If you have more serious damp issues, then although a dehumidifier can help to reduce the problem and improve the air quality in your home, it won't prevent the damp from occurring in the first place, so it's important to get to the root of the issue. Read our guide to how to get rid of damp for help in identifying the cause of your damp issues, and how to treat them.

I was testing the 12L Arete One, which means that it can extract up to 12 litres of moisture from the air per day. And thanks to a generous 2.5L water tank, there's plenty of capacity to collect this condensed water. That means you don't need to constantly empty the dehumidifier as I found I was doing with other models. The MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifiers are some of the best dehumidifiers we've tested. They're quiet, easy to use, work superbly and are very energy-efficient compared to other compressor models. Plus, all offer a built-in air purification function to improve air quality within the home in more ways than one. So, if you’re after the smallest dehumidifier on the market, we think the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G wins the accolade of best small dehumidifier, with good all round performance for its size housed in one of the smallest builds on the market – along as you don't expect too much from that 0.3L extraction rate. Because this isn’t a dedicated air purifier, it doesn’t have sensors to determine the air quality so the air purifier won’t automatically correct 'bad' air and will only work when the dehumidifier is running, but it’s still a great additional feature to have included. Energy useJust like the MeacoDry Arete One, as well as an impressive extraction rate the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier has some great features, including an easy-to-read LED screen that displays current humidity levels and a useful Smart mode that monitors the humidity levels for you, turning the dehumidifier on and off as soon as it rises above the recommended home humidity range between 45%~55% for more economical (and hassle-free) use. There's also auto-shut off functionality when the water tank is full. The water tank is placed at the front of the machine, so if it is pushed up against the wall, you can still access that easily. On laundry mode, I put two loads of just cleaned washing on a clothes horse, letting the MeacoDry Arete One do its job. Once the laundry mode cycle had completed, the washing was dry. Performance can vary, depending on the relative humidity, the room in which you have the humidifier and the temperature. The unit isn't the lightest or most compact we've tested, but then we wouldn't expect that from a machine this powerful. However, built-in wheels, a retractable carry handle, and cable tidy make it easier to move around the house and store neatly away when it's not in use.

Finally, you can press and hold the humidity button to activate the fan-only mode, which just runs the humidifier as an air purifier. Performance Basically, if you have a larger house with large rooms and a damp problem, then this is the kind of dehumidifier you should look at if you want to deal with the issue. But is it up there the best? It's also worth considering noise levels and energy consumption before you invest in a dehumidifier. What's the quietest dehumidifier? Looking like a portable air conditioning unit, the MeacoDry Arete One is a fairly large box (562 x 376 x 232mm). Weighing 15kg (without water in it), it’s quite chunky, too, although the wheels make it easy to move around. Cleverly, you can even place the unit against a wall, and it will still work effectively. In fact, this is the quietest compressor dehumidifier I've tested, far outperforming any of the other models we've tested on this front.

Yes there is an option of a charcoal filter to remove smells and volatile organic compounds from the air In night mode I still found noise levels too high to sleep with it running in the same room, but it was fine running in a room downstairs or in another room, with only a barely perceptible low hum crossing walls or floors. MeacoDry Arete One review: What could be improved? And there’s a simple but clever solution for pouring out the water. With Arete there are two spouts: one to the left and one to the right. So you can pour the water away without having to juggle or twist the tank. Whilst performance can vary when it comes to drying clothes due to factors like ambient room temperature and the type of fabrics you've washed, I tested the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier several times whilst drying washes and my washing was always airing-cupboard dry and ready to put away once the cycle had completed.

The device also gets points for leaving out the continuous drainage tube which, as admitted by Meaco itself, often just gets thrown away. MeacoDry Arete One 20L Dehumidifier: Our verdict If you’re looking for a small dehumidifier, then the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier is about as compact as it gets, measuring just H22 x W14 x D14cm and weighing in at 0.9kg. I had the MeacoDry Arete One running whilst I worked and watched TV and it didn’t bother me at all. The official stats say it runs at just 35dB, and it certainly felt very quiet in practice. I tested the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier in a couple of different areas throughout my home to get a good feel of exactly what it could do. For context, I live in a Victorian terrace, so as you can imagine, dampness and mould can be an issue, especially when it’s been raining a lot.

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This dehumidifier also offers a night mode which keeps the fans on low in case you want to use it in a bedroom overnight, but, I found the MeacoDry Arete One very quiet whichever mode I had it running in. For more details, you can read our full Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier review. How to choose