Like compressor dehumidifiers, Peltier dehumidifiers also use a condensation process to remove moisture from the air. However, they do this via a thermoelectrical process rather than using refrigerant and a compressor, so they're generally a lot quieter and more economical to run. The downside is that they're far less powerful, so Peltier dehumidifiers tend to very small and best for localised areas of moisture – they won't be powerful enough to help with damp in a large room or entire house. The Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier is a popular choice thanks to its relatively low price point that makes it one of the best value compressor dehumidifiers you can buy. A desiccant dehumidifier differs in that it uses an absorbent material or chemical dessicant to extract moisture from the air. This means they can operate efficiently in lower temperatures, down to just 1°C, and are useful for garages, basements, conservatorys, or unheated rooms in the house over winter. However, they're usually more expensive both upfront and in terms of running costs than a compressor dehumidifier, so unless you're looking to remove damp at cold temperatures you're generally best off with a compressor model. The De'Longhi Tascuigo AriaDry DEX216F is the largest model in the range and able to extract 16L of water from the air per day, and although the tank capacity isn't the largest, at 2.1L it still offers adequate capacity. This multi-purpose appliance also has an air purifier function with a double filtration system that can remove dust and other allergens from the air, plus a dedicated Laundry Drying function. Overall, it's not the most powerful dehumidifier you can buy, and it can't cope with high moisture levels – we found it made little difference when drying wet washing for example. However, it did a great job of clearing condensation on windows and managing moisture levels in a small bedroom when left running overnight.

If you're wondering how to get rid of mould in a poorly ventilated room, or trying to combat excess moisture or humidity inside the home, then a dehumidifier can be a useful tool in your arsenal. If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast. The EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 Dehumidifier can extract up to 7.5 litres of moisture per day in cold temperatures as low as 1ºc, so it's a very useful option for conservatorys, basements or garages that don't have dedicated heating, as well as unheated rooms in the home during winter months. So, if you’re after the smallest dehumidifier on the market, we think the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G wins the accolade of best small dehumidifier, with good all round performance for its size housed in one of the smallest builds on the market – along as you don't expect too much from that 0.3L extraction rate. Overall, this is a best-in-class dehumidifier that does a fantastic job of extracting moisture from the home and is one of the best dehumidifier for drying washing fast.

As Chris Michael, Managing Director of the air quality brand Meaco says, inside the home, 'excess moisture in the air can come from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing, and the damp British weather.'

If you have more serious damp issues, then although a dehumidifier can help to reduce the problem and improve the air quality in your home, it won't prevent the damp from occurring in the first place, so it's important to get to the root of the issue. Read our guide to how to get rid of damp for help in identifying the cause of your damp issues, and how to treat them. As cleaning expert, Matthew Harrison from Price Your Job explains, if you house suffers from more serious damp issues, then 'to prevent future mould problems, you should consider draught-proofingand other jobs which will prevent moisture from entering your home in the first place'. Do dehumidifiers help to dry clothes? It's also worth considering noise levels and energy consumption before you invest in a dehumidifier. Most dehumidifiers have their noise levels listed in their specifications, although in practice we didn't find that much variation between models, with most falling somewhere between 35 and 45dB.However, thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier does win on price, coming in a fair bit cheaper than the MeacoDry Arete One. If you’re looking for a small dehumidifier, then the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061G Portable Dehumidifier is about as compact as it gets, measuring just H22 x W14 x D14cm and weighing in at 0.9kg. That said, if you find the Pro Breeze 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier on offer, and are willing to accept its flaws in exchange for its lower price point, this can be a great value buy that does the job and will make a big improvement to general damp issues.