WIRED updates guide to best dehumidifiers for 2025
WIRED has refreshed its annual roundup of top dehumidifiers, tested in humid environments like New York City and a Maine cabin reaching 80 percent humidity. The guide emphasizes models for basements, apartments, travel, and laundry drying, prioritizing user-friendly features and moisture control. Updated in October 2025, it includes new testing on models like Dreo's 110-pint unit.
The WIRED article, originally published on October 1, 2024, details hands-on testing by author Lisa Wood Shapiro, who previously overlooked dehumidifiers despite living in humid New York City. Inspired by social media and a summer in a damp Maine cabin, Shapiro evaluated devices for comprehensive air quality improvement, including low moisture alongside PM 2.5 and VOCs.
For basements, the Honeywell Smart Portable Dehumidifier TP70AWKNR (50-pint, $270) stands out with its app for iOS and Android, allowing preset humidity, fan speed, and timer settings. It connects to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, features a moisture sensor, and offers a four-year parts warranty. However, its 1-gallon tank fills quickly in high-moisture areas, requiring a continuous drain tube for effective use; Shapiro noted it shut off after three hours in her unfinished basement.
In apartments, the Honeywell TPFIT50PWK (50-pint, $360-$400) excels with a 2-gallon tank and robust laundry mode, drying a rack of towels in four hours and a fitted sheet faster. Lacking Wi-Fi or voice control, it still provides five-year warranty coverage and is recommended for its energy efficiency.
Travelers favor the Eva-Dry Renewable Mini Dehumidifier E-333 ($15-$25), a desiccant-based unit invented over 20 years ago in Florida. It absorbs moisture without electricity initially, with beads changing from orange to green; recharging takes 12 hours plugged in. Ideal for luggage or small spaces, it has no tank or noise but a five-year warranty.
The Midea 20 Pint Cube ($179) is praised for design, nesting into a compact 13-inch square with optional wheels for its 33-pound frame. Its 3-gallon tank, intuitive app, and quiet operation (20-42 decibels) suit small homes; low settings aid laundry drying despite no dedicated mode.
Other picks include the refrigerant-free Eva-Dry 4000 Rotary ($319-$350) for 440-square-foot rooms, reducing humidity from 62 to 46 percent in four hours with a clothes drying mode, though its 2-liter tank needs frequent draining. The GoveeLife Smart ($230) removes 49-109 pints daily and dried multiple laundry items in four hours on an 80 percent humidity day. The compact Breezome 60 Oz. ($72) adds mood lighting for bathrooms but suits only small spaces.
Shapiro advises checking labels for 24-hour moisture removal capacity, not tank size, and using hygrometers for 30-50 percent ideal humidity per EPA guidelines. Dehumidifiers prevent mold growth but cannot remediate existing issues; collected water is not potable.