Excess humidity in the air affects our furniture, garage tools, our very loving vehicles, and other things. Our garages go through mildew, mold, musty odors, and other humidity-caused issues, so we usually look for a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture from the air of the garage or room and make it more comfortable.
If you are facing the same humid issue in your garage and looking to purchase a dehumidifier for your car garage to protect your vehicle and other tools in your car garage, then this best dehumidifier for garage review is going to help you a lot.
I reviewed 10 of the best budget energy star dehumidifiers currently available on the market with their user experience and top features. So, continue reading these dehumidifier reviews and find the best one for you.
What Are Garage Dehumidifiers?
Because of the excessive humidity in the air, the vehicles that we keep in our garage, are sometimes affected by rust, or other items become infected with mold, mildew, or fungi.
A garage dehumidifier is a tool that eliminates the excess humidity from the atmosphere and keeps it under 60% so that the air remains dry.
If you place a garage dehumidifier in your garage and turn it on, it’ll automatically adjust the humidity level, controls the temperature, and provide clean and fresh air.
A garage dehumidifier removes extra moisture from the air, your appliances remain safe from molds, fungi, and other humid-causing damages.
It also prevents cracking and warping to your furniture, tiles, or other stored things in the garage as well.
What are the Different Types Of Garage Dehumidifiers?
When you are going to purchase a garage dehumidifier, you need to know about the difference between the dehumidifiers.
I recommend going for heat pump garage dehumidifiers because we use them in large and open places. So, I’ll focus on the two types of dehumidifiers below.
- Ventilator Style
- Desiccant Dehumidifiers
Ventilator Style
In general, a ventilator-style dehumidifier exchanges air. It takes the outdoor air through its compressor and passes it inside the room, and takes the hot, humid air outside the room. While heat pump garage dehumidifiers work on removing moisture from the air.
Ventilator-style dehumidifiers need to be mounted on the wall, and it works combined with the compressor that remains outside.
Usually, the large door of our garage remains open all day long. So, a ventilator-style dehumidifier can’t work this way properly, like a heat pump garage dehumidifier.
Besides, a heat pump garage dehumidifier allows continuous draining.
Desiccant Dehumidifiers
A desiccant dehumidifier is more useful than a ventilator-style one. To wick moisture from the garage’s atmosphere, a desiccant dehumidifier uses silica gel.
Some don’t need electricity, while a heat pump garage dehumidifier can’t run without electric power.
So, this is an excellent advantage for a desiccant dehumidifier. It keeps removing moisture from the air until it’s out of power. Once it stops, you can recharge it and make it work again.
How Do Garage Dehumidifiers Work?
Generally, garage dehumidifiers have a humidistat that will continue to operate until the humidity is under control. If they drain to an external tank, the cycle will continue until full.
Heat pump appliances are usually used to dehumidify garages through a garage dehumidifier, operating on the same principle as air conditioners. Dust, dirt, and debris are collected by a washable filter after air is blown into the unit by a fan.
Air flows over the evaporator coils of the garage dehumidifier once it’s inside. Warm, moist air instantly condenses on the coils as it contacts them; the moisture is retained.
Eventually, the water beads will fall from the coils and flow into the collection pan. The water is either drained into a collection tank or ejected via a drain hose by an internal pump.
After being supercooled, it redirects the air over the condenser coils, bringing it back to room temperature before it is expelled into your garage by the fan.
What Do You Look For In The Best Garage Dehumidifiers?
Coverage Area:
Before purchasing a dehumidifier, please look at how much area it can cover. If you have a big garage and buy a small area coverage dehumidifier, then all your money will go in vain.
Storage Tank Capacity:
The next thing to look for is the storage tank capacity. The bigger the storage tank, the less hassle you need to take. If the tank is smaller in size, you may need to empty it several times a day. So, consider a big storage tank capacity dehumidifier.
Low-Temperature Operation:
All garage dehumidifiers can’t work properly at low temperatures. Because our garage remains uninsulated in the winter season, it can be as cold as the outside.
So, make sure you purchase one that can work both in low and high temperatures and remove the same amount of moisture from the air.
Third-Party Testing:
One of the most important things to look for is whether the dehumidifier is safe or not. If the dehumidifier has passed the safety test by the national standardized testing for safety and overall performance, then you can go for it.
Energy Efficiency:
Garage dehumidifiers work like air conditioners. So, they can use a lot of energy. But if the dehumidifier is an energy star-certified one, it must use less energy than a regular one. It will also save you some money as well. So keep this point in mind.
Are filters replaceable?
Almost all dehumidifiers have an air filter in them. If the air filter is replaceable, then you can buy it. But if the dehumidifier you are buying has a non-replaceable filter, it’ll make you suffer a lot. So, consider one with a replaceable filter.
10 Best Budget Dehumidifiers for Garage
Keystone 35 Pint Dehumidifier with Electronic Controls
The Keystone 35 Pint desiccant dehumidifier is an easy-to-use, reliable, and one of the most convenient dehumidifiers currently available on the market.
You get electrical controls with a 24-hour timer. A LED display is available on top of the dehumidifier, which will help you control it and set the airflow level at auto-defrost, standard, and turbo mode. The display also indicates the humidity level to give you a better idea of how humid your room is.
The best thing about this product is that it removes more than 35 pints of moisture from a 3000 square feet room’s air, keeps the garage spaces dry, and improves the quality of the atmosphere of your room.
I placed this keystone dehumidifier in my basement on a rainy day, and it amazed me when I could feel that the air was moisture-free. Also, the result was so satisfying when I kept it in my bedroom.
Additionally, I noticed that this product has a transparent water level indicator on the water tank.
I liked it most because it has an automatic shut-off and a water-draining option. This is such a practical feature to have. You don’t have to remove the water tank to empty it, and then put it back once it is filled.
To keep the dehumidifier clean, you also get a removable filter that filters the dust from the air and provides you with pure air. It has a clean-filter alert as well. So when it needs cleaning, you’ll be notified.
Pros:
- Controls with LED Display.
- Dust filter to provide pure air.
- Cleaning alert and water level indicator
- Warranty from the manufacturer.
Cons:
- Makes a little loud noise.
Overall, this is a complete package with advanced features and easy-to-use controls. It fits everywhere in your home as well as in your single-car garage and performs very well. So, it’s highly recommended.
Ivation 4500 sq ft Energy Star Dehumidifier.
If you are looking for a smart dehumidifier with multiple features and more power, then this particular product is for you.
The Ivation energy star is one of the best energy star dehumidifiers and a complete package with many advanced features and a large-capacity compressor. It’s a large-capacity dehumidifier that removes moisture up to 50 pints a day, which is excellent.
Therefore, it’ll continue to give you relief during humid seasons or during rainy days when the atmosphere is moist. Though it can cover a 4500 square footage garage, you can place it in your car garage, basement, big drawing room, or any prominent surrounding place.
It can also be considered as the best dehumidifier for a garage gym that has a large tank of 2.25 gallons capacity. Even if it’s complete, it’ll shut off automatically so that you don’t need to worry about any hazards.
If you want to drain water continuously, then attach the hose to the dehumidifier, which is included. It automatically drains the water.
You get a display on the top that you can control easily, and it shows the humidity level, the room temperature, and other things very accurately. You can select fan speeds between regular and turbo by clicking the buttons beside the LED display. I like it because I could set the 24-hour timer according to my needs.
If you are concerned about health issues like allergies, asthma, and other things like this, you can rely on this dehumidifier because it has an air filter that filters all the dust from the air and provides clean and pure air for you.
The auto-defrost sensor is also included to prevent wasting energy and protect the evaporator coils.
The best feature for me of this dehumidifier is the automatic moisture control feature. It detects the humidity level of the room and then automatically sets up how much moisture should be in the air and works accordingly.
Furthermore, it has auto-shutoff, restart, temperature sensors, Celsius and Fahrenheit options, and a built-in water pump. Its features make it different from other dehumidifiers on the market.
Pros:
- Automatic safety Shutoff-Restart.
- Automatic humidity control.
- High-capacity compressor.
- Built-in water pump.
- Water level indicator and draining hose included.
Cons:
- Compatible with only 110V
This is an excellent dehumidifier with plenty of options available. Despite its size, it works well and has plenty of sensors to meet our needs.
Aprilaire 1830Z 1830 Pro Dehumidifier
The Aprilaire 1830Z pro dehumidifier is one of the top-rated dehumidifiers and a large-capacity dehumidifier with a moisture-removing capacity of up to 70 pints per day.
This dehumidifier from Aprilaire is a smart dehumidifier that is capable of reducing excess moisture in your home. You can count on this product because it prevents mold, damp carpeting, mildew, termites, and other harmful elements that affect your home appliances and furniture as well as your health.
It’s a cube dehumidifier that will provide you with clean air by keeping the humidity level below 60%. It can remain level under 60%, airborne viruses, bacteria, dust mites, and fungi can’t survive and grow.
So that the air of the room remains safe and pure and you stay safe from respiratory infections. It has automatic climate control to keep the humidity at a certain level.
Whenever the humidity crosses a certain level, the sensor detects it instantly and controls it to make the room comfortable. This cube dehumidifier has no water tank. So, you need to connect a hose with it or usually place it over a drain where the moisture can be drained directly.
You can place it wherever you want in your home without worrying if it will work properly.
Pros:
- Large capacity.
- Automatic humidity control.
- Keeps air germ free.
- Covers a large area.
Cons:
- No water tray.
- Heavier than other dehumidifiers.
Overall, it’s a convenient dehumidifier with simple and easy-use methods. Covers a lot of areas, and the moisture-removing capacity is very high, which makes it worth purchasing.
Ivation 30 Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier
Another convenient product is among the best energy star dehumidifiers from Ivation with a good number of features.
With advanced features and a large-capacity compressor, the Ivation Energy Star is a complete package. It’s an energy-saving dehumidifier that can remove up to 30 pints of moisture per day. In the old DOE, this was counted as 50 pints.
Despite the fact that it covers a 2000 square footage garage, you can place it in your garage, basement, big drawing room, or anywhere you like.
This dehumidifier has a tank capacity of 1.3 gallons. Plugging it in will allow you to rest in your room for a very long time, without being concerned that the tank is completely full. Whenever the water tank is full, it’ll turn off automatically, so there will be no risk of hazards.
You can connect the hose if you want to drain water continuously. The water is automatically drained, so you don’t have to empty the tank every time.
It also has 4 caster wheels to shift it from one place to another easily. You also get handles to lift it and it has a removable reservoir as well.
This quality dehumidifier comes with a top display that you can adjust easily, and it shows important information such as humidity, room temperature, and other factors.
Using the buttons next to the LED display, you can switch between regular and turbo fan speeds. The 24-hour timer allows me to set it to my own preferences.
There is an air filter on this dehumidifier that filters dust from the air, ensuring that you breathe clean and pure air. This can solve problems related to allergies, asthma, and other health issues.
Pros:
- Automatic humidity control.
- Automatic safety Shutoff-Restart.
- High-capacity compressor.
- Transparent water level indicator and draining hose.
Cons:
- Removes only 30 pints of moisture per day.
There are plenty of options for this excellent desiccant dehumidifier. While it may be small, it performs well and has a wide range of sensors to accommodate our needs.
Vermi 22 Pint 1500 Sq. Ft. Dehumidifier
This dehumidifier from Vermi is one of the top-rated energy-saving dehumidifiers on the market.
The Vermi 22-pint dehumidifier is a small size, compact and convenient product that is not a very large capacity dehumidifier but enough to fulfill your everyday needs of removing moisture from the room or garage and other surrounding places of your home.
It removes 22 pints of moisture from the air of your room per day. According to the 2012 DOE standard, its 22 pints removing capacity is equal to 30 pints. This dehumidifier absorbs moisture effectively and quickly from the air without consuming much energy.
The Vermi 22-pint dehumidifier also has an automatic shut-off technology that stops removing moisture when the water tank is full. Also, if you want continuous draining, you can add a drain hose to the draining outlet for draining continuously.
Imagine it’s a humid season, and the air in your room seems more humid. All you need to do is turn on the turbo mode, and the fan speed will be increased to remove more moisture from the air and keep the humidity under 60%, and you will start to feel more comfortable.
It can be used at a 1500 square footage garage. So that you can place it in your bedroom, drawing room, car garage, and basement. There are in-built wheels and a handle on the dehumidifier, which helps you easily move it from place to place.
Pros:
- Auto shut off technology.
- Low energy consumption.
- Turbo mode for excess moisture removal.
- Built-in wheels and handle.
Cons:
- No draining hose included.
- Removes only 22 pints of moisture.
Finally, if you want a compact and small-size dehumidifier for your single-car garage with less energy consumption, you can choose this dehumidifier with all the necessary features you need.
Honeywell Basement and large room Smart Wi-Fi Energy Star Dehumidifier
If you are looking for big-size, smart, and convenient energy star dehumidifiers, this Honeywell Energy Star Dehumidifier will be an excellent choice for you.
Let’s talk about the most prominent feature of this energy star dehumidifier, and that is the Wi-Fi-enabled system. This dehumidifier from Honeywell can be operated through Wi-Fi, and you can also connect it to Amazon Alexa.
You don’t need to go to the dehumidifier every time and press the button to control the airspeed, change the humidity level, and so on. For this particular feature, I prefer this product the most.
The next thing to talk about is its size. It’s a large room dehumidifier with a moisture removal rate of 70 pints per day, which is very efficient. Also, it can cover up to a 4000 square footage garage. It protects your wall, furniture, and other appliances that can be affected by humid air.
Like other dehumidifiers on the list, this includes a draining hose for continuous draining so that you don’t need to take pressure to empty the water tank now and again.
Another beneficial side of this electric dehumidifier is that it uses less energy than other dehumidifiers, which saves you some money. You can also maintain it very easily because of a clean filter alert and a full tank alert.
You don’t have to change the filter. When you hear the clean filter alert, you need to wash it and put it back in its place. It provides fresh and germ-free air.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi enabled.
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa.
- Saves energy.
- Removes more amount of moisture.
Cons:
- Makes noise.
As this dehumidifier is wi-fi enabled and compatible with Alexa, you can use it without hassle. It also saves your time and electric bill by saving some energy compared to others.
BlueDri BD-76 Commercial Dehumidifier
This particular dehumidifier is made for both commercial and home usage. So, if you are looking for a dehumidifier for your office, or want to purchase the best dehumidifier for your garage gym, purchase this most convenient dehumidifier for commercial use.
It removes up to 150 pints of moisture per day, it was a relief for me because I was looking for one for my office. It has a very powerful compressor that rotates more than the regular ones to extract more moisture from the room’s atmosphere.
Additionally, it has more features than other products on the list. You get a built-in water pump, temperature sensors, and a digital display where you can control everything you need to.
It also has an auto-restart option so that you don’t need to worry about the increased humidity in the air. It restarts automatically when it senses that the air is more humid and makes you uncomfortable.
It’s one of the great energy star dehumidifiers that can cover a large square footage garage. You can also take it to a construction site and place it to remove moisture from the air to ensure that the construction materials are not affected by humid air and are damaged.
This large room dehumidifier also has a gravity drain. This is why you can put it over a drain to release the water easily. This feature makes it more accessible not to take the hassle of a water tank or a draining hose.
The manufacturers have ensured a one-year warranty and a five-year housing warranty for this product so that you can be free of being worried.
Pros:
- Removes more than double the amount of moisture.
- Made for both commercial and home usage.
- A water pump, digital display, and auto restart make it more convenient.
- Warranty provided.
Cons:
- Heavy.
- A little noisy.
The BD-76 from BlueDri is a dehumidifier with multiple features and usage options. All these things make it worth purchasing.
Homelabs Energy Star Dehumidifier for Extra Large Rooms and Basements
The Homelabs Energy Star Dehumidifier is one of the most popular and most-rated dehumidifiers among consumers because of its convenient features and user experience.
This dehumidifier can cover up to a 4500 square foot garage, ensuring that it can work in any of the places at your home. This home lab’s energy star dehumidifier is considered the best dehumidifier for a large garage.
It’s a convenient dehumidifier with a moisture-removing rate of 50 pints per day. It also has a turbo mode to increase the moisture removal rate by more than 20 cubic feet per minute compared to the normal mode.
The inbuilt compressor works very well to remove moisture and keep your appliances safe from humid affection. It also ensures germ and dust-free air because it has an air filter.
There is a display on top of the home lab’s energy star dehumidifier to see the temperature and other things. Buttons beside the display allow you to control the fan speed, humidity level, temperature, and so on. Also, it has wheels at the base for easy moving from one place to another.
It has a 1.6-gallon water tank that is removable so that you can take it out to make it empty when it is complete. If you don’t want to hassle, attach a draining hose for continuous draining.
The filter is cleanable, and I recommend you clean it every two weeks. If you get that a hassle, you can do it in 4 weeks but not more than that.
Additionally, it has an auto-restart, auto-shutoff, and defrost function. These features make it more reliable and convenient than others. The auto-shut-off feature works when the water tank is full, and when it makes the humid level in control, it shuts down automatically.
When the moisture level is sensed more than it should be, the dehumidifier restarts automatically.
Pros:
- Automatic shut-off and restart process.
- Energy-star certified.
- Saves more energy.
- 24-hour timer.
Cons:
- No filter cleaning alert.
Overall, the home labs energy star dehumidifier is the best dehumidifier for large garages in my opinion. So, if you need a big-capacity electric dehumidifier then you may purchase this one.
Honeywell Smart WiFi Energy Star Dehumidifier for Basements & Small Rooms
It’s a dehumidifier with all the regular features and controls with a decent rate of humid removal. It will meet all your everyday needs and give you a better user experience if you purchase it.
Another dehumidifier from Honeywell. But this time, it’s a small dehumidifier that fits your bedroom, small garage spaces, and other comparatively small places
Let’s talk about the most prominent feature of this energy star dehumidifier: the Wi-Fi-enabled system. You can control this Honeywell’s dehumidifier through Wi-Fi, and it can also be connected to Alexa, which is a brilliant feature.
It is not necessary to go to the dehumidifier every time you want to control the airspeed, humidity level, etc. The device can be connected to your Wi-Fi and then operated while lying in bed.
A further benefit of this product is that it consumes less energy than other dehumidifiers, saving you money. A full tank alert and a clean filter alert make it easy to maintain.
After getting the full tank alert alarm sounds, you should take the water tank out and empty it before reinstalling it. The filter never needs to be changed. The filter keeps the air fresh and germ-free.
Next, let’s talk about its size. This is a small-size dehumidifier that removes moisture at a rate of 30 pints per day, which is equal to 20 pints based on the 2019 DOE standard.
Moreover, it can treat a 1,000-square-foot area and be placed in your drawing room and other medium areas such as your bedroom and kitchen.
This dehumidifier comes with a draining hose that continuously drains the water so that you don’t need to take pressure off the water tank every so often.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa.
- Saves energy.
Cons:
- Small in size.
This dehumidifier is equipped with Wi-Fi and can be controlled by Alexa without any problems. Though it is small in size, it can meet your everyday needs. So, it’s a good choice for small and medium indoor areas.
Waykar 4500 Sq. Ft Dehumidifier
The Waykar 4500 Sq. Ft. dehumidifier is probably the most modern and the smartest looking on this list, with a reasonable moisture removal rate and a large area covering power.
Let’s jump into the review of it.
This dehumidifier from Waykar can remove about 70 pints of moisture from the atmosphere of your room. It can adjust the humidity level between 30 to 85 percent. As we all know that if the humidity level is 60%, then the atmosphere is the most comfortable.
This is why it keeps this at 60% most of the time and maintains the level according to the heat of the temperature.
It can cover up to 4500 sq. ft., which is enough for your office, basement, garage, and other big spaces in your home.
There is a display on the top of it, fully touch-controlled. You can easily use it as like as you use your smartphone. You can adjust the temperature, moisture control, humidity level, and other things.
Though it has a feature to automatically control the humidity and take it down or upwards of 60%, you can also fix it at a certain level by using the touch-controlled display.
Automatic shut-off and restart are also there. When the water tank is full, it stops removing moisture, and the water tank alert is shown on display. After you make the water tank empty and reinstall it to its place, the dehumidifier restarts automatically to remove moisture from the air of your room.
There is also a 24-hour timer control. You can use this feature to control when the device should run and when it goes down in a day.
The most convenient feature to be described is the four-sided outlets on all four sides of this product. All the other dehumidifiers have just a one-side air outlet with four.
This makes it unique and more convenient to use. It would help if you never turned it towards any side because it provides airflow to all the sides of your room at the same speed. I like this thing the most in this Wayker dehumidifier.
All other features like auto draining with a draining hose, air filter alert, water tank full alert, wheels in the base to move it easily, etc., are included. Overall, you get everything in it with some extra features as well.
Pros:
- Touch control display.
- Four-sided air outlets.
- Covers a large space.
- Automatic humidity control.
Cons:
- Not compatible with regular draining hoses.
In my opinion, this particular dehumidifier has every single feature that an innovative and modern dehumidifier should. Consequently, if I recommend buying one, you can go with it.
Best Alternative Dehumidifier for Garage
- Midea cube dehumidifier
- Pro breeze dehumidifier
- Inofia dehumidifier
- Tosot dehumidifier
- Yaufey dehumidifier
FAQ Section
Can you leave a dehumidifier on all night?
We all know a dehumidifier is a great way to reduce the humidity in a space. However, it is important to note that a dehumidifier should not be left on all night.
This can cause damage to the unit. If you are only leaving the dehumidifier on for a short period of time, it should be fine. But you can run it overnight, in this case, it’s recommended to have an auto-defrost feature on your device.
So that when your dehumidifier starts to overheat, it goes off automatically.
What size dehumidifier should I get for my garage?
When it comes to dehumidifiers for garages, the size of the unit is not as important as the ability to remove moisture effectively. Dehumidifiers that are larger than necessary will take up more space, and will not be as effective at removing moisture.
A good rule of thumb is to buy a unit that is about twice the size of the space you need to dehumidify.
However, below are the math that you can apply to know the size of the dehumidifier you should buy:
50 Pint Dehumidifier Perfect For:
1) Damp rooms 2000-2500 sq ft
2) Very damp rooms 1500-2000 sq ft
3) Wet rooms 1000-1500 sq ft
Can I use a dehumidifier in a garage in winter?
Yes, you can use a dehumidifier in a garage in winter. The cold temperatures will help to keep the dehumidifier working more efficiently.
Can you run a dehumidifier in an unheated garage?
A dehumidifier can be a great addition to an unheated garage. The garage will stay at a comfortable humidity level, and the dehumidifier will help to keep the air clean and free of mold and bacteria.
What is the best dehumidifier for a gun safe in a garage?
There are different dehumidifiers on the market that can be used in a garage. Some are specifically designed for use in a garage, while others can be used in other areas of the home as well.
It is important to choose the right dehumidifier for your needs, as not all dehumidifiers are created equal.
Are mini dehumidifiers any good?
If you are looking for a small, low-cost dehumidifier to use in your garage, mini dehumidifiers may be a good option for you. They are typically less expensive than regular dehumidifiers, and they can be convenient to use because they are small and portable.
However, mini dehumidifiers may not be as effective as regular dehumidifiers at removing moisture from the air, and they may not be able to remove moisture from very wet environments. But you can use a mini dehumidifier for small areas, such as a gun safe.
How do I stop my garage from molding?
Mold can be a serious health hazard, and it can also cause damage to your property. If you want to prevent your garage from molding, there are a few things you can do.
#First, make sure the humidity levels in the garage are low.
#Second, use a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.
#Finally, seal any cracks or openings in the garage floor so moisture cannot escape.
Final Thoughts On The Best Garage Dehumidifiers
You can extend the life of the things you store in your garage by keeping the humidity low. Additionally, having a comfortable environment ensures you’ll be more productive when you’re in there a lot. A humidity-controlled garage can also help prevent issues with adjoining rooms, especially if they’re not insulated.
In the above article, I tried to provide the best dehumidifier reviews for garages with other important information regarding the products. I hope it will be beneficial for you.
