The Best Dehumidifier

Humidity can cause serious problems, especially in poorly insulated rooms like basements. Over time, moisture can cause mold to build up, potentially affecting the health of you and your family. It can also cause wood to swell or deform, possibly impacting the entire structure of your house. The right dehumidifier can pull the moisture from even large spaces, with the water filtering directly into a drain.

Our resident home improvement expert Vicki Liston recommends starting off your dehumidifier journey by measuring the humidity in the air with a hygrometer.

“Anything over 50% and you’ll want to dehumidify,” she says. “Between 50-60% is considered ‘slightly damp,’ 60-70% is ‘moderate,’ 70-85% is ‘very damp,’ and 85-100% is considered a ‘wet’ environment.”

Mold can develop in high-moisture areas if that moisture is left unchecked.

Once you’re in the market for a dehumidifier, you have some criteria to think about. Room size is one of the most important factors when you’re buying a dehumidifier.

“Most models will specify the ideal environment for their units to operate within based on your humidity level and square footage measurements,” says Liston. “There’s a spectrum of possibilities, too — a 1,000-square-foot space with moderate humidity is going to require a different sized dehumidifier than a 500-square-foot area with very high humidity.”

You’ll need a way to hook your dehumidifier up to a drain so that you won’t have to empty it every day or so. If you’re concerned about moisture in a small area like a pantry or closet, the Eva-Dry is an innovative concept that uses moisture beads to soak up the moisture. Its small size also means it won’t take up too much space.

You should also consider noise level, especially if your dehumidifier is in a space of the home where people spend time. You won’t want your dehumidifier to interfere with nightly TV watching or your quiet reading time. Dehumidifiers have varying noise levels that should be part of your buying decision.

Lastly, consider your monthly utility bills in your choice. An Energy Star-rated dehumidifier will save you money in the long run, while also keeping your home environmentally friendly. You’ll get the same efficiency with a fraction of the energy use.

• The top concern for any dehumidifier purchase is effectiveness. Some models do best in medium-size rooms, dropping humidity from 65 to 70% down to between 45 and 50%. This level is low enough to keep mold at bay while still being comfortable. Best of all, these models tend to hold that level consistently throughout the day. Other dehumidifiers are efficient in larger rooms, controlling humidity in areas up to 2,000 feet. Meanwhile, the Eva-Dry only works well in small spaces like closets and pantries, where it reduces relative humidity by 19% in less than a couple of hours.
• When it comes to capacity, it looks like 70 pints is the gold standard in dehumidifiers. Most major appliance brands boast a capacity of 70 pints. The Eva-Dry is different from the others in that it uses desiccant silica beads to absorb moisture. Simply wait for the crystals to turn green and plug the unit in for eight to ten hours in a well-ventilated area. At that point, you can reinsert the crystals and start soaking up humidity again.
• If you want to add a new dehumidifier without seeing your electricity bill increase, go with a model that has an Energy Star-rated. The Eva-Dry is also worth considering if you’re concerned about moisture in small areas of your house since it only needs to use power while the moisture beads are renewing.
• Setting up and using your dehumidifier will require some work, regardless of the model. However, some dehumidifiers feature large buttons and legible text that make them easier than average. The text is typically easy to see in dim lighting. Best of all, many of these models have a timer so that you can set a schedule for your dehumidifier to run.
• As your dehumidifier pulls moisture from the room, it gathers into a bucket that will need to be emptied. With certain models, you can set the unit up near a drain to allow it to dispose of water on its own. Without this, you would have to empty the bucket every 12 to 24 hours.
• Unless your dehumidifier is in an unused basement or closet, chances are noise level is an important factor. Look for a model that is listed as running quietly.
• When it comes to cost, you can’t beat the price on the Eva-Dry. Since the Eva-Dry only works well in small spaces, though, you may need to choose between the others, which all fall in a slightly higher price range.