Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products. It’s slightly louder and consumes more power than the equivalent refrigerant, but can also run more effectively over shorter periods. That makes it a good bet for drying clothes or using in an outside office, garage or workshop where damp is becoming a problem, and it’s relatively lightweight and portable to boot. The Newentor dehumidifier has a power of less than 300W in strong mode, enabling large-scale dehumidification at extremely low energy costs. After rigorous testing, the electricity usage per hour is less than 4p (15.32p/kWh).

The MONHOUSE 12L/Day Digital Dehumidifier offers two emptying possibilities: by means of a fully removable tank with a capacity of 2 litres or by means of a hose for continuous emptying, avoiding the need to empty the tank.Let's start with the dehumidifier function. It's capable of extracting 20 litres per day, making it one of the highest capacitymodels on this list (at least in ideal conditions). It also has a large four litre water tank so you won't need to empty it as often. Inventor Dehumidifier Fresh 12L/Day (R290) provides a continuous dehumidification mode, which is very helpful and effective to eliminate the extreme humidity, condensation on windows and even to dry clothes.

It is very easy to use and easy to move from room to room with its 4 omni-directional castors and handle. We also think it could do with a bigger water tank. At 1.7 litre, it's one of the smallest tanks we've reviewed, meaning it needs to be emptied regularly. Despite the small size and low extraction rate, the PB-02 dehumidifier is still effective at removing moisture from the air of small rooms. Other features include a lightweight 1.1kg design, automatic shut-off when the tank is full and a full-tank indicator. It also only requires 20W of power to run.If you need a dehumidifier for an unheated room, such as a cellar, garage or attic, then you'll want to buy a desiccant model. These are designed in a way that allows them to function more effectively in cold rooms. Choosing a size or capacity

This 10-litre Meaco model is actually rather attractive for a dehumidifier and we definitely like the simple top-mounted interface. At just 46cm in height and 30cm in width, it’s not too big either and that makes it perfect for smaller rooms like bath and shower rooms – which is what it was ostensibly designed for.Portability - The compact and lightweight nature of the appliance makes it highly portable. It has four castor wheels to facilitate easy transportation. Compressor dehumidifiers work in much the same way as a fridge or freezer. They draw in air and cool it, condensing any moisture as it passes across a refrigerated coil. The water then drips off into a water tank below, while the air is reheated and released into the room. Compressor dehumidifiers can be noisy and may use more energy than other types, although new compressor technology and refrigerants are bringing improvements on both counts. They’re most efficient at warmer temperatures of 20°C and above, and your best bet if you need to remove lots of moisture from a larger space.

The size of the dehumidifier, your source of power, and the intensity applied in dehumidifying the air are the major efficiency determinants. However, energy efficiency cannot be determined from these factors alone. The advantages of this type of dehumidifier are that they tend to be larger, more energy efficient and much more widely available. The problem is that they don’t work well in lower temperatures as the coils need to be colder than the room, or they start to freeze. Once that happens, a compressor dehumidifier focuses on de-frosting itself over reducing humidity, so they aren’t a great option for garages or cellars. They also tend to be much noisier, and depending on your noise-level preference, this can irritate people. Should you leave a dehumidifier on all the time? Continuous drainage, including a drainage hose for connection to a drainage outlet, overflow protection and four castor wheels which are conveniently located on the underside of the dehumidifier to allow for easy moving without the need to lift the unit each time.

What does a dehumidifier do?

We like the control panel of the Summit S. The "On" button has three colours depending on the humidity, so you can see the current level at a glance. There's also a timer and active humidity display on the control panel. Integrated with a quiet compressor for low noise levels, continuous mode for instant results, 24h timer to manually adjust time of operation, automatic restart to maintain the settings in case of a power loss. The automatic stop function allows you to safely turn on the dehumidifier and run it for a long time without any worries. The 3.5L transparent viewing tank and 2M drainage hose meet the needs of various scenarios.