Quietest Dehumidifiers of 2024
These top-rated models from Honeywell and Midea not only help to keep your home dry, they're also among the quietest models in our noise tests
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
Compared with power tools and blenders, dehumidifiers are kind of quiet. But they often run all day and all night. And, after several hours, even a relatively silent appliance can drive you to distraction, especially when you’re trying to sleep.
That’s why Consumer Reports technicians evaluate every dehumidifier we test for noise, cranking up each model to its highest fan and moisture-removal settings, then placing a sound pressure meter on a tripod 2 feet in front of the dehumidifier and 3 feet off the floor, simulating what the unit might sound like if you’re sitting in a room with it.
The noisiest dehumidifiers in our tests approach 70 dB, which is about as loud as a shower. The quietest models reach around 50 dB, which is about as quiet as a refrigerator.
Below are five models that are very quiet and perform well enough to earn an overall recommendation. This roundup is organized by capacity, or how much water the dehumidifier can remove from the air, with the quietest model at the top of each category.
For more info on these and other options we’ve tested, check out our full dehumidifier ratings and read CR’s dehumidifier buying guide. Once you find a model that meets your needs, here’s how to get the most out of it.
The Midea MAD50C1ZWS is quite quiet for a large-capacity model which, as a rule, tend to be louder than their smaller siblings. More to the point, it checks all the key boxes for keeping your basement and other damp areas dry. Water removal: excellent. Humidistat accuracy: also stellar. Noise and energy efficiency: near the top of the pack in its category. Indeed, this model’s only notable drawback is its relatively small, 15-pint tank, contributing to its mediocre convenience score. To manage the 50 pints it’s designed to remove on a daily basis, you’ll have to empty it several times, or buy and attach a hose to divert the water to a drain. Midea dehumidifiers receive a very favorable rating for reliability and a midlevel rating for owner satisfaction in our member surveys.
The large-capacity Honeywell TP70WKN isn’t quite as quiet as the Midea, but it delivers strong performance across the board. It notches a near top-level score on our noise test, plus first-rate marks on our water removal and energy efficiency tests. Its somewhat small tank (13 pints by our measure) means you’ll need to empty it frequently, but the machine automatically shuts off when the tank is full. Other features include a timer, a digital display, and auto-restart, which comes in handy when there’s a power outage or brownout. As a brand, Honeywell dehumidifiers earn a favorable score for predicted reliability and a midlevel score for owner satisfaction in CR’s member surveys.
Our testers find the medium-capacity Midea MAD35S1QWT to be whisper-quiet. But just as important, it earns the highest rating score of any model in our three size categories. This top performer, which can remove 35 pints of moisture a day from the air, earns top scores for energy efficiency and convenience. It features a digital display, frost control, a built-in water pump, an auto-restart feature, and a timer.
If silence is your main consideration, the Midea MAD20S1QWT is simply the quietest dehumidifier in our tests. It also earns standout ratings for water removal, convenience, and humidistat accuracy in CR’s lab tests. It’s relatively energy efficient, comes with a drain hose, and has some nice bells and whistles, including a timer and an auto-restart feature that turns the machine back on and restores it to its prior settings after a power outage.
BEST TIME TO BUY:
