6 Most Energy Efficient Dehumidifiers

While high humidity is lovely in the steam room at the spa, it’s less than ideal in your home. We’ve found the six most energy efficient dehumidifiers to help you dry out your home and save you money. 

We’ve even found one model that has a laundry drying mode, perfect for your laundry room. Keep reading to find out which!

Starting Saving Money with These Energy Efficient Dehumidifiers

Here’s a handy dandy chart to help you quickly compare the top six most energy efficient dehumidifiers of 2022.

Still not certain the perfect model for your home?

6 Best Energy Saving Dehumidifiers

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at these portable dehumidifiers to find the best one to dry out your home.

Drive away the dampness with the Frigidaire FFAD5033W High Humidity 50 Pint Capacity Dehumidifier. When you begin to really examine this product, you can quickly see why this is our top pick and why it has garnered so many great reviews.

Simply unbox it when it arrives and plug it in. Then select the relative humidity you want for your space and wait. The Frigidaire can suck 50 pints of moisture out of the air a day. It comes with a large water storage tank complete with a splash guard to make emptying it a snap. 

The dehumidifier will auto shut off when it reaches the desired humidity level or the tank gets full.

However, if you want to make the process even easier, you can attach a garden hose to the output and turn it onto the continuous mode. Gravity will then take care of getting the water out of the hose and down the drain. 

Give some thought to where you plan on placing your dehumidifier, as this model can be a little louder than some of the others we reviewed. If you are looking for something whisper quiet, there may be a better model for you.

If you are looking for an energy saving dehumidifier that won’t break the bank, the Wayker Dehumidifier is our budget pick. Perfect for a smaller space or somewhere that isn’t too damp, this portable dehumidifier can pull 34 pints of water from the air a day.

It’s super easy to install. Simply grab the convenient top mounted handle, and 360 degree rotating wheels let you move it anywhere you want. It comes with a 6.6 foot drain hose that you can attach to a drain hole for continuous operation. 

So just set it up, select your humidity level, and you are ready to go.

Now, if you don’t plan to hook it up to a drain, don’t worry. It will still work. There is a water storage tank built-in. But the capacity is only just a little more than half a gallon, which isn’t a lot compared to how much water this unit can suck out of the air. If the unit is working a full capacity, you could have to empty the tank up to 6 times a day. 

Because of the small water tank, I highly recommend using this unit with the included drain hose. 

Sleek and stylish, the hOmeLabs Dehumidifier won’t look out of place in your modern home. But this unit is more than just a stylish addition to your home. It can remove 35 pints of water over the course of the day. 

The unit defaults to a continuous mode when it is powered on, but you can easily change that if you want. You can also select comfort mode, which will adjust the humidity level to a comfortable and healthy level based on the ambient temperature. Or, if you are looking to get the maximum performance, you can select Turbo Mode to dry your space out extra quickly.

Whichever mode you choose, you will find that it reduces moisture and odors in your home. All that moisture is collected into the 1.6 gallon storage tank (which is almost three times bigger than the one in the Wayker Dehumidifier). Or, like the other units we reviewed, you have the option to connect a 5/8th diameter garden hose to the drain access. Keep in mind, It doesn’t come with a hose, and some people complain it can be difficult to connect it.

If you have a large or very damp space, you want to check out the BLACK+DECKER BDT50WTB Dehumidifier. Like the Frigidaire, this model can remove up to 50 pints of water per day. And, if you are cost conscious, the Black and Decker Dehumidifier does cost less than the Frigidaire.

However, the water storage tank capacity is slightly less on the Black and Decker, which is something to consider if you don’t plan to use the included drain hose. You will hear a beep when the tank is full, and then the unit will shut off. That could mean less performance if you aren’t paying attention when the unit alarms.

You will also see a light on the top mounted display when the tank is full. This is also where

you can easily select your desired relative humidity level. You can set the relative humidity from 35% to 80%. You can also choose between two fan speeds and set a 24 hour timer on the display.

It is easy to move, with built-in handles and castors. And it has an easy to clean filter as well. 

Perfect for your laundry room, the Shinco Dehumidifier has a mode especially to help you dry out laundry. Of course, that’s not the only room this dehumidifier is good for.

A powerful moisture fighting machine, the Shinco can hold its own against the big names like Frigidaire and Black and Decker in terms of water removal. It pulls the same 50 pints of water daily in a tidy, compact unit. 

However, its smaller size comes with some downfalls. The water storage tank is tiny. Four liters may sound big, but when you convert it, you realize that it is only 1 gallon, half the size of the Frigidaire model that removes the same amount of moisture per day. 

Of course, you don’t have to worry about the small storage tank if you decide to use the drain hose to continuously drain the water. But the drain hose, like everything else, is small, measuring just under two feet.

The unit is quiet, and the interface is easy to use. The filter is also easy to access for cleaning.  

Another 50 pint dehumidifier, the JHS Dehumidifier features both a large storage tank and a continuous draining option. What sets this model apart from the others is its customized mode option.

Here’s how it works. The folks at JHS have pre-programed the suggested relative humidity you want for different rooms in your home. You can simply select the room you are in, and you are done. You no longer need to worry about knowing exactly how much moisture is best for your space.

Now, of course, you can still select the relative humidity yourself if you want. Simply use the up down arrows located on the top panel to find your ideal moisture level. It can range from 35% to 80% RH. You can all adjust the fan to three different levels. 

Once you have it set right, you don’t have to worry about anyone changing it. It features a handy child lock mode, so your kids can’t go around changing your settings on you. When you need to change your settings, you simply press and hold the timer button three times, and the lock light should disappear. Super easy. Just like everything else on this model. 

Energy Efficient Dehumidifier Buying Guide

When purchasing an energy efficient portable dehumidifier, it can be tempting to decide based on price. But there are more factors that affect how well your dehumidifier works in your home. You will want to consider how ample the space is and how often you want to be emptying your water storage tank (if ever).

So let’s take a closer look at some of these factors. 

Tank Capacity

If you don’t plan on hooking up a hose to your dehumidifier, then the water tank’s capacity can be an essential factor in your buying choice. Smaller capacity tanks will mean you will be emptying the tank more frequently. This can be a hassle if the dehumidifier is in a space you don’t often use, like a garage or a basement. 

Not only is it painful to constantly be emptying the tank, but your dehumidifier will automatically turn off when the tank is full. So if you don’t realize right away, then your dehumidifier will not be running until you empty your tank, which is not ideal for keeping your room dry.

If you don’t want to be emptying your tank constantly, choose something with a 50 pint capacity like our top choice by Frigidaire.

On the other hand, if you plan on hooking up a hose and bypassing the storage tank, capacity is much less important. Since your water will automatically exit through the hose and down the drain, you don’t need to empty your dehumidifier or worry about it not running when it is full.

Size

The capacity of your dehumidifier is definitely going to affect the size of the machine. Obviously, the larger capacity, the larger your dehumidifier will be. While the size of your dehumidifier is going to go hand in hand with its capacity, models of the same capacity can be different sizes.

If you are looking for a dehumidifier that isn’t too large and can still handle a medium to large room, the Shinco is smaller than other dehumidifiers of its class. And it can still handle a room up to 3000 square feet!

Daily Water Removal Capacity

In addition to tank capacity, dehumidifiers are measured by their capacity to remove water from the air. This number is measured in pints of water per day are removed from the air. (Which can be confusing because, really besides beer, what is measured in pints?)

The larger the space you want to dry out, the larger the dehumidifier’s capacity to remove moisture needs to be. Which makes sense when you think about it, as there is more water to get rid of. 

But here’s where it gets confusing if you have bought a dehumidifier in the past. In 2019, the Department of Energy released a new standard for measuring the energy efficiency of both whole house dehumidifiers and portable dehumidifiers.

One change is that this standard is now based on the Integrated Energy Factor that we will discuss later. The other is that it now tests dehumidifiers on standards that more accurately reflect the spaces where they will be used (1).

With less water to remove in cooler settings, new models have lower capacity ratings than their previous counterparts. For example, in the past, you might have bought a 70 pint dehumidifier, whereas now, the same room will only require you to buy a portable dehumidifier that removes 50 pints of water daily, like the Frigidaire model.

A key factor to determining what size dehumidifier you need to keep moisture levels low is the square footage of your space. So, let’s talk about that now.

Floor Size

You want to buy a dehumidifier that is large enough to keep your home dry but not too large, or it will not be energy efficient. To do that, you will need to figure out the square footage of the space you want to dry out.  

Square footage is a measure of area. If your space is a rectangle, it is pretty easy to figure out the area. You simply measure the length and then the width of the space (2). Check out this video to learn more about how to figure out the square footage of your space:

Once you know your square footage, you will want to figure out how damp your space is. According to Energy Star and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the damper your space, the larger capacity you will need, even if the square footage is the same (3). Moisture levels can vary, so they rank spaces from moderately damp to extremely damp.

So, for example, a 2000 square foot space that is only moderately damp could get by with a dehumidifier that removes 22 pints of water per 24 hours, while an extremely damp space could need a unit that removes up to 37 pints per day.

Operation Mode

When it comes to dehumidifiers, there isn’t a lot to control. However, there are some operational modes you want to look for.

If you are looking for an energy efficient dehumidifier, you will want to look for the ability to set your relative humidity. This setting will help make sure you are not wasting energy by reducing the moisture level more than is necessary. When it reaches your ideal humidity, it will shut off, and as the humidity climbs, it will rise again.

Also, if you are hoping to hook it up to a hose, you do want to know that the unit can run continuously. Otherwise, the unit will auto shut off when the water storage tank is full so as not to overflow.

Some units allow you to control the fan speed while others don’t. There are a whole host of features out there to look through. Keep in mind how you want to use it when looking at the features. For example, the Shinco features a mode specifically for drying clothes. Which is perfect if you plan on keeping your dehumidifier in the laundry room or basement, but perhaps not so useful if you want to leave it in your living room.

Integrated Energy Factor

When looking for energy efficient appliances finding an EnergyStar appliance is always a good place to start. But when all the dehumidifiers you are considering are Energy Star rated, how do you find the most efficient to get the most money saving?

The answer is to look for the highest Integrated Energy Factor (4).

Not only will choosing the highest Integrated Energy Factor help save money on your power bill, but it will also help lower your carbon footprint.