AS the cold, damp weather drags on you may be finding it difficult to keep condensation and mould out of your home, especially if you need to dry laundry indoors.
Damp in the air can also be a health hazard which can trigger asthma and other breathing problems, as well as affecting your immunity. It can also cause mould in your home.
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We spoke to one property expert for his top tips on getting rid of mould and condensation.
But one solution to the problem is to use a dehumidifier, a machine which extracts water out of the air to reduce humidity levels.They aren’t cheap though - dehumidifiers typically cost around £150 to £200.
In recent years several retailers have started selling budget models for under £50 - but are they any good?
Consumer expert Martyn James says consumers need to shop around to make sure they get the best dehumidifier for their money.
“As a general rule, the more you pay, the better quality you get, but even at the budget end of the market there is a lot of variation in standards,” he says.
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“Don’t rush into a purchase just because it seems cheap - a poor quality product is always a waste of money no matter how cheap it is.
"Try to find trusted reviews or get recommendations from friends and family before you buy.
"And don’t forget that you have the right to return a product under consumer protection laws if it doesn’t work as claimed or is poorer quality than you expected."
We tested six budget models costing between £30 and £49.99 to see which was best – with surprising results.
Most of the claims about effectiveness on dehumidifier packaging are based on tests carried out in an “ideal” environment, which is usually much hotter and damper than the average British home.
None of the models we tried were very effective in our real-life domestic testing environment but the best one was nearly twice as good at extracting water as the worst.
And surprisingly, the cheapest product - a £30 Blaupunkt design sold by B&M - was among the most effective.
To test the products, we ran all six dehumidifiers for eight hours in a damp bedroom at 20C.
All the items were placed an equal distance from drying laundry.
We measured the amount of liquid collected by each product over eight hours and then multiplied this by three to predict the amount each device would collect in a 24-hour period.
We assessed each model for ease of use (including how easy it was to set up, empty and clean), noise levels and value for money, giving a total score out of 20 for each product.
Here’s what we discovered about each dehumidifier:
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Blaupunkt compact dehumidifier – B&M: £30.00
Extracted: 35ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 105ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 4/5
Ease of use – 5/5Noise levels – 4/5
Value for money – 5/5
Total score: 18/20
This model - designed by German manufacturer Blaupunkt - was the second most effective at extracting water, collecting equivalent to 105ml over 24 hours.
It was easy to use, with a slide-out water tray with removable lid which could be fully emptied and removable air filter covers.
It was slightly louder than most of the other products tested but made a deep whirring sound, which was less annoying than the whining buzz of some of the other models.
The water tray seemed well-made but the main body seemed cheap and flimsy, with the edges of the casing failing to line up properly.
As this was the cheapest product we tested, we were surprised at how effective it was at extracting water.
For that reason, it got the highest score for value for money.
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Xaxazon 1000ml small dehumidifier – Amazon: £45.99
Extracted: 41ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 123ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 4/5
Ease of use – 4/5
Noise levels – 3/5
Value for money – 4/5
Total score: 15/20
This model was the most effective at extracting water, collecting around 123ml in 24 hours – twice as much as the worst model we tested.
It also looked fairly stylish, included adjustable colour-change LED lights and was easy to empty and clean, with a removable drip tray and air filter covers.
But it was noisy when on and the design was top-heavy, which meant it tended to topple over when there was no water in it or the tray was removed.
It was also one of the more expensive products we tested.
Vazzidea 750ml dehumidifier – Amazon: £42.99
Extracted: 32ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 96ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 3/5
Ease of use – 3/5
Noise levels – 4/5
Value for money – 4/5
Total score: 14/20
Lots of dehumidifiers look ugly but this Vazzidea one has a stylish round black body and adjustable LED colour-change lights, which shine through the water tray.
Unfortunately, the fancy design makes emptying it quite difficult, as you have to screw off the top to access the water tray.
The round shape of the tray also makes it tricky to pour away without spills, as there is no spout.
We found the noise of this one quite annoying – it made a whining buzzing sound.
But it was one of the more effective models we tested, extracting equivalent to 96ml of water over 24 hours.
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Challenge 0.5l mini dehumidifier: Argos £49.99
Extracted: 32ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 96ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 3/5
Ease of use – 3/5
Noise levels – 5/5
Value for money – 3/5
Total score: 14/20
This was the smallest and by far the quietest model we tested - it hardly made any noise.
It wasn’t very effective though, only extracting equivalent to 84ml over 24 hours.
It got extra points for having a removable air filter cover, which means you can clean out dust that gets trapped inside, and for having an easy-to-remove drip tray.
But it lost points because you can only empty the tray via a hole filled by a rubber plug, meaning it is impossible to clean out fully.
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Compact dehumidifier - Coopers of Stortford: £39.99
Extracted: 26ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 78ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 2/5
Ease of use – 3/5
Noise levels – 4/5
Value for money – 3/5
Total score: 12/20
This one looked very similar to the Challenge model sold by Argos but felt more robust.
However, the power outlet on the model we tested was poorly made and we had to remove a piece of loose plastic from it.
The model was relatively quiet and easy to use with a removable drawer-style water tray.
But it lost points because the tray could only be emptied via a hole in the lid, so can’t be fully cleaned, and there was no way of removing the air filter cover for cleaning.
It was the second least effective model we tested, extracting only around 78ml of water in 24 hours.
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PureMate 600ml air dehumidifier – On Buy: £34.99
Extracted: 21ml in 8 hours (equivalent to 63ml in 24 hours)
Effectiveness – 1/5
Ease of use – 4/5
Noise levels – 4/5
Value for money – 2/5
Total score: 11/20
This On Buy dehumidifier was easy to set up and use, with a simple on/off switch and a water tray with a removable lid, which can be fully emptied and cleaned.
But it lost a point for ease of use because it was very fiddly to put the tray lid back on again.
It was pretty quiet but it also didn’t seem like it was doing much.
That showed in the amount of water it collected, which was the lowest we found at just 63ml per 24 hours.
We rated this one poorly for value for money as it just didn’t work very well.
Elsewhere, we tested heated airdryers to find out which was the best.
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