A dehumidifier helps deal with mould, allergens, and just being uncomfortable from excess humidity. If you’re interested in getting one, check out our top picks below. After our reviews, we’ve included a buyer’s guide to get you started.
Here are the best dehumidifiers in Australia:
1. Ausclimate NWT Medium 20L Dehumidifier (Top Pick)
From market leader Ausclimate comes this high performing and reliable 20-litre dehumidifier.
This unit does a fantastic job of pulling moisture out of the air. You won’t believe how humid a room is until you see all the water collecting in the tank.
This is the medium-sized model and it’s good for rooms up to 30 square metres, or 75 cubic metres. It’s easy to use, with an LCD display and digital controls, including a 12-hour timer and variable humidity settings. It also has an automatic restart function in case there is a loss of power.
Overall, this is one of the best dehumidifiers and represents great value for money.
What We Like:
- Reliable
- Easy to use
- Automatic restart
What We Don’t Like:
- May not be big enough for a large house
2. DeLonghi DDS25 AriaDry 25L Dehumidifier
This DeLonghi dehumidifier works extremely well. It pulls water from the air easily, and it runs fairly quietly.
It has a range of settings with an adjustable humidistat and an auto-off switch. The entire unit is fairly light-weight and there are casters on the bottom so it’s easy to move around as needed.
In case you suffer from allergies, it also has washable anti-bacterial air filters, so you don’t need to worry about gunk building up on them.
This is a high-quality machine that costs a little extra, but it pays for itself in the long-run. You can expect to be using this one for years to come.
What We Like:
- Relatively quiet
- Excellent at dehumidifying
- Washable filters
What We Don’t Like:
- Not for heavy-duty jobs
3. Breville The All Climate Dehumidifier
The Breville All Climate dehumidifier can operate in low temperatures, which is a major selling point, as not all dehumidifiers will be effective in a cold environment.
The unit has sensors, or what they call the Sensair system, that monitors the humidity in the room and keeps it at the required level. it will power itself up and down to maintain the perfect humidity level.
It also has two-stage filtration with a pre-filter and a carbon filter, so it’s good for allergy sufferers who want to breathe easy.
Overall, this is a very solid unit that can work in warm or cold environments and has some great features.
What We Like:
- Works in low temperatures
- Smart sensors to maintain peak humidity level
- Good filtration
What We Don’t Like:
- Small tank capacity
4. Ionmax ION632 Desiccant Dehumidifier
The ION632 from Ionmax is a very nice dehumidifier; it has a sleek design and looks stylish.
The controls are very user-friendly and it has a range of functions such as adaptive control, abnormal temperature detection and auto-shutoff when the water tank is full. It also has auto-restart after a power cut and an 8-hour timer.
The power consumption is quite good, with 3 power levels, and it can dehumidify a room relatively quickly. It’s a little on the noisy side, so you wouldn’t want to be in the room while it’s operating, but otherwise, it gives a very good performance.
This is good for an area of up to 50 square metres and would be perfect for a large living room or office.
What We Like:
- Powerful
- Easy to use
- Good features
What We Don’t Like:
- A little noisy
5. Hysure 1500ML Compact Dehumidifier
This Hysure dehumidifier is ideal for any small room or bedroom, or spaces up to 20 square metres, and is very inexpensive compared to other dehumidifiers. A smaller unit also has low power consumption.
It has a 1.5-litre water tank, and the overall unit is fairly compact and easy to carry around. It runs pretty quietly; you can hear a low humming, but most people would be able to sleep in the same room with it.
There aren’t too many features; it has an auto-shutoff when the tank is full, and that’s about it. You just turn it on and let it go.
Overall, this is an excellent, low-budget, portable dehumidifier.
What We Like:
- Compact
- Quiet
- Inexpensive
What We Don’t Like:
- Too small for large rooms
Dehumidifier Buyers Guide
How does a dehumidifier work?
A dehumidifier sucks in humid air so that it passes over a refrigerated coil before passing back out into the room. This causes the moisture from the air to condense and collect as water in the bottom of the dehumidifier. Humid air is sucked in and dry air is pumped out.
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What conditions do dehumidifiers work best in?
Most commercial dehumidifiers are intended for warm weather when there is a lot of moisture in the air. There are also times when you may need a dehumidifier for cold and wet environments, though, and there are special low-temperature dehumidifiers designed for this.
Choosing a dehumidifier Size
The following guidelines are a good rule of thumb when choosing a dehumidifier:
- For a room that’s 50 square metres, you need a capacity of 5 litres.
- For a room that’s 100 square metres, you need a capacity of 7 litres.
- For a room that’s 200 square metres, you need a capacity of 10 litres.
- For a room that’s 230 square metres, you need a capacity of 12 litres.
Features to looks for in a dehumidifier
Look for an easy-to-remove collection tank so you can easily empty the dehumidifier. The unit should also have an auto-shutoff feature when the tank is full to prevent spillage.
The unit should also have a humidistat. This measures the moisture in the air and lets you set the relative humidity that you want to maintain.
Some units contain air filters so you can purify the air and remove the humidity at the same time. This is a good feature to look for if you suffer from asthma or allergies.
Dehumidifier energy performance
The efficiency of a dehumidifier is measured in litres of moisture removal per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the dehumidifier is.
Dehumidifier FAQs
The size of the dehumidifier you need will vary depending on how low the temperature is and relative humidity. As a general rule, a dehumidifier with a 5-litre tank capacity is suitable for up to 50 square metres. A dehumidifier with a 12-litre capacity is suitable for an area up to 230 square metres.
You can leave a dehumidifier running constantly, but after a while, moisture removal will make the air become very dry. In the beginning, you can leave it running overnight but you should turn it off once relative humidity is around 50%.
The best place to put a portable dehumidifier is near the source of the humidity whether that’s in a basement or a kitchen. A dehumidifier needs a good amount of ventilation while it works so place it at least 20cm away from walls and furniture. It will also generate a lot of heat while in operation, so place it in a large open area.
A dehumidifier won’t eliminate mould, but it will remove moisture from the air and make the mould inactive if you keep the humidity at 50%. You still have to clean away the existing mould to get rid of it for good.
Dehumidifiers can be pretty noisy and should be used when the occupants of a house are not around. If you are using it around people, it’s better to get one with a low-pitched sound that will blend into the background.
