--- title: "Compressor vs desiccant dehumidifier: which do you need? | Home Comfort Lab" description: "Compressor models are cheaper to run in a heated home; desiccant models work better in cold rooms. How to choose." url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/compressor-vs-desiccant-dehumidifier/ --- # Compressor vs desiccant dehumidifier: which do you need? Compressor models are cheaper to run in a heated home; desiccant models work better in cold rooms. How to choose. By [Pete Harvey](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/about/), editor. Updated 14 October 2026. This page links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. [More about how this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/). ![A warm living room with a compressor dehumidifier beside a cold garage where a desiccant model gives off a little heat.](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/images/scenes/compressor-vs-desiccant-dehumidifier.svg) > **The short answer** > > If the room is heated to 15°C or more, get a compressor dehumidifier. It pulls out more water for less electricity. If the room is often colder than that, such as a garage, conservatory or unheated spare room, get a desiccant model. It keeps working in the cold and warms the room a little, but costs more to run. ## The two types side by side The power, extraction and noise rows are averages across the 6 compressor and 3 desiccant models we list, from their rated specs. The extraction figures aren't like for like: most compressor figures are measured at 30°C and 80% humidity and the desiccant ones at 20°C and 60%, so in a heated home the real gap is smaller than the table suggests. | | Compressor | Desiccant | | --- | --- | --- | | How it dries the air | Draws air over cold coils so the water condenses | An absorbent wheel soaks up the water; a heater dries the wheel | | Average power | 297W, 7.8p an hour | 633W, 17p an hour | | Average extraction | 17 litres a day | 8 litres a day | | Below about 15°C | Slows right down and spends time defrosting. Lowest rated temperature in our list: 5°C | Keeps working. Lowest rated temperature in our list: 1°C | | Average noise rating | 40dB | 39dB | | Heat output | Warms the room very slightly | Warms the room a little | | Weight | Heavier, because of the compressor | Lighter and easier to carry between rooms | On noise: about the same in our list, so choose on the other rows and then compare noise model by model. ## How each type works A compressor dehumidifier works like a small fridge. A fan draws room air over coils that are colder than the air's dew point, water condenses on them and drips into the tank. It needs the coils to be much colder than the room. In a cold room the gap shrinks, less water condenses, and the coils can ice over, so the machine stops to defrost. A desiccant dehumidifier passes the air through a slowly turning wheel of absorbent material. A heater then drives the water back out of the wheel so it can be collected. Because it doesn't rely on cold coils, it works much the same in a cold room as a warm one. The heater is where most of its power goes, and that heat ends up in the room. ## Which one suits your home - **A heated house or flat:** compressor. A room with the heating on is usually warm enough for it, and it costs much less to run. - **A garage, shed, conservatory or a room you never heat:** desiccant. See [dehumidifiers for garages and cold rooms](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-garage/). - **A cold bedroom you keep the heating off in:** desiccant. The slight warmth is useful there, and it keeps drying when a compressor model would struggle. - **Drying washing in a heated room:** compressor with a laundry mode. See [dehumidifiers for drying laundry](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-drying-laundry/). - **Carrying it up and down stairs:** a desiccant model is usually the lighter of the two. ## Running costs Desiccant models draw more power. Run for six hours a day, the compressor pick below costs about 32p a day, and the desiccant pick about £1.03. Both have a humidistat, so once the room reaches the humidity you set they cut back and the real cost drops. In a cold room the gap matters less than it looks. The desiccant model's heat warms the room, and it keeps collecting water when a compressor model would be defrosting. In a heated home, a compressor model does the same job for less. Compare every model on the [running costs table](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dehumidifier-running-costs/). Costs use **26.32p per kWh**, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own tariff may differ. [How we calculate](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/how-we-calculate/). [Dehumidifier size calculator](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/): Tell it how warm the room is in winter and it picks the type and size for you. ## Our picks One of each type, chosen by their specs. We haven't tested them ourselves; the reasons say which spec puts each one here. ### Compressor, for a heated home Pro Breeze OmniDry 12L - **Type:** Compressor - **Extraction:** 12 litres a day - **Power:** 200W - **Noise:** 36dB - **Tank:** 2 litres - **Cost per hour:** 5.3p * Laundry mode 12 litres a day at 200W, a 2 litre tank and a 36dB noise rating, which is low for its size. It has a laundry mode too, at 5.3p an hour. [View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/dh-comp-12a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://probreeze.com/products/omnidry-12l-quiet-dehumidifier-with-max-extraction) ### Desiccant, for a cold room Meaco DD8L - **Type:** Desiccant - **Extraction:** 7.5 litres a day - **Power:** 650W - **Noise:** 39dB - **Tank:** 2 litres - **Cost per hour:** 17p * Laundry mode Rated to work down to 1°C, with 7.5 litres a day and a 39dB rating. It costs more to run, at 17p an hour, but keeps drying in a room a compressor model can't cope with. [View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/dh-des-8a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-dehumidifier) ## Sources - [Homebuilding & Renovating: This is how cold a room can be before you need to switch off your dehumidifier](https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/do-dehumidifiers-work-in-cold-rooms) - [Homebuilding & Renovating: Desiccant vs compressor dehumidifier](https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/Desiccant-vs-compressor-dehumidifier) Checked 14 October 2026. ## Read next - [What size dehumidifier do I need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/) (Calculator) Answer four questions about your home and get the dehumidifier size and type that suits it, with what it will cost to run. - [Best dehumidifier for garages and unheated rooms](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-garage/) (Buying guide) Why most dehumidifiers struggle in the cold, and which types keep working in garages, sheds and unheated rooms. - [Dehumidifier running costs: popular models compared](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dehumidifier-running-costs/) (Running costs) What each popular dehumidifier costs per hour and per month at the current price cap, from its rated power. - [Dehumidifier noise and capacity table](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dehumidifier-noise-and-capacity/) (Running costs) Every model we list, with its extraction rate, tank size, noise level and power, in one sortable table. --- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to shops are marked, and earning from them never decides what we recommend. [How this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/). Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.