Dehumidifiers are a quiet British obsession. They clear condensation off the windows in winter, keep damp and mould at bay, and dry a load of washing indoors when the weather will not. Getting the size right makes most of the difference, so here are four worth buying for different homes and budgets.
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The short version
For most homes, the Meaco Arete One 12L. To spend the least, the Pro Breeze 12L. For drying laundry, the Pro Breeze 20L. For a large or damp home, the Meaco Platinum 25L.
How they compare
| Model | Extraction | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete One 12L | 12 L/day | Most homes | around £170-220 |
| Pro Breeze 12L | 12 L/day | Tight budgets | around £90-140 |
| Pro Breeze 20L | 20 L/day | Drying laundry | around £150-190 |
| Meaco Platinum 25L | 25 L/day | Damp/large homes | around £400-500 |
The dehumidifiers worth buying
Meaco Arete One 12L
Best overallA dehumidifier and HEPA air purifier in one, quiet enough to leave running in a living room, and covered by a five-year warranty. It suits most UK homes and earns its keep all year, not just in winter.
The catch: At £170 to £220 it costs more than a basic model, though the air purifier and the warranty help explain the price.
12 L/day, HEPA filter, around 40-45 dB · around £170-220
Check price on AmazonPro Breeze 12L
Best budgetA long-running Which? Best Buy with tens of thousands of reviews. It does without the extras but pulls damp out of the air reliably, for a good deal less money.
The catch: No air purifier, and the build feels more plasticky than the Meaco.
12 L/day, humidity sensor · around £90-140
Check price on AmazonPro Breeze 20L
Best for drying laundryMore extraction and a dedicated laundry mode, so wet washing dries indoors fast without steaming up the windows. It stays cheap to run for the capacity.
The catch: It is bigger and a touch louder at around 47 decibels, so it suits a utility room more than a small bedroom.
20 L/day, laundry mode, around 47 dB · around £150-190
Check price on AmazonMeaco Platinum Range 25L
Best for damp or large homesSerious extraction for a home with a real moisture problem or four or more bedrooms. It is well built and quieter than you would expect for the power.
The catch: At £400 to £500 it is a lot of money, and overkill for an average flat.
25 L/day, large tank · around £400-500
Check price on AmazonHow to choose one
Two things matter most: capacity and type. Capacity is the litres of water a machine can pull from the air in a day. For most homes, 10 to 12 litres is enough; step up to 20 to 25 litres for a large home, ongoing damp, or a lot of indoor laundry. For type, a compressor model is the efficient choice in normal heated rooms and suits most homes, while a desiccant model copes better in cold or unheated spaces like a garage, at the cost of using more power. A humidity sensor and a laundry mode both help keep the running cost down. For capacity by home size, see our dehumidifier size guide.
Common questions
What size dehumidifier do I need?
For most UK homes a 10 to 12 litres-per-day model is plenty. Step up to 20 to 25 litres a day if you have a large home, persistent damp or mould, or you dry a lot of laundry indoors.
Compressor or desiccant?
Compressor models like the Meaco Arete are the most energy-efficient in normal, warm rooms and suit most homes. Desiccant models cope better in cold spaces such as garages and unheated rooms, and they are lighter, but they use more electricity.
Do dehumidifiers help with damp and mould?
Yes. By pulling moisture out of the air they cut condensation and damp and make it harder for mould to grow. They also make a cold home feel warmer and help wet washing dry faster.
Are they expensive to run?
Efficient models cost only a few pence an hour, and most have a humidity sensor that switches the machine off once the target is reached, so it is not running all the time.
Fighting heat as well as damp? Several of the portable air conditioners we rate double as dehumidifiers, or browse more Home & Garden picks.
Related reading: what a dehumidifier, fan and air conditioner cost to run.