Wood's MRD25GW 25l Dehumidifier: my verdict
Able to extract up to 25 litres of moisture per day from your home, the Wood's MRD25GW packs quite a punch. During testing, I happened to come home from a long weekend away to find a leak in our downstairs toilet. The (thankfully, clean) water had soaked through the laminate flooring, warping the boards. I set the Wood's dehumidifier to work and it had the moisture under control within a day - it was a real lifesaver.
Not that well known in the UK yet, Wood's are the biggest dehumidifier brand in Scandinavia, and it's easy to see why. The dehumidifier is thoughtfully designed with a range of settings and modes - including a dedicated drying mode for laundry.
When pitted against a 12l Meaco Arete, the difference between the two dehumidifiers was clear. The larger, 25l Wood's made light work of drying a load of laundry - getting my washing dry in 7 hours, compared with the smaller dehumidifier's 12. If you're looking to optimise the way you dry clothes over the colder months, this dehumidifier (plus a heated clothes airer) is the best I've tried.
Suitable for spaces up to 120m², the Wood's can be used to tackle damp and musty smells in spaces big and small. I let it run in my slightly musty sitting room for a day, and have noticed a marked improvement in the air quality in this room since.
In terms of user-friendliness, the control panel is pretty straightforward. There's no remote control but there is an intuitive app that allows you to set a target humidity level, switch between modes and turn the dehumidifier off remotely. It's pretty noisy - you can definitely tell it's working hard when it's on, and it doesn't have a night mode.
All in all, I think it's a real workhorse, and I was very glad to have it around when we discovered the leak. It dries laundry quicker and more efficiently than any other dehumidifier I've tested, too.
Read next: Best dehumidifiers
How does the Wood's MRD25GW compare with other dehumidifiers?
I pitted the Wood's against a Meaco Arete One 12l in my laundry test. When compared with a 25l Meaco Arete One, there are a few differences.
Meaco is a British company and they optimise their dehumidifiers for British homes and the UK climate. Wood's dehumidifiers are designed with Scandinavian homes in mind, so there are minor differences in the design. For example, Meaco is also a HEPA air purifier, and runs at a lower wattage for greater energy efficiency. The Meaco also has a smart mode, and will switch off automatically when optimal humidity is reached.
The Wood's dehumidifier has a laundry vent that funnels the warm air it expels straight onto your clothes, speeding up the drying process.
So, to sum up, the Wood's dehumidifier is more powerful and more efficient for drying laundry, whereas the Meaco Arete One will cost marginally less to run per hour.
Related: Best heated clothes airer
Should I get a 12l or a 25l dehumidifier?
If you’re confused about whether to get a 12-litre or a 25-litre dehumidifier, it really comes down to the size of your space and how damp things are. A 12L model is usually fine for a small flat, bedroom or study – it’ll quietly tick away at keeping condensation off the windows.
But if you’re dealing with a whole house, drying washing indoors or tackling a really musty room, a 25L machine will cope far better without needing to be emptied every five minutes. Bigger units can seem like overkill at first, but they often work more efficiently and end up running for less time overall.
Does the Wood's MRD25GW 25l Dehumidifier offer good value for money?
At £300, the Wood's MRD25GW 25l is on a par price-wise with other quality brands like Meaco and ElectriQ. If you've settled on a 25l model, this is a great choice - especially if you're looking to speed up drying laundry indoors.