VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier review: “The answer to my winter-laundry prayers”

RRP at time of testing: £170 | Check price at Amazon or VonHaus

My verdict

I’m the sort of person who would rather own more school uniform than wash it every day. Screw that. Our washing machines have two main appointments each week, Sunday and Wednesday, when the darks and lights go through in bulk. Add two primary-school children and two little white dogs who require a weekly bath unless we fancy living with muddy paws and stained snouts, and you can see why drying laundry indoors becomes a fairly serious operation during winter.

The VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier has made that operation quicker and less clammy. I put it within a metre of my clothes airer, select Laundry mode, set the automatic switch-off timer for three hours and close the door. 

When I return the next morning, at least 12 hours later, two ordinary washing-machine loads have consistently been dry, even without turning on the heating element in my airer. 

Put to work drying laundry indoors, where a dehumidifier next to the airer can help speed things up

To be clear, that doesn’t prove the clothes dried in three hours. The dehumidifier ran for three hours, then the laundry carried on drying naturally overnight. What I can say is that it has sped the process up and made it far more reliable.

It isn’t a magic wand, though. A super-king Panda duvet, washed after an incident involving one of the aforementioned white dogs, took at least three days to dry over a door even with both the dehumidifier and heating involved. The machine is also loud enough that I wouldn’t run it during a work call - not because my colleagues can hear it, but because it can be a bit of a distraction in the background for me. 

Still, for our normal weekly laundry, it does exactly the job I wanted it to do. I wouldn’t replace my heated airer with it, but the two make a very effective double act.

How I tested the VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier

I tested the dehumidifier for around a month in my family home. Most weeks, I used it twice: once for our Sunday wash and again on Wednesday. A typical session involved two full washing-machine loads, one dark and one light, hung on my Dry:Soon Deluxe Three-Tier Heated Clothes Airer. I also used it with towels and one super-king duvet.

The display ring changes colour with the humidity reading: red at 76% in the first photo, green at 57% in the second

The dehumidifier sat within a metre of the airer in my office cum storage room cum room my husband currently hates. I shut the door and usually ran Laundry mode for three hours using the switch-off timer. I assessed how easy it was to set up and move, the controls, tank and full-tank alert, noise in different modes, app functions, running costs and how the room felt after use.'

Generally, when I started each run, the humidity levels in the room were over 70 each time. The morning after, once the dehumidifier had done its job, levels were closer to 50.

What’s in the box?

The dehumidifier arrives with a drainage hose and instructions. There’s no complicated assembly. 

You do need to leave it standing upright for 24 hours after delivery before switching it on, which is standard compressor-dehumidifier housekeeping but worth knowing if you were hoping to attack a roomful of wet washing immediately.

VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier: set-up and design

At 52.2cm high and 14.1kg, this isn’t a dainty little machine you’ll tuck under one arm. It feels very solid, though. The large carry handle is sturdy and the four wheels are useful on a hard floor. On carpet, they’re less convincing. I found it easier to use the handle than try to drag the unit along like an uncooperative suitcase.

The VonHaus 30L has a simple, understated look, with a ribbed top and a window to check the tank level

The plain white finish is sensible and unobtrusive. It fits into our office without shouting about itself, although the room already contains a clothes airer and enough household overflow to make interior difficult. The top-mounted LED controls are easy to see and the colour-coded display gives you an at-a-glance idea of the humidity level.

How easy is the VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier to use?

The physical controls are straightforward and responsive. If anything, the buttons can be a little too sensitive, but I’d take that over the wrestling match some touch panels put you through (looking at you, McDonalds). There are three main modes: Auto, Laundry and Sleep. You can also choose the fan speed, set a target humidity level, use the 24-hour timer, activate the child lock and adjust the oscillating outlet.

I used Laundry mode most often. The switch-off timer is one of the best everyday features because I can set it for three hours, close the door and get on with my evening. There’s no hovering, no remembering to return at bedtime and no dehumidifier droning away until breakfast.

How well does Laundry mode work on the Vonhaus 30L dehumidifier?

Summer laundry has its little pleasures. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as pegging the washing outside when the sun is out and pretending, briefly, that the whole domestic system is under control. But of course, as Sean Bean likes to warn us, winter is a-coming. The washing comes indoors, the doors acquire bedding and the heated airer takes over the room.

It’s fairly compact for a 30L model - here you can see the flap that opens for air output and the side drain outlet

Before this test, my Dry:Soon heated airer could take more than 24 hours to dry some items, especially anything placed lower down. With the VonHaus running nearby for three hours, our ordinary dark and light loads have been dry by the following morning without the airer’s heating element switched on. The room also feels noticeably warmer and less clammy while the machine is working. VonHaus says Laundry mode can speed drying by up to 50%. I didn’t measure drying times precisely, but our ordinary loads were consistently dry by the following morning.

Vonhaus dehumidifier: what about towels and bedding?

Towels have dried well, although I drape them across the top of the airer rather than squeezing them onto the bottom tier. The same goes for bedding, which usually ends up slung over a door because even a three-tier airer isn’t big enough for our super-king bedding.

The super-king duvet was the toughest test and took at least three days to dry. It’s a large, thick item and I had it draped over a door rather than spread in an ideal drying space. The dehumidifier helped manage the moisture, but it didn’t turn a soaked duvet into an overnight success story. 

Is the Smart Life app worth downloading?

I was initially a bit miffed that a dehumidifier needed an app. Not every item in the house needs one, guys. None of us has the phone memory for it, thanks to the 31,452 pictures of our children and dogs we can’t bring ourselves to delete.

The smart app lets you set a target humidity, check room humidity and temperature, and adjust fan speed from your phone

For testing purposes, I installed it begrudgingly. My first attempt was frustrating because I couldn’t work out how to activate pairing mode on the dehumidifier. Once I knew to hold down the Timer button, it connected far more easily than I expected.

The app has since proved more useful than I’d like to admit. I can switch the machine on and off, change the fan speed and Laundry settings, set a target humidity level and timer, and view the live indoor humidity and temperature. 

How noisy is the Vonhaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier?

On Auto or Laundry mode, it sounds like air conditioning running on a strong setting. It isn’t unbearable and I can watch television or concentrate with it nearby, but I wouldn’t have it humming behind me on a work call. Close the door and we can’t hear it elsewhere in the house, which is how I use it most of the time.

Sleep mode is considerably quieter. I haven’t needed to run the dehumidifier overnight in a bedroom, but this mode turns down the fan and display, making it the more civilised setting if you’re sharing a room with it.

Tank capacity and drainage

The 5.3L tank is a good size, but it still filled frequently during testing. The alert appeared during a session and the machine shut itself off automatically, so there was no puddle or panic. 

The tank is easy to remove, carry and empty. Just remember that if it fills before a timed session ends, so drying stops until you deal with it.

The tank slides out with a handle for emptying, though it’s worth being careful carrying it once it’s full

A continuous-drainage hose is included. I couldn’t test it because the dehumidifier’s location didn’t give me a suitable drain, which is likely to be the snag for plenty of ordinary households. It’s a useful option for a basement or utility room, but less so if your best laundry-drying spot happens to be a carpeted spare room.

How much does the VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier cost to run?

The dehumidifier is rated at 430W. With the current electricity rate of 26.32p per kWh, that works out at roughly 11.3p an hour, or about 34p for my usual three-hour session. Using it for two three-hour sessions a week costs around 68p weekly, £2.72 over a four-week month or about £35 a year if I keep exactly the same routine.

Those are energy-only estimates of course, and your tariff and settings will affect the real figure. 

Still, for a laundry-heavy family trying to avoid turning up the heating or running a tumble dryer, the cost feels reasonable. I’ve also been able to leave the heating element on my airer switched off for normal loads, although I haven’t measured the combined saving precisely.

Does it improve the room’s air quality?

VonHaus says the built-in filter helps reduce dust and pollen. I have dog allergies despite owning two small “hypoallergenic” white dogs, which makes perfect sense if you don’t think about it too hard - so anything that keeps the room feeling fresher is welcome. 

While I haven’t tracked air quality exactly during testing, I can report that the room feels warmer and less clammy after use. 

One niggle is that dust collects on top of the unit, which has created another tiny cleaning job nobody asked for. I haven’t yet needed to clean the filter, but the manual recommends checking it regularly.

Is the VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier good value for money?

At £170 at the time of testing, it isn’t an impulse purchase. It is, however, powerful enough for our family’s regular two-load sessions, has a useful timer and a tank that doesn’t need emptying after every use. 

The app works well once you know the pairing trick, but I’d still buy it for the physical controls and Laundry mode rather than because I’ve always dreamt of asking Alexa about humidity.

Don’t skip the sticker: the unit needs to stand upright for 24 hours before you switch it on

I’d probably pay between £170 and £200 for it with my own money. For a laundry-heavy family, a larger room or a home dealing with persistent damp and condensation, the capacity makes sense. 

Couples and people in smaller flats should look at a smaller model, like the brand’s 20L version or the slimline 10L model (see below).

VonHaus 30L vs 20L vs 10L dehumidifiers

All three models have Auto, Laundry and Sleep modes, a 24-hour timer, wheels and a two-year warranty. The real choice is how much wet washing and room moisture you need them to handle, and how much appliance you’re prepared to store.

Final verdict: should you buy the VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier?

Yes, if damp winter laundry is a regular part of family life and you have the space for it. The VonHaus 30L Smart Dehumidifier has made our normal washing routine quicker and more predictable. It’s easy to operate from the machine, its timer means I don’t need to babysit it and the 5.3L tank is sensibly sized for the amount of moisture it collects.

It’s not quiet, light or miraculous. Thick bedding still takes patience, the wheels dislike carpet and the app pairing instructions could be clearer. I also wouldn’t bin a good clothes airer for it. 

Used together, though, the airer holds everything where the air can circulate and the dehumidifier pulls that moisture out of the room. As the weather gets colder, that double act is exactly what I - and I suspect, many other families - will need.

About the tester

As Mumsnet’s home and lifestyle expert and mum of two, I regularly test household products in my busy family home where school uniforms, dog-related chaos and laundry are never in short supply. As ever, I’ll always be honest in my reviews and share what’s worth it and what’s worth dodging. 

About the author

Rebecca Roberts is a writer, editor, and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she brings parents content designed to make life easier. With two kids, a dog, husband and a home to run, she knows all too well just how easy it is to rack up high utility bills when you’re trying to keep everyone warm, so she’s constantly on the lookout for products that are affordable, long-lasting and cost-efficient. 

Beyond her role as an editor here at Mumsnet, Rebecca can be found balancing life as a working mum of two toddlers and when she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at a local playgroup, in a nearby coffee shop, or walking the dog.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices are correct at time of publication.

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