Start with the room
Where is the damp?
Guides
All guidesRunning cost
Your state matters more than the model
Among the 156 portables rated between 45 and 50 pints a day, the thriftiest uses 438 kWh a year and the hungriest 530. In the United States, that’s $80 against $97.
Take one of them, the Midea MAD50PS1AWT-S, from Louisiana to Hawaii, and its yearly bill goes from $66 to $250.
Midea MAD50PS1AWT-S, 520 kWh a year
| State | Price | Relative cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana (lowest) | 12.72¢ | $66 | |
| U.S. averageYour state | 18.31¢ | $95 | |
| U.S. average | 18.31¢ | $95 | |
| California | 33.61¢ | $175 | |
| Hawaii (highest) | 48.00¢ | $250 |
Brands
The brands, and who files them
The company that files a model with the EPA is often not the name on the box. Keystone, Whirlpool, and Amana dehumidifiers are all filed by Almo.
- Waykar63models9–50 pints a dayportableFiled byWaykar and 2 others
- Midea49models20–50 pints a dayportableFiled byGD Midea
- Moiswell24models24–65 pints a dayportable and whole-houseFiled byShenzhen Yinfeng
- Hisense21models25–50 pints a dayportableFiled byHisense Air Conditioning
- TCL16models24–50 pints a dayportableFiled byTCL Delonghi
- Vissani13models22–50 pints a dayportableFiled byThe Home Depot
- Aeocky8models23–45 pints a dayportableFiled byZhuhai Invitop and 1 other
- Honeywell8models24–50 pints a dayportableFiled byJMA North America
- Frigidaire6models22–50 pints a dayportableFiled byElectrolux Consumer Products
- Pelonis5models22–50 pints a dayportableFiled byGD Midea
- Santa Fe4models86–172 pints a daywhole-houseFiled byResearch Products
- AprilAire3models65–105 pints a daywhole-houseFiled byResearch Products
How we compare
Three rules, on every page
- A number comes with its source and its dateCapacity and energy from the EPA list, prices from the EIA, recalls from the CPSC. You can check each one.520 kWh a yearEPA · Oct 15, 2026
- What isn’t published says soNo estimate fills a gap. If a maker doesn’t give the pump height or the noise level, the page says “not published”.Pump height: not published
- No one pays for a placeSome links earn us a commission. They never decide the order: a list is sorted by size, cost, or efficiency.Sorted by yearly energy, lowest first
Questions
What people ask before they buy
Short answers, with the figures behind them.
What size dehumidifier do I need?
It depends on the floor area and how damp the room is. On the ENERGY STAR sizing chart, a damp space under 2,000 sq ft needs 20 to 30 pints a day. A wet one needs 30 to 50. Enter your own area in the calculator above to see the models certified at that size.
ENERGY STAR sizing guidance, read Oct 5, 2026 · EPA list, Oct 15, 2026How much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
Across the 156 certified portables rated 45 to 50 pints a day, the median model uses 520 kWh a year. At the U.S. average home price of 18.31¢ a kWh, that’s about $95 a year. Pick your state in the calculator above, and the table shows what it costs there.
EPA list, Oct 15, 2026 · EIA, July 2026What humidity should I set it to?
Keep it below 60%, and ideally between 30 and 50%, as the EPA advises. Most units let you set a target humidity and stop once the room reaches it.
U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your HomeWhy do newer models list fewer pints a day?
The Department of Energy changed its test in 2019. Units are now rated in cooler air, closer to a real basement, where they pull out less water. Same machine, smaller number.
DOE test procedure, 10 CFR 430, Appendix X1Who actually makes my dehumidifier?
Check the company that filed it with the EPA. The 482 certified models come from 130 brands but only 74 companies. On each page, “Filed by” names it, and lists the other brands it sells under.
EPA list, Oct 15, 2026Do you test dehumidifiers?
No. We compare published figures from the EPA, the Department of Energy, the EIA, NOAA, and the CPSC, and show where each one comes from. When a figure is missing, we say so.
How we compare