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May 07, 2023

Frigidaire Dehumidifier Review: 3 Best Bets

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A brand best known for fridges and ranges is also a solid pick in the home air category.

Over the last decade of dehumidifier testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts have found picks and pans from all brands. (Hey, no one is perfect all the time, right?) Some brands are more consistent than others, however, and that includes Frigidaire, a leader in the home appliance category for more than a century. "It might not be the flashiest of brands, but when it comes to reliability and customer satisfaction, Frigidaire has a solid reputation," says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and executive technical director.

As its name suggests, Frigidaire does well with all products air related, from refrigerators to air conditioners. Here, we review three of the brand's dehumidifiers that should do an excellent job of removing moisture from the air in damp basements, poorly ventilated bathrooms and other moisture-prone interior spaces (provided the spaces don't get too chilly, as we explain in more detail below). Besides making the home more comfortable, proper humidity levels keep mold and mildew from thriving. We included three different size models, depending on how large an area you’re looking to treat.

Once you've perused our picks, read on for more details on how we test dehumidifiers and factors to consider when choosing the best model for your home. Check out other product categories where Frigidaire performs well, like air conditioners, dishwashers and ranges.

"Moisture removal capacity between 40 and 50 pints per day tends to be the sweet spot for dehumidifiers," says Rothman, "since those models offer the best combination of value, performance and efficiency." This 50-pint unit from Frigidaire is a perfect case in point. It did a superb job of drawing moisture from the air in our test area, plus it has all the usability features our experts look for, including intuitive controls and three fan speeds. It's also easy to maintain, thanks to its accessible water bucket and a washable air filter.

You'll pay a premium for this Frigidaire, but our experts say one feature in particular makes it worth the splurge for many homeowners: an on-board pump, which enables you to continuously drain water from the bucket to a location up to 15 feet away, including a utility sink or other elevated spot. "That makes this an excellent pick for basements, one of the most common areas to run a dehumidifier," says Rothman.

The exception is basements that get below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, since the 50-pint Frigidaire lacks a frost control sensor, a feature found on other dehumidifiers that automatically shuts the unit off whenever ice crystals starts to form on its coils. Check our full roundup of best dehumidifiers for models with auto-defrost.

If you're only dealing with a little moisture in a confined space, for example a home office in a finished basement, you can save money without sacrificing comfort on a small-capacity dehumidifier, like this 35-pint unit from Frigidaire.

Beyond its moisture-removal capability, this model stood out to our testers for its quiet operation and many user-friendly features. Digital controls let you set a specific humidity level (our experts recommend below 60% relative humidity, the threshold at which bacteria, microbial agents and bad odors thrive). A comfortable handle on the accessible reservoir bucket makes it easy to empty, while the automatic shutoff keeps the unit from running when the bucket is full. Cord hooks at the back allow for neat storage.

A couple caveats to keep in mind: while this Frigidaire comes with a hose for continuous draining, there's no onboard pump to send water to an elevated location, like a utility sink or nearby window. Also, there's no frost control sensor, so it's not an ideal pick for rooms where the temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Large wet spaces, like a big basement with standing water on the floor or condensation dripping from the walls, need a dehumidifier with maximum drying power.

Though our experts haven't had this model in the Lab yet for testing, based on its design they expect it to perform similarly to other top picks from Frigidaire. Its user-friendly features are comparable too, including intuitive digital controls and continuous draining, though it doesn't come with a built-in pump, so your best bet will be sending water to a floor drain, sump pump or other ground-level location.

Large-capacity dehumidifiers tend to be on the noisy side, especially on their highest fan speeds, and that seems to be the case with this Frigidaire, based on an analysis of online user reviews. (Don't miss these expert tips for reducing noise throughout your home). There are also many complaints of the unit's coils freezing up because, once again, this Frigidaire does not feature an auto-defrost sensor. As impressed as our experts have been with Frigidaire dehumidifiers over the years, we’d like to see this design upgrade made across all future models, to make them suitable for colder conditions. That would really be living up to the Frigidaire name!

Products experts and analysts at the Good Housekeeping Institute continuously survey the marketplace and manufacturers to identify the models that consumers nationwide are most likely to find in stores and online. For this report, we singled out models from Frigidaire for testing across different size categories to cover every need and budget.

Hands-on testing begins in our Lab under controlled humidity and temperature conditions (similar to how other home air equipment is tested, including humidifiers and portable air conditioners). The key performance-based test measures how much water each dehumidifier collects in a 48-hour time period. Our engineers also use a decibel meter to assess how loud each machine is when running on its highest fan speed. Usability is another important part of our evaluation; it happens in the Lab, as well as in the homes of consumer testers, allowing us to test the dehumidifiers under real-world conditions.

We look at such factors as portability, how intuitive the display and controls are and ease of cleaning, including how easy it is to wash the filter and empty the water reservoir. Finally, we evaluate each brand's customer service by contacting their help lines with a pretend problem and seeing how quickly it is remedied by the representative.

Our experts also test usability features, including on-board pumps, which make it possible to continuously drain water to an elevated location, like a utility sink.

Here are a few points to keep in mind before you purchase the best dehumidifier to help improve your home's indoor air quality throughout the year.

✔️ Price point: If you're asking yourself if a dehumidifier is worth the price, it most likely is. The fact that you're researching which one to purchase shows that you're already dealing with excessive humidity. Generally speaking, the more efficient it is, the more powerful it is and the more you need to run it, the more expensive it will be. When it comes to dehumidifiers, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be happier having one versus not having one, no matter the price point.

✔️ Type: If humidity is a problem throughout the entire house, an integrated whole-home system may be the way to go. If your moisture issues are seasonal or confined to only some rooms of the house, a portable residential unit is your best bet. Smaller dehumidifiers tend to cost less and can be easier to move, but they can be less efficient when running at a constant rate. It's best to err on the side of caution by buying a larger unit than a smaller one and having the unit run less frequently.

✔️ Size: The size of your room and how damp it is will determine how big or small your dehumidifier should be. Dehumidifiers are sized based on how many pints of moisture they can remove in a day. The larger and wetter your space is, the more powerful your unit will need to be. For example, a 70-pint dehumidifier can cover a very damp 700 square feet or a slightly damp 1,200 square feet. Keep in mind: If the room is cooler (say, a basement), the dehumidifier will remove less moisture, since colder air contains less moisture than warmer air. Here's a quick guide:

✔️ Features: Dehumidifiers have many features to consider, but these are the ones our pros recommend keeping in mind:

✔️ Maintenance: Some dehumidifiers are easier to clean and maintain than others:

In 2019, the Department of Energy changed the parameters of measuring the capacity of dehumidifiers. In the past, dehumidifiers were officially tested at 80°F, but since June 13, 2019, dehumidifiers are required to be tested at a lower temperature, 65°F, "to more accurately reflect expected performance in a basement setting."

This means that a dehumidifier tested in accordance with the new protocols will likely report a smaller capacity. For example, a previously labeled "70-pint dehumidifier" will now likely be considered a 50-pint dehumidifier under new guidelines.

In this roundup, all of the picks are reflective of these new standards. This means that if you previously purchased a dehumidifier, the original pint size may have been adjusted according to the new guidelines, as you cannot compare older units directly against newer units.

Dan DiClerico has written extensively on indoor air quality for more than 20 years. In that time, he has reviewed dozens of dehumidifiers from all major brands. He has also spearheaded numerous investigative reports on topics related to indoor air treatment, working closely with outside experts from government, industry and the home services space. As director of Home Improvement & Outdoor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Dan oversaw the latest round of dehumidifier testing in our Labs, as well as the continuous in-home, survey-based consumer testing that allows us to evaluate these devices in real-world conditions.

For this report, Dan worked closely with Rachel Rothman, who has extensive experience conducting hands-on testing of dehumidifiers, leveraging her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. In her role as chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Rachel helped develop the testing protocols for the category. With regard to indoor air quality, she is a leading advocate for the adoption of rigorous industry standards. Rachel has also tested dozens of dehumidifiers in recent years at her home on Long Island, New York.

Nikolas Greenwald supported our latest round of dehumidifier testing. Nikolas works with all of our Labs to develop testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis. Before joining GH in 2022, Nikolas worked in the labs of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, working on projects ranging from chemical inventory and reporting to the development of bioassays. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University.

Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.

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