Dehumidifiers are a great way to remove odors, dust, allergens and humidity from the air in your home, but if you’re not careful with your purchase, they can be a real strain on your wallet and the environment. Luckily, there are some excellent energy efficient dehumidifiers out there, which can help you get rid of humidity, as well as cut down on electricity costs and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Plus, as energy efficient units spend less electricity, they go through less wear and tear, which extends their shelf life and makes them more durable in the long run.
To get you better acquainted with these high-performance, eco-friendly options, we selected the best three energy efficient dehumidifiers on the market. All of our recommendations are Energy Star certified, but vary in price, features, and dehumidifying capacity. Their unique features and differences can help you find the best option for your home!
Make sure to check out the buying guide at the end of the article, where we share some essential advice on what factors to look out for when choosing the best energy efficient dehumidifier for your needs.
| Picture | Name | Price | Capacity | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hOmeLabs Energy Star Dehumidifier | $$ | 70 pints | 2 years | |
| Seaira Global WatchDog 550 Dehumidifier | $$$ | 55 pints | 1 year on the unit, 3 years on parts, and 5 years on the sealed system | |
| Danby Energy Star Dehumidifier | $ | 70 pints | 2 years | |
| Picture | Name | Price | Capacity | Warranty |
1. hOmeLabs Energy Star Dehumidifier : Best for Most People
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“This option offers great value for an affordable price, and has the capacity to dehumidify large rooms and spaces.”
Our top choice for most people is the hOmeLabs Energy Star Dehumidifier. This option offers great value for an affordable price, and has the capacity to dehumidify large rooms and spaces. The hOmeLabs comes with a sleek design and quiet operation, which makes it a great choice for living rooms, as it won’t attract any unwanted attention in your daily life.
Pros:
The hOmeLabs dehumidifier features a high dehumidifying capacity. It removes up to 70 pints of water from the air, daily, which makes it suitable for large rooms, up to 4,500 square feet. You can place this dehumidifier in the living room, or in any wet space in your home, such as a basement or a bathroom. For especially humid spaces, you can activate the hOmeLabs’s turbo mode, and enjoy as the air in your home becomes lighter in no time.
This model is intelligently designed not to disrupt your daily life in any way. The sleek, elegant look prevents the hOmeLabs from ever being an eyesore in your living room. Plus, this dehumidifier features quiet operation: the quiet fan won’t cause any ruckus as you watch TV, have guests over, or read a book in peace.
“This model is ergonomically designed not to disrupt your daily life in any way.”
The hOmeLabs is also quite easy to use. The user-friendly control panel will allow you to adjust the unit to the optimal moisture-absorbing setting, after which you can set the dehumidifier to run for a 24-hour cycle until the tank fills up with water, at which point the dehumidifier will shut down on its own. If you don’t want to bother with any tank-emptying, you can purchase a drain hose to hook up to the hOmeLabs, and the collected water will drain on its own.
Lastly, this unit is quite durable. hOmeLabs offers a 2-year warranty, to which you can add an extra 6 months if you register the product on their website.
Cons:
One issue with this unit is that the water tank is too small considering its high dehumidifying capacity. If you place it in an especially wet environment, you may need to empty the tanks several times a day.
Another possible drawback is that although you can add a hose for draining the water, the hOmeLabs doesn’t feature a pump, so that the draining may be a bit slow – as it depends on gravity.
2. Seaira Global WatchDog 550 Dehumidifier : Best Quality
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“The WatchDog is the top energy efficient recommendation of the government-sponsored Energy Star project.”
The Seaira WatchDog 550 is our top quality choice, as it’s one of the most efficient and durable dehumidifiers on the market. In fact, it’s the top energy efficient recommendation of the government-sponsored Energy Star project (1). This model’s dimensions make it ideal for placement in crawl spaces, as well as basements.
Pros:
The WatchDog 550 is powerful and compact at the same time. The 250 CFM speed at which the 550 runs allow it to quickly dehumidify the air in any room. It has the capacity to remove 55 pints of water from the air per day, enough for an area up to 10,000 cubic feet. Although this is less than our other recommendations, it’s still quite decent, especially if you take into account the model’s size.
This unit measures 12”x18”x12”, which makes it the perfect choice for compact spaces, as it can fit into any crawl space or cramped corner. It’s also easily maneuverable, so that you can transport it from one room to another without a hassle.
“The WatchDog 550 is powerful and compact at the same time.”
If you’re looking for something very user-friendly – this is it. It features a digital touchpad display, which you can use to select your desired humidity level. Once the humidity level is set, you won’t have to worry about much more, as the unit monitors the humidity of the room and adjusts its operation accordingly. The Watchdog 550 also has an auto-restart feature and a hot gas bypass function, which allow it to run without any input from you.
Lastly, the high quality of the Watchdog is backed by an excellent warranty. It has a 1/3/5 warranty: 1 year on the unit, 3 years on parts, and 5 years on the sealed system.
Cons:
With a price over $2,100, this unit is by far the most expensive option out of our recommendations.
3. Danby Energy Star Dehumidifier : Best On A Budget
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“The Danby is a good choice for people living in cold and humid climates.”
The Danby Energy Star Dehumidifier is our top budget-friendly pick. It offers a high dehumidifying capacity for quite an affordable price. It also has the ability to run even in cold temperatures without the system freezing, which makes it a good choice for people living in cold and humid climates. The Danby is also easy to use and will require very little work on your part!
Pros:
For a price below $200, the Danby offers a lot of value for your money. It has a high dehumidifying capacity like the hOmeLabs, and it can remove up to 70 pints of moisture from the air in a day. This makes it suitable for large spaces up to 4,500 square feet. Plus, it comes with two fan speeds, high and low, which will allow you to choose how fast it will remove the moisture from the air.
The Danby is very easy to use. The featured “smart dehumidifying” function will allow you to set the humidity to your favored level, and let the smart sensor on the unit do the rest. The auto-restart function allows the Danby to remember the previous function settings in the case of a power outage, and continue running according to the last adjustments once the power is back on.
“This model is a great option for cold climates.”
The Danby is also easy to maintain. The spacious 12.7-pint capacity of the tank will demand less tank-emptying work on your end. Plus, the full-tank indicator light on the unit will let you know when it’s full. The removable air filters make clean-up easy, and the direct-drain system will prevent any mold build-up in the tank.
The Danby is easily portable. It comes with four built-in caster wheels, so that you can easily transport the unit from one room of your home to another.
This model is a great option for cold climates. The featured automatic de-icing system will keep the coils from freezing, and allow this dehumidifier to work in temperatures as low as 41F.
Lastly, the Danby is backed by a limited 2-year, which further adds value to the product.
Cons:
While the unit does employs quiet operation, you can still hear a hum as it works.
Another possible drawback of the Danby is that some of the parts may arrive a bit bent, but that still doesn’t affect the performance of the unit.
Conclusion
Our top choice for most people is the hOmeLabs dehumidifier, as it has a high capacity, excellent durability, and comes at a decent price point. This model is the best choice for large spaces such as living rooms, as the quiet operation and sleek design will make it an unnoticeable yet useful addition to your daily life.
The best quality option on the list is the Seaira WatchDog 550. This is one of the most energy efficient models on the market, and offers unparalleled durability. The WatchDog is a great choice for crawl spaces and cramped corners. However, this dehumidifier has a slightly lower dehumidifying capacity than our other two recommendations, and is also significantly more expensive.
Our favorite budget-friendly model is the Danby Energy Star dehumidifier. Not only is the Danby affordable, but it also features a high dehumidifying capacity. It’s easily portable, and the best choice for people living in cold climates.
How to Choose the Best Energy Efficient Dehumidifier
Now that you’ve read our reviews, you may still be wondering which option is the best choice for your home. To find the best energy efficient dehumidifier for your unique needs and preferences, read on to our essential buying advice, so that you’ll know which factors to keep in mind while shopping.
Capacity
Consider the size of the room you want to dehumidify. While all of our recommendations come with a high dehumidifying capacity, the hOmeLabs and the Danby collect 70 pints of moisture per day, while the WatchDog collects 55.
“If you’re buying something for a basement or a medium-sized room, all options will be fine.”
If you’re buying something for a basement or a medium-sized room, all options will be fine. If you need something for a significantly larger space, go for either of the former two models.
Budget
“The WatchDog is much more expensive, as it costs over $2,100.”
Think over how much money you are willing to spend on your new energy efficient dehumidifier. While the hOmeLabs and the Danby are both around the $200 mark, the WatchDog is much more expensive, as it costs over $2,100.
Warranty
“All our recommendations come with great warranties.”
A good warranty is always important when shopping for anything. All our recommendations come with great warranties. The Danby and the hOmeLabs come with 2-year warranties. The WatchDog offers the best warranty of 1/3/5 years.
FAQ
Q: Are dehumidifiers expensive to run?
A: Energy-efficient dehumidifiers are not very expensive to run. While most dehumidifiers cost from 6¢ to 10¢ per hour to operate, energy efficient dehumidifiers can help you cut over 30% of costs.
Q: How efficient are dehumidifiers?
A: Energy Star certified dehumidifiers are quite efficient (2). Their high energy-efficiency allows them to remove as much moisture as other models, while using about 30% less of the energy.
Q: Where is the best place to put a dehumidifier?
A: The best place to put a dehumidifier depends on which room in your home has the most humidity, or which room in your home you use the most. You can choose to place it in wet rooms such as a bathroom, laundry room, or a basement, or in frequently visited rooms, such as living rooms or bedrooms. Make sure to place the dehumidifier at least 12” away from walls, as it will work better with more airflow surrounding it.
What’s Next?
We hope that our reviews and buying guide will help you find the most energy efficient dehumidifier for your home. By now you should have a better idea of what you’re looking for, and hopefully, soon enough you won’t have to worry about neither humidity, nor high electricity bills! For more information about each of our recommendations, follow the title links to find out their price, in-depth specifications, and customer reviews.
Meanwhile, you can also see all the best dehumidifiers on the market, and check out the other criteria we used in making our top picks. You can also drop by our contact page to share any questions, comments, or other feedback with us.