Best dehumidifiers UK: 6 picks for damp, mould and indoor laundry
Condensation on the windows, a musty spare room or washing that never quite dries? These are the dehumidifiers UK buyers and reviewers rate most, and who each one suits.
How we chose: We compared extraction rates, tank sizes, noise and power figures from manufacturers, Which? and other independent UK reviews, plus recurring themes in thousands of Amazon.co.uk owner reviews. We have not personally tested these products; this is a research-based roundup. Our research process.
Quick picks
- Best overallMeaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier & Air PurifierCheck price
- Quietest 20L pickMeacoDry Arete One 20L Dehumidifier & HEPA Air PurifierCheck price
- Best value 20LPro Breeze 20L/Day Compressor Dehumidifier with Laundry ModeCheck price
- Biggest tankPureMate 20L Dehumidifier with 6.5L TankCheck price
- Best for flatsMeacoDry Arete One 12L Dehumidifier & HEPA Air PurifierCheck price
- Most compactDe'Longhi Tasciugo AriaDry Multi DEXD216RF (16L)Check price
From October onwards most UK homes get wetter inside. We dry clothes on radiators, cook with the windows shut and heat rooms on and off, so warm moist air hits cold glass and walls. The result is condensation, black mould in corners and that damp smell in wardrobes. A dehumidifier is the most direct fix you can buy. It pulls water out of the air, and for many households it also replaces the tumble dryer for laundry.
Most homes are best served by a compressor (refrigerant) dehumidifier rated around 12–20 litres a day. All six picks below are compressor models. For unheated garages or a cold conservatory, read the desiccant section in the buying advice first.
Comparison table
| Pick | Rated extraction | Tank | Best room size | Extras | Warranty | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco 20L Low EnergyBest overall | Up to 20L/day | 6L | Whole house (3+ beds) | H13 HEPA filter, laundry mode, humidistat | 2 years | Check price |
| MeacoDry Arete One 20LQuietest 20L pick | 20L/day class | 4.8L | Up to ~80m² floor area | H13 HEPA, laundry & night modes, child lock | 5 years | Check price |
| Pro Breeze 20L CompressorBest value 20L | Up to 20L/day | 5.5L | Rooms up to ~30m² | Carbon filter, laundry mode, auto swing louvre | Check listing | Check price |
| PureMate 20LBiggest tank | Up to 20L/day | 6.5L | Rooms up to ~30m² | 24h timer, laundry & sleep modes | Check listing | Check price |
| MeacoDry Arete One 12LBest for flats | Up to 12L/day | 2.5L | Up to ~50m² | H13 HEPA, laundry & night modes | 5 years | Check price |
| De'Longhi AriaDry Multi 16LMost compact | Up to 16L/day | 2.1L | Rooms up to ~75m³ | 3-stage filtration, laundry mode, R290 gas | 2 years (check listing) | Check price |
Specs are from manufacturer listings as of 19 October 2026; claimed figures (running costs, runtimes) are the maker’s, not ours. Check the Amazon page for the current price and exact variant before you buy.
The picks in detail
Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier & Air Purifier
Best for: Most 3+ bedroom houses with condensation or a damp room
- Rated extraction
- Up to 20L/day
- Tank
- 6L
- Best room size
- Whole house (3+ beds)
- Extras
- H13 HEPA filter, laundry mode, humidistat
- Warranty
- 2 years
The Meaco 20L Low Energy has been one of the safest choices in this category for years. Meaco says Which? named it a Best Buy several years running, and its listing has thousands of ratings averaging well above 4.5 stars. Meaco quotes power use of about 219W at standard test conditions, which is low for a 20-litre machine. Its control logic switches the compressor off once your target humidity is reached and then rechecks the air every 30 minutes, so it isn't running flat out all day.
The large 6L tank means fewer trips to the sink. You also get a HEPA filter for light air purifying, a laundry mode and a continuous-drain option for utility rooms. The trade-off is noise. Owner reviews are split on how loud the higher fan speed is, so in a bedroom you'll probably want it on low or set to run while you're out.
What owners and reviewers like
- Strong extraction for the energy it uses
- Big 6L tank and continuous drainage
- Long track record and lots of owner feedback
- Smart humidistat stops it over-running
Watch-outs
- Not the quietest on the high fan setting
- Heavy-ish at 12.6kg (castors help)
- Only a 2-year warranty compared with the Arete range's 5
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MeacoDry Arete One 20L Dehumidifier & HEPA Air Purifier
Best for: Living areas and bedrooms where noise matters, and buyers who want a long warranty
- Rated extraction
- 20L/day class
- Tank
- 4.8L
- Best room size
- Up to ~80m² floor area
- Extras
- H13 HEPA, laundry & night modes, child lock
- Warranty
- 5 years
The Arete One is Meaco's quieter, more design-led range. Meaco quotes 38–40dB and around 216W. It's Quiet Mark accredited and won a Red Dot design award, and side air intakes let it sit against a wall. The five-year parts and labour warranty is unusually long for a domestic dehumidifier and is a big part of why it costs more than the 20L Low Energy.
Practical details are well thought out: a front-loading 4.8L tank, hidden castors, a filter that slides out of the side and a laundry mode that turns itself off after six hours. Check the listing for the extraction figure, because Meaco quotes different litres-per-day figures for different test conditions. In everyday terms it sits in the 20L class, but a smaller tank means emptying it more often in the first damp weeks.
What owners and reviewers like
- Very quiet for a compressor model
- 5-year warranty as standard
- Sits flush to a wall; easy front tank
- Good laundry and night modes
Watch-outs
- Pricier than similar-capacity rivals
- Smaller tank than the 20L Low Energy
- 15kg, so carrying it upstairs is a chore
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Pro Breeze 20L/Day Compressor Dehumidifier with Laundry Mode
Best for: Buyers who want 20L performance without paying Meaco prices
- Rated extraction
- Up to 20L/day
- Tank
- 5.5L
- Best room size
- Rooms up to ~30m²
- Extras
- Carbon filter, laundry mode, auto swing louvre
- Warranty
- Check listing
Pro Breeze's 20L compressor model is the value pick. Its Amazon listing cites a 2025 Which? Best Buy award and quotes Which? as saying it removes plenty of moisture at room temperature, doesn't use too much energy, and copes reasonably well in colder rooms. With 2,500+ ratings averaging around 4.5 stars, owners mostly say it pulls out a lot of water, stops window condensation and helps dry washing. The recurring complaints are noise and a minority of units that stop working or freeze up, so register the warranty.
You get a 5.5L tank with auto shut-off, a drain hose for continuous running, a humidity sensor, a sleep mode that turns the lights off and a carbon filter for musty smells. It isn't as refined or as quiet as an Arete, and the warranty terms are less generous, so check the current listing before you buy.
What owners and reviewers like
- Strong value for a 20L compressor unit
- Large tank with hose for continuous drainage
- Laundry mode and auto-swing louvre
- Big pool of positive owner reviews
Watch-outs
- Owners are split on noise; louder than premium rivals
- A minority of reviews report units failing or icing up
- Basic LED humidity indicator, not a precise readout
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PureMate 20L Dehumidifier with 6.5L Tank
Best for: Very damp homes where you're tired of emptying the tank
- Rated extraction
- Up to 20L/day
- Tank
- 6.5L
- Best room size
- Rooms up to ~30m²
- Extras
- 24h timer, laundry & sleep modes
- Warranty
- Check listing
PureMate's 20L model has one of the largest tanks here at 6.5 litres, which matters most in the first weeks when a damp house can fill a tank daily. Liverpool Echo reported that Which? found it the top-scoring model in its tests. Treat that as a recent result and check the current Which? page if you subscribe. It has castors, a humidity readout, a 24-hour timer, sleep and laundry modes and a continuous-drain hose.
It's a bulkier, plainer machine than the Meacos, and its listed power draw of around 380W is higher than the Meacos' roughly 220W. That only matters if it runs for long hours, which it will in the first few weeks.
What owners and reviewers like
- Huge 6.5L tank
- Recent strong independent test result
- Timer, sleep and laundry modes
- Often cheaper than Meaco
Watch-outs
- Higher listed power draw than Meaco equivalents
- Bulky and plain-looking
- Fewer owner ratings than the bigger brands
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MeacoDry Arete One 12L Dehumidifier & HEPA Air Purifier
Best for: One- and two-bed flats, bedrooms and studios
- Rated extraction
- Up to 12L/day
- Tank
- 2.5L
- Best room size
- Up to ~50m²
- Extras
- H13 HEPA, laundry & night modes
- Warranty
- 5 years
If you live in a flat, a 20-litre machine is usually overkill. The 12L Arete One has the same quiet design and five-year warranty as its bigger sibling in a smaller, lighter body. Meaco quotes running costs of a few pence an hour. It's quiet enough for a bedroom, which is often where condensation is worst.
The catch is the small 2.5L tank. If your flat is very damp, expect to empty it daily at first or set up the drain hose. At the time of checking it was sold through other Amazon sellers rather than Amazon itself, so check the seller and warranty registration details on the listing.
What owners and reviewers like
- Quiet enough for bedrooms
- 5-year warranty
- Compact and easy to move between rooms
- Low running costs (maker's figures)
Watch-outs
- Small 2.5L tank
- Owners are split on night-time noise
- Availability on Amazon varies by seller
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De'Longhi Tasciugo AriaDry Multi DEXD216RF (16L)
Best for: Small spaces and buyers who want a lightweight unit with a carry handle
- Rated extraction
- Up to 16L/day
- Tank
- 2.1L
- Best room size
- Rooms up to ~75m³
- Extras
- 3-stage filtration, laundry mode, R290 gas
- Warranty
- 2 years (check listing)
De'Longhi's AriaDry Multi is slim, light and easy to carry from room to room. It uses natural R290 refrigerant, has three-stage filtration (dust, anti-allergy and active carbon) and a laundry function. It is well rated, though on far fewer reviews than the Meaco and Pro Breeze models. It suits buyers who care about looks and portability more than maximum extraction.
Its 2.1L tank is small, and it is usually one of the pricier options for its capacity, so it's best for spot-treating rooms rather than a whole damp house.
What owners and reviewers like
- Light and portable with integrated handle
- Smart, compact design
- Useful three-stage filtration
- Uses natural R290 refrigerant
Watch-outs
- Small 2.1L tank
- Expensive for its capacity
- Fewer owner reviews to judge long-term reliability
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Compressor or desiccant?
What size do you need?
Ignore the “rooms up to” claims at first and think about how damp your home is. As a rough guide: a 10–12L unit for a flat or a single problem room, 16–20L for a typical 2–4 bed house or if you dry a lot of laundry indoors, and 20L+ for big or very damp homes. Rated extraction is measured in warm, humid lab conditions (often 30°C/80% RH), so real-world collection in a UK home at 18–20°C is usually much lower. That's normal and doesn't mean the unit is faulty.
Running costs
Look at the wattage, not just the litres. Most compressor models draw roughly 200–400W. At about 26p per kWh (Ofgem's average price-cap unit rate for October–December 2026) that's roughly 5–11p an hour while the compressor is running. A good humidistat keeps that down: once the room reaches your target (around 50–55% RH), the machine idles. For laundry, a dehumidifier in a closed room with the washing usually costs less per load than a tumble dryer.
Features that matter
- Humidistat and display: lets you set a target and see real readings. It's the biggest energy saver.
- Laundry mode: runs at full power for a set time; best in a small closed room.
- Tank size and continuous drainage: 4L+ tanks save trips; a hose to a sink or drain is great for utility rooms.
- Noise: under ~40dB is bedroom-friendly; many units are noticeably louder on high fan.
- Warranty: 2 years is standard; Meaco's Arete range offers 5.
Getting the best results
Close the doors and windows of the room you're treating, and keep the dehumidifier a little away from walls and curtains. In a house, a central landing often works well. Wipe off any existing mould with a suitable mould remover first, because a dehumidifier prevents new growth but won't clean what's already there. If damp keeps coming back in one spot, it may be rising or penetrating damp, a leak or a ventilation problem, so get it checked.
FAQs
Does a dehumidifier really help with black mould?
Yes, for condensation-driven mould, which is the most common kind in UK homes. Keeping relative humidity around 50–60% stops new growth. It won't fix leaks, rising damp or poor ventilation, and you still need to clean existing mould.
What humidity should I set?
Around 50–55% relative humidity is a sensible target for most UK homes in winter. Going much lower uses more electricity for little extra benefit.
Is it cheaper to dry clothes with a dehumidifier than a tumble dryer?
Usually, yes. A 200–300W dehumidifier running for a few hours in a closed room costs far less than a typical vented or condenser tumble dryer cycle. It's slower, though, and works best with a clothes airer and good airflow around the washing.
Why does my new dehumidifier collect less water than the box says?
Rated extraction figures are measured in warm, very humid test conditions. In a UK home at about 18–20°C with moderate humidity you'll collect less, and that's normal. Collection also drops as the house dries out.
Can I leave a dehumidifier on overnight?
Modern units with auto shut-off and a humidistat are designed to run unattended. Follow the manual, keep vents clear and choose a quieter model, or the low fan speed, for bedrooms.
Compressor or desiccant for a garage?
For an unheated garage, shed or caravan that regularly drops below about 10°C, a desiccant model is usually the better choice. For heated living spaces, choose a compressor model.
Sources we consulted
- Which?: Best dehumidifiers (subscription)
- The Guardian, The Filter: best dehumidifiers tested
- Liverpool Echo: report on Which?'s top-scoring dehumidifier
- Meaco: Arete One 20L specifications
- Meaco: DD8L Zambezi desiccant specifications
- Ofgem: energy price cap
Prices change constantly, so we don’t list them here. Always check the current price, seller and delivery details on Amazon before buying. If anything on this page looks wrong or out of date, tell us.
