Best Dehumidifiers for Indoor Grow Tents and Rooms of 2022

 If you’re struggling with excess moisture when growing indoors, you need the best grow room dehumidifier for the task. These days, there truly is a unit for every grower out there.

Whether you’re a hobbyist growing in a tent or a commercial grower with hundreds of plants packed into your facility, you need a dehumidification system that can stand the test of time and protect your crop.

But with so many different brands and styles online, which one is best for you?

Today, we’re going to help you choose the right one for you and your grow. We’ll cover why you need one of these in your room regardless of scale. Then, we’ll explain how we selected the top picks this year.

Then, we’ll outline which dehumidifier is best for which type of grower. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to easily select the right one! Let’s dive in.

How do I make sure my dehumidifier runs efficiently?

Make sure airflow isn’t restricted. Some units have vents on top, allowing it to sit against a wall. Others have vents on the sides which means they shouldn’t be pushed up against walls or furniture.

Regularly clean the air filter. The dehumidifier won’t work as well if it’s dirty. Make sure you’re tending to it at least once a week.

Be sure to unplug the machine whenever you’re emptying the container or cleaning it.

ECO Farm Mini small 500ml portable air conditioner dehumidifier

Features:

The ECO Farm Dehumidifier is one of the most popular options that you can considerably get your hands on. This is suitable for a small dehumidifier for grow tents. It is also a highly recommended grow tent dehumidifier due to its efficient performance, sleek design, and portability. Like most mini dehumidifiers it works best between 59–86F, the top end is just about right for a grow tent. It’s a reliable machine which can run continuously with no problem and comes with a 12-month warranty. Despite the 500 ml capacity, this dehumidifier is extremely lightweight, which is comparatively a lot lesser as opposed to the other options. This enables you to create an environment with optimal moisture settings. 

VIVOSUN Small Space Mini Dehumidifier for Grow Tent Closets

Features:

This grow tent dehumidifier can cover an area of 269Ft, which is pretty awesome for a smaller device. You can also use it at other places in your house, For instance, in the bathrooms and basements that attract the most moisture. The compact and portable design of this mini dehumidifier is what makes it a superlative purchase, especially if you are short on a budget. This is one of the few options in the market that come with external handles that make it easier for you to move around. As for the capacity, despite being a mini version, it comes with a 2200 ml capacity and the tank easily slides out to enable easier cleaning results. 

hOmeLabs Small Space Dehumidifier with Auto Shut-Off for Grow Room

Features:

This dehumidifier is perfect for any large room, basement, or cellar where you want the amount reduced. As an Energy Star certified machine, this dehumidifier not only saves your home from the threat of mold, mildew, and airborne allergens — it also saves you money. It is incredibly efficient, meaning you’re easing the burden on the environment. It costs less to run this dehumidifier compared to others on the market, too. The hOme Dehumidifier is fairly straightforward to use: you just set your ideal moisture and let it run its continuous 24-hour cycle until its tank is full. At that point, it will automatically turn off until you empty the machine. For convenience’s sake, the manufacturer included a hose outlet so you can attach a hose for continuous draining if you prefer continuous operation.

Buying Guide

One key challenge is finding the right size dehumidifier for your grow room. Grow room sizes generally vary from small 2×2, 3×3, and 4×4 tents to large 5×5. The best moisture removal from the air is your dehumidifier performance and how well it fits into your grow room ventilation setup. High humidity can hamper the growth of your plants, and only the best grow tent humidifier can keep them free of access moisture.

For grow tent growers, keeping the humidity in check can become risky and cause problems. Experienced growers know that keeping optimal humidity levels inside grow tents is critical to getting good yields from your plants. In ideal conditions, humidity in your grow tent should not exceed 70%.

Signs of Humidity
Keep an eye on the signs of high humidity in your grow tent, which could be

Mold and bud rot can make your plants unusable.
Excessively moist leaves.
Underdevelopment and slow growth of younger plants.
Musty smell in your grow tent.
The easy way is to add a monitor to your grow tent to measure the exact temperature and relative humidity. There are three main types, compressor dehumidifier, thermoelectric dehumidifier, and desiccant dehumidifier.

1.Area Coverage
This factor is the prime consideration when selecting a humidifier for your plants. The humidifier shall be of the appropriate sizing to cater to the room sizes where you will place the unit. If you select a smaller capacity unit than your room size, plants will not get the desired humidity levels. On the contrary, if you choose a humidifier that is way larger than the required capacity, it will add too much moisture to your home environment.

Always choose a humidifier according to the size of the area you want to maintain the humidity levels. I would recommend going around 20% higher capacity unit.

2. Reservoir Size & Run Time
Water tank capacity and Run Time are two important factors while deciding on the humidifier. Both of these factors go hand in hand with each other. Although all modern-day humidifiers come with an auto unit shut-off option in case of low water level, we recommend units with higher run times to avoid repeated checking and topping up water in the unit.

As far as the Plant humidifier is concerned, you do not require it to run 24hrs especially at night, so a unit having tank capacity with a run time of 24hrs or more will be sufficient. You can top up the water once a day and are ready to go. However, we have listed units in our review that can last much longer with full tank capacity.

Types of Dehumidifier for Grow Tents

Compressor-based dehumidifiers:
These dehumidifiers work like a household fridge. It draws in air and passes it through tremendously cold coils as water condenses on coils and drips into the tank. These humidifiers are the most efficient and can collect large amounts of moisture. The unit shall be flexible and able to dehumidify varying-sized grow areas irrespective of humidity levels effectively. Their performance can decline in colder conditions and can be a little loud. These units can remove 10 to 25 liters per day of moisture.

Thermoelectric dehumidifiers:
This type of dehumidifier uses Peltier modules to condense air, and water released from the condensed air drips into the tank. These are extremely energy efficient, generally quieter, and cheaper than the other two types. They require very little to no maintenance. Another plus is they are portable and lightweight. As for cons, these are not suitable for large grow tents. In terms of noise, these are a safe bet, and they are super quiet. Their moisture removal rate is not very high, but they represent a good value for money. These can remove .5 to 1.5 liter per day of moisture.

Desiccant Dehumidifiers:
These dehumidifiers use a desiccant material to absorb water from the air. Desiccant dehumidifiers can operate seamlessly in colder weather conditions. They can be heavy on pockets as they are less energy-efficient, and this technology is still relatively new. Works best in small grow tents and may not be very effective at high temperatures. These are generally lighter and quieter than compressors. These can remove7 to 12 liters per day of moisture.

Quiet Operation
Noise from dehumidifiers can become disturbing, especially when used in or near a bedroom. Luckily models with two-speed settings run quietly at lower humidity levels. They also save on energy costs. It’s better to test noise levels before making an actual purchase. Dehumidifiers producing noise less than 50db can be considered super quiet.

Constant Drainage
By choosing a unit with drainage capability, one can avoid manual draining. The constant drainage allows water to flow via a hose and into a drain. It all depends on the model and space you are dehumidifying. When buying a dehumidifier, special features like user-friendly controls, auto restart, hose connection, auto defrost, timer, washable air filter, constant drainage, and integrated humidistat are worth considering.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, you probably didn’t expect to consider so much information before buying the best dehumidifier for your basement. But in fact, every factor explained in this guide can affect your dehumidifier’s ability to properly ventilate your basement, so you must consider every feature and specification before purchasing.