If you have a large home with a damp problem, you might be tempted to forgo larger, expensive dehumidifiers in favour of several small, cheaper ones in each room. The problem is that it can be more costly than buying the larger model and much less cost-effective. That’s why we recommend the 25L ElectriQ Smart Dehumidifier as the best dehumidifier for houses with up to six bedrooms. Read on to avoid overspending, or ending up with a dehumidifier that's not suited to your needs. Whether you're on a budget or want to spend more, we'll help you to find the most appropriate model to help fight condensation, damp and mould.

A dehumidiifer can be especially useful in poorly insulated or unventilated rooms, or over the winter months when we're all trying to dry a lot of wet washing indoors. If you’re only planning to dehumidify occasionally – for a few hours here or there in a kitchen or bathroom, for instance – you can get away with a mini-dehumidifier with an extraction rate of less than one litre. It will be cheap to buy, cheap to run and perfectly effective. The same applies if you’re trying to fight damp or mould in a smaller area, such as a wardrobe, utility room or box bedroom. Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products. There's also plenty of useful functionality on the models. The automatic Smart Humidity Mode works perfectly and is hassle-free, turning the dehumidifier on when moisture-levels rise and automatically shutting the appliance off when the desired humidity is reached so there's no wasted energy or expense.And in our tests, the Arete One reduced moisture levels in damp-prone rooms in a very short period of time.As Chris Michael, Managing Director of the air quality brand Meaco says, inside the home, 'excess moisture in the air can come from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing, and the damp British weather.' And, whilst this Russell Hobbs number is cheaper upfront, running costs are higher, with the 20L dehumidifier using 440W of energy compared to Meaco's 20L Arete One which uses 216W on average. Plus, the Arete One offers a built-in air purifier which this model does not.

With a two-litre tank, it might need emptying more regularly than some models, but there’s a 1m hose if you need continuous draining into a sink or drain. And while there’s no timer, you do get a laundry mode and a choice of quiet and turbo functions, and the rotary control is – as advertised – simple and easy to use. A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air to dry out the room, depositing it safely inside its water tank until you are ready to pour it away. Its job is to help you reach the optimum humidity level, and some even purify the air, removing allergens and dust through their filter.Don’t get too excited about any claims of silent running – we found that, while actively dehumidifying, it puts out around 50dB on all of its three settings, so you won’t want to sit and watch the TV while it’s on. However, it’s a good performer for its size, reducing humidity in a damp-prone living room by 9% in the first hour and by nearly 22% within two hours. The laundry function’s quite effective too, helping dry your washing indoors without adding a layer of condensation to the windows. And at 9kg it’s light enough to take from room to room, making this a great dehumidifier for the average flat or small to medium-sized home. If you need a dehumidifier capable of reducing moisture in a larger space or have more significant damp levels, then you need a dehumidifier with a high extraction rate. This Russell Hobbs model can extract 20L of moisture from the air per day, and whilst it doesn't quite offer as much functionality as the comparable 20L MeacoDry Arete One (and can't beat the Meaco on energy efficiency) it is a cheaper upfront investment. Despite its compact size, this dehumidifier is also heavy. And noisy. We also didn’t find it that much help with drying clothes, although it did a good job of managing general damp and reducing condensation and mould on windows and walls. Key specs – Dehumidifier type: Compressor; Tank size: 2.5l; Extraction rate: 10 litres per day; Dimensions: 47.2 x 23.7 x 31.9cm (HWD); Warranty: 5 years parts and labour Key specs – Dehumidifier type: Desiccant; Tank size: 2l; Extraction rate: 6 litres per day; Dimensions: 48.5 x 29 x 17.5cm; Weight: 6kg; Warranty: 2 years