The 6 Best Dehumidifiers for Basements, According to Testing

Best Overall

Midea 50-Pint Cube Dehumidifier

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design4.5/5
Effectiveness5/5
Value5/5
Its 4,500 square foot coverage area is more than enough for most basements.

Its 4,500 square foot coverage area is more than enough for most basements.

The included drainage hose is fairly short.

The included drainage hose is fairly short.

When searching for the best dehumidifier for your basement, coverage area and tank size are some of the most important factors to consider, especially if you don’t want to check on the unit every day. This pick from Midea is a true set-it-and-forget-it device that can remove up to 50 pints of water from the air per day with a coverage area of up to 4,500 square feet. The 34-pint collection tank is the largest of all the dehumidifiers we tested, but you can also choose to drain the unit continuously into a drain through the included drainage hose.

Assembling the unit was simple and only took us five minutes to complete thanks to its clear instructions. While some settings weren’t intuitive, like holding two buttons to turn on the continuous mode, there were stickers directly on the unit to help us through the setup.

Once the unit was running, we could hold conversations and watch TV without any major distractions, a nice touch for those with living areas in their basement. There’s a small window to easily view how much water the humidifier has collected, and the unit will alert you when it’s time to empty the tank. If you don’t spend much time in your basement, you can also connect the humidifier to your WiFi to monitor the dehumidifier through your smartphone.

We didn’t have any troubles accessing the filter, which slides into a slot in the side of the unit. And after three months of using the unit continuously, we only needed to clean the filter once. We did notice some mildew buildup in the bucket, but we were able to wipe it off.

Despite its large size, we didn’t have any trouble emptying the tank. If you’d prefer that the dehumidifier continuously drain, the unit comes with a hose. However, we found it to be fairly short and chose to attach our garden hose instead. And while the unit can slide into the collection tank, you can’t nestle the two while the drainage tube is in, which we found defeated the purpose of saving space, as we needed a separate spot to store the tank.

We chose to use the drainage hose during our long-term testing and didn’t experience any problems over the three-month testing period.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ROBERT TUTTON

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ROBERT TUTTON

Key Terms to Know

Moisture Removal Capacity vs. Tank Capacity: When shopping for a dehumidifier, you'll notice two separate capacities listed: the moisture removal capacity and the tank capacity. The moisture removal capacity refers to how much water the device can remove from the air in 24 hours, while the tank capacity is how much the tank can hold—usually far less than the moisture removal capacity.
Hygrometer: A device used to measure a room's humidity levels.

Best Budget

Amazon Basics Dehumidifier

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design3.5/5
Effectiveness5/5
Value5/5
We were impressed with its ability to quickly remove moisture.

We were impressed with its ability to quickly remove moisture.

We couldn’t comfortably hold a conversation over the noise during testing.

We couldn’t comfortably hold a conversation over the noise during testing.

While it doesn’t have all the smart features available on the market, this pick from Amazon Basics is one of the best choices for basements, especially if you’re on a budget. With a coverage area of up to 2,500 square feet and the ability to remove up to 35 pints of water per day, it’s powerful enough for most basements. Overall, we were impressed with its ability to quickly and effectively dry a room, noting crisper air in just 30 minutes.

The dehumidifier was almost ready to use straight out of the box and took us less than five minutes to set up. It did take us an extra 15 minutes to read through the instruction manual to understand what each button controlled, but once we understood, we felt confident using the unit.

When we first turned the dehumidifier on, we noted how loud it was—it’s not the best pick for those who like to watch TV or entertain in the basement. But if you don’t spend a lot of time in your basement, the noise may not be a huge concern.

We tested the dehumidifier in a room that regularly gets enough condensation to drip water down the windows in the mornings. To our pleasant surprise, after one night of using the dehumidifier, the windows were completely dry. Every time we used the dehumidifier, we noticed a substantial change in humidity within 30 minutes, noting crisper air and an almost 10% difference on our hygrometer. We also noted that the unit’s built-in hygrometer almost always matched our external hygrometer’s readings exactly.

The tank was easy to remove and empty and we appreciated the small window on the collection tank to monitor how full it was. You can also use an included drain hose for continuous drainage. The filter was easy to clean, and the unit includes light indicators to show when the filter and tank need maintenance.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ELENA GARCIA

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ELENA GARCIA

Best Smart

Honeywell 30-Pint Smart Dehumidifier

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design5/5
Effectiveness5/5
Value5/5
It has a built-in handle and wheels, making it easy to move wherever you need it.

It has a built-in handle and wheels, making it easy to move wherever you need it.

It’s best to use this dehumidifier with a drainage hose since the collection tank is on the smaller side.

It’s best to use this dehumidifier with a drainage hose since the collection tank is on the smaller side.

If you’re looking for an effective dehumidifier with tons of smart features, we recommend this model from Honeywell. The device is compatible with Amazon Alexa and can be controlled and monitored through your smartphone via the Honeywell app.

While the assembly took us 20 minutes—the longest out of all the dehumidifiers we tested—we didn’t have any troubles during setup. We appreciated the unit’s relatively light weight, built-in handle, and wheels that made it easy to move around where we needed it. Once the machine was up and running, we noticed a difference in the air almost immediately.

In addition to its two fan settings, the device includes a timer, sleep mode, auto-defrost, auto-restart, and automatic shut-off settings, all of which can be controlled in the Honeywell app. The app is also helpful for monitoring moisture levels and will notify you when the tank is full. If you’d rather not use the app, the tank will also beep and emit a red light to notify you when the tank is full or the device needs maintenance.

While the dehumidifier has a large coverage area of 3,000 square feet and a decent capacity of up to 32 pints per day, the collection tank can only hold 7 pints of water. Because of this, it may be easiest to use the included drain hose for continuous drainage.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / STEPHANIE LEWIS

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / STEPHANIE LEWIS

Best with Drain Hose

GE Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design4/5
Effectiveness5/5
Value4.5/5
The unit is dark gray, which may hide stains better than a more common white unit.

The unit is dark gray, which may hide stains better than a more common white unit.

It’s one of the loudest options we tested.

It’s one of the loudest options we tested.

If you’re looking to use your dehumidifier continuously, you’ll want to consider an option with a drain hose. Many of the best dehumidifiers offer the option to drain continuously through a hose, but this pick from GE includes a hose and a built-in pump to drain the water quicker. It’s a great pick for those who don’t want to go down to the basement and empty a collection tank every day, especially if you have a lot of basement space.

It didn’t take much work for us to set up the device, but we did need to wait a full 24 hours after unboxing it before turning it on, according to the manual. But after running it for the first time on a rainy day for 13 hours, we felt a noticeable difference in the air and the 15-pint collection tank was completely full.

The dehumidifier includes features like a built-in timer, built-in fan, and frost control sensors. It can cover areas up to 4,500 square feet and remove up to 50 pints of water per day. The only downside to this unit is that it’s a bit loud, so it might not be the best choice for those who spend a lot of time in their basement.

The dehumidifier’s filter was easy to clean with soap and water. In addition to the unit’s effectiveness, its dark gray color makes it a great choice for blending into darker basements and hiding stains, unlike most dehumidifiers, which are typically white.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / SHEILA TONG

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / SHEILA TONG

Best with Pump

Frigidaire 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Built-In Pump

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design4.3/5
Effectiveness4.8/5
Value5/5
The built-in hygrometer was accurate during our testing.

The built-in hygrometer was accurate during our testing.

While it has a pump, it doesn’t come with a drain hose.

While it has a pump, it doesn’t come with a drain hose.

If you’d like to continuously drain your dehumidifier but don’t want to go through a floor drain, you’ll need a model with a pump like this one from Frigidaire. To continuously drain water from a dehumidifier without a pump, the hose needs to face downwards to allow gravity to pull the water out. A pump allows you to feed the drain hose upwards, usually through a window or into a sink.

While this model has an effective pump, it’s important to note that it does not come with a drain hose—you’ll need to purchase one separately or use a standard garden hose. Other than that, the unit was easy to set up. At 47 pounds, it is one of the heaviest models on our list, so you may need two people to get it out of the box. But it has a handle and built-in wheels, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to move where you need it.

The basement we tested this humidifier in had a washing machine and a sump pump, but within a few hours we could feel a significant difference in the basement’s humidity. We do recommend using a drain hose, as the tank didn’t have a strong handle and the water it collected didn’t pour out smoothly.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MARY HONEYMAN-SPEICHINGER

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MARY HONEYMAN-SPEICHINGER

Best Small

Pure Enrichment PureDry Deluxe Dehumidifier

Setup5/5
Features5/5
Design5/5
Effectiveness4.8/5
Value4.5/5
The collection tank is transparent, making it easy to tell when it’s ready to empty.

The collection tank is transparent, making it easy to tell when it’s ready to empty.

It doesn’t come with a drain hose.

It doesn’t come with a drain hose.

With a coverage area of 160 square feet and a tank size of 3.17 pints, this dehumidifier from Pure Enrichment is ideal for smaller rooms in a basement, whether it be a bedroom, bathroom, or storage room. While testing, we liked the unit’s overall effectiveness and lightweight design.

The assembly was extremely easy—besides removing the packaging, it was ready to go straight out of the box. The instructions were easy to follow, and the three buttons on the top of the unit were intuitive to use. There are two speeds, low and high, and the device can run continuously or be set on a four- or eight-hour timer. Keep in mind, the unit doesn’t come with a drain hose. However, it can turn off automatically when the tank is full, so you won’t need to worry about it leaking.

The unit was quiet while running (we found the sound level similar to a white noise machine) and emitted a soft light, which we didn’t find distracting. We also appreciated how easy it was to tell when the collection tank was full thanks to its transparent design. The tank was easy to clean, and there wasn’t a filter to clean or change out, an added bonus if you’re looking for a machine with less maintenance.