14 best dehumidifiers 2024 UK; tried and tested

Pros: 8p for six hours, small, great for small spaces

Cons: Small, no laundry drying mode

Rating: 2.5/5

Dehumidifiers are also a good way to prevent mould and dampness in homes, and I've been trying to avoid using my storage heaters, which cost 77p an hour to run.

So I decided to turn my attempts towards using a dehumidifier to dry my clothes while combating the cost. However, I found when it came to drying my laundry this particular dehumidifier was a flop.

While it promises to remove around 450ml, and the tank was certainly full after each cycle, it just didn't seem to have the ability to help dry my items.

Although it was much cheaper than my storage heater, it just didn't work for me. However, that's not to say it won't have a positive impact on mould buildup in your home.

Review by Lucy Alderson

Dimensions: 25.6Dx15Wx15Hcentimetres Weight: 1.25kg, Extraction capacity: 450m

Not up to speed on dehumidifiers? Chris Michael, Managing Director at Meaco, and somewhat of an oracle on all things dehumidifier-related, shares some tips below…

What should we look for in a dehumidifier?

“Energy efficiency is probably the most important consideration at present given the ongoing high electricity costs,” says Chris.

“By checking the appliance's wattage and size (typically 10, 12, 20 and 25 litres) you can compare models to identify the most energy-efficient model for the property.

"It’s a false economy to buy a cheap dehumidifier that has a high wattage as the running costs will quickly surpass the initial purchase cost savings when compared to a low energy model.”

Chris adds that a dehumidifier with a laundry mode is also a key consideration, ‘especially as households increasingly look for ways to dry washing indoors instead of using energy-guzzling tumble dryers’.

“In laundry mode, the machine runs for six hours, which is the average time it needs to dry a load of washing, then switches itself off to save on energy bills.”

Plus, how noisy is your potential dehumidifier?  As these machines are on most of the day, you’ll want one that’s fairly quiet. 

“Most dehumidifiers are placed in hallways or on landings and are often switched on overnight to dry wet washing. Low noise is important so that people can sleep and live with these appliances,” says Chris.

What size dehumidifier is best for your property?

According to Chris, the general guidance for dehumidifier sizing is:

• Up to 2 bedroom flat house = 10L
• Up to 3 bedroom house = 12L
• Up to 4 bedroom house = 20L
• Up to 5 bedrooms or larger = 25L

“However, the number of occupants and how damp the property gets are other variables to consider when choosing a more powerful model than shown above,” adds Chris.

How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?

This will depend on your appliance's litre capacity, the wattage it operates at, and some quick calculations involving the average unit price for dual fuel customers on standard variable tariffs, which is 34p kWh.

So, basing our costs on the average price of 34p kWh, a 12L appliance will use around 160 watts, which translates to 0.16 kWh, so an hour’s usage will cost a little over 5p an hour.

Bear in mind, though, that many of our featured dehumidifiers have smart modes and an in-built humidistat, so they won’t be running around the clock.

Where to buy dehumidifiers in the UK?

We've gone and done some of the hard work for you by testing dehumidifiers for you, but we know as well as you that there's a huge range of dehumidifiers on the market, and it's likely you'll want to test out a few of them for yourself.

We've put together a list for anyone whos looking to do a little bit more shopping around before making a purchase.

How much do dehumidifiers cost?

As seen in this article, dehumidifiers, like all products, can come in a wide variety of prices.

From what we found, dehumidifiers aren't the cheapest household accessories.

You'll be looking at around £50 for some of the cheaper variants, and it can range up to a few hundred for any on the more technical side that comes with more functionality.

Costs don't end at just the purchase, unfortunately. However, most dehumidifiers are fairly cost-conscious in running as it works out to be around 5p an hour.

What does a dehumidifier do?

Much like a tumble dryer extracts moisture from clothes, a dehumidifier will extract moisture from the air by drawing warm, damp air inside and releasing drier air back into the space.

At the same time, the condensation is collected in a tank, which the user can then empty.

All the machines we tested were compressor machines (the most popular type of dehumidifier for the British climate).

That means that they will suck the air in over-cooled coils so that the water condenses and is collected in the tank. The processed air is then vented out of the machine as dry, warm air.

Do dehumidifiers work? 

They really do, although don’t forget that they're more effective in a heated room than an unheated room because they need the air in the room to be warmer than the cold surface within the dehumidifier.

Compressor appliances work best at around 20ºC, which happens to be the average UK household temperature.

For the machine to work optimally, you need to ensure that doors and windows are closed when it’s running.

If windows are open, your dehumidifier will be working harder to try to dehumidify a greater area.

Is there an alternative to dehumidifiers?

The short answer is yes. There are alternatives to using a dehumidifier, but none of them are as simple as slapping a box in a room and watching the moisture collect.

The first and easiest way is to remove moisture build-up by increasing ventilation in the room.

However, this isn't always as easy as it seems, as you may need to leave windows open, which isn't always an option during wintertime.

Another way is to ensure there are no gaps or leaks in the seals around your windows, as that can allow moisture and outside humidity to build up, leading to a buildup of mould and dampness.

Can a dehumidifier remove dampness?

This is one of the appliance’s main functions because the air in your house will contain moisture or humidity.

Mould is likely to occur if the relative humidity indoors is 70% or more for long periods, so you need the machine to bring that humidity down to between 30 and 60%, especially during the colder months of the year.

How effective the machine is at doing this depends on how well the room is sealed.

For example, if you’re using a machine in a basement and a door is constantly being opened, it will let fresh, moisture-laden air into the room, so the dehumidification process will take longer.

This is why, to optimise the efficiency of the machine and rid an area of dampness, you need to keep the room totally enclosed.

Do dehumidifiers help with dust? 

A dehumidifier draws air through it to extract the moisture from the air and, in doing so, will draw in dust, which is why all appliances are fitted with high-quality HEPA filters or a filter with an anti-bacterial coating, which is there to catch dust and stop it from entering the inner workings and causing maintenance problems.

Most manufacturers recommend that the filters be removed and cleaned regularly to keep the machine operating efficiently.

Are dehumidifiers worth it in the UK?

Absolutely - in fact, I'd argue they're all-but-essential.

If you find condensation beading across your winters in the colder months, you're in need of a humidifier.

If you don't own a tumble dryer and you find yourself putting clothes on the radiator to dry them off during the winter, again, you need a dehumidifier.

This shortcut to getting your clothes dry might seem effective, but the amount of moisture sent throughout your home can lead to issues.

The first is the damp and mould that can often arrive in overly humid indoor conditions.

The second is a potential by-product of this mould growing in your home - it can affect those with health issues such as asthma and a weakened immune system.