The 4 Best Whole-House Dehumidifiers

A standard dehumidifier is usually designed to remove moisture in the air from one room or smaller area, but the best whole-house dehumidifiers are powerful enough to tackle every room — but they’re a pretty steep investment — especially if you have a larger home. For that reason, before you click that “add to cart” button, consider the intended maximum square footage and the amount of dehumidifier power you need in terms of moisture extraction.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the average size of a new single-family house in America was 2,261 square feet in 2020. Of course, your house may be bigger or smaller than that, but be sure to choose your dehumidifier unit accordingly to ensure that it’s powerful enough to remove moisture from every room. The options below range from 1,500 to 4,400 intended square feet.

You’ll also want to know how much water your dehumidifier can remove from the air. This is typically measured in pints per day, and the larger the space and the more humid the environment, the higher you’ll want that number should be.

For reference, the most powerful option below (the Aprilaire E80 Pro) can remove up to 80 pints of water per day, which is considered more than powerful enough for very wet spaces up to 2,500 square feet. More powerful units are also ideal if your home has ample windows, doors, bathrooms, washing machines, or is located in an exceptionally damp climate. (Since that’s a lot of water to empty out on a daily basis — and the tank capacities are often smaller to save space — all of the dehumidifiers below have hose or drain tubes outlets, so they can empty themselves, though some setup is required.)

Scroll on for the best whole-house dehumidifiers that’ll have you covered in one go.

1. A Best-Selling Large Dehumidifier

The hOmeLabs dehumidifier has earned itself an overall 4.7-star rating from almost 40,000 reviewers across its multiple sizes and styles. Buyers love it because it’s relatively compact, sleek, easy to use, and energy-efficient. Among its convenient features, you’ll find a 24-hour timer, humidity level presets, and a turbo moisture removal setting. While the 1.6-gallon capacity tank will prompt the machine to shut off automatically when full, the unit also comes with a drain hose outlet so it can empty itself. (A few of the larger sizes also have an internal pump, so at the press of a button, you can release all of the water through the included hose.)

• Maximum square footage: 3,000
• Also available in: 1,500, 3,500, 4,000, and 4,500 square feet models
• Pints per day: 35
• Dimensions: 15.4 by 11 by 24.3 inches

One reviewer wrote: “Awesome dehumidifier, probably the best purchase we've made so far this year. Bought it about 8 months ago. Used it all through the humid summer months here in the southeast. Easy to operate, easy to clean the filter when needed. Worked like a champ to maintain our indoor humidity at around 40%. We sweat less and slept better. Only a minimal general increase in our electric bill, and worth every penny.”

2. The Best Energy Star-Certified Dehumidifier

There are several features that make this BLACK+DECKER dehumidifier the most eco-friendly option: For one, it’s Energy Star certified, not to mention it was voted one of the most efficient units in 2020. For another, its filter is removable and washable to save you money on replacements and to limit waste. Finally, the refrigerant it uses is environmentally friendly, unlike most commercial units. Since it comes with a 1.64-foot hose, it can empty its 6.4-pint (roughly 1 gallon) tank automatically — though it’s also easy to use alongside a standard garden hose or a bucket. This one is among the most compact units, and its LED digital display allows you to personalize the automatic timer and the adjustable humidistat.

• Maximum square footage: 1,500
• Also available in: N/A
• Pints per day: 22
• Dimensions: 10.24 by 15.2 by 19.69 inches

One reviewer wrote: “Great dehumidifier. This little thing can really pull out the moisture. Has a large collection tank for less empties. Very energy efficient.”

3. The Best Smart Dehumidifier

This Honeywell dehumifier has some advanced features that make it a great addition to your smart home. It’s Wi-Fi enabled so you can control it from anywhere using your phone — or, if you have Alexa, you can change the humidity or fan speed settings just by speaking the words out loud. It has a detachable 50-pint water tank (7.5 gallons) with a built-in handle for easy emptying. However, there’s also an included hose for automatic drainage. Finally, it has a built-in washable filter that collects dust while the unit dehumidifies the air.

• Maximum square footage: 3,000
• Also available in: 1,000 and 4,000 square feet
• Pints per day: 50
• Dimensions: 13.2 by 10.5 by 20.1

One reviewer wrote: “Purchased this for our beach house to keep the humidity down. The app allows me to monitor conditions while I’m back at our home. Moisture bucket isn’t very big but that’s not a major concern. Came with a drain hose which allowed me to place the unit on the kitchen counter and keep the dehumidifier running while we’re away.”

4. The Most Powerful Dehumidifier

Suitable for commercial spaces as well as large houses, the Aprilaire E80 Pro dehumidifier is one of the most powerful units around. It’s capable of extracting 80 pints of water from the air a day (or 12 gallons), and you can attach it directly to your ductwork or place it over a floor drain for hassle-free emptying. (However, there’s no water tray option.) The smart-sensing technology automatically monitors the humidity levels and adjusts accordingly.

• Maximum square footage:
• Also available in: 2,800, 5,500, and 7,200 square feet
• Pints per day: 80
• Dimensions: 34 by 15.42 by 17.1 inches

One reviewer wrote: “It is a heavy duty environmental control appliance much like a furnace. I anticipate that this will last a while longer. It brought the humidity down to 50% and has kept it there without any issues. And it is very quiet.”