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The 4 Best Cheap Dehumidifiers
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Whether you're dealing with a dank basement or a swampy bathroom, a dehumidifier will reduce the moisture level in your space and safeguard it against pesky things like mold. However, these essential home gadgets can cost a lot, especially if you're shopping for a unit to cover a larger space. But, here's the good news — the best cheap dehumidifiers work on par with their pricier counterparts and come with the crucial features you need, all for $300 or less.
What To Consider When Shopping For The Best Cheap Dehumidifiers
In order to find the best dehumidifier for your space, it's important to ask yourself a couple of key questions. First, what is the size of the room you're looking to dehumidify? The units below cover a wide range of square footages, from a compact model that removes moisture up to 215 square feet (perfect for a mildewy bathroom) all the way up to a powerful unit designed for up to 4,000 square feet.
Next up, what is the humidity level in the room? Are the conditions moderately damp or are you dealing with an extremely wet basement? If you're not sure, you can use a digital hygrometer, or humidity gauge, to determine where your room falls compared to the optimal humidity for a room. (I've included a highly rated hygrometer below in case you need one). Once you know what the humidity level is, you can determine how many pints of moisture need to be extracted from the air daily, with your options typically being 30 pints, 50 pints, or 70 pint. The wetter the space, the more pints you need.
Lastly, if energy efficiency is important to you, look for a dehumidifier with an Energy Star certification. This will ensure that the unit will remove the same amount of moisture as other units, but do so using nearly 30% less energy.
With all that in mind, it's time to shop dehumidifiers. All of the units below are affordably priced and come highly rated on Amazon too.
1The Best Compact Dehumidifier: A Portable Unit Designed For Spaces Up To 215 Square Feet
Backed by more than 26,000 five-star Amazon reviews, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier is a compact unit that's perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, garages, RV's, and any other small room less than 215 square feet. The lightweight, portable dehumidifier is capable of removing up to 9 ounces of water per day, and has a 16-ounce water tank that can easily be removed and emptied. It runs almost silently.
The small but mighty unit features an auto shut-off, plus a LED light will turn on to indicate the tank needs draining. While energy efficient, this product does not boast the Energy Star certification.
Helpful Review: "I am very pleased with the Pro Breeze mini dehumidifiers - so much so that we purchased 4. This humid summer -even with window air conditioners running - rooms were cool, but still damp. These little units are light-weight, portable, totally user-friendly and they do the job! [...] They're easy to empty and attractive (as dehumidifiers go). [..]”
Energy Star Certified: No
2The Best Dehumidifier For Small Rooms: A Sleek Unit That Covers Up To 720 Square Feet
Dehumidifiers can be something of an eye sore, but the Simsen dehumidifier has a welcomingly sleek box design — and it can remove up to 34 ounces of moisture from the air per day, with a 95-ounce tank size. The small unit is designed for rooms up to 720 square feet and boasts an ultra-quiet operation with a decibel rating on par with a whisper. It features two fan speeds (high and low) and a light indicates when it’s time to empty the tank.
Helpful Review: "I am very pleased with this machine. It is pretty efficient and quiet especially in the night mode. It works as described. I’m amazed how well it works. It’s easy to operate and it pulls a lot of water out of the air. I love that the size and portability of this dehumidifier doesn’t compromise his performance. Easy to blend in into small spaces with a contemporary look. [...]”
Energy Star Certified: No
3The Best Dehumidifier For Large Rooms: A Best-Selling Unit That Covers 3,000 Square Feet
Backed by more than 41,000 customer reviews and boasting an impressive 4.6-star rating, this hOmeLabs Energy Star dehumidifier is a best-seller on Amazon for a reason. Not only is the large-capacity unit reasonably priced at just over $200, it can remove 35 pints of moisture a day and cover spaces up to 3,000 square feet. The workhorse until can run continuously on a 24-hour cycle until the tank is full (and then it shuts off automatically) or you can opt to use the drain hose outlet for continuous draining, though the hose is not included.
The portable unit — with a modern, minimalist design — comes with wheels and a handle for easy movement, and features a relatively quiet fan that one shopper described as a “low hum.” As the name implies, it is Energy Star certified.
Helpful Review: "Finally, a dehumidifier that actually works! [...]When I turned this one on, the reading was 66%. After letting it run for about 24 hours, it dropped to 40%. Today has been particularly muggy; it's currently 89 degrees (at 9:00 pm) I just went downstairs to check, and the reading is 52%, which is within an acceptable range. I have it running using a hose that empties to a floor drain. The bottom line is I highlyrecommend this product.”
Energy Star Certified: Yes
4The Best Dehumidifier For Really Damp Basements: A Utilitarian Unit That Covers 4,000 Square Feet
If you're trying to lower the humidity level in a really damp space like a cellar or basement, you need a moisture-removing beast like this Honeywell Energy Star dehumidifier. The highly rated unit is designed to dehumidify rooms up to 4,000 square feet and can remove up to 70 pints of moisture per day.
The water tank is easily removable and comes with a convenient handle and spill-guard to make emptying a cinch, although there is also an included drain hose if you want to continuously empty. The rolling caster wheels make it easy to move the unit to your desired location, and the quiet operation is perfect for use in a den, RV, or boat.
Helpful Review: "This unit has solved a massive moisture issue in our large crawl space and it did it quickly. Within three days of having it in the crawlspace, we got from 90% moisture down to 47%. This is taken such a load off of my mind. It’s a workhorse with a lot of helpful features on it. Highlyrecommended!”
Energy Star Certified: Yes
5Also Nice: This Fan-Favorite Indoor Thermometer & Humidity Gauge
Ensuring that your home has the proper indoor humidity level is important, not only to prevent mold but also to improve your overall health. With this highly accurate digital hygrometer, you'll always know if you're humidity level needs adjusting. It indicates both the low and high humidity reading, and will display one of three icons —either dry, comfort, or wet — that quickly conveys if the humidity needs adjusting. Plus, there's a digital thermometer that gives you the room's low and high reading. Use the tabletop design or the magnet on the back to attach it to any metal surface.
Helpful Review: "Have been using for over a year and works great. Can't recall ever having to change the batteries since I got it. Maybe once. Simple item but very useful. During certain weather I have to run dehumidifer to prevent mildew on baseboards/furniture and this helps me know when dehumidifer is needed. Was essential in helping me control a previous mildew problem. Unobstrusive size/appearance but easy for me to read from about 10 ft away (the big numbers).”
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