Thinking of investing in a dehumidifier for your garage?
Perfect!
In this proHVACinfo guide, you’ll learn:
- What are garage dehumidifiers? (and why you might need one)
- What are the different types of garage dehumidifiers? (do different types achieve different results?)
- How do garage dehumidifiers work? (learn what really matters)
- What do you look for in the best garage dehumidifiers? (not all units are created equal – learn why)
- Our reviews of the best garage dehumidifiers
- And much more!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
January 2, 2022
Honeywell Large Room Dehumidifier
Check on AmazonDue to the overwhelming number of garage dehumidifiers for sale, it was genuinely tough to even choose 5 units for this review, let alone select a winner from those!--break--However, after some tough deliberation amongst the best on the market, we decided to name the Honeywell Large Room Dehumidifier (Model Number: TP70AWKN) our best overall garage dehumidifier.--break--Why?--break--This is a powerhouse of a garage dehumidifier, offering moisture removal at a rate of 70 pints per day for garages up to 4000 square feet.--break--It comes from one of the most recognized names in home appliances, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that thorough research and development was put into every product.--break--Finally, it offers a generous warranty and features easy maintenance.
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Top Pick | Our Top Pick | Honeywell Large Room Dehumidifier
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| View on Amazon |
High End Pick  | High End Pick | Blu-Dri Commercial Dehumidifier
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| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | hOmeLabs Large Room Dehumidifier
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| View on Amazon |
 | Alorair LGR Compact Dehumidifier
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| View on Amazon | |
 | Waykar Dehumidifier
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| View on Amazon |
What's in This Guide?
What Are Garage Dehumidifiers?
Many of us use our garages for storing all sorts of items, yet never think to keep the climate under control in order to preserve whatever it is we’re storing.
Garage dehumidifiers are high capacity dehumidifying appliances designed to wick moisture out of the ambient air to create a less humid environment.
This is absolutely essential for storage locations like garages, as high humidity can easily cause irreparable damage to your property.
In addition, garage dehumidifiers can prevent the growth of mold and fungi, and can also provide undesirable conditions for pests like ants and termites, helping to keep them away from your home.
If you store wood or other porous items like stone tiles in your garage, a good garage dehumidifier can also help prevent warping and cracking.
What are the Different Types Of Garage Dehumidifiers?
Because of the large, open nature of garages, we generally recommend sticking with heat pump dehumidifiers.
Below we will compare this type with other commonly available dehumidifier types to explain more about the difference.
Ventilator Style
While a heat pump style garage dehumidifier actively works to remove moisture from the air in the room, a ventilator style dehumidifier focuses on air exchange.
They are usually mounted within the wall, and use fans to draw air out of the space and expel it to the outside.
Because garages usually have a large door that is regularly opened, these dehumidifiers aren’t particularly useful, as opening the door for and letting fresh air in has the same effect, without having to purchase anything.
Desiccant Dehumidifiers
Desiccant dehumidifiers use a chemical product like silica gel to wick moisture from the air.
Unlike heat pump garage dehumidifiers, they usually don’t require electricity, although some are equipped with fans.
They keep absorbing moisture until they become saturated, at which point you either need to recharge them, or replace them.
Heat pump garage dehumidifiers, on the other hand, can be connected to a hose that leads directly to a drain for constant moisture removal with no intervention.
How Do Garage Dehumidifiers Work?
Garage dehumidifiers are usually heat pump style appliances, meaning they operate on the same principle as an air conditioner, using the refrigeration cycle.
They employ a fan to draw air into the unit, where it passes through a washable filter that will collect dust, dirt, and debris.
Once the air is inside your garage dehumidifier, it flows over the evaporator coils.
These coils are incredibly cold, so as the warm, moist air contacts them, it instantly condenses, depositing retained moisture on the coils.
The beads of water begin dropping and flowing off the coils into a collection pan.
From there, the water either drains to a collection tank, or an internal pump will eject it via a drain hose.
The now supercooled air is redirected over the condenser coils, which will warm it back up before the fan blows this now much drier air, back into your garage.
If your garage dehumidifier has a humidistat, it will continue in a cycle until the desired relative humidity is reached, or, in the case of units draining to a tank, until the storage vessel is full.
What Do You Look For In The Best Garage Dehumidifiers?
When it comes to garage dehumidifiers, there are a number of features that really help to separate the great ones from the more average models.
Keep reading to find out more about these must have features.
Coverage Area
Ensure that you look for a garage dehumidifier that offers sufficient coverage for the size of your garage.
This figure is typically presented in square feet.
Having a dehumidifier with a coverage area that exceeds the size of your garage is fine, however if you choose an underpowered model, you’ll lose energy efficiency as it will most likely never reach the desired relative humidity and run continuously.
Storage Tank Capacity
If you aren’t planning to run a hose out to a drain, you’ll need to make sure that your garage dehumidifier has ample storage to prevent you from having to empty the tank every day.
The tank size is a limiting factor, and if you intend to leave it running while you’re out of the house, it will automatically shut off as soon as it’s full, leaving your garage without dehumidification until you’re able to empty the tank.
Low Temperature Operation
Because garages are often uninsulated, they can be as cold as the outside temperature during the winter.
Unfortunately, some dehumidifiers are often unable to operate in low temperatures. Good dehumidifiers will be able to run in temperatures as low as 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
Energy Efficiency
Garage dehumidifiers work on the same principle as air conditioners, meaning they can actually use quite a lot of energy to operate.
Energy efficiency is definitely something to look for to ensure that your dehumidifier isn’t too costly to run.
Energy Star certification is a good indicator of a garage dehumidifier’s ability to run efficiently
Third Party Testing
Third party testing facilities will award certification to appliances that undergo nationally recognized standardized testing for safety and overall functionality.
These certificates essentially prove that the device is safe, and that it does what the manufacturer claims it does.
ETL listed is a good example of this.
Our Reviews of the Best Dehumidifiers for Garages
Honeywell Large Room Dehumidifier (Our Top Pick)
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For energy efficient, effective garage dehumidification, this Honeywell unit is in our opinion, the best of the best.--break--This is an advanced garage dehumidifier that offers an abundance of features including voice commands and smartphone remote control.--break--The water tank is detachable and boasts a handle with comfort grips, so it’s easy to carry, and there’s no need to try and move the whole unit when it’s time to empty, and it also features an optional drainage hose so you can lead collected water straight into a drain.--break--It will keep garages of up to 4000 square feet at your desired humidity level, and the prominent LED display shows the current conditions at any given time.--break--This unit only requires basic maintenance, and because of the smart functionality, it will provide you an alert when it's necessary to empty the tank or clean the easy wash filter.
Pros
- Easy maintenance--break--Smooth gliding wheels--break--Convenient cord storage
Cons
- Wi-Fi Connection may be difficult from your garage--break--White shell gets dirty easily--break--Filter requires frequent cleaning
Blu-Dri Commercial Dehumidifier (High End Pick)
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The Blu-Dri BD76 is a stellar choice for those who live in the most humid climates.--break--This is an industrial grade garage dehumidifier that can remove up to a huge 150 pints per day.--break--If you store raw materials like wood that are to be used for specific projects, this is a great choice for you as the incredible performance will help to keep your supplies at the perfect humidity.--break--It’s built to withstand harsh conditions, so even if your garage is more of a workshop than a storage area, you won’t need to worry about damaging this sturdy dehumidifier, in fact the outer housing is protected by a 5 year guarantee.--break--It uses a high efficiency rotary compressor for maximum moisture removal, and can even be used for flood damage recovery.
Pros
- ETL Listed--break--Rapid humidity reduction--break--Built in pump for draining water
Cons
- Very heavy at 80 lbs--break--Compressor warranty short at 1 year--break--Specialist maintenance required
hOmeLabs Large Room Dehumidifier (Best Budget Pick)
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This large dehumidifier from hOmelabs offers excellent performance for spaces up to 4500 square ft.--break--As far as dehumidifiers go, this one is pretty good looking, so if you’re searching for a garage dehumidifier that you may use in the house from time, this is a great choice.--break--It offers up to 50 pints per day moisture removal, which either drains to the convenient storage tank, or out of the gravity fed hose.--break--It performs well against odors, too, which is ideal if your garage suffers from musty, damp smells.--break--Operation is simple, and it’s also nice and quiet, which is perfect if you happen to spend a lot of time in your garage.
Pros
- Quiet operation--break--Smooth wheels--break--Audible alarm when full
Cons
- Tiny collection tank--break--Drain hose is gravity fed (no pump)--break--Collection tank design leads to frequent spills when emptying
Alorair LGR Compact Dehumidifier
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This compact dehumidifier from Alorair is another industrial type garage dehumidifier that is suited well to even the worst case scenario of flood damage repair, as well as day to day humidity control.--break--It’s designed for use in both cold and hot weather, and is effective between 33 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.--break--It features a powerful pump for disposal of the up to 85 pints (10.6 gallons) per day of collected water,--break--For maximum lifespan, the evaporator coils are made with a rare earth alloy, not only will they last longer, but they also improve heat transfer abilities, making it extremely efficient.
Pros
- ETL Listed--break--Long life coils--break--Memory recall on starting
Cons
- Small display screen--break--No storage tank (drain hose only)--break--Customer service can be slow
Waykar Dehumidifier
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Last but by no means least is this fantastic Waykar dehumidifier.--break--It provides up to 70 pints per day of moisture removal from up to 4500 square ft.--break--Moving it around the garage is easy thanks to the built in casters and ergonomically designed handles.--break--It comes with a 1.8 gallon collection tank and a drain hose, giving you the choice of how you dispose of the collected water.--break--You can leave this unit running unattended with confidence thanks to the excellent safety features, including a safety standby mode that automatically shuts off the unit in the event of overheating, and it also features overflow shutoff and an audible alarm when the tank is full.--break--It features a humidistat for accurate control over the humidity in your garage without the need for 24/7 running.
Pros
- Timer function--break--Audible full tank alarm--break--Power outage auto restart
Cons
- Small tank means frequent emptying--break--Narrow, top heavy design makes it easy to knock over--break--Touch screen controls difficult to use with dirty/wet hands
Final Thoughts On The Best Garage Dehumidifiers
Keeping your garage humidity under control is a great way to prolong the life of everything you store in there.
Not only that, but keeping the atmosphere comfortable makes it a much more pleasant environment to work in, which is ideal if you’re in there a lot.
Controlling humidity in the garage can also prevent issues with rooms that share walls with the garage, too, especially if they are uninsulated.
This means you’ll prevent damp conditions that lead to mold, which is not just unsightly, but also a potential health hazard.
