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Short answer: in a heated home (18°C and above), a compressor model removes more water per penny. In a garage, a conservatory or an unheated room that drops towards 10°C or below, a desiccant model keeps working where compressor models fade, at two to four times the watts.
Side by side
All the desiccant models we found, with five compressor models for scale. Litres a day are printed with the conditions each maker gives: they are not comparable across makers.
| Model | Type | Extraction (as published) | Power | Per hour [calc] | Noise | Weight | Lowest temp | Price (Nov 14) | Seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete One 6L | Compressor | 6 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 101 W | 2.7p | from 32 dB(A) | 8 kg | 5°C | £125.99 | B&Q |
| Meaco Arete One 10L | Compressor | 10 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 151 W | 4.0p | from 35 dB(A) | 11.3 kg | 5°C | £159.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 10L | Compressor | 10 L/day (conditions not published) | 160 W | 4.2p | from 38 dB(A) | 6.95 kg | 5°C | £94.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Meaco MeacoDry ABC 10L | Compressor | 10 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 165 W | 4.3p | from 36 dB(A) | 10 kg | 5°C | £129.99 | Meaco UK store |
| EcoAir DC12 MK3 | Compressor | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 210 to 240 W | 6.3p | from 39 dB(A) | 9.5 kg | 15°C | £139.98 | EcoAir store |
| Meaco DD8L Pro (desiccant) | Desiccant | 7.97 L/day (20°C, 60% RH, top fan speed) | 231 W | 6.1p | from 40 dB(A) | 8.7 kg | 1°C | £259.99 | Meaco UK store |
| EcoAir Piccola | Desiccant | 5 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 200 to 320 W | 8.4p | from 33 dB(A) | 4 kg | 1°C | £199.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD1 Mini | Desiccant | 6 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 270 to 442 W | 11.6p | from 32 dB(A) | 5.1 kg | 1°C | £179.94 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD2 Simple | Desiccant | 9 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 260 to 570 W | 15.0p | from 37 dB(A) | 6.7 kg | 1°C | £229.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 | Desiccant | 7.5 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 300 to 580 W | 15.3p | from 34 dB(A) | 6 kg | 1°C | £199.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD1 Classic MK6 | Desiccant | 7.5 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 300 to 580 W | 15.3p | from 34 dB(A) | 6 kg | 1°C | £229.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD128 | Desiccant | 8 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 331 to 623 W | 16.4p | from 39 dB(A) | 6.1 kg | 1°C | £239.94 | EcoAir store |
| Pro Breeze 10L Desiccant | Desiccant | 10 L/day (conditions not published) | 630 W | 16.6p | from 44 dB(A) | 6.8 kg | 1°C | £199.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| EcoAir DD3 Slimline | Desiccant | 10 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 420 to 670 W | 17.6p | from 36 dB(A) | 6.8 kg | 1°C | £259.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD3 Simple | Desiccant | 10 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 420 to 670 W | 17.6p | from 45 dB(A) | 8.5 kg | 1°C | £269.94 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir DD3 Classic MK3 | Desiccant | 11 L/day (20°C, 60% RH) | 420 to 735 W | 19.3p | from 36 dB(A) | 7.5 kg | 1°C | £329.94 | EcoAir store |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
What the makers publish about cold
- Lowest working temperature. Meaco's compressor models: 5°C; Ebac's: 3°C; Pro Breeze's: 5°C; EcoAir's compressor models (DC12 MK3, Summit S, DC26): 15°C. Every desiccant model in our list: 1°C.
- Extraction in the cold. Meaco publishes a table for each model. Its Arete One 10L removes 4.34 litres a day at 20°C and 60% RH and 1.41 litres at 10°C and 60%; its MeacoDry ABC 10L, 4.48 and 1.55 litres. Full table on dehumidifiers for a cold room or garage.
- Desiccant figures are given at 20°C and 60% RH (EcoAir, and Meaco's DD8L Pro at its top fan speed: 7.97 litres). We found no maker figure for a desiccant model at 10°C, so we do not claim one.
- Pro Breeze's own buying advice, on its 10L Desiccant page: "In cold environments (below 15°C/59°F), desiccant dehumidifiers are more effective because they don't rely on temperature differences to remove moisture."
The running cost, worked out
Eight hours a day for six months (1,459 hours) at 26.32p per kWh [calc]:
- Meaco Arete One 10L (compressor, 151 W): £58.
- Meaco DD8L Pro (desiccant, 231 W): £89.
- EcoAir DD1 Classic MK6 (desiccant, 300 W low, 580 W high): £115 on low, £223 on high.
The DD8L Pro is the outlier: Meaco publishes 231 W for it, less than half the high setting of most desiccant models. Try any model on the running cost calculator, which lets you switch EcoAir models between low and high.
Noise and weight
Desiccant models have no compressor, and some of the lowest noise figures in our list are theirs: EcoAir publishes 32 dB(A) on low for the DD1 Mini and 34 dB(A) for the DD1 Classic, and desiccant models in our list weigh 4 to 8.7 kg, against 6.95 to 13 kg for compressor models of 10 to 12 litres. See the quietest dehumidifiers and every model on the comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to run, a compressor or a desiccant dehumidifier?
Per hour, a compressor model. The compressor models of 6 to 12 litres in our list draw 101 to 240 W; the desiccant models draw 231 W (Meaco DD8L Pro) to 735 W (EcoAir DD3 Classic MK3 on high). At 26.32p per kWh that is 2.7p to 6.3p an hour against 6.1p to 19.4p [calc].
When is a desiccant dehumidifier better?
In cold spaces. Meaco's tables show its compressor models removing about a third of their 20°C output at 10°C (the Arete One 10L: 4.34 litres a day at 20°C and 60% RH, 1.41 litres at 10°C). The desiccant models we list are rated to work from 1°C. Pro Breeze puts the threshold at about 15°C on its desiccant product page.
Do desiccant dehumidifiers heat the room?
Yes, noticeably: almost all the electricity a dehumidifier uses ends up as heat in the room, and a desiccant model uses several hundred watts. That warmth is useful in a cold room and wasted in a warm one in spring.