Compressor or desiccant dehumidifier: which suits your room?

The short answer is room temperature. A compressor dehumidifier generally suits a room above about 10°C and uses less power. Below that, a desiccant model is usually the better choice. The figures below come from Meaco, which sells both types.

How each one works

A compressor dehumidifier creates a cold surface; when warm, damp room air touches it, the moisture condenses into the tank. A desiccant dehumidifier uses a wheel of absorbent material that soaks moisture out of the air, a bit like a sponge (Meaco).

Side by side

Source for the table: Meaco. These are one manufacturer's figures for its own range; other brands will differ, so check each model's spec sheet.

The grey zone: 10 to 15°C

Below 10°C, compressor models spend more and more of their time defrosting, and Meaco's advice is desiccant only. Between about 10 and 15°C it's closer than it sounds. In Meaco's own comparison, its 20L and 25L compressor models removed more water than a desiccant at 15°C using around a third of the energy, and at 10°C its 20L model removed between 1.8 and 5.12 litres a day for under 200 watts, only slightly less than a desiccant (Meaco).

So the useful question is how cold that room actually gets when it's damp. Put a thermometer in it on a cold morning before choosing.

The warm air from a desiccant

In a cold room, air that comes out 10 to 12°C warmer can feel like a bonus. That warmth comes from the electricity the machine uses, which is why a desiccant draws more power than a compressor at the same conditions.

Before you buy either

Whichever type you choose, its litres-per-day figure depends on the test conditions; the litres-per-day guide explains how to read it. And a dehumidifier treats damp air, not the cause: the four questions check the usual sources first.

Sources

Each source below was opened and checked against this page on 30 October 2026.

• Meaco: When to buy a desiccant dehumidifier and when to buy a compressor dehumidifier (updated 20 October 2025)
• Meaco: Why desiccant dehumidifiers are not always better at low temperature (updated 2 February 2023)