Desiccant vs compressor dehumidifier: which one suits a cold UK home?

Updated 26 October 2026 · Prices worked out at UK electricity rates

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If you are shopping for a dehumidifier in the UK, the first choice is not the brand. It is the type. Pick the wrong one and you either pay too much to run it or it barely collects any water in winter. Here is how to choose in five minutes.

Short answer: if the room you want to dry is usually below about 15°C (a cold bedroom, a conservatory, a garage), get a desiccant model. If the room is normally heated to 18°C or more, a compressor model will collect more water for less electricity.

How each type works

Compressor dehumidifiers work like a small fridge. They pull air over a cold coil, water condenses on it and drips into the tank. They are efficient, but the colder the room, the less water condenses and the more often the coil needs to defrost.

Desiccant dehumidifiers use a slowly turning wheel of absorbent material that soaks up moisture, then a small heater dries the wheel out. Because they do not rely on condensation, they keep working well in cold rooms. The heater also means the air coming out is a few degrees warmer, which many people in chilly homes like.

Running cost, worked out

We use 25p per kWh in our sums, close to the current UK price cap. Check your bill for your exact rate.

Type	Typical power	8 hours a day	Per month (30 days)
Compressor	150 to 250 W	about 30p to 50p	about £9 to £15
Desiccant	300 to 650 W	about 60p to £1.30	about £18 to £39

To work it out for any model: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × your price per kWh. A 200 W machine running 8 hours uses 1.6 kWh, which is 40p at 25p per kWh.

The desiccant figure looks worse, but remember that most of that energy comes out as heat. In a cold room you would often want that heat anyway, so the real extra cost is smaller than the table suggests.

Don't trust the "litres per day" number

Capacity is usually measured at 30°C and 80% humidity, which is closer to a tropical bathroom than a British bedroom in January. In a typical UK home a "20 litre" compressor model may collect only a fraction of that. Desiccant ratings are usually measured in milder conditions, so their numbers tend to be closer to real life. When comparing two models, compare them like for like and read owner reviews from UK winters.

Which one for which room

Heated flat or house, drying washing indoors: compressor, 10 to 20 litre class.
Cold bedroom with condensation on the windows: desiccant, on a timer for the night and early morning.
Garage, shed, conservatory, boat or caravan: desiccant.
Whole damp house: compressor in the main living area plus fixing the cause (see below).

Features worth paying for

Humidistat: you set a target (around 50 to 55%) and it switches off when it gets there. This alone can halve running costs.
Continuous drain hose: useful if you can run it to a sink or drain.
Laundry mode: runs at full power to dry clothes faster.
Quiet night mode: important for bedrooms.
Auto restart after a power cut, so a timer plug still works.

Brands to look at

In the UK the names that come up most often are Meaco, EcoAir, Pro Breeze and Inventor, with both types in each range. We will add tested picks to this guide as we review them.

Where to buy (prices change often, so check the current price):

A dehumidifier is not a cure on its own

If you have black mould, find the cause too: drying clothes without ventilation, blocked trickle vents, extractor fans that don't run long enough, or leaks. A dehumidifier treats the symptom cheaply while you fix those.