If you live in humid environments and worry about your wellbeing, check out our dehumidifier reviews. We analyzed individual products and series to bring you accurate and unbiased reviews. Everything that you need to take into account when looking for a new dehumidifier is mentioned below: Performance, functions, noise level, air filtration systems, design, and more.
According to our research, air dehumidifiers are far from useless. Not only do they drastically improve thermal comfort, but they also help us stay healthy. Mold and mildew are the most noticeable effects of high humidity, but they are far from being the only ones. Microorganisms thrive in humid environments, and so do dust mites. These can lead to a series of serious health issues like lung diseases (the most common one being asthma) or allergies.
From our analysis, products in the Frigidaire FAD series are the best whole house air dehumidifiers – and they also are Energy Star certified. The FAD704DWD has a capacity of 70 pints, while the FAD504DWD can hold up to 50 pints of liquid. They feature a humidistat, an electronic control panel, an easy to clean filter, automatic shut off, continuous drain and more. Both are able to function at 2 speeds and permanently adjust their functioning after analyzing the amount of humidity in the air.
The Frigidaire FAD series also makes good use of the Effortless™ technology to reduce energy consumption. Its air dehumidifiers are, overall, user-friendly appliances that are great at removing moisture from an entire home. We also appreciate their many extra features.
The Frigidaire FFAD series deserves a special mention for its elegant and slim design. The FFAD7033R1 and the FFAD5033R1 are the prettiest appliances you could buy. While not the best, they definitely are of above average performance.
According to our findings, the GE ADER50LQ is an above average whole-house dehumidifier. It is the most effective in homes of no more than 1,500 square feet and has a 17.5-pint reservoir. You can also install a continuous draining system that uses gravity to eliminate the liquid inside.
What we liked the most about the GE ADER50LQ is its customizable fan speed. It has 3-speed settings available – a huge advantage over most whole-house dehumidifiers, which only have 2. This leads to a quicker dehumidification process when using the fastest fan speed available. However, it also leads to a reduced noise output for those times you need some peace of mind. This appliance also is Energy Star certified, which guarantees low electricity consumption.
However, this product lacks in features when compared to similar ones. First of all, it doesn't come with a pump nor is one available separately. Secondly, it doesn't have a 24-hour timer. Its size is no strong point either: With 11 x 24 x 16 inches in size and a weight of 42 pounds, it can be considered bulky.
Although the Keystone KSTAD70B comes with a defrost function that makes it a great choice for basements and crawl spaces, it has a noise output of only 53 dB. Therefore, we highly recommend it as a whole-house dehumidifier.
The KSTAD70B has a 10.4-pint reservoir and can serve spaces of up to 3,800 square feet. As you probably figured out from its name, this appliance is able to remove up to 70 pints of moisture in 24 hours. It comes with a humidistat, auto-restart and auto-shutoff functions, timer, digital display, and an air filter that can be easily cleaned. However, it does not come with a drain pump, nor is one available to purchase separately.
Weighing only 40 pounds and measuring 11.3 x 15.5 x 23.3 inches, it is one of the most compact portable air dehumidifier in its range. All in all, Keystone's KSTAD70B dehumidifier is a great choice for large homes. It needs little supervision and works smartly to remove moisture using as little energy as possible.
Basements and crawl spaces are particularly prone to developing humidity because of the significant fluctuations in temperature. Given these spaces are not airtight, the high humidity will affect your entire house's structure – in fact, about 40% of the air in your home comes from these places. They need to successfully remove over 100 pints of moisture from spaces of at least 2,000 square feet. Therefore, a basement dehumidifier needs to be much more powerful than a whole house one.
Basement dehumidifiers should also have a continuous drainage system and auto-defrost functions. Surely, you don't want to empty their tanks every day or find yourself in a humid environment during colder months.
Products in the Danby DDR A2GP series are feature-packed and offer everything you need from a residential dehumidifier. The 3 products in this series, the DDR30A2GP, the DDR50A2GP, and the DDR70A2GP only differ in capacity. We highly recommend the last one to be used as a basement dehumidifier – it is the most powerful and will perform well even in larger homes. However, the first two can also work well in basements of smaller homes.
Although the DDR70A2GP has a 14-pint tank that collects moisture, this is far from enough for a basement dehumidifier. Nevertheless, it can also be connected to a hose to eliminate the need of permanently emptying the reservoir. You can also install a pump to get rid of the moisture.
Units in the DDR A2GP series are highly customizable and user-friendly. You can choose your desired humidity level using increments of 5%. The 2 fan speed options are also great at adjusting its activity, and so is its programmable feature. But the trait we like best about these Danby products is their air filters. Given the high amount of moisture in your basement is a great environment for microorganisms to thrive in, an air filter is a must.
There's one thing we didn't really like about the Danby DDR A2GP: The fact that you need to acquire the condensation pump and the humidity sensor + thermometer combo separately. This can be extremely useful for those who cannot use gravity to get rid of the moisture. However, if we think about the well-balanced price/quality ratio, we acknowledge it's still convenient.
The Santa Fe Compact 2 is, in our opinion, the best dehumidifier Santa Fe ever came up with. In fact, going as far as naming it one of the best on the market right now would not be an exaggeration. According to the manufacturer, the Santa Fe Compact 2 exceeds efficiency requirements by Energy Star if used in tightly sealed environments.
Measuring only 12 x 12 x 21 inches and weighing 55 pounds, this model truly is compact – in fact, it can also be installed in crawl spaces. It can function without issues in low temperatures and comes with high-quality air filters that can also be upgraded. Other than that, Santa Fe's Compact 2 dehumidifier comes with every other basic feature that you would expect, like the auto-restart function.
However, what we liked the most about this product is the ducting option. Just like a ducted heat pump, this dehumidifier can extract moisture from basements that are divided into multiple rooms. You also have the option to install a pump to get rid of the moisture, a basic requirement for dehumidifiers that will be used in basements.
The Perfect Aire 3PAD95 can draw 95 pints of moisture from your home in 24 hours, which makes it a high-capacity basement dehumidifier. It can be used in spaces of up to 6,000 feet to adjust the amount of moisture in the air between 35% and 85%.
The Perfect Aire 3PAD95 is a user-friendly appliance that is packed with features. Its defrost function, customizable humidistat, washable filter, timer, and programmable functions are just some highlights. Just as with most high-performance dehumidifiers, the 3PAD95 has a draining option that eliminates the need of manually emptying the tank.
This air dehumidifier surprised us with a noise output level of only 58 dB – an impressive spec if we think about how powerful it is. In fact, this unit is quieter than appliances of lower performance. If placed in basements, the noise output will not affect you at all. Its size is also a big plus, especially considering its capabilities: Only 14.2 x 19 x 24.8 inches.
However, we noticed it is not as resistant as other models. If you plan on installing it and letting it do its job, this should not affect you much – but it needed to be said anyway.
This concludes our article on dehumidifiers reviews. Now, you should be able to choose the best appliance that will help your home stay mold-free. The whole house dehumidifiers we mentioned earlier should be more than enough to keep your goods undamaged. Of course, the aforementioned Danby, Santa Fe, and Perfect Aire models can also be used as whole-house dehumidifiers. However, their auto defrost functions will be useless and add a little to the price. In addition, high-performance humidifiers tend to be a bit noisy.
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home by the EPA
Frigidaire FAD704DWD Product Page
ENERGY STAR Dehumidifier Key Product Criteria