A dehumidifier's extraction rate is an average of how much moisture it can remove from the air during a given timeframe. Most commonly this is measured in litres per day, so an extraction rate of 10L/per day means the dehumidifier should be able to extract 10 litres of moisture within 24 hours if running continuously. In practice, this also depends on the humidity levels of the room, and the ambient temperature.

This dehumidifier is designed for managing fairly low moisture levels in small rooms up to 15m² or 2200 cubic feet, so it isn't going to cope with major damp issues or be able to control humidity within an entire house like larger capacity dehumidifiers. That said, the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier still impressed us during testing, and as long as you don't expect too much of it, this mini dehumidifier has a lot of plus points, not least its affordability. The unit isn't the lightest or most compact we've tested, but then we wouldn't expect that from a machine this powerful. However, built-in wheels, a retractable carry handle, and cable tidy make it easier to move around the house and store neatly away when it's not in use.If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast. Plus, the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier'sSmart Laundrymodeworks brilliantly for drying washing indoors – wet laundry was dry in hours rather than the days it can usually take in the draughty Victorian terrace we tested the unit in. If you’re looking for a dehumidifier that can clear moisture in a larger space or deal with significant damp levels within the home, then you need a dehumidifier with a high extraction rate.

It's also important not to confuse the extraction rate with a dehumidifiers water tank capacity. As both are generally measured in litres or millilitres this can sometimes cause confusion.

Most dehumidifiers have their noise levels listed in their specifications, although in practice we didn't find that much variation between models, with most falling somewhere between 35 and 45dB. When I tested the laundry function on the Russell Hobbs 20L dehumidifier to dry t-shirts in a small bedroom, it definitely sped up the drying time' said our reviewer. 'The T-shirts closest to the dehumidifier dried in 3 hours, but those further away took aboutdouble that time to completely dry'. How we test So, if you’re after the smallest dehumidifier on the market, we think the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G wins the accolade of best small dehumidifier, with good all round performance for its size housed in one of the smallest builds on the market – along as you don't expect too much from that 0.3L extraction rate. First up, it's worth making clear that this small dehumidifier has a low extraction rate compared to many others on our list. The ProBreeze 1500ml Mini Dehumidifier can extract just 0.5L of moisture from the air per day. For comparison, the lowest extraction rate offered within the MeacoDry Arete One range is 10L of moisture extraction per day.

It's also worth considering noise levels and energy consumption before you invest in a dehumidifier. There's also plenty of useful functionality on the models. The automatic Smart Humidity Mode works perfectly and is hassle-free, turning the dehumidifier on when moisture-levels rise and automatically shutting the appliance off when the desired humidity is reached so there's no wasted energy or expense.And in our tests, the Arete One reduced moisture levels in damp-prone rooms in a very short period of time. If you're wondering how to get rid of mould in a poorly ventilated room, or trying to combat excess moisture or humidity inside the home, then a dehumidifier can be a useful tool in your arsenal. As Chris Michael, Managing Director of the air quality brand Meaco says, inside the home, 'excess moisture in the air can come from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing, and the damp British weather.' Unlike a compressor dehumidifier that passes air over a cold coil to condense the water from it, a desiccant dehumidifier uses a 'desiccant chemical' to absorb the moisture from the air. As a result, desiccant dehumidifiers are the best option for rooms that are likely to fall below 15°c, as at lower temperatures compressor and Peltier models can struggle to work efficiently.

7. Best mid-budget dehumidifier: Challenge 12 Litre Dehumidifier

That said, if you find the Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier on offer, and are willing to accept its flaws in exchange for its lower price point, this can be a great value buy that does the job and will make a big improvement to general damp issues.

It's fair to say that most dehumidifiers aren't the most stylish of appliances, which is why the De'Longhi Tascuigo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier is something of a breath of fresh air amidst the usual boxy white plastic designs. The sleek and modern unit with navy blue exterior stands out from the crowd in all the right ways, and whilst it doesn't have built-in wheels like most dehumidifiers of this size, the integrated carry handle and mid-weight build make it relatively easy to transport from room to room. If you want a more compact build, then there is also a 12L and 14L model available. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Overall, if you can put up with its increased noise volume and absorb the higher running costs, we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis a good buy. It's definitely the best dehumidifier for drying clothes that we've tested, and anything that makes wet-weather laundry days easier is a win in our books. Like compressor dehumidifiers, Peltier dehumidifiers also use a condensation process to remove moisture from the air. However, they do this via a thermoelectrical process rather than using refrigerant and a compressor, so they're generally a lot quieter and more economical to run. The downside is that they're far less powerful, so Peltier dehumidifiers tend to very small and best for localised areas of moisture – they won't be powerful enough to help with damp in a large room or entire house.Compressor dehumidifiers tend to be the most common design available in the UK. They work by drawing air into the dehumidifier via a fan, and then running the air over over cold coils to condense the moisture from it, whereby the condensed water is collected in a water tank.The coils are kept cool by refrigerant which means the unit also needs a compressor built in. The only downside of compressor dehumidifiers is that they need the air to be warm for this process to work. Most will work above 5°C, but they're most efficient at an ambient temperature of around 20°C (depending on the individual model). Overall, it's not the most powerful dehumidifier you can buy, and it can't cope with high moisture levels – we found it made little difference when drying wet washing for example. However, it did a great job of clearing condensation on windows and managing moisture levels in a small bedroom when left running overnight.