Best dehumidifiers UK: keep your home warm and dry through winter, humidity low in summer, and reduce energy bills

Best dehumidifiers to help keep your home warm and dryBest dehumidifiers to help keep your home warm and dry
Best dehumidifiers to help keep your home warm and dry | Shutterstock

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

During the winter months, homes can become damp and humid, but a dehumidifier can do wonders in keeping your house dry and warm

It’s easy to spot a humid home: there are damp spots on the wall, frequent condensation on windows, or mould and mildew on surfaces. It’s unpleasant, unsightly, and potentially damaging to your health to have a humid home.

Thankfully, there is a relatively straightforward, cost effective way to cut down on humidity and dampness: a dehumidifier.

What is a dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier removes excess water from the room, preventing mould, mildew and other issues that can harm your health and your home.

Dehumidifiers are easy to use, they aren’t too expensive to run, and they are usually very quiet too.

There are a range of machines out there, so you can find something to suit the needs of you and your home, no matter what the size of your space or your budget.

How do dehumidifiers work?

Most dehumidifiers draw humid air in through an inlet using an internal compressor and fan. The air goes through cool coils that pull out excess moisture and condense it into the reservoir. Dry air is then circulated back into the room. This also warms the air as it happens.

How can a dehumidifier help me in my home?

A dehumidifier can help you and your home in different ways throughout the seasons.

In winter, it can aid you with your laundry drying as it will take all the water out of the air when you have to dry your clothes in home.

In the summer, it can make your house to feel less muggy because it will reduce the humidity.

Dehumidifiers also have an added health benefit; they can help allergy sufferers to manage their symptoms, as allergens, bacteria, dust mites, mould and more thrive in humid conditions.

Key signs it is time to consider a dehumidifier

  • Mould on walls, particularly in the ceiling or corners. Mould can spread and become toxic. This is particularly dangerous if you have respiratory issues
  • Mildew
  • Musty smells, particularly in closets
  • Condensation on your windows
  • Signs of water damage
  • Rotting wood.

How else can I keep my environment warm and healthy?

There are other ways to keep your house warm and the air in it clear and healthy this winter.

Check out our guides to the best electric heaters and the best air purifiers.

We’ve also rounded up 13 of the best ways to keep warm throughout the winter, without using central heating.

Meaco 20L Low Energy Platinum Dehumidifier - 3 Year Warranty

Meaco make the gold standard of home dehumidifiers, and this particularly model - while on the pricy side - is an excellent investment for your household.

Why? Because it’s highly efficient - it’s lower levels of energy usage mean it will cost less to run than other models in the long run. It’s also very rapid and capable of reducing humidity and condensation over a large area - meaning it can dehumidify your entire home.

It takes 219 watts of electricity per hour (at an estimated cost of 7p per hour, based on the current average rate of 34p per kWh) to run - the lowest energy consumption of any dehumidifier of it’s size.

It tackles damp and mould exceptionally well.

If you’ve heard anything about HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, you’ll know they’re the most effective means of purifying the air. The Meaco has an inbuilt HEPA filter, essentially serving two purposes then - HEPA filties remove 99 percent of dust mites, pollen or other allergens in the air, so your home will be dry and healthy.

It is rather large, but the capacity is big enough to remove moisture in a whole house, meaning you won’t need to buy several devices around the home. The digital display also shows the room’s humidity reading, has a timer, child lock and a carry handle for practicality.

You can choose target humidity or use the Laundry setting to dry clothes.

Wayfair

This dehumidifier is ideal for medium to large spaces, and is large enough to take 20L of moisture out of the air before you need to empty the tank.

It has four different modes, and has also been designed so that is uses a small amount of energy - and that means you can add warmth to your home and reduce the moisture, but not have to worry about your electricity bills.

Amazon

This machine is a sleek solution and is one of the most attractive looking dehumidifiers.

It can remove up to 20L of water per day, but it has a low energy consumption so you know it is cost effective too.

It’s ideal for removing damp, mould and moisture in homes and also, in turn, keeping them warm and dry.

Amazon

This demidifier might be small but it’s mighty.

It quickly removes excess moisture from the air, and it only makes a quiet humming sound which means it can easily be left on overnight without causing inconvenience.

Since it’s compact that also means it can fit in the smallest of spaces.

Currys PCWorld

This dehumidifier will help to control excessive moisture in rooms up to 45m².

Whether you need to dry your laundry in the living room or minimise damp in your bedroom, it can do it all- and, with its carry handles, it’s easy move around your home and from one room to the next.

The user-friendly control panel features a continuous extraction mode for maximum moisture reduction, so your room will be left fresh, dry and warm.

It extracts 18 litres of water per day, and it also has an auto-defrost functions will will come in handy during these cold winter months.

Amazon

This dehumidifier can extract up to 12 litres of water per day and can tackle damp, condensation, mould or humid conditions.

It also links to wifi and a smart app, which means you can adjust the humidity levels, fan speeds, timer and more - all from your phone.

It’s also compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant you can simply tell your device to switch on or off when you please.