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Portable dehumidifiers compared on official ENERGY STAR certified ratings. Water-removal capacity is the ENERGY STAR / U.S. DOE Appendix X1 figure in pints per day, which is often lower than older 50-pint marketing claims. Integrated energy factor is liters of water removed per kilowatt-hour. ENERGY STAR Most Efficient is scored as Yes only when the official record marks that criterion as Yes. Whole-home dehumidifiers such as Santa Fe Ultra and Aprilaire E-series appear in the ENERGY STAR whole-home list but are not ranked in this portable-only table, because mixing a 170-pint installed unit with a bedroom portable would make capacity dominate the score.
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Top pick
W
Waykar CTH150B
Score 8.4/10 · Check price
Why it wins: Official 49.43 pints/day Appendix X1 capacity, 2.2 L/kWh integrated energy factor, ENERGY STAR Most Efficient. Highest official integrated energy factor in this comparison (2.2 L/kWh). High official Appendix X1 capacity (49.43 pints/day).
"Not listed" means the official ENERGY STAR, DOE or manufacturer record we used does not publish that figure. Prices show "Check price" until a retailer feed provides a current price.
Buying guide: how to choose the right portable dehumidifier
Use the Appendix X1 pint rating, not the old 50-pint claim
Many portables are still sold as 50-pint or 35-pint units based on an older test. ENERGY STAR and DOE now publish water-removal capacity under Appendix X1, which is often lower. We score only the official Appendix X1 figure and show it in the table.
Integrated energy factor is the official efficiency number
Integrated energy factor (IEF) is liters of water removed per kilowatt-hour on the ENERGY STAR record. A higher IEF means more moisture removed for the electricity used. Annual energy use in kWh/year is quoted from the same record and is not scored, because it largely follows capacity and IEF.
Size the unit to the space and the moisture load
A higher pint rating is not automatically the right unit for a small bedroom. Use the official capacity to compare models, then match the size to the room or basement and to whether you can run a continuous drain. Whole-home units such as Santa Fe Ultra and Aprilaire E-series have much higher official capacities and are sold as installed equipment; they are not in this portable ranking.
Safety and installation
Dehumidifiers in this set commonly use R-32 or R-290 (propane) refrigerant, which is mildly flammable. Do not puncture the sealed system, and follow the maker's placement and electrical instructions. Empty the bucket or use a continuous drain as the maker directs, and do not defeat an overflow switch. Keep coils and filters clear. This is not a substitute for the product manual.
How this ranking is calculated
Score = weighted average of normalised specs, out of 10. Full method
Water removal capacityOfficial ENERGY STAR / DOE Appendix X1 water-removal capacity in pints per day. Missing values take the category minimum. Scale: 9 → 50 pints/day.
34%
Integrated energy factorOfficial ENERGY STAR integrated energy factor, in liters of water removed per kilowatt-hour. Higher is more efficient. Missing values take the category minimum. Scale: 1.7 → 2.2 L/kWh.
32%
ENERGY STAR Most EfficientYes when the official ENERGY STAR record marks Most Efficient as Yes. Unstated counts as no.
18%
Connected capableYes when the official ENERGY STAR record lists the model as connected-capable. Unstated counts as no.
Why is the pint number lower than the 50-pint label I see in stores?
We use the official ENERGY STAR / DOE Appendix X1 water-removal capacity, not older marketing pint claims. A model sold as a 50-pint dehumidifier may certify at a lower Appendix X1 figure. The table shows the certified number and labels it as Appendix X1.
Why aren't Santa Fe, Aprilaire or Honeywell Home whole-home units in the ranking?
They appear on the official ENERGY STAR whole-home dehumidifier list, with much higher capacities (for example Santa Fe Ultra V205 at 172.13 pints/day and an IEF of 3.12 L/kWh, retrieved November 13, 2026). We did not put them in this portable-only table, because mixing installed whole-home equipment with bedroom portables would make capacity dominate the score. We also did not fetch a complete official specification table for every whole-home catalog page in this pass.
Did you test these dehumidifiers or list prices?
No. CoolPick ranks official ENERGY STAR certified ratings only. We do not test units, and we do not show prices or customer ratings.
What if the ENERGY STAR record uses a model number with asterisks, such as GE ADSE50X**#?
ENERGY STAR uses wildcards for color or finish suffixes of the same basic model. We show the certified model number in the details, display a cleaned name (for example GE ADSE50X), and search Amazon with that cleaned name. The capacity and efficiency figures are the ones on that official record.
Why do coverage, tank size, noise and warranty say Not listed?
Those figures are not in the ENERGY STAR certified-product fields we used. When we did not fetch a maker product page for a model, we leave those extras as Not listed rather than copying them from a retailer listing. If a maker page was fetched, it is linked under sources.