. The dehumidifier will then turn off once it reaches the right level.

Dehumidifier vs heated clothes airer – which is better for drying clothes?

Some dehumidifiers have laundry modes that tackle excess humidity to help speed up drying times. We know they’re more efficient than even the best tumble dryer, but are they a better pick than the best heated clothes airer? We dug into our testing results at the Good Housekeeping Institute to find out.

Our best dehumidifier for drying clothes is the Belaco 20L Eco Dehumidifier, which has a specific laundry setting that managed to remove 99% of the water from our laundry in two hours and 17 minutes. It used around 0.727kWh to do so, costing 19 pence of electricity.

Our winning heated airer, Lakeland’s Dry: Soon Heated Drying Pod (£79.99), dried clothes in a one and a half hours using 1.365kWh (36 pence of electricity). It’s limited to drying 12 garments at a time, though, which isn’t ideal if you’re tackling a big load of laundry.

Opting for a more traditional winged design, like Minky’s SureDri XL Winged Heated Clothes Airer (£79.99 RRP) used 0.265 of electricity per hour and took just over two to dry our load of laundry (costing 14 pence), so is a good value option.

There’s more to consider though. Heated clothes airers take time to preheat (up to 15 minutes with some models) while the effectiveness of a dehumidifier changes depending on the size of a room, taking longer to control the humidity of a larger room compared with a small one.

If you have a small room where you can dry your laundry, a dehumidifier is a smart choice, and they are objectively a more versatile buy for your home. But, if you want a fuss- free, affordable solution for drying your clothes, you might be better with a heated clothes airer. Ultimately, it will come down to budget and your individual needs.