Living in a single-glazed home, I've accepted that condensation is part of everyday life. We have original windows with no trickle vents, so windows are wiped down regularly, with panes becoming misty again first thing the next morning.
The worst offender in the house drips unless I wipe it down, and our bedroom window unfailingly mists up thanks to steam from the ensuite shower every morning.
So when I came across the 1L compact dehumidifier available at Debenhams and a few other retailers, too, that promises to remove moisture from problem areas without taking up much real estate, I was keen to give it a whirl.
And I have to say, it's become one of the best little helpers in my battle against steamy windows. OK, it's not going to compete with some of the best dehumidifiers around, but here's why it's a really good buy.
This slick-looking dehumidifier has a one-litre tank and is designed to extract up to 250ml of moisture per day, which is perfect for smaller rooms and problem windows like mine.
It's lightweight and runs quietly, which matters a lot for me when it's sitting next to my bedside table to target our bedroom window or by a window I see all the time.
You can also quite literally see it pulling the moisture from the air with its clear water tank, and there's a little alert too, so I don't have to check if it's full.
It also features a handy timer to set it to run first thing in the morning when the moisture is at its peak due to overnight buildup and showers.
And the best part is it's compact, at 25cm tall and fits neatly beside the sill of that perpetually fogged-up window, without dominating the room like a bigger unit would.
I've seen a real difference in the target windows I've used it near, with the usually heavy condensation now a light mist that can be easily wiped away.
Let's be realistic, this compact dehumidifier is not a whole-house damp solution or a replacement for a larger, high-capacity dehumidifier you'd run all day for laundry, for example. However, if you're dealing with specific problem areas, this little unit is a genuinely helpful tool to have in your damp-busting arsenal.
It hasn't solved the problem but has made it significantly easier to deal with on a daily basis, which is a small victory in my eyes.
Alternative compact dehumidifier I rate
While this model has been a great fit for our condensation woes, we've also tested a number of other compact dehumidifiers under £100, some of which may suit your space or problem area better.
This low-cost dehumidifier comes with a lower extraction rate by default, but the ProBreeze's 0.5L extraction rate is still higher than any other dehumidifier I've found under £100.
If you’re looking for a really small dehumidifier, then the Russell Hobbs RHDH1061 is about as compact as it gets, measuring just H22 x W14 x D14cm and weighing in at 0.9kg.
Although a cordless, reusable dehumidifier will never match the power of an electric model, the Lakeland Small Reusable Dehumidifier certainly does a good job and can be placed virtually anywhere.
This little dehumidifier hasn't transformed our old window condensation issues, but it has taken the edge off a daily frustration.
It has made a genuinely useful and a affordable addition to our condensation-prone home.
