Combatting damp, mould, and condensation is a year-round battle for many UK homes, but the best dehumidifier can make a genuine difference. Whether you're drying laundry indoors, tackling a persistently steamy bathroom, or trying to stop mould creeping back into a chronically damp bedroom, there's now a dehumidifier designed for almost every scenario – from compact, budget-friendly units to smart models that learn your home's humidity patterns over time.
“Dehumidifiers help remove moisture in the air, which can help your home feel less humid”, explains Dr Rebecca Drummond, associate professor in the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham.
“They work similar to an air conditioner in some ways,” adds Kyle Knappenburger, director of technology at air quality specialists Timilon Corporation. “A fan brings and circulates air to the dehumidifier and passes the moist air over coolant-cooled coils, which results in the moisture from the air condensing on them and being collected. The air is warmed back up and circulates back out into the room.”
When choosing a dehumidifier, think about room size, noise levels if it's going in a bedroom, and whether you need a dedicated laundry mode. Having already reviewed dozens of dehumidifiers for IndyBest and other sites, I've tested a fresh lineup of models across every budget and type to help you find the right one for your home.
Read more: Best air purifiers, tested
The best dehumidifiers for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Ebac 4000 series 4650e 18l: £329, Argos.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Daewoo 700ml: £34.99, Robertdyas.com
- Best for drying clothes – Dryzone 12l dehumidifier: £149.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for bedrooms – Meaco arete one 6l: £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for bathrooms – Lakeland 2.3l dehumidifier: £89.99, Lakeland.co.uk
Read more: How much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
Ebac 4650e 18l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier overall
Why we love it
- Learns home's humidity patterns over time
- Home humidity insights in the app
- One-handed, easy tank emptying
Take note
- Noisier on full power
The Ebac 4650e is the best dehumidifer I’ve tested thanks to its clever smart mode. With most smart models, you set a target humidity percentage, and the unit switches on and off to hold it there. However Ebac’s Smart Control system spends the first few days building a rolling profile of your home's actual moisture patterns, including the spikes that come from showering, cooking or drying laundry. It then adjusts its runtime automatically based on that learned behaviour, rather than a fixed number you've dialled in yourself. It's a genuinely more sophisticated approach than the ‘set and forget’ auto modes of many units in this guide.
In testing, it regularly brought my overnight humidity down from a distinctly muggy 82 per cent to around 60 per cent within a couple of hours, keeping humidity within a safe range. I enjoyed living with the smart setting over several days and watching the humidity graph build up in the app. It's a genuinely useful bit of insight, showing exactly when and where moisture spikes in my home.
My home is particularly damp, so in practice the Ebac felt like it was running almost constantly. If you live somewhere less prone to damp, you should notice the smart benefit much more directly, with the unit powering down or switching off automatically once it detects humidity has come back under control, rather than needlessly running on.
On noise, I initially assumed this would be one of the louder units here (it does hit 39dB at full power), but running it on a lower fan speed brought that down to a genuinely whisper-quiet 30dB, matching the quietest models in this guide. It’s more flexible on the noise front than I first gave it credit for, provided you're not relying on the optional boost mode constantly.
Emptying the tank is refreshingly fuss-free too. The one-handed, watering-can-style design means you can pour it away without spilling water everywhere, a small but genuinely appreciated detail after wrestling with tanks on other models. Running costs are reasonable for a unit of this capacity at around 4p an hour. If you want a dehumidifier that actually learns your home rather than just following orders, it's hard to beat.
Key specifications
Buy now £329, Argos.co.uk
Daewoo 700ml dehumidifier
Best: budget dehumidifier
Why we love it
- Small enough for window sills or shelves
- Quiet operation
Take note
- Small tank capacity
- No laundry mode
Daewoo’s 700ml unit is the best budget dehumidifier I tested. It’s compact, making it a smart choice for tackling moisture in small spaces. I used it in a damp, musty-smelling cupboard in the living room and noticed the difference in a few days. It’s a good fit for a downstairs toilet or a camper van and small enough to sit on a windowsill if you have a problem with condensation.
The low noise level of just 35dB makes it bedroom-friendly, while the auto shut-off and full-tank alarm mean there’s no guesswork when emptying the tank. It’s not suitable for large or very humid spaces, but it’s a quiet, energy-efficient and affordable way to improve air quality.
Key specifications
Buy now £34.99, Robert Dyas
Dreo smart dehumidifier 512S 20l
Best: powerful dehumidifier
Why we love it
- Genuinely useful app
- Fast-acting, powerful performance
- Sleek, compact design
Take note
- No dedicated laundry mode
The Dreo smart dehumidifier 512S pairs with its app in seconds, letting you switch modes, set up usage schedules, and even get a reminder when it's time to clean the filter – a small touch, but one that means you're less likely to let maintenance slide. Google and Alexa compatibility rounds out the smart features nicely.
With a 20l extraction rate, it's designed for larger spaces, covering rooms up to 37 sq m, which makes it a strong fit for open-plan living rooms or studio flats. You can run it via the supplied continuous drainage hose or rely on the 3.5l tank if you'd rather. There's no dedicated laundry mode, but the target humidity goes as low as 30 per cent, which does a similar job of pulling extra moisture from drying clothes.
Performance-wise, I was genuinely impressed – humidity dropped by 10 per cent within the first hour of testing, then settled at a healthy 55-60 per cent on auto mode and stayed there. The design deserves a special mention too: so many 20l dehumidifiers are bulky white boxes, but the 512S is streamlined and considered, with a responsive, wide control panel, carry handle and smooth-rolling casters that make it easier to shift around, even though it's not especially light at over 12kg.
Running costs sit at a mid-range 9p an hour, which isn't the cheapest in this guide, nor is it the quietest with an average rating of 38db, but between the fast performance, great coverage, thoughtful design and effortless tech setup, it feels like a fair trade-off.
Key specifications
Buy now £189.99, Amazon.co.uk
ProBreeze 12l dehumidifier with built-in humidistat
Best: value dehumidifier
Why we love it
- Excellent value
- Quiet for its size
- Wide range of target humidity levels
Take note
- No laundry mode
The ProBreeze 12l undercuts plenty of rivals here, while still packing in genuinely useful features: two fan speeds, night mode, a child lock, a 24-hour timer, and 11 target humidity levels for fine-tuning exactly how dry you want a room to feel.
Performance is where the ProBreeze 12l really stands out. It pulled my humidity levels from the mid-60s to the mid-50s within just 15 minutes of turning it on, and the ability to set humidity as low as 30 per cent helps make up for the lack of a dedicated laundry mode. If you’re looking for a dependable workhorse of a dehumidifier and you don't want to pay over the odds for it, this is a great value pick.
Noise-wise, it sits at 34-39 dB depending on whether you run it on standard or high fan speed, which is a solid result for a 12l unit. It comes with a hose for continuous drainage, though the 1.8l water tank is generous enough that you won't need to rely on it constantly. When you do need to empty it, the tank slides in and out easily (with no tricky lid to negotiate on the tank).
The design is functional rather than stylish, but I appreciated the practical touches: a sturdy carrying handle and smooth-rolling casters that make it easy to wheel from room to room if you'd rather not lift it. Running costs are fairly standard for a dehumidifier of this size, at around 5p an hour.
Key specifications
Buy now £139.99, Probreeze.com
Meaco arete one 6l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for bedrooms
Why we love it
- Whisper-quiet
- Cuts down laundry drying time
- Neatly concealed pop-up handle
Take note
- No hose included for continuous drainage
- HEPA filter needs replacing
The Meaco arete One 6l is a compact, sensible dehumidifier for smaller spaces such as a home office, bedroom or student digs where laundry hangs off every radiator. It’s also a two-in-one dehumidifier and air purifier, with a HEPA carbon filter that air purifies (you can run it without the filter if you'd rather stick to dehumidifying).
Its compact shape means it tucks away easily when you’re not using it. I like the cleverly concealed handle, which pops up from the top when you need to carry it and pushes flush again when you don't. The LED display is straightforward, letting you check current humidity, select laundry or night mode, and lock the controls – handy if you've got kids, or cats who like to use appliances as beds.
Running costs are low too, at around 3p an hour, and it can extract up to 6l of water a day, making it well suited to smaller rooms rather than open-plan or larger spaces. There's a hose adapter for continuous drainage, though you'll need to supply your own, as it’s not included. The smart laundry mode is a real standout. It defaults to a 35 per cent target humidity and ramps up the fan speed to boost indoor drying. In my testing it cut drying time by around 40 per cent, so it’s genuinely useful if you don't have outdoor space or a tumble dryer. It's also one of the quieter dehumidifiers I've tested, and in night mode fades into the background.
The Arete one isn’t the cheapest option here, but between the low running costs, the quietness during running, and the potential savings on tumble-drying over winter, it's a smart long-term investment for a damp bedroom.
Key specifications
Buy now £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
Lakeland 2.3l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for bathrooms
Why we love it
- Compact for small bathrooms
- Carbon filter tackles damp, musty smells
- Customisable LED light
Take note
- Not the quietest
- No laundry mode
Lakeland's 2.3l dehumidifier is the best dehumidifier for bathrooms, one of the toughest rooms in the house for damp. Steamy showers, poor ventilation and standing water all create the perfect conditions for mould and mildew. Lakeland's dehumidifier earns its place here thanks to its small footprint and its activated carbon filter, which goes beyond just pulling moisture out of the air and actively fights musty, damp odours that tend to linger in bathrooms.
At just 34cm tall and 15cm wide, it's compact enough to sit on a bathroom shelf, windowsill, or in a corner without eating into valuable floor space. I liked the built-in humidistat, which lets you set a target humidity and track it in real time on the display – useful in a room where humidity spikes fast and needs to come back down quickly after a shower. The filter-life indicator is a handy touch too, so you know when it needs replacing rather than being caught out.
Running at just 37W on auto mode (working out at around 1p an hour), it's cheap to leave running throughout the day. At 35dB it's not the quietest dehumidifier but I didn’t really notice it in my bathroom, given the extractor fan was already running. The customisable LED light is a nice bonus if you want to add mood lighting to bathtime, or you can switch it off entirely.
My only gripes are the lack of a remote control, which would have made adjusting the lights a bit easier from across the room, and the absence of a laundry mode. Given its size and 420ml daily extraction rate, it's not really powerful enough to take on a full load of washing. But for tackling damp and condensation in a bathroom, it's a reliable, good-looking little unit.
Key specifications
Buy now £89.99, Lakeland.co.uk
Swan 5l retro dehumidifier
Best: stylish dehumidifier
Why we love it
- Genuinely gorgeous retro design
- Carbon filter tackles odours
- Continuous drainage hose
Take note
- No dedicated laundry mode
- Buttons can be hard to see in low light
The Swan 5l retro dehumidifier makes a genuinely strong case for choosing style without sacrificing substance. Swan has a knack for taking utilitarian appliances and giving them real personality, and this is no exception. The retro design and neat leather carry strap mean it looks as much at home on a living room sideboard, as it does tackling damp.
It's not just a pretty face, either. In testing, it brought the humidity in my living room down from a sticky 83 per cent to just under 60 per cent in a reasonable amount of time. It also comes with a hose for continuous drainage if you don't want to keep emptying the 1.5l tank. The activated carbon filter earns its keep too, cutting through cooking smells, pet odours and general staleness.
The smart mode holds humidity at a steady, user-set level, while the fan mode works more like an air purifier for refreshing the air without dehumidifying. The sleep mode only kills the lights, not the noise, so if light sleepers may find it too noisy in a bedroom. A 24-hour timer, auto shut-off when the tank is full, and a child lock round out the practical features nicely.
My only real gripe is a very practical one: the touch display buttons can be tricky to make out in dim lighting. There's also no dedicated laundry mode, though Swan states the lowest humidity setting can help speed up indoor clothes drying in a pinch. But if you want a dehumidifier that looks intentional rather than apologetic, this is one of the most attractive options I've tested.
Key specifications
Buy now £99.99, Swanbrand.co.uk
Dryzone 12l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for drying clothes
Why we love it
- Quiet
- Energy efficient
- Two-in-one solution for cleaner air
- Great for drying laundry
Take note
- Must clean the H13 HEPA filter every two weeks
If you're dealing with condensation, mould, or you have family members with allergies or asthma, Dryzone’s dehumidifier and air purifier is a smart two-in-one solution.
Designed for rooms up to 25 sq m, it draws moisture from the air while removing dust, pollen, and other airborne irritants with a H13 HEPA filter. It also has a 2l tank and can draw up to 12l with the continuous drain option.
However, by far the best feature is the laundry mode. This speeds up indoor clothes drying to around six hours – and at 4p an hour, that’s much cheaper to run than a tumble dryer. In fact, it’s one of the most energy-efficient models I’ve tested at this size.
While the filter continues to purify air in all modes because of the HEPA filter, you can also select the air purifying mode that runs at a higher fan setting without dehumidifying. You therefore have a range of options and peace of mind that your air is cleaner, no matter which mode you pick. There's also a sleep mode for overnight use, and auto mode to balance humidity levels without fussing with the controls.
Read more: Best air purifiers, tested
Key specifications
Buy now £149.99, Amazon.co.uk
Duux bora smart 30l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for large spaces
Why we love it
- Premium design with ultra-quiet operation
- Excellent app with detailed air quality insights
- Built-in carbon filter to reduce odours
Take note
- Won’t suit small spaces
After months of testing, I found Duux’s bora smart 30l unit to be a high-performance model that is stylish yet functional. It might be large, but it features a premium, minimalist design, which is ideal if you want a dehumidifier that won’t ruin your home aesthetic.
With a 30l per day extraction rate (a drainage hose is supplied) and a very generous 4l water tank, it’s great for larger rooms or open-plan spaces.
What really sets it apart is its smart functionality. The Duux app is intuitive, responsive, and packed with helpful features. It provides real-time air quality readings and enables you to control everything from fan speed to humidity settings, whether you're on the sofa or away from home.
The auto mode intelligently monitors humidity levels with a built-in hygrostat, adjusting modes to hit the ideal humidity, so you don’t have to fiddle with buttons. Prefer more control? You can fine-tune the target humidity yourself and create a daily or weekly schedule in the app. It’s also compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa for hands-free operation.
Testing it on a hot and humid morning, I filled the 4l tank in just a handful of hours, taking my humidity level from the high 70s down to 50 per cent. I also loved the inclusion of a built-in carbon filter, which helps remove gases, smoke, and lingering household odours – great if you’ve got pets, a wood-burning stove or a busy family kitchen.
Despite its powerful performance, the bora is impressively quiet. During my testing, it maintained a level between 30-36dB, making it one of the most bedroom-friendly dehumidifiers I tested. Add in the laundry mode, child lock and night setting, and you've got a solid all-rounder that’s big on features and easy on the ears.
Key specifications
Buy now £249.99, Amazon.co.uk
Princess smart 20l dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for garages or cellars
Why we love it
- Easy-to-use smart app and scheduling
- Works with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant
- Generous 20l extraction with 3.7l tank
Take note
- No laundry or sleep mode
For a powerful dehumidifier for your garage or cellar that can be controlled by your phone or voice, I’d recommend this Princess smart model. It has a solid 20l daily extraction rate and a large 3.7l tank, making it well-suited to medium-to-large rooms or damp-prone spaces such as basements, conservatories and utility areas.
The Princess home app is intuitive and easy to navigate. You can check current humidity levels at a glance, set your preferred target humidity (or defer to automatic) and create custom schedules and timers. Setup was quick, and once connected, I could also switch on the dehumidifier via Alexa and Google Assistant. That’s especially helpful when your hands are full or you’re away from home.
The downside is that there is no laundry or sleep mode, and just two fan speeds. But if you just need a smart, reliable way to control humidity, this is a solid choice.
Key specifications
Buy now £200, Argos.co.uk
Russell Hobbs fresh air two-in-one dehumidifier
Best: dehumidifier for desks
Why we love it
- Cool black design
- Great for allergies
- Compact
Take note
- Noisy on the fan setting
- No laundry mode
Small but mighty, the Russell Hobbs fresh air pro is the one I’d recommend for anyone wanting cleaner, drier air in a compact space. It’s ideal for rooms up to 20 square metres, it combines a dehumidifier with a built-in air purifier, trapping 99.95 per cent of dust, pollen and airborne allergens. It pulls up to 750ml of moisture per day into a 1l tank, making it ideal for bedrooms and home offices.
With its LED lighting and perforated casing, it looks more like an Xbox than a dehumidifier, so it’s perfect for the dark pit that is a teenager’s room, and it could help kids sleep better if they have allergies.
Low mode is quiet at just 35dB, so it won’t disturb sleep or work, and it’s super lightweight at 2.8kg. I loved the sleek, cassette-style filter insertion, all-black design and single-button operation.
Key specifications
Buy now £49, Very.co.uk
Your questions about dehumidifiers answered
What is the best dehumidifier?
After weeks of testing, the Ebac 4650e 18l is the best dehumidifier I’ve tried. It’s smart control technology learns your home's humidity patterns rather than just chasing a fixed target, and the app's humidity graph is a brilliantly insightful touch.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Daewoo 700ml dehumidifier is great for small spaces, while the ProBreeze 12l dehumidifier is slightly more powerful and has practical features like a carry handle and smooth castor wheels. For laundry specifically, the Dryzone 12l dehumidifier dried a full load in around 6 hours.
How I tested dehumidifiers
I tested 20 different dehumidifiers in different-sized rooms around my house (as my home is prone to getting damp, it’s the ideal testing ground). I tried all the modes, including the night and laundry functions, to check that every setting worked as the brand claims it does. No one wants the sound of their dehumidifier overpowering their TV, so I also measured noise levels (using a decibel metre) to see how quiet each unit was. If a dehumidifier had an app, I tested whether it was easy to use.
I used a humidity metre to confirm that each unit removed moisture from the air, and if so, exactly how much. Similarly, I used an air particle metre to note if the dehumidifier improved air quality – those that didn’t weren’t included. I also considered cost-per-use, calculating energy consumption.
As with every IndyBest review, I tested and reviewed each dehumidifier using a strict criteria:
What does a dehumidifier do?
A unit sucks in moist air with a fan, then draws it over refrigerated coils. These cold coils condense moisture in the air into liquid water, which is then collected in a tank or drawn away by a hose. The dehumidifier then expels warm air with a lower moisture level. As well as being good at reducing mould, they are also effective at drying laundry – with money-saving expert Martin Lewis encouraging the switch from a tumble dryer to a dehumidifier. We’ve also consulted experts on exactly what a dehumidifier does and how it works.
How to use a dehumidifier
First, choose a dehumidifier that suits the size of your room. Most models list their capacity in square metres, making it easier to find the right fit. Once you’ve picked one, position it close to the source of moisture. For example, in a laundry room, beside wet clothes, or in the kitchen near a dishwasher. If you’re tackling damp, place it where condensation tends to build up, such as near windows.
However, make sure that there is a gap of at least six inches between a dehumidifier and a wall to ensure free air flow. When the placement is sorted, pick your mode. Most dehumidifiers have a standard, laundry, and quiet mode – the right option depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
Do dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity?
Electricity use depends on the model and the conditions in your home, but they’re generally efficient appliances.
How much do dehumidifiers cost to run?
Cost per hour varies depending on use, settings and wattage. In my own testing, running costs ranged from as little as 1p an hour for the smallest, most compact units, up to 16p an hour for the most powerful models on their highest settings.
“On average, a dehumidifier might be used for four to six hours daily, especially during colder months or in damp environments. In particularly humid conditions or larger spaces, it could be used for longer,” explains Katie Lilywhite, air treatment expert at AO. “The exact cost depends on how often they’re used and how energy-efficient the model is.”
Chris Michael, founder and chair of leading dehumidifier company Meaco, elaborates: “Choosing an energy-efficient model is key; regardless of size, as a cheaper model with high energy consumption is a false economy.”
However, size can be a factor. “Smaller models, which are ideal for flats or smaller homes, can cost as little as 4p per hour to run, while larger models, suited to bigger or damper properties, may cost up to 15p per hour,” Michaels says.
For more, we’ve written an expert guide on how much dehumidifiers cost to run.
Do dehumidifiers dry clothes?
Dehumidifiers draw moisture out of the air, so they can be a great help for drying laundry. They’re most effective alongside a heated clothes airer, and much faster than air drying.
Depending on the weather, line drying outside takes a few hours, and if you don’t have any outdoor space, it might take a day or more. In this guide alone, I used a dehumidifier to dry clothes in around six hours. On top of that, they can be a better choice than a tumble dryer – they’re often cheaper to run, and there is none of the shrinking, fading, and pilling you might find with a tumble dryer.
Michaels from Meaco agrees, adding that they “offer a low-cost alternative to dry wet washing indoors instead of electricity-guzzling tumble driers”. If you’re keen to know more about dehumidifiers and drying clothes, read our expert-led guide.
Will a dehumidifier help with mould?
Yes, a dehumidifier can make a real difference. Mould thrives on excess moisture, and black mould in particular is usually a sign that there’s too much condensation in a room. By pulling excess water out of the air, a dehumidifier lowers the humidity that mould spores need to settle and grow. This can help stop it forming in the first place and slow existing patches from spreading.
Having said that, if you have mould, it’s best to use your dehumidifier as part of a wider approach. Pair your dehumidifier with good ventilation, so open the trickle vents on windows if you have them, use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms and make sure you buy a dehumidifier with a laundry mode if you have to air dry clothes indoors.
You’ll also still need to physically remove mould with a cleaning spray. But keeping humidity down afterwards, ideally with a dehumidifier running in problem rooms, is one of the most effective ways to stop it coming straight back.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Joanne Lewsley has particular expertise in finding the best dehumidifiers and best air purifiers. She has tested dozens of dehumidifiers over the last five years. She also lives in a home that is prone to damp, mould, condensation, and musty smells, making her the perfect candidate for this test. Where relevant, she also called on other testers to verify her claims. She has consulted experts in the industry to corroborate details and the technology behind them.
Whether you’re looking for a diffuser to get rid of unwanted odours or you need more moisture in the air thanks to a humidifier, the IndyBest team provides solid advice and honest reviews.
Meet the expert
For more, see our expert advice on air purifiers vs dehumidifiers