I regret buying a cheap dehumidifier for my damp flat: The one I should have bought is reduced this Black Friday
An old, badly ventilated home is a recipe for dampness. My bargain dehumidifier doesn’t touch the sides of the problem
Have you ever been tempted to buy a cheap product that claims to fix an expensive problem? I have – more times than I care to admit. During sales periods like Black Friday, unbelievably cheap deals make it tempting to skrimp and save, rather than buying a more expensive product.
That’s exactly what I did when I bought my bargain £30 dehumidifier last year and I have since learned the error of my ways. While I can’t turn back the clock, I can advise people against making the same mistake as I did, and flag up a more effective dehumidifier that’s reduced in the Black Friday sales. Let this be a cautionary tale against buying cheap dehumidifiers – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
My flat has multiple damp-inducing features – no hob extractor fan, no bathroom window and no tumble dryer. This means excess moisture in the air from cooking, showering and drying laundry has nowhere to escape unless I open the windows wide – not exactly an appealing option for the colder months.
In my infinite wisdom, I decided to buy myself a bargain dehumidifier – the Blaupunkt compact 1-litre dehumidifier. It cost me £30 from Home Bargains and I naively thought it would do the trick to stop condensation in its tracks. While it’s quiet and collects a little bit of moisture every day, its 300ml daily intake pales in comparison to pricier models that can guzzle up 12-20 litres of water every day.
Over time, I’ve realised that the moisture levels in my air have remained fairly level, and my laundry dries only marginally faster than before. By comparison, our dehumidifier tests show that the most effective models can dramatically reduce the humidity levels in a room in a matter of hours. The Meaco Arete Two 20L model, for example, reduced the humidity in a room from 76% to 61% in just two hours.
The only downside is that this Meaco model will set you back £299. Thankfully, if you’re willing to invest in an energy-efficient, quiet and highly effective dehumidifier like this one, it’s reduced to £270 when you buy it directly from Meaco this Black Friday.
If that’s still a little steep, another brilliant dehumidifier we’ve tested has been discounted. The ProBreeze 20l dehumidifier is currently reduced to £165, down from £180 – a fantastic discount on a dehumidifier we think is perfect for drying laundry fast. It’s likely the model I’ll invest in now that I’ve given up on the little guy.
For more dehumidifier deals, check out our Black Friday Dehumidifier deals hub. Or, cast your net out wider and read our general Black Friday deals live blog, which has all the best deals on home, tech and more.
