Best Dehumidifiers Online
Dehumidifiers are machines that dehumidify the air. As simple as that. You may wonder why you would want a dehumidifier, but for people who have used it in their homes, it is the question that would seem odd. A dehumidifier reduces the relative humidity inside the home so much that even in naturally high humidity areas where mold and fungus growths are a problem, it will stop it.
Having a dehumidifier will even stop the musty smell in your closet or your basement where you don’t go often and keep closed most of the time. Because of this dehumidifiers are found in various sizes, starting from the really large ones that can be connected to your HVAC system to really small ones that you can hang inside your closet.
Most of them are very simple in operation and require very little to no maintenance. Of course you will have to throw our the water that tends to get collected in the bottom pail but apart from this there is nothing else that you will have to do.
Based on the the buying preferences of people we have divided the humidifiers into three categories based on price. There is a direct correlation between the price and the size or capacity of the appliance, but only price has been taken as the dividing factor. Let us now proceed to find out about the three broad categories that dehumidifiers can be divided into.
Budget (Under $50) Dehumidifiers
These dehumidifiers are the cheapest ones in the market and are very simple mechanically operated devices. They do not require any electricity, and are very often nothing but a plastic case with silica gel inside. This silica looks like grains of sand that are colorless. They are however very hygroscopic which means that they have a tremendous affinity for water. Thus when you put them anywhere where there is any humidity in the ambient air, they will slowly absorb the moisture all the while increasing in size.
Once they reach their full capacity and are 100% saturated, they cannot absorb any more. At this time you either replace the gel or you dry them out so that they lose their moisture.
The low end ones are those that are below $50 in price. In this category the Eva-dry dehumidifiers have a stranglehold on the market. The top three best sellers all all Eva-dry products. They are very simple last a long time, and are absolutely maintenance free. As the company says, you can continue to use and reuse them for at least 10 yrs, when the silica grains need to be replaced. Find below the top selling models in this category.
This model is their closet model which means that they are not useful if you want them for your room. As a simple dehumidifier for your closet, or even your RV it is very good. It does not require any maintenance at all once you hang them up deep inside between your clothes. Except for an occasional look see at the indicator to find out if the silica has become saturated there is nothing more to be done.
A very convenient indicator is given for you to check this. When the color changes to blue, you know that it is time. All you do is plug it somewhere and within a few hours it is completely dry and ready to be used again. This hang and dry system can be done countless times and it lasts up to 10 yrs. At just $35 what more do you want. Plus if you get two at the same time you can get it for $30 each, and if you get more than three you get them for $25 each. At this price it is pretty much unbeatable. Click here if you want to check out more details.
This model is a ditto of the previous model except for its shape which is squarish, while the 500 is a nicer oval shape. It is also smaller in the sense that you can only use it in really small spaces like your closet and are pretty much useless in larger spaces. Both work the same way and even the indicator is the same.
Because it is smaller it also costs lesser and at only $25 apiece, it is very good value just to hang around the closet or to even put into a trunk or carton that you do not use very often. A simple example would be your Christmas decoration box. Putting one in when you pack up your tree will ensure that there is no mildew on it the next year when you open it up.
This model too comes with a discount if you purchase more; you get two for $20 and pay only $18 for more than 3. Click here to get a look at how it looks like.
This is Eva-dry’s conventional dehumidifier which means that it draws in air on one side, extracts the moisture out of it and then blows it out the other. While the above two models may be a good choice for small enclosed spaces, they really do not work well in larger spaces. It is a conventional system in the sense that it uses conventional technology where the air is passed over a cooling device which causes the moisture to condense. The dry air is then blown out the other end using a fan.
Obviously it has to be plugged in for it to work, and this model also requires that you keep draining out the water that collects in a small container. Depending on the ambient humidity, this can range from every few days to a few times a day. At around $60 it may be a little over our budget, but it is still included because you can get it for just over $40 if you avail yourself of any discounts. Most online stores also sell it at this price. This is the only conventional model that comes at this price which is why it is so popular. Click here to check it out.
Economy ($50 – $150) Dehumidifiers
Mid range is taken as any dehumidifier that costs between $50 and $150. Although the low end ones are really cheap, the mid range ones is where the majority of the sales are. This is because apart from the EDV 1100 the others are pretty much useless to dehumidify rooms. Strictly speaking the 1100 too should have fallen in this category where it would probably be in first place, but as we had mentioned previously, only price has been taken as the differentiating factor and the 1100 falls in the previous category because of this.
Let us now take a look at what the top selling models are in this category.
As mentioned Eva-dry has a stranglehold on the market with them occupying the top two spots in this category too. They have very good quality machines and more importantly they are priced very competitively. While the 1100 cost less than $50 and was much smaller and could only be used in small rooms, the EDV 2200 is bigger and can therefore be used in slightly larger rooms too.
At around $119 it is quite a bit more expensive than the 1100, but then it is the cheapest one around. Added to this is the fact that you can probably get it for less than $90 if you look around enough and take advantage of all the discounts, and you have a very good dehumidifier. Click here for more details.
2. Eva-dry electric petite dehumidifier
This model is once again their compact model in the sense that it is similar in size to the 1100. It can therefore only be used in compact places and very small rooms. This model is however popular for only one reason and that is that it comes as part of a package. You get the option of going only with this unit which costs you around $60 which is not worth it as the 1100 makes better sense, but as a package with two other closet sized mechanical dehumidifiers all together for just $100, it makes it a very good package.
Of course if you need a number of each you can get them separately, but if not, as a package it is one of the best options to go with, and it is obvious that the buying public too things so considering that it is the second top seller in this category. Click here to check it out.
3. Haier CJ 30 M 30 pint dehumidifier
This once again is a conventional dehumidifier but is bigger than the Eva-dry options. At a 30 pint capacity, it is pretty large, and can be used for most average sized rooms. Haier may be a relatively new entrant into the market, but they already have a good name for good low cost appliances. You may not get a number of features, but then hey, what features do you want in a dehumidifier other than that it removes humidity. At only $133 with free shipping it makes very good value for money. Check it out for yourself.
High End (Over $150) Dehumidifier
These ones are those that cost above $150. Don’t think that that’s about it, you also get dehumidifiers at more than $3000 but they are either meant for a specific purpose or are for the really wealthy who are looking for ways to pay more for something that they can get for less. For most of us this is about as high end as a humidifier gets. The reason why these ones are called high end is because they come with electronic controls, while the earlier models came with mechanical rotary controls. There is nothing wrong with rotary controls because they too work, but then coupled with this electronic controls you also get a larger capacity.
If for example you want one dehumidifier for your hall, there is really no other option other than for you to get one of these. The mid range ones may be sufficient for other, smaller rooms, and unless you want to have a couple of them running in the same room this is the only choice. These models also cost much less than if you get two mid range ones. Let us now go see what the top selling models are in this category.
1. Frigidaire FAD104TDP 70 pint dehumidifier
This is actually Frigidaire’s mid range offering, but is the best value for money when it comes to a good large capacity dehumidifier. As the name says it has a 70 pint capacity which means that it can dehumidify 70 pints a day. What exactly this translates to in real life is that it is bigger than a 50 pint one. This model is popular because it costs only $180 gives you different fan speeds as well as different humidity settings, different indicator lights for water full etc and an anti bacterial mesh that sort of works like a partial air purifier too. Although it is a little on the expensive side, it is still the best value for money in this category.
2. Soleus Air-CFM 40 pint dehumidifier
This model is popular in fact more popular than the next one which is actually a 50 pint model because of only one reason, and that is the way it looks. It is a portable unit and comes with a handle attachment which you can use to carry it around. Plus you get an electronic control unit that gives you a number of options along with a small display called the “humidistat” option. At around $195 (Click here for the lowest price option) it is more expensive and gives you less capacity, but then it looks really great.
3. Delonghi DD50P 50 pint dehumidifier
When compared to the earlier two models, this one is the most high tech of the lot. It has a number of features including a continuous discharge system where you can attach a pipe to the water discharge outlet and not have to worry about throwing out water daily. It can also be hung on the wall and is a very light weight design. Added to this is the fact that you get a silver ion filtration system that will make sure that the air that comes out is pure; basically working as a dehumidifier cum air purifier. It also has an anti frost system and can be used even in very cold climes. At nearly $220 it is also the most expensive of the lot; but then we are talking about high end models are we not. Click here if you want to get more information on this model.
Dehumidifiers may not be that necessary in places where the relative humidity levels are very low, but then most of us live along the coast. During winter the high humidity coupled with the low temperatures encourage the growth of mildew and a number of other unwanted things in the home and a simple dehumidifier will ensure that this does not happen.
