By Amy McNabb
Test Data Analyst | Kaitātari Raraunga Whakamātautau
The best dehumidifiers we’ve tested can extract over 6L of moisture from the air in 24 hours – one can collect 8.3L. But the worst extract only about 2L in the same amount of time and even less at low temperatures.
You could easily buy a poor performing dehumidifier if you choose one based on manufacturer claims. We’ve found the amount of moisture dehumidifiers can collect is, on average, only about 30% of the claimed maximum water extraction rate.
That’s because manufacturers test their dehumidifiers at 30°C and 80% relative humidity – conditions very different to a typical New Zealand home.
At Consumer NZ, we test all dehumidifiers at a range of realistic temperatures and humidity levels.
The worst dehumidifiers in our test
Breville LAD208WHT
Average price: $519
Overall score: 59
The Breville LAD208WHT is a small refrigerant dehumidifier. It’s the worst we’ve tested of any size. Yet it costs more than several better-performing models – and the best small dehumidifier we’ve tested is only $31 more.
Breville claims that the LAD208WHT can extract 10L of moisture a day. But we found that it could only extract 1.7L of moisture in 24 hours – on average across a range of temperatures and humidity levels.
And this model scored just 38% in our low temperature performance test, extracting a mere 1.4L in 24 hours at 8°C and 90% relative humidity (RH).
Nouveau NHDH120
Average price: $225
Overall score: 61
The Nouveau NHDH120 is the cheapest dehumidifier we’ve tested – but it’s no bargain!
As with the Breville above, Nouveau claims that the NHDH120 can extract 10L of moisture a day. However, it was only able to collect 2.3L of moisture in 24 hours on average in our tests.
And the NHDH120 extracted just 1.7L in 24 hours at 8°C and 90% RH, giving it a score of only 42% for our low temperature performance test.
