This is our buying guide on the best dehumidifiers for guitars in 2023. Below is a quick summary of our top recommendations. Scroll further down to read our in depth, hands on reviews, for each humidifier.
hOmeLabs 4,500 Sq. Ft Energy Star Dehumidifier
- Covers up to 4500 square foot
- 1.6-gallon water tank
- Removes 50 pints of moisture per day
- Convenient built-in wheels
- Quiet fan
- Easy to use
- Drain hose outlet
- Turbo mode for big jobs
- Auto shutdown
- Sleek and clean design
Frigidaire Dehumidifier
- Easy-to-Clean
- Washable Filter
- Custom Humidity Control
- Continuous Drain Option
- Automatic Shut Off
- Front Loading Bucket
- Carrying Handle
- Splash Guard
- Portable Design
- Caster wheels
- Low-Temperature Operation
- Multi-Speed Fan
Black + Decker BDT50WTB
- Covers up to 4500 square feet
- 3.28-foot drain hose
- 4 casters for easy moving
- Removes up to 50 pints of moisture per day
- Adjustable humidistat
- 14.3-pint tank
- Top mounted control panel
- Washable mesh filter
- Audible alert when the water reservoir is full
- Environmentally friendly with an Energy Star rating
- Water level indicator
In this article, we’ll review the best humidifiers for guitars.
The ideal relative humidity for a guitar is between 45% and 55%. Owners often spend a lot of time trying to prevent the wood from drying out, but too much moisture in the atmosphere inevitably leads to damage to your instrument.
This damage usually happens in areas where the natural humidity ranges between 60% and 80%.
High humidity will make the wood swell, glue joints will fail, the finish will lift, and neck angles will go wonky.
And, above all, the instrument begins to sound dull and lifeless.
Luckily there is a solution…
We tested a ton of dehumidifiers to find the best ones that prevent moisture damage to the wood of your guitar. The best unit overall was the Frigidaire Dehumidifier. It will bring the humidity down to ideal levels, and then maintain it with minimum input from you.
Here are the overall results of our tests. Read on.
Frigidaire Dehumidifier
BEST OVERALL
At a glance
The performance and speed with which this Frigidaire removes moisture from the air, and its all-around efficacy make this unit the best in its class.
It is also incredibly frugal with electricity use, making it a truly environmentally friendly dehumidifier.
Design
The Frigidaire is a well-designed unit – small enough to lug around, but with enough humidifying oomph to remove moisture from areas of around 350 square feet.
It has a generously proportioned water reservoir, and also a gravity-drain hose outlet. The ability to drain the unit into a toilet bowl, or out of a window is quite convenient.
It is undoubtedly the best-looking unit in our test. In the end, it was an easy decision. The Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 Dehumidifier has earned its stripes as our preferred dehumidifier for protecting your guitar.
Water Tank Capacity
If you opt to run this dehumidifier from the water reservoir, the generous 50-pint capacity gives you more than ample runtime between drainage runs.
Runtime
If you use the drain-hose option, you can run the dehumidifier continuously.
If that option is not available, the 50-pint water tank capacity has enough capacity to run for at least 24 hours between refills.
Coverage
This dehumidifier is best for spaces of around 350 square feet. We tested it in the square-foot equivalent of a master bedroom and an open-plan living room, and it delivered consistent results in each test run.
Humidity extraction capacity
In about an hour, this dehumidifier brought down the humidity in a 400 square feet space to comfortable levels. It repeated this in all the test runs that followed. The capacity of the water reservoir was also more than adequate.
Noise levels
This is not the quietest dehumidifier we’ve tested, but considering that it does move a lot of air, this is to be expected.
That said, the buzz from the compressor is not obtrusive, except if you run it while sleeping.
Special Features
We found the setting between low and turbo to be dead center in the Goldilocks zone – striking a perfect balance between performance and loudness.
The design of this Frigidaire incorporates a splash guard which makes emptying the dehumidifier fuss-free and mess-free.
And, bear in mind that this is the largest water reservoir of any dehumidifier in this class.
If you want to rapidly dehumidify an area, the Frigidaire’s turbofan setting will get the job done quicker than any other unit we’ve had come across our desks.
Pros
- Easy-to-Clean
- Washable Filter
- Custom Humidity Control
- Continuous Drain Option
- Automatic Shut Off
- Front Loading Bucket
- Carrying Handle
- Splash Guard
- Portable Design
- Caster wheels
- Low-Temperature Operation
- Multi-Speed Fan
Cons
- Not the quietest
hOmeLabs 4,500 Sq. Ft Energy Star Dehumidifier
BEST BUDGET
At a glance
hOmeLabs is a lesser-known brand. Their 50-pint dehumidifier has an astonishing 4.7/5 user review score across the Internet – which prompted us to try to get our hands on this unit for our test. And, boy, it didn’t disappoint!
It will remove up to 50 pints of moisture from the atmosphere in spaces up to 4500 square feet – in 24 hours!
Add to that the option of continuous draining through a hose (not included), and you have a dehumidifier capable of handling extremely humid conditions.
It is an Energy Star-rated dehumidifier, which makes it better for the environment and more economical to operate than most of its competitors.
Design
The hOmeLabs dehumidifier is simple in its design. It was made to be functional, not fancy. All the focus was on performance, and this is where the hOmeLabs excels.
The humidistat works perfectly, switching the unit on and off as needed to keep the humidity in a space stable. There is no disturbance when the unit starts and stops, so it won’t interfere while you’re practicing your guitar, or even when you’re sleeping.
Most dehumidifiers are an eyesore, but hOmeLabs broke the mold on that front. This unit has a sleek and clean look, built-in wheels for convenience, handles to move it around, and a fan that is quiet enough to let you play your guitar without being disturbed.
These design features make it the top budget dehumidifier on our list of best dehumidifiers for guitars.
Water Tank Capacity
The capacity of the water reservoir is 50 pints, which is good for a 24-hour runtime (depending on the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.)
The hOmeLabs also offers you a continuous draining option. If you use the dehumidifier in this way, you can run it continuously.
Runtime
Once you’ve adjusted your ideal moisture setting, the unit will run for around 24 hours before the water reservoir is full and needs to be emptied. At this point, the hOmeLabs dehumidifier will automatically shut down.
Coverage
With a 4500 square feet coverage area, the hOmeLabs is great for large areas like basements – often the kind of damp environment you may want to dehumidify before rehearsing or playing the guitar.
Also, for the bigger, or more challenging jobs like flooded basements, this unit incorporates a continuous drainage option.
Humidity extraction capability
This hOmeLabs actually outperformed all other models in the test. It sometimes allows the humidity to rise slightly above your preferred setting, but never by more than 1%. Generally, it was spot on.
As a budget dehumidifier, it punches way above its weight.
Noise levels
The on and off cycles of many dehumidifiers can be an annoyance. This hOmeLabs appliance is pleasantly quiet and unobtrusive though. It can even be used in kids’ rooms while they sleep.
Special Features
This portable dehumidifier reduces moisture through its built-in pump compressor.
It also features a Turbo mode that increases fan speed. That means this hOmeLabs can do double duty – as a general dehumidifier to keep moisture levels constant, or for heavier tasks like dealing with flooded basements.
This hOmeLabs dehumidifier can remove up to 50 pints (70 Pint 2012 DOE Standard) of moisture from the air per day, in spaces up to 4,500 square feet. The runtime may increase for very wet or flooded spaces.
In our final verdict, the hOmeLabs is a steady and stable dehumidifier, delivering on its promises without dramatic fluctuations in noise or humidity levels.
It comfortably earned its spot as the best budget dehumidifier on our list of best dehumidifiers for guitars.
Pros
- Covers up to 4500 square foot
- 1.6-gallon water tank
- Removes 50 pints of moisture per day
- Convenient built-in wheels
- Quiet fan
- Easy to use
- Drain hose outlet
- Turbo mode for big jobs
- Auto shutdown
- Sleek and clean design
Cons
- Spills easily when emptying
Black + Decker BDT50WTB
BEST PREMIUM
At a glance
The Black + Decker is the top premium dehumidifier on our list of best dehumidifiers for guitars.
Its energy-efficient operation, and also its ability to move large amounts of moisture from the atmosphere at break-neck speed, made it the premium unit on our list of best dehumidifiers for guitars.
It also effortlessly keeps the humidity stable – ideal for the area where you may be storing your guitar when not playing.
Design
This is a well-designed dehumidifier. It strikes the perfect balance between design and functionality.
The Black + Decker BDT50WTB’s timer can be set in 30-minute intervals for the first ten hours, and then in one-hour increments up to 24 hours.
Desired humidity levels can be decreased or increased in 5% increments.
Water Tank Capacity
The BDT50WTB’s water tank has a capacity of 14.3 pints – which gives you a long runtime without the need to empty the unit. And when you do need to empty the unit, the whole exercise is completely fuss-free.
Runtime
It will probably run for 36 hours without emptying – but this depends on the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, and the size of the area you want to dehumidify.
Ideally, it is pipped to remove 50 pints of moisture from up to 4500 square feet in 24 hours.
Coverage
The Black + Decker BDT50WTB will comfortably operate in areas as large as 4500 square feet. This is roughly the size of an average four-bedroom home.
Moisture extraction capacity
In our first test, we set the Black + Decker up in a five-hundred-square-foot area. It managed to reduce the humidity from around 89% to 40%, and it took only 9 minutes and a few seconds to do so.
In a second test, the Black + Decker reduced the humidity from just over 80% to just under 50% in less than ten minutes.
In both instances, it held the humidity levels firm once it reached the target setting.
Noise levels
The Black + Decker is slightly louder than other units in our test. The BDT50WTB produced noise outputs of between 73dB and 50dB while running at different speed settings.
Special Features
Firstly, this dehumidifier features an auto-defrost mode, which means the unit will continue to operate in low temperatures.
The Black + Decker will also warn you when it’s time to check the washable filter. This takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation.
It has an Energy Star-rating and uses an environmentally friendly R4110a refrigerant.
Without a doubt, the Black + Decker BDT50WTB deserves to be in the top premium dehumidifier spot on our list of best dehumidifiers for guitars. Kudos!
Pros
- Covers up to 4500 square feet
- 3.28-foot drain hose
- 4 casters for easy moving
- Removes up to 50 pints of moisture per day
- Adjustable humidistat
- 14.3-pint tank
- Top mounted control panel
- Washable mesh filter
- Audible alert when the water reservoir is full
- Environmentally friendly with an Energy Star rating
- Water level indicator
Cons
- Not as quiet as other units
