This 30L dehumidifier is one of the most powerful we've tested – here's why we recommend it

Our Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier review puts one of the most powerful dehumidifiers on the market to the test. 

This dehumidifier can extract up to 30L of moisture from the air per day, has an automatic humidity sensor to make controlling the humidity levels in your home super easy, and it's equipped with a 4L water tank that means you won't constantly be emptying it to keep up with its impressive humidity-condensing powers.

It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity, which means you can manage its operation via the Smart App, or connect it to Alexa or a similar voice-activated device to operate it via voice-activated controls.

To gauge its performance compared to the best dehumidifiers the Ideal Home team has tested, I put the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier through its paces in several rooms in my damp-prone Victorian terrace. I tested its moisture-extracting abilities in the kitchen to see how quickly it could extract steam and cooking fumes, in my living room and bedroom to assess noise levels when I was trying to relax, watch TV, or sleep, and in my laundry drying area to see how it performed when challenged by wet washing. Here's what I discovered.

Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier review

Specifications

• Type: Compressor  
• Extraction rate: 30L/day 
• Water tank capacity: 4L 
• Max room size recommended: 20m²
• Noise level: 46db 
• Power: 600W 
• Dimensions: H51 x W34 x D25cm 
• Weight: 16kg 
• Portable?: Yes 
• Automatic humidity sensor: Yes 
• Continuous drain option: Yes 
• Laundry mode: No 
• WiFi connectivity: Yes
• Timer: 
• Operating temperature:  5°C - 32°C

How I tested

Rachael Phillips

I’m Rachael, a freelance reviewer who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. I've now put multiple bestselling dehumidifiers through their paces to find the best-in-class. I reviewed the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier in my damp-prone Victorian terrace in Newport, South Wales, that I share with my partner Chris and our two terriers, a Westie called Maggie and a Sealyham called Murray.

Unboxing

The first thing you’ll notice when this dehumidifier is delivered is how heavy it is, which can make getting it from the doorstep into your home a bit of a challenge. 

To make matters more awkward, the packaging box doesn’t have any handle cutouts in it to offer somewhere to grip. So you either have to lift up the whole box – which was impossible for me – or pick it up using the plastic ties put on it to keep the contents secure. The box is also very large in size, so manoeuvring it around was a bit of a struggle. 

However, a plus point is that once you do start to unbox it, this dehumidifier doesn't have much excess packaging. The box contains two large pieces of polystyrene which hold the appliance in place – which isn’t ideal as it can’t be recycled – but the rest of the package can all be recycled with your regular household collection, although, you will have a workout trying to fold the box up.  

The box also contains an instruction manual and a hosepipe which can be used if you want to operate the dehumidifier in its continuous drainage mode.

Assembly and set-up

There is nothing to assemble with this dehumidifier. It can be used straight out of the box, but, as it’s a compressor dehumidifier, you do need to let it sit for 24-48 hours so the refrigerant can settle before using it for the first time.

The Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier doesn’t require any set up process to be done before you start using it. However, because this dehumidifier offers Wi-Fi connectivity, it's worth downloading and installing the Smart Life App so you can take advantage of its full functionality.

On the Smart Life homepage there is an option to add device, click that and select Dehumidifier, which is in the Small Home Appliance section. Then you need to connect your dehumidifier to the Wi-Fi. Again, this is easy, to activate the Wi-Fi pairing function you just press and hold the humidity button on the dehumidifier for three seconds. You’ll see the Wi-Fii indicator light at the top of your machine blink, follow the instructions on the App and within moments your dehumidifier will be successfully paired. 

Once you have the App up and running it will let you control your dehumidifier from anywhere so long as the dehumidifier is connected to a Wi-Fi network. However, whilst that’s an exciting prospect, I do want to point out that as this is a compressor dehumidifier, it does use refrigerant, which is flammable, so it is advisable you don’t leave it running whilst it’s unattended. 

Another great feature with the App is that once it’s set up you can then hook it up to Alexa or Google Home which gives the option to operate the appliance via voice control. It even works with an Apple watch.

Design

The Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier isn’t a small dehumidifier. It'a a high capacity machine, and naturally that means it's going to take up a considerable amount of floorspace. It measures H51 x W34 x D25cm  and weighs in at a whopping 16.5kg.

Looks-wise I wouldn't say that it's anything special, but its all-white design and square stature will fit in to most decors without standing out too much.

There's an extendable handle built into the top of the unit, and on the base you’ll find wheels to help move it around.

At the front of the dehumidifier there's a circular window that allows you to see how full the water tank is. Although, this dehumidifier does also have an auto shut-off feature if the tank reaches capacity.

To the back of the dehumidifier, you’ll find the filter, which simply slides in and out so that you can clean it. Just under the filter is the continuous drain hose outlet. The plastic hose needs to be stored seperately as there's nowhere to store it on the dehumidifier when it’s not in use. However, there is a cable storage area so you can keep the cord tidy when the dehumidifier isn't plugged in. 

The 4-litre water tank is situated on the front of the machine, and has small indents that allow it to be pulled out when it’s full. The water tank has a cover to prevent the water from splashing everywhere and there’s an extendable handle which folds up and makes carrying the full tank to the sink or drain a lot easier. 

No need to take the cover off when emptying either, as there are small outlets at the top to let you pour the water away, this is a really handy design feature, especially when the tank is full. 

Ease of use

The top of the dehumidifier is where you’ll find the main control panel for the machine. There are six buttons; an on/off switch, self-drying mode, fan speed, humidity button, mode button and timer.

The buttons are well laid out and really responsive, so it’s easy to change the settings without pressing too firmly.

You can also apply a child lock by pressing the mode button down for 3 seconds. This is so handy if you have little ones running around at home as, of course, the dehumidifier has to be placed on the floor so it's easy for kids to reach.

Setting the timer was a little fiddly at first, but overall I found the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier really easy to operate via the on-board controls, and also via the App.

In fact, the App really surprised me. I’ve owned a lot of Smart appliances in my time, and whilst on paper they sound amazing, they often fall short when it comes to connectivity. But even from the initial W-Fi setup – which was instant – this dehumidifier connected every single time, which is particularly impressive given that my home is prone to Wi-Fi black spots. The only connectivity issue I experienced was when I tried to connect it to my Amazon Alexa, but I think that was more of an issue with Alexa than the dehumidifier as it paired effortlessly with my Google hub.

The in-App experience was also fantastic, with really clear menus and simple means to change the settings. The App also gives you extra air quality information that you can't access via the on-board controls alone, such as the current humidity levels and how long you have left on the timer if you’ve set one.

Performance

If you want to manage the humidity levels in a large space or if you suffer from extreme levels of excess moisture, then the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier is a great choice.

As its name suggests, this high capacity machine can remove up to 30 litres of moisture from the air every day, and its generous 4-litre water tank means that you won’t constantly be rushing to the sink to empty it.

During my test run, I found it worked incredibly well and removed moisture from the air very quickly. I used it in areas of my home that suffer from damp and condensation, and it collected 4-litres of water in around six hours.

Thankfully, this dehumidifier comes with an auto-shut-off feature, which is invaluable if – like me – you’re using it in areas with high levels of excess moisture as there's no risk of the tank overflowing if you don't notice it filling up.

If you don't want to have to stop the dehumidification process every time the water tank gets full then this dehumidifier also has the option of continuous drainage. For that you just need to attach the draingage hose included in the box and make sure you have a sink or drain the water can discharge into.

To operate the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier you can choose from two modes; automatic and continuous. 

The Auto mode will set the dehumidifier to maintain a default 50% air humidity. You can change this default humidity setting to between 30% and 80% humidity in increments of 5%. In this mode the dehumidifier then uses its in-built humidity sensor to manage its own performance. If the humidity level rises to 5% over your desired humidity level the dehumidifier will spring into action and turn on the compressor to condense moisture from the air. Once the dehumidifier has brought humidity levels back down to your deisred humidity, the compressor will stop but the fan will remain on. 

The automatic mode is a great feature and makes managing your home's humidity super easy. Plus, it means you'll save on energy as the dehumidifier won't be running at full capacity unless needed.

However, there is also the option to run the dehumidifier in continuous mode. On this setting the dehumidifier will automatically run on the default fan speed of high, but you can change the fan speed manually. 

Unlike some dehumidifiers, the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier doesn’t have a dedicated Laundry mode, but I still found its high capacity design to be pretty effective at helping wet washing to dry quicker indoors.  

Whilst it didn’t dry my wet laundry as quickly as the Pro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Mode, so garments weren't dry enough to be put straight into the airing cupboard, it did take the damp feel out of a clothes horse full of laundry, and sped up the overall drying time of my washing when it was running in the same room.

Energy Use

If you’re worried about investing in a dehumidifier because you’re concerned about how much a dehumidifier costs to run then you'll likely be wondering how energy efficient this high capacity machine is. 

The answer is that it does use a hefty 600W of power at full capacity. That means it's not the cheapest machine to run – costing around 17p per hour at current average energy prices – but, as it's such a powerful machine it does do a good job of removing excess moisture quickly, so potentially it’s not a dehumidifier you'll need to have running 24/7.

The fact you can also put the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier into automatic mode and rely on the built-in humidistat to manage your home's humidity also makes it more energy efficient. Those internal sensors will shut the dehumidifier off when the desired humidity level is achieved, saving on running costs.

Noise levels

The Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier has noise levels of 46dBA at full capacity, which is louder than most dehumidifiers we've tested. 

It does a really good job of getting rid of excess moisture, but the trade off is sacfricing some peace and quiet, and, unfortunately, I found its operation to be loud whether the fans were on high or low mode. 

As well as the usual noise of the fan operation, the compressor is also noisy, and the dehumidifier buzzes and shudders at the start of operation and when it's powering down.

It doesn’t have a special (quieter) night mode like some dehumidifiers (which also means the display doesn't dim for overnight use), and I certainly wouldn’t want to have it running in my bedroom whilst I was trying to sleep.

Portability

This is a heavy machine, so you probably won’t want to move it around too much. But, if you do need to transport it from room to room, it has an extendable handle at the top of the unit to make life a little easier. The handle is large and wide offering a good grip. Despite it being plastic, it manages the weight of the machine well, at no point when I picked it up to move it did feel flimsy. 

There are also wheels on the bottom of the dehumidifier which help if you want to push it from room to room. However, I found these worked a lot more efficiently on hard flooring than on carpet.

One thing I will say, if you’re going to move the dehumidifier to another space – especially if you’re carrying it – make sure the water tank is empty. The machine itself weighs 16.5kg and that’s before the 4 litre water tank is full of water. 

Maintenance

Thankfully this high capacity dehumidifier also comes with a high capacity water tank to hold all of the condensed moisture it will be extracting from the air.

The Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier's generous 4-litre water tank meant that I wasn't constantly emptying it like I was with the De’Longhi Tasciugo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier for example, and a couple of clever features also meant that although the tank can be heavy at full capacity, it's still easy enough to remove and empty.

Firstly, the tank is accessible from the front of the machine, which gave me much more space to pull it out easily, and it also features a built-in handle that folds down flat but can be raised to carry the tank to the sink for emptying.

How it rates online

The Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier rates really well with customers who’ve reviewed it online. 

On Amazon this model has been rated 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users praise how easy it is to use and also how efficient it is at getting moisture out of the air. 

In fact, online reviews are almost all positive with the only negative points mentioned being the noise level of the dehumidifier and a few people who had had similar connection issues with Amazon Alexa as me. However, as stated, I found it connected very easily to my Google hub.

Verdict

I've now tested a host of Pro Breeze's dehumidifiers, and I would say the 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier is the one to opt for if you have a lot of moisture to extract or you want to control the humidity in a large space. 

In fact, it's one of the highest capacity dehumidifiers on the market, just pipping its main competition – the best-in-class MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier – to the post with its ability to extract 30L of moisture from the air per day compared to the highest capacity Arete One which can extract 25L.

It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity – something the MeacoDry Arete One does not as yet – which is great news if you want the ability to operate it remotely via the Smart App, or connect the dehumidifier to Alexa or a Google hub for voice-activated control.

However, although it wins on extraction rate and Smart features, the 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier does have some downsides compared to the Arete One.

Both dehumidifiers water tanks are largely comparable so you'll be emptying them at a similar rate, but beyond that the Arete One dehumidifier is quieter, offers better energy-efficiency, and offered faster laundry drying times compared to the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart dehumidifier in our tests.

That said, the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier is considerably cheaper than the MeacoDry 25L Arete One Dehumidifier. Depending on what discounts are running at the time of your purchase, the Pro Breeze model can be up to £100 cheaper in fact. So although the Arete One is still our top recommendation for the best dehumidifier you can buy, if you want a machine with a high moisture extraction rate for the lowest price, the Pro Breeze 30L High Capacity Smart Dehumidifier is the one to shop.