Good Questions: A Student-Friendly Budget Dehumidifier?

Q - Hey Unplggd,

I just moved from California to Indiana for grad school and MAN IS IT HUMID HERE! I can't take it! I walk around and my pits start to soak. Like immediately. Please help! I'm a student so I don't got much mula, but I'm sure you guys got me some options that'll fit the bill, yeah? Thanks in advance! Love the site! -Jason

A - Hey Jason,

Funny thing is, I just moved into town myself! California to Indiana, what are the odds?

Buying advice: A dehumidifier can make your home more comfortable and keep it free of mold. So it's good that you're looking out for the future of your apartment's integrity, as well as to help keep you sweat free.

We've seen lots of options out there, like ones that create drinking water from the air (also here). However, because there are so many options out there, you should always check on guides by Consumer Reports that outline the basics of what to look for when hunting for a dehumidifier.

A great example is looking into the long term numbers, where several models actually cost more to run. Some models guzzle more than water. Based on average electricity rates, removing 1,000 pints of water from the air with the large Haier HD656E, $200, could cost up to $15 more than the similarly sized, top-scoring GE AHK65LK, $320.

You could also check out our summer guide to keeping cool without an A/C unit, if it's keeping cool that you're mainly worried about more than keeping the moisture out of the air.

Any other suggestions for cheap dehumidifier for a struggling student? Let us know below!

Comments (3)

A lot of portable Air conditioners can also act as dehumidifiers and cost about the same. You can get a dual purpose device that way. The one down side is that the AC units usually have much smaller water containers so they need to be emptied often or configured to drain directly.

If your budget is a big concern, make sure to check out the predicted energy consumption of each model. It can really add up if the electricity is on your tab.

Dude, I'm from Central Illinois and just moved to Pittsburgh last week.....trust me, just buy a small window air conditioner. They're about $100.

This summer has actually been very cool and this is the only humid week I can recall, next summer will be a different story. It will likely be hell.

You're going to wish you had an a/c next summer, I promise. Nobody in these parts buys a dehumidifier unless they're trying to control dampness in an old basement rec room. And I've never in my life known anyone who's owned one, anyway.

Get an a/c.