Like many of us, I live in a house that doesn’t breathe as well as it should, with condensation on the windows in the morning, a few damp patches to tackle and the never-ending laundry drying debacle, so I jumped at the chance to test the SmartAir Dry Zone Dehumidifier.
I knew it was time to get serious about humidity control, especially during our renovation work, knowing that the best dehumidifiers will lower humidity, prevent damp and speed up laundry drying times, and the SmartAir Dry Zone has not disappointed in these stakes.
The SmartAir Dry Zone 20L Dehumidifier is a compressor dehumidifier that sits on the lower end of the dehumidifier market. When testing it, I put it through the same testing process we use to test dehumidifiers to see how it performed these tasks but also how easy it was to use.
At a glance
With five different operating modes, a generous 5.5l water tank, and the ability to extract 20 litres of moisture per day, the SmartAir Dry Zone Dehumidifier is a neat little unit that packs a punch.
While testing, I found it to be quiet, energy-efficient (costing 11p to run) and easy to move from room to room, and it’s quickly gone from an appliance to an everyday essential.
And it’s powerful to boot, reducing the humidity in the room from 60% to 48% in six hours. It was also able to dry a washing load in four hours using its smart laundry setting. It’s got a generous 5.5-litre tank, so you’re not constantly emptying it, plus its other smart modes, like sleep mode, mean you can use it overnight in a bedroom for a comfortable night’s kip.
However, what let it down was its lack of WiFi connectivity, so there was no way to know when the water tank was full or have the hands-free controls others have on the market.
Specifications
- RRP: £249.99
- Type: Compressor
- Extraction rate: 20L/day
- Water tank capacity: 5.5L
- Max room size recommended: 50m squared
- Noise level: 40dB – 42dB
- Power: 220W – 240W
- Dimensions: H60.7 x W36.2 x D21.1cm
- Weight: 11.9kg
- Portable?: Yes, with castor wheels and carry handles
- Automatic humidity sensor: Yes
- Continuous drain option: Yes, hose included
- Laundry mode: Yes
- WiFi connectivity: No
- Timer: 1-24 hours
- Operating temperature: 5 – 32 °C
Unboxing, set-up and design
The first thing that I noticed when unboxing the Smartair Dry Zone Dehumidifier is that it’s relatively lightweight compared with others I have tested, so it was easy enough to lift it from its box on my own, even with the polystyrene holding it securely.
First impressions? It’s surprisingly minimal in its design; not bulky and not an industrial-looking eyesore. Plus, there’s a hose included if you want to set it up for continuous drainage, which is especially handy for utility rooms.
To get the SmartAir Dry Zone dehumidifier going, you just need to take the plug out of the water tank, as it’s neatly packaged within it and fit it back together. It was super easy to do, and there’s an instruction manual if you need to check. Then, all you need to do is plug in the dehumidifier, and it’ll start with a reassuring beep.
It has little castor wheels and side handles, which meant I could easily wheel it into different rooms, which is something I appreciated since I was trailing it up and down the house a fair bit for various tests.
Ease of use
I started with it to dry laundry, as this is a must in our house with two young kids going through lots of clothing on a daily basis. I placed it near our heated clothes airer with a full load of washing (I usually tumble everything, but it’s more cost-efficient than tumble drying). I switched it to Laundry mode, which powered up a high-speed fan.
It managed to dry my washing in around four hours, which was a feat, and without the usual condensation building up on the window. Win-win.
Performance
Overall, I was impressed with how the SmartAir Dry Zone performed. I live in a Victorian house with original single-glazed windows where damp and condensation are rife, so I rely on opening windows and using dehumidifiers to stop it developing into mould.
The SmartAir’s humidity display panel made it easy to see how quickly it extracts moisture. It took just under four hours for the humidity level in my home office to drop from 60% to 48%, which was impressive in my eyes. With indoor humidity levels ranging from 30-50% in the winter and 40-60% in the summer, I was happy. You can set the target humidity to as little as 30%, which I did a lot.
I’m also in the middle of doing a renovation at the moment, and we plastered my daughter’s room about a month ago. I’ve been feeling the dampness in the room, and I worried about potential mould developing, so I wheeled the dehumidifier in there to work overnight. Within hours, the tank was at capacity, and the air did feel less humid. It’s not really advisable to use it for new plaster as it can make it crack, but I was using it only to zap the last remaining moisture, and it really did help.
At the moment, due to the renovation, I don’t have much use for the continuous drainage function, but once our utility room is ready, I’ll definitely find a suitable place to keep it on.
However, I didn’t feel that I was emptying it that much, thanks to its roomy 5.5-litre water tank.
Energy use
If you’ve ever wondered how much a dehumidifier costs to run, the short answer is that it all depends on the device’s wattage. So, in short, the higher the wattage, the more it will cost to run.
One of its many advantages is that the SmartAir Dry Zone Dehumidifier is pretty energy efficient. The latest energy price cap change sets the cost of electricity to 24.5p per hour, and the SmartAir Sry Zone costs around 11p per hour to run on the highest setting.
Compared to other dehumidifiers, that’s super impressive.
Noise levels
When it comes to dehumidifiers, noise isn’t one of those things you think about until it becomes annoying. Thankfully, I found the SmartAir Dry Zone dehumidifier’s noise levels to be impressively quiet. In normal mode, it has a gentle hum that blends fine into the background like white noise at 42dB.
The sleep mode is even quieter because it’s obviously designed for overnight use with a dimmed display and reduced fan speed, making it ideal for bedrooms and even kids’ rooms (no white noise machine required).
If you switch it into Strong or Laundry mode, you’ll notice it gets a tad noisier as the unit ramps up to the maximum to get rid of lots of moisture fast. Even with that going though, it’s not that loud. It doesn’t rattle or whine and is more of a low-level whoosh sound, so it’s not at all jarring.
Portability
The SmartAir Dry Zone is relatively lightweight (not featherlight, but it doesn’t feel cumbersome), and the handy side handles and wheels make it even easier to move about.
It’s tall and slim, so it doesn’t take up a huge footprint, and I haven’t felt like I’m wrestling with it when I move it about. It took me a little while to get the ‘knack’ with the wheels, but now it’s super easy to manoeuvre about.
Maintenance
One of the things I really appreciate is how low-fuss the Dry Zone is to maintain. The tank needs to be emptied every couple of days or so when using it regularly, thanks to its big water tank. It slides smoothly and has a carry handle. You will need to give the water tank a proper cleaning every so often so mould and bacteria don’t build up.
The air filter is easy to remove, too, and I give it a pat or gentle vacuum every so often (I’ve only done it twice since I got it). The second time, I did rinse it with warm water when it looked particularly dusty.
If you want a hands-off option, you can hook up the drainage hose to a bucket or sink and never have to empty the tank. I haven’t set mine up like that yet, but I’m definitely going to when it goes into the utility room permanently.
How does the SmartAir Dry Zone Dehumidifier rate online?
Being a fairly new product, there are a few reviews online, but not a lot, but any feedback I have read gives it a lot of praise. It has a 5/5 star rating on Amazon based on only five customer reviews, and customers are generally pleased with how the dehumidifier performs.
Reviewers note being pleased with how efficient the Dry Zone is and pulling moisture from the air, often noticing the difference within a number of hours. One reviewer mentioned that it helped clear condensation from their window almost immediately. Others have commented on how quiet it is and its simple controls, which echoes my own experience.
The Laundry mode also got positive reviews, with many saying it made a huge difference to drying their washing.
Verdict
After putting the SmartAir through its paces, I can say that it’s a keeper. It’s a well-thought-out piece of kit, and I think it’s well worth the investment. It speeds up drying times, can lower humidity, and it’s a nice, compact design. The intuitive settings, the generous water tank and energy efficiency make it a great choice for busy households.
However, it is a little expensive in comparison to its competitors. At £249.99, it’s a lot more than, say, MeacoDry Arete One 12L Dehumidifier/ Air Purifier, which costs £179.99 and gets a best-in-class review (until the MeacoDry Arete Two came along).
And for the lower price, you still get the energy efficiency, quiet functionality, and powerful results that the SmartAir Dry Zone provides. Plus, the ProBreeze 12L Dehumidifier with Built-in Humidistat is another cheaper option that will get the job done, costing only £129.99.
However, while there are cheaper options out there, they often come with trade-offs such as a smaller tank, fewer settings or noisier motors. On the flip side, though, there are more premium models similarly priced or only slightly more expensive that offer smart app controls and built-in air purifiers. Some may be put off by these extras, or they may simply be unnecessary for many households, so there is room in the market for the SmartAir Dry Zone.
What the SmartAir gets right is delivering powerful performance without overcomplicating. It covers all the essentials you’d need a dehumidifier for – quiet operation, high extraction, multiple modes and energy efficiency. Plus, it’s super portable and perfect for those with limited storage. What’s not to love?
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