This is our buying guide on the best dehumidifiers for reptiles 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.
Afloia
Dehumidifier
- Silica bead dehumidifier
- Can cover up to 54 sq-ft
- 360-degree air absorption
- Ideal for larger reptile tanks and enclosures
- ABS flame retardant material used for the body
- The recharging dock automatically turns the heating element off after 2 hours
- Totally noiseless operation
- Can even be used in a car, in cupboards, or anywhere else
- Silica beads go from orange to dark green when saturated with water
- Beads can be seen from the top of the unit
- Fairly energy efficient
Moistenland Ventilation Fan For Reptiles
- Ideal for smaller reptile tanks and enclosures
- External sensors that can be mounted inside the tank
- Regulates humidity
- Lets you set the desired temperature and relative humidity
- Silent operation
- 2700 RPM max speed
- Does not take much time to get going
- Can lower relative humidity by as much as 5% in an hour
- Has a cooling effect on the tank
- No water tank to empty
- Doesn’t need to be cleaned as frequently as traditional dehumidifiers
Eva-dry Renewable Mini Dehumidifier
- Can cover upto 28 sq-ft of space
- Holds as much as 5 ounces of moisture
- No batteries or electricity required
- Simple design that is less prone to problems
- Compact styling
- Ideal for smaller reptile tanks
- Ergonomic recharging design
- Hook allows you to hang the dehumidifier in a reptile tank
This is our review of the best dehumidifiers for reptiles.
Dehumidifiers for reptiles might sound counterintuitive, since most reptiles and amphibians require higher humidity levels.
But different species have different requirements. And if you live in a very humid location, you might need to install a dehumidifier in your reptile’s enclosure to provide ideal humidity.
For example, one of the most popular reptile pets are bearded dragons, which require a relative humidity level of around 40%.
So, our top pick for best reptile tank dehumidifier…isn’t a dehumidifier at all. It is a ventilation fan that lets you configure the relative humidity level, automatically regulates it via sensors, and runs silently.
If you aren’t sure which dehumidifier to get for your reptile’s tank or enclosure, you came to the right place. We’ve been reviewing dehumidifiers for over a decade, allowing us to give informed purchase advice.
Keep reading for more of our thoughts on the best dehumidifiers for reptiles.
Moistenland Ventilation
Fan For Reptiles
BEST OVERALL
At A Glance
This Moistenland unit isn’t your typical dehumidifier for reptiles. It is a ventilation fan that works by removing humid air from your reptile’s tank. But unlike other ventilation fans, this one uses sensors that let you set the relative humidity level you want.
Design
Visually, it’s a pretty straightforward unit.
The fan and the control panel are housed in the same body, while the sensors are separate. This is a clever design for reptile tank dehumidifiers, since you can mount the sensors inside the tank without the risk of your reptile interacting with the fan.
Since this is a fan, it will need to be mounted on mesh or a window into the tank.
Runtime
The fan needs to be plugged into the wall in order to run, so you don’t have to worry about draining a battery. Plus, because it regulates the humidity, you can leave it running constantly.
Coverage
It’s a smaller unit, measuring in at around 80x80mm. And while the manufacturer doesn’t quote any coverage ratings, we found that it is only really effective with small to medium-sized reptile tanks.
The fan is larger than on other ventilation fans, which definitely helps improve airflow, but only to an extent.
Speed
The fan itself is rated to run at a maximum of around 2700 RPM, That makes for some speedy dehumidification, especially in smaller reptile tanks and enclosures. We never had to wait for the unit to get going or effectively circulate air.
Efficiency
One benefit of being so small and low-powerd is that this dehumidifier for reptiles is extremely efficient. It does not draw much power, and you won’t notice any unusual spikes in your electric bill.
Drainage
Because it’s not a traditional dehumidifier, it doesn’t have a water tank that needs to be emptied. This also means you don’t have to clean the thing as often! We do recommend cleaning the actual fan every now and again, especially if your reptile’s environment has soil or dirt in it.
Noise Levels
We fully expected this 2700 RPM fan to make a racket and keep us up all night. Surprisingly, it doesn’t make any audible sound whatsoever.
Special Features
Now let’s get into the good stuff.
This ventilation fan/dehumidifier for reptile tanks is one-of-a-kind in that it lets you set the exact level of relative humidity that you want your reptile’s tank to be at. This is thanks to the humidity and temperature sensors which monitor the inside of the tank.
You can use the control panel to set your desired temperature and relative humidity. The fan takes care of the rest, actively speeding up or slowing down to keep the humidity level constant.
But what really surprised us was how quickly this unit works. The manufacturer claims it can decrease humidity by as much as 5% in an hour, which we found to be pretty accurate.
Who’s It For?
The Moistenland ventilation fan is ideal for the person who wants a unique, but highly effective dehumidifier unit for their reptile tank. It regulates humidity, and has a cooling effect on the reptile enclosure, all while without producing much noise.
Pros
- Ideal for smaller reptile tanks and enclosures
- External sensors that can be mounted inside the tank
- Regulates humidity
- Lets you set the desired temperature and relative humidity
- Silent operation
- 2700 RPM max speed
- Does not take much time to get going
- Can lower relative humidity by as much as 5% in an hour
- Has a cooling effect on the tank
- No water tank to empty
- Doesn’t need to be cleaned as frequently as traditional dehumidifiers
Cons
- Not the best for larger tanks and enclosures
Afloia Dehumidifier
BEST FOR LARGER REPTILE TANKS AND ENCLOSURES
At A Glance
If your reptile’s tank is a bit larger, or if you have multiple reptiles in an enclosure, the Afloia Dehumidifier is worth looking into. It uses silica beads to remove moisture from a space, and has a really cool method for recharging.
Design
At first, we thought the Afloia dehumidifier was a Bluetooth speaker! It has that cylindrical, pill-like shape that allows for 360-degree moisture absorption.
Overall, the size is compact and you shouldn’t have any issues with the placement. The bottom is flat, so you can easily put it anywhere in your reptile’s enclosure. Well, anywhere that your reptile won’t knock the thing over that is!
It comes with a ‘charging’ dock that removes the moisture from the silica beads by heating the whole unit. This works quite well and surprisingly quickly.
The actual unit is cordless, so it doesn’t need to be anywhere near an outlet to work.
Capacity
It is rated to hold just over 4 fluid ounces, which should be more than enough to dehumidify even the largest of reptile tanks and enclosures.
We never felt the capacity lacking, and a 4 ounce capacity means it can remove a fair bit of moisture before needing to be ‘recharged.’
Coverage
The coverage rating is surprisingly high for a dehumidifier of this size. Even though it is designed for smaller spaces like reptile tanks, it can still remove moisture from a upto a 54 sq-ft space.
Speed
When it comes to removing moisture from a space, we found that this unit takes its time. It isn’t as quick as some of the other dehumidifiers for reptiles we tested, but still manages to hold its own.
Efficiency
You don’t have to worry about too much power draw with this dehumidifier. The charging base does need to be plugged in and uses a heating element to ‘charge’ the dehumidifier, but it only needs a little bit of power to get the unit ready for round 2!
Charging
We should reiterate that this is a silica gel dehumidifier. It does not actually need to be ‘charged’ like a battery-powered unit would.
The ‘charging’ dock just removes the moisture collected by the silica gel, using a heating element. The silica gel beads can be seen through a window at the top of the unit, and go from orange to dark green when saturated with water.
When you notice them turn dark green, just put them on the dock and it’ll renew them for another dehumidification cycle.
We found that with regular usage, you can expect the silica beads to be renewed in just over 2 hours.
Noise Levels
Because there are no moving parts, this dehumidifier for reptiles is quite literally noiseless!
Special Features
If you ask us, this dehumidifier’s most special feature is its unique design and dehumidification process. But it’s not without its cool tricks.
For one, the heating element in the dock automatically turns off after 2 hours to prevent overeating and excessive power consumption.
Despite the soft fabric-like exterior, the actual body of the unit is made of ABS flame-retardant material, so you don’t have to worry about it catching fire in your reptile’s tank or enclosure.
Lastly, we think that this dehumidifier’s biggest strength is just how portable it is. This opens up a world of possibilities and use cases, with or without your scaled friend.
Who’s It For?
The Afloia humidifier for reptiles is sure to be a hit with folks who want to remove moisture from larger reptile tanks and need an effective unit to get the job done. Just be sure to place it somewhere your pet can’t knock it over!
Pros
- Silica bead dehumidifier
- Can cover up to 54 sq-ft
- 360-degree air absorption
- Ideal for larger reptile tanks and enclosures
- ABS flame retardant material used for the body
- The recharging dock automatically turns the heating element off after 2 hours
- Totally noiseless operation
- Can even be used in a car, in cupboards, or anywhere else
- Silica beads go from orange to dark green when saturated with water
- Beads can be seen from the top of the unit
- Fairly energy efficient
Cons
- Not the fastest to remove moisture, but still works well
- Could easily get knocked over by your pet
Eva-dry Renewable Mini Dehumidifier
BEST MINI DEHUMIDIFIER
At A Glance
The Eva-dry mini dehumidifier for reptiles is another silica bead-powered dehumidifier. It is best suited for very small tanks and enclosures, but we think the small size and immense ease of use deserves praise.
Design
If the Afloia looked like a Bluetooth speaker, the Eva-dry looks like a walkie-talkie! This dehumidifier is even smaller and has a more traditional shape that you can put in your reptile’s tank and not have to worry about it getting knocked over.
A hook on the back allows you to hang this dehumidifier inside your reptile’s tank as well which is great for hanging the unit away from a pet’s reach.
Like most silica-bead dehumidifiers, this one doesn’t need to be plugged in. You also don’t have to worry about changing out any batteries.
Checking to see if the beads are saturated with water is made easy thanks to the window up front. This turns green when the beads are at capacity, and orange when they’re renewed.
Capacity
The moisture removal capacity is in line with other reptile tank dehumidifiers of this type. It is rated to hold around 5 ounces before the silica beads need to be renewed. That’s actually plenty for even the most humid reptile tanks and enclosures.
Coverage
The problem arises when we talk about coverage. This dehumidifier for reptiles can only really manage to dehumidify about 28 sq-ft of space, give or take. That’s a bit lower than the Afloia, but will cover just about any reptile tank or vivarium.
Speed
As with most dehumidifiers that use silica beads, you will have to wait a bit for the unit to remove moisture from a space. But it’s quite effective once it gets going, so we don’t mind waiting a bit longer.
Efficiency
This dehumidifier for reptiles does not need to use electricity or batteries. The integrated prongs on the back are only for when you need to renew the silica beads. That means you won’t have to worry about any spikes in your electric bill.
Recharging
Renewing the silica beads is as easy as plugging the unit into the wall. They don’t take very long to release the moisture they’ve accumulated.
Noise Levels
This silica bead dehumidifier for reptiles works completely noiseless.
Special Features
You don’t get very many, if any, cool features with this reptile tank dehumidifier. But if you ask us, that’s a good thing. It just means that there’s less stuff to go wrong!
And it definitely shows in how long this unit lasts. The manufacturer claims over 10 years of effective operation, and if independent user reports are to be believed, it can get pretty close to that number!
Who’s It For?
The Eva-dry reptile dehumidifier is for the person who has a smaller reptile tank or enclosure and compactness is the priority. The design is simple, safe, and effective.
Pros
- Can cover upto 28 sq-ft of space
- Holds as much as 5 ounces of moisture
- No batteries or electricity required
- Simple design that is less prone to problems
- Compact styling
- Ideal for smaller reptile tanks
- Ergonomic recharging design
- Hook allows you to hang the dehumidifier in a reptile tank
Cons
- Not the fastest-acting dehumidifier for reptile tanks
