Best dehumidifiers: Stop mold from dampening your day

If you want to know what the best dehumidifiers of 2019 are then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve tested a wide-selection of dehumidifiers from the best dehumidifier makers in the business today, so you can be sure that in this guide you’ll find a system that is ideal for every home and budget.

We’ve also included some key tips and advice to follow when researching and browsing today’s best dehumidifiers as, truth be told, it is not easily apparent exactly what size or type of dehumidifier you should buy when picking up your first. After all, the last thing you want to do is be bamboozled by confusing dehumidifier jargon and then end up with a unit that isn’t suited to your own individual setup and intended usage scenarios.

Indeed, we get a lot of queries and questions here at TopTenReviews about dehumidifiers, such as: Are all dehumidifiers the same? How do dehumidifiers work? What size of dehumidifier do I need? Are dehumidifiers loud? How much do dehumidifiers cost? What is the best dehumidifier for basements? What is the best dehumidifier for mould? What is the best dehumidifier for bedrooms? Are dehumidifiers at Best Buy the best on the market? And, finally, what are the best pump dehumidifiers? 

We also get questions about how to correctly maintain a dehumidifier, too, so below we’ve got a step-by-step process that we recommend.

What is the best dehumidifier?

We currently consider the best dehumidifier to be the Keystone KSTAD70B. Overall this is the best whole-house dehumidifier on the market today, capable of dehumidifying nearly 4,000 square feet of space quietly, producing only 53 decibels of noise, and relatively cheaply, too, costing an affordable $269.99.

As such, if you just want one top recommendation of dehumidifier to buy, then you should go out and buy the Keystone KSTAD70B. However, if you want to browse the full range of top systems on the market, as well as discover who we consider the best dehumidifier makers are, then read on.

1. Keystone KSTAD70B: Best overall 

Keystone KSTAD70B

Water Extraction: 70 pints/day | Area: 4500 Sq.Ft | Water tank: 12.8 pints | Fan Speeds: 2 | Weight: 40.00 lb | Pump: No

The Keystone KSTAD70B is a powerful dehumidifier that can remove up to 70 pints of moisture from the air each day. More remarkably, it can dehumidify an area up to 3,800 square feet, making it a good choice for dehumidifying your entire home.

Unfortunately, the Keystone's water-collection reservoir is the smallest of those we reviewed, holding just 10.4 pints. You can overcome this by attaching a garden hose to the unit's drain spout and directing it into a nearby floor drain. The machine lacks a drain pump, so the drain must be lower than the unit or you’ll need to buy an external pump.

This is the third-quietest unit we reviewed, producing only 53 decibels on its high setting. It also has some excellent safety features, such as an automatic shut-off function that turns the Keystone off once your home hits the humidity levels you've chosen. The machine also will shut down when the water-collection bucket is full.

Another safety feature, the auto defrost, keeps the machine from freezing when the air gets too cold. This whole-house dehumidifier uses 720 watts of electricity, though we found comparable units that use less energy. We like that Keystone offers a one-year parts and labor warranty, as well as a five-year sealed system warranty, which is the best among the dehumidifiers we reviewed.

2. Sunpentown SD-52PE: Best value 

Sunpentown SD-52PE

Water Extraction: 50 pints/day | Cool Area: 350 Sq.Ft | Water tank: 7 Liters | Fan Speeds: 2 | Weight: 40.00 lb | Pump: Yes

The Sunpentown SD-52PE home dehumidifier can pull up to 50 pints of moisture from the air in your home each day, covering an area up to 1,300 square feet. This makes it a good choice for small homes or for rooms in larger homes.

However, it's not nearly as capable or powerful as most of the dehumidifiers we looked at. We like that it uses only 520 watts, as much as 200 watts less than most competitors, helping the Sunpentown earn an Energy Star certification.

It has a 14.8-pint water-collection reservoir, which is average for the dehumidifiers we reviewed, but larger than on our top pick from Keystone. As with all the dehumidifiers we reviewed, you can connect a hose to the back for continuous drainage, though you have the option of pumping the water to a nearby drain or sink using the included drain pump, which some other units lack.

This machine has several safety features. For example, if you're using the water-collection bucket, the auto shut-off keeps it from overflowing. If your home gets too cold, this Sunpentown dehumidifier can automatically defrost itself to prevent internal components from freezing and breaking. Regarding noise level, only one other product we reviewed is louder, so this may not be ideal in bedrooms.

As with most of the dehumidifiers we looked at, the Sunpentown comes with a one-year parts and labor warranty. However, it's one of two units we reviewed without a sealed system warranty for expensive components.

3. Friedrich D70BP: Best for basement 

Friedrich D70BP

Water Extraction: 70 pints/day | Cool Area: 1300 Sq.Ft | Water tank: 16.2 pint | Fan Speeds: 2 | Weight: 51 lb | Pump: Yes

The Friedrich D70BP can remove up to 70 pints of airborne moisture each day and can dehumidify homes up to 1,300 square feet (though this is a smaller space than our top-rated Keystone dehumidifier can handle).

We like that this unit has a 16.2-pint water collection bucket, the third-largest in the units we reviewed, so you don't have to empty it frequently. However, the machine lacks a window to check the water levels at a glance. A continuous drainage feature with a built-in drain pump pushes water into a sink or out a window.

There are several safety features worth noting, particularly auto defrost, which keeps the unit working in temperatures as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit and helps prevent damage caused by freezing water. This makes it an excellent choice for unheated basements or garages. This dehumidifier weighs 47 pounds, making it the heaviest product we looked at, though the built-in wheels make it easier to move.

This is one of the most expensive units we looked at, though this is understandable since it has excellent energy efficiency and is Energy Star qualified. The five-year sealed system warranty also rivals that of the best dehumidifiers we reviewed, though the one-year parts and labor warranty is average for the category.

4. Danby DDR070BDWDB: Most energy efficient

Danby DDR070BDWDB

Water Extraction: 70 pints/day | Cool Area: 4500 Sq.Ft | Water tank: 12.7 pint | Fan Speeds: 2 | Weight: 45 lb | Pump: No

The Danby DDR070BWDB can dehumidify 70 pints of water in 24 hours from an impressively large 4,500-square-foot space. The Danby model is also the quietest in our comparison, creating as much noise as the average refrigerator at 50 decibels. It is the most energy efficient dehumidifier in our reviews. It only uses 515 watts, which is much less than other models. Lower-wattage units use less energy and therefore have less of an impact on the environment. It also has an auto defrost so the coils won’t freeze, nor will water left in the machine.

The reservoir is on the small side, holding 12.7 pints of moisture. A window shows you when it is getting full and a full bucket alert lets you know when it needs to be emptied, but there is no auto shutoff function to automatically turn it off when it’s full. You’ll have to empty it fairly often. You can bypass the bucket and hook up a hose to drain the water continuously, but it doesn’t have a pump to draw water into a sink. Despite the features it lacks, it is a high-functioning, energy-efficient dehumidifier.

5. Frigidaire FAD704DWD: Biggest moisture reservoir 

Frigidaire FAD704DWD

Water Extraction: 70 pints/day | Cool Area: 1400 Sq.Ft | Water tank: 15.3 pint | Fan Speeds: 2 | Weight: 46 lb | Pump: No

The Frigidaire FAD704DWD dehumidifier is an Energy Star-certified dehumidifier that extracts up to 70 pints of moisture from the air in a 24-hour period. It is designed for a 1,400-square-foot room, so this dehumidifier would be a good choice for a damp basement. It also has the biggest moisture reservoir of any product in our comparison, collecting up to 16.3 pints of water. It is one of the best in terms of moisture extraction, yet you don’t have to empty it as often as many competing products.

You also have the option of bypassing the bucket by attaching a garden hose to the back port and letting gravity drain the unit continually by positioning the hose below the port. Unlike some of the dehumidifiers we compared, this model doesn’t have a built-in pump to draw water out through a hose into a sink. It also lacks an auto defrost, which would shut off the machine if the temperature dips below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. On the plus side, it has an auto shutoff that will automatically shut the unit off when the reservoir is full. An auto restart function will turn the unit back on and restore its former settings in the event of a power outage.

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How to buy the right dehumidifier for you

Ok, let’s get down to brass tacks. The biggest overriding factor in determining whether a dehumidifier is right for you is how much it costs. Not every person’s budget is the same and, naturally, if you’ve got more money to play with then as a general rule you’re going to be able to pick up a more capable, feature-packed system.

Here at TopTenReviews we think you should be able to pick up a quality dehumidifier for $200, however that doesn’t mean you should discount units that may cost less, just be more careful to ascertain what they offer and if there are any obvious drawbacks. For example, if you’ve got a large room in mind for your system it is no good ringing up a cheap $50 system that can’t deliver the cubic feet coverage you need. 

As such, the first thing you should look for in a dehumidifier is daily moisture outtake and collection reservoir size. If you are looking at a whole-home or basement dehumidifier then you need a high-capacity unit that can remove at least 70 pints of water a day. It may also be worth considering a unit where a permanent hose can be installed to supply continuous drainage.

Obviously, moisture outtake and reservoir size are closely tied to the room size, so if you’re looking to dehumidify a compact bathroom, for example, then a portable unit will be preferable to a large, fixed unit. Yes, the larger units will mean you’ll have to empty the reservoir less, but for such a small space they are totally over the top.

Lastly, and this is something that many people don’t think about until they’ve pulled the trigger and rung up a dehumidifier, be sure to check how much noise a system makes. This specifically matters if you need the unit to run nonstop. For a bit of context, a level of 50 decibels is about as loud as a running refrigerator, while 70 decibels is equal to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Would you want a vacuum cleaner running in your bedroom or bathroom while you’re trying to relax? Exactly.

How to maintain a dehumidifier optimally

Foremost amongst the tasks you should regularly undertake to keep your dehumidifier in top condition is empty the collection tank frequently and clean it out with soap and warm water or disinfectant. Like a humidifier, mold and mildew can build up quickly where water is stored, and any impurities inside the machine can get dispersed into the air.

Secondly, be sure to clean the intake and exhaust grills at least once a season with a vacuum and brush attachment to help improve the longevity of the system. And, while we’re talking about exhausts, be sure to maintain at least a 6-inch gap between the back of the dehumidifier and the wall so the exhaust is not blocked, which could cause the machine to overheat.

And, thirdly, always make time to check the dehumidifier’s humidistat and adjust it when necessary to keep the humidity levels between a safe 40 and 50 percent.

What are the best dehumidifier makers?

Keystone is naturally, as the maker of our overall best dehumidifier, one of the top-tier dehumidifier makers producing machines today. However, there are plenty of other great companies making well-reviewed systems you should check out, too, including: Sunpentown, Friedrich, Danby, Frigidaire, Ebac, De’Longhi, Duronic, and Meaco.