Too much humidity can contribute to more dust and an unpleasant musty odor. All that moist air can creep into the floors, ceilings, and walls of a home. And not only can it destroy wallpaper and home furnishings, but it can also contribute to the deterioration of your home’s foundation. When leaks or floods are the cause of excess moisture, a dehumidifier is your best line of defense against mold and mildew. “For most homes, the humidity level should be between 30 percent and 50 percent,” says Ben Boyce, owner of Aire Serv of Newark, a Neighborly company. “While these levels will change depending on the season and the region you live in, in general, the higher the moisture in the air, the hotter and stickier you’ll feel,” says Boyce. “High humidity levels also impact breathing, so people with asthma may want to keep the humidity levels lower,” he notes. When researching dehumidifiers, we evaluated coverage area, removal capacity, size, and price. Our top pick is the Frigidaire High-Humidity 50-Pint Dehumidifier With Built-In Pump, which keeps dust and moisture out of the space for superior air quality. Not to mention it’s Energy Star-certified and has a continuous drain option so you can truly set it and forget it when the humidity levels get too high in your home. Here are the best dehumidifiers to control excess moisture in your space.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall Dehumidifier: Frigidaire High-Humidity 50-Pint Dehumidifier With Built-In Pump Best Budget Dehumidifier: Hisense 25-Pint Dehumidifier Best Energy-Efficient Dehumidifier: Toshiba 50-Pint Dehumidifier With Built-In Pump Best Dehumidifier for Basements: HomeLabs 50-Pint Dehumidifier Best Dehumidifier for Small Spaces: Cosvii Small Dehumidifier Best Whole-House Dehumidifier: AprilAire E100 100-Pint Professional-Grade Dehumidifier Best Dehumidifier With Pump: GE Dehumidifier With Built-In Pump
Who it’s for: People who want an efficient, low-maintenance dehumidifier. Who it isn’t for: People who want a dehumidifier either for a small room or the whole house. This 50-pint capacity dehumidifier from Frigidaire is literally a breath of fresh air. It removes dust and excess moisture from the air for a cleaner environment. The unit comes with a built-in pump, which pumps the moisture out through a tube either into the sink or out of a window. There’s even a continuous drain option so you can forgo emptying the water bucket. If you don’t choose to hook up the pump, the dehumidifier will shut off automatically when the water bucket is full. You’ll have to dump it manually, but this water bucket is easy to handle even when full—it’s located in the front for easy access, plus it has a splash guard and carry handle so you don’t make a mess. This Frigidaire dehumidifier features easy-to-manage controls so you can customize your humidity level and achieve just the right amount of moisture for your space. Plus it’s Energy Star-certified, so using it won’t set you back on your monthly electricity bill.
Maximum Coverage Area: 1500 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 50 pintsDimensions: 12.2 x 24.3 x 16 inchesWeight: 47 pounds
Price at time of publish: $329 Who it isn’t for: People who want a humidifier with multiple speed options. This budget-friendly Hisense dehumidifier will not only save you money up front, but you’ll continue to rack up the savings in the long term, thanks to its energy-efficient operation (it’s Energy Star-certified). This Hisense dehumidifier is compact and great for spaces up to 1,500 square feet. The pocket handles make it easy to tote between rooms. Whether you’re a dehumidifier novice or a pro, you’ll appreciate the one-touch operation on this Hisense model. When the bucket reaches full capacity, there is an auto shut-off feature—to empty, just slide it out or connect it to a garden hose for drainage. There’s just one speed, but it has three operating modes—manual, continuous, and auto dry—for easy and efficient use. This dehumidifier also has a full-bucket indicator, so you know exactly when you have to empty the bucket of condensed water. A filter indicator makes it even easier to maintain by alerting you when it’s time to remove and wash the air filter. There’s also a 24-hour timer and adjustable humidistat, so it controls moisture levels effortlessly. In fact, the only thing you’ll have to do is check to see that it’s actually on—it operates so quietly you might just forget it’s there.
Maximum Coverage Area: 1,500 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 25 pintsDimensions: 8.6 x 13.1 x 19.9 inchesWeight: 28.2 pounds
Price at time of publish: $144 Who it isn’t for: People who want a tabletop dehumidifier. Even the most humid rooms are no match for the energy efficiency of this Toshiba dehumidifier, winner of the Energy Star Most Efficient award. You’ll have it up and running in no time thanks to the easy setup process, and the simple control panel and timer make it easy to keep it running automatically or based on your own customized settings. To drain, simply hook it up to the drain hose or dump the bucket manually. Either way, it’s easy to keep humidity levels just where you need them for your home. The unit is compact and easily portable—just roll it around on the wheels wherever you need it in your space. It will alert you when the filter needs to be cleaned, so you can keep this Toshiba running effectively for a long time.
Maximum Coverage Area: 4,500 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 50 pintsDimensions: 10.75 x 16.15 x 19.69 inchesWeight: 30.87 pounds
Price at time of publish: $279 RELATED: The 5 Best Humidifiers, According to Our Lab Tests Who it’s for: People who want to turbo-charge moisture removal in any number of spaces. Who it isn’t for: People who don’t want to pay extra for a built-in pump. This series of dehumidifiers comes in several different sizes—the 50-pint capacity is best for the basement or other large, damp spaces, like crawl spaces. For smaller spaces the series goes all the way down to 22 pints, covering a maximum of 1,500 square feet. You can purchase it both with or without a built-in drain pump. We like the HomeLabs Dehumidifier because it works hard but doesn’t make a big show of it. It has streamlined features and is rather unobtrusive as far as dehumidifiers go—you can keep it in the corner and forget about it. Let this appliance run continuously to dry out your space—you can hook it up to a drain hose (not included) and pump out the water automatically or empty the bucket manually. The unit will shut off automatically when it’s full to maintain efficiency. For really damp spaces, you can also bump it up to turbo mode for ultimate moisture control. The water tank is easy to remove, as is the filter, which can be easily washed.
Maximum Coverage Area: 4,500 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 50 pints Dimensions: 11 x 15.4 x 24.3 inches Weight: 42.5 pounds
Price at time of publish: $300 RELATED: The 5 Best Air Purifiers, According to Our Testing Who it isn’t for: People who don’t want to empty a water bucket manually. If you’re looking to control the moisture in a single room or small area, look no further than this unit from Cosvii. Despite its size, it takes on humidity with great efficiency (it can keep it below 35 percent), thanks to a double-sided air outlet and large air channels that also help to improve the air quality. Plus, it’s easy to control, due to its one-button operation for switching between settings. Not only is this dehumidifier affordable, it’ll help you save money on your energy costs, too. Plus, it comes with an auto-shutoff function so you won’t risk overflow, plus it’s easy to remove and empty. This unit covers rooms up to 680 square feet, so it’s perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, and other small single-room uses. It has a handle for easy portability and a silicone pad at the bottom, so that it won’t flip over. Just place it on the floor or any other flat surface (including a tabletop) and you’ll begin improving your home’s air quality immediately. The Cosvii Small Dehumidifier is ultra quiet, too, so it’s great for use in a bedroom.
Maximum Coverage Area: 680 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 2.1 pintsDimensions: 5.9 x 8.2 x 13.3 inchesWeight: 4.3 pounds
Price at time of publish: $83 Who it isn’t for: People who want a smaller and more budget-friendly dehumidifier. This unit from Aprilaire might give you sticker shock, as it far exceeds the prices of others on our list. But keep in mind it has commercial-level functionality, meaning it can take on humidity throughout your entire house. With a moisture removal capacity of 100 pints per day, this is the ideal pick for whole-home dehumidifying. Install it to control humidity and prevent moisture from getting into carpets furnishings and creating mold and mildew, as well as musty odors. It’s also good for removing humidity from crawl spaces where termites and other opportunities for wood rot may linger. Unlike the other dehumidifiers on this list, this one doesn’t come with a water tray. You have to have this set up with a hose for easy drainage, or you can set it up over a floor drain. There are also no controls, because there really is no need to control it—it uses smart sensors that kick this dehumidifier into gear whenever the humidity level of a room goes above a certain level. This Aprilaire unit has earned a Most Efficient Energy Star certification, which means it will not only effectively control the humidity in your home, but it’ll save you money while doing it.
Maximum Coverage Area: 5,500 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 100 pintsDimensions: 26 x 9 x 15 inchesWeight: 64 pounds
Price at time of publish: $1,647 RELATED: The 5 Best Portable Air Conditioners to Stay Cool All Summer Who it isn’t for: People not in a position to spend a lot on a dehumidifier. When you’ve got a high-humidity space, you don’t want to consistently run back and forth between your humidifier and a sink or drain to dump out the water tray. Problem solved when you choose a dehumidifier with a built-in pump, like this one from GE. The drain hose is included, so it can easily pump and drain water from 16 feet away. With a capacity of around 50 pints per day, it’s a great choice for basements, garages, or other high-humidity areas in your home. It comes with three fan speeds, so you could really bump up the moisture control, or just use the humidistat to adjust your humidity level anywhere between 30 and 70 percent (GE recommends 40 percent for the ultimate comfort). It also offers auto-defrost control and a timer that you can set to shut off automatically after two or four hours. Plus, it comes with pocket handles and hidden wheels for easy transport from room to room. If you choose not to use the auto-drain feature, it comes with an empty bucket alarm as well as a clean filter alert, making it easy to keep this dehumidifier running at a high level of efficiency at all times. And the soft-touch controls and LED digital display make it easy to see and adjust the settings. It also comes with an Energy Star certification, so you’ll save money on energy bills each month.
Maximum Coverage Area: 4,000 square feetMoisture Removal Capacity: 50 pintsDimensions: 11.4 x 14.8 x 24 inchesWeight: 44 pounds
Price at time of publish: $309
How to Shop for Dehumidifiers Like a Pro
Capacity
Size and capacity are important factors when shopping for a dehumidifier, says Boyce: “An undersized unit will not properly remove the humidity from a home.” The size or capacity of a dehumidifier—often referred to as “pint capacity” or “moisture removal capacity”—is measured in pints per 24 hours. It refers to the amount of moisture the dehumidifier claims to absorb in a day. Be sure not to confuse this with the bucket capacity, which simply indicators how much water the bucket can hold before it needs to be emptied. To determine what capacity dehumidifier you’ll need, consider both the size and condition of your space. Per the Energy Star website, here are some guidelines to adhere to when shopping for a dehumidifier: “If you have humidity issues in multiple rooms of the home, consult a professional HVAC service professional to assess what can be done to reduce humidity levels in the home,” says Boyce. He notes that if you are purchasing a whole-home humidifier, check in with an HVAC or indoor air quality professional for installation and service.
Questions You Might Ask
How does a dehumidifier work?
A dehumidifier takes in the air from a space, removes the moistures from it through condensation, and then sends it back into the room. The condensation collects in a water tray that can either be emptied manually or hooked up to a drain hose for automatic removal.
Can a dehumidifier cool down a space?
Don’t confuse a dehumidifier with an air conditioner, says Boyce. But if you use a dehumidifier in collaboration with an air conditioner, you will have a much cooler space. “[A dehumidifier] can help the air conditioner do its job by reducing the humidity in the home, allowing the HVAC unit to function better,” he explains.
How do you clean a dehumidifier?
In addition to emptying the water tray, you’ll also have to keep an eye on the air filter. Some dehumidifiers on our list will alert you as to when it’s time to empty a tray and/or clean an air filter. “For ease of cleaning, look for a unit that has washable air filters,” says Boyce. Some filters are super easy to wash—just use lukewarm water with a mild detergent and then let them air dry before replacing.
Take Our Word for It
Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance home and garden writer. She lives in Staten Island, where her basement dehumidifier works hard all summer long. To compile this list, she researched dehumidifiers based on their moisture-removal capacity, efficiency, and ease of use, and maintenance. For expert advice on what to look for when shopping for a dehumidifier, Barbara consulted Ben Boyce, owner, Aire Serv of Newark, a Neighborly company.
