8 Best Dehumidifiers That Will Keep Your Home Comfy in Muggy Weather

Enduring humid weather is bad enough, but dealing with a muggy house is unbearable. Besides interrupting sleep and generally feeling gross, that excess moisture could lead to a build-up of allergy-causing mold and musty odors in your home. That’s where a dehumidifier comes in. The humble appliance isn’t as exciting as some other home upgrades, but it can make a huge impact on your quality of life.

A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air inside your home, which can be especially damp in the summer. It can make it easier to get to sleep, prevent indoor air quality issues, keep musty smells at bay, ward off bugs, and just help you feel more comfortable overall.

Relative humidity should hover between 30% to 50% in warmer months and 30% to 40% in cooler months for maximum comfort, per the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Anything above that will feel too muggy, making it difficult to relax.

Higher humidity can also lead to health problems: Mold thrives at 60% relative humidity and above, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which recommends using dehumidifiers in particularly damp spaces.

How to choose the best dehumidifier

Understand your space. A dehumidifier’s capacity is usually measured in pints per 24 hours, per the EPA’s Energy Star program, and this figure is crucial in finding the right model. Two factors impact the capacity you’ll need: room size and relative humidity. Most small and medium rooms require 20 to 30 pints, while larger rooms likely need 30 to 40 or above. Exceptionally damp or wet spaces will need even more. (Energy Star has a helpful chart explaining proper capacity.)

Consider energy use. Many dehumidifiers are power-intensive, meaning they’ll cost you on your energy bill. To cut back on operating expenses, look for models that are Energy Star certified, which means they’re nearly 15% more efficient than other options.

Go for the right extras. You can certainly plug in your dehumidifier and call it a day, but a few upgrades can make the experience much more convenient. Most models allow you to attach a drainage hose if you don’t want to manually pour out the unit every day—but you’ll need a unit with a pump if you want to send the water up into a sink. Auto-humidistats monitor the relative humidity and turn the dehumidifier off when the desired level is reached. And filter indicators remind you when to change your filter.

Now that you have the basics down, you’re ready to pick out the model that’s right for your home. Ahead, shop top-rated dehumidifiers you can find online right now.