The stylish dehumidifier that costs nothing to run

Colder, wetter weather inevitably brings damp into the home through a combination of rain, reduced air circulation and more moisture in the air from drying laundry indoors. One of the ways we’re combatting this is with the Absodry Duo Family moisture absorber.

While the best dehumidifers have a lot of plus points, but there are a few common downsides – they don’t tend to look great, they can be noisy and they can be expensive.

Enter: the Absodry. It’s a stylish, silent and delightfully affordable way to tackle damp at home which doesn’t use any electricity to work. I’ve been using one for over a year now and it’s made all the difference.

The Absodry Duo Family is the cheapest dehumidifier we’ve come across but it does still work, and with barely any additional costs (we’ll get there, don’t worry).

The reason this product has a basically negligible cost to run is because of how it works as it’s a moisture absorber instead of a traditional dehumidifier. Rather than requiring electricity to do the job, it absorbs excess damp out of the air in a room using moisture-absorbing crystals,

So instead of having to pay for electricity, you simply have to replace the crystals when they’re used up. Refills cost £10 for 2 bags, with each bag lasting up to 3 months (so around 5p a day, effectively).

The lack of electricity eliminates any of the dehumidifier noise that other models have – it’s completely silent. Additionally, this means you can use it in rooms without an electrical plugs, so you could even use it in a shed, a wardrobe or even a car (if you were careful about spillage!)

When I first saw the Absodry Duo Family, I honestly thought it was a speaker. The Scandi minimalist design brings a contemporary twist to the product, and I especially love the colour options.

I was having some issues with my bathroom thanks to a very old extractor fan and it typically being the place my clothes airer stands. I didn’t especially want a shiny, white machine in my bathroom, but a sage green object looks pretty nice. It’s also available in the colourways Denim Blue, Blush Pink and Grey, so there’s a shade for every scheme.

I’ve been using my Absodry for over a year now and have been pleasantly surprised by how well it’s worked – and I did have my doubts. It lives in my bathroom which has no windows and is prone to damp due to lack of proper ventilation.

Within a couple of weeks in situ, I noticed the water indicator slowly filling up, showing the moisture that was taken from the air. Towels were drying more quickly but, even more exciting to me, because of the odour absorption the smell of damp completely disappeared.

I’m not convinced how much of a difference it would make when trying to aid in drying a full rack of clothes without a tumble dryer, but it’s certainly good for everyday damp maintenance and keeping mould and mildew at bay.

It was pretty much bang on 3 months into owning the product when I first noticed the water indicator was full, but over the summer months it actually took around 5 months to reach this level. The replacement process is super simple – there’s a spout to pour the water out of, you remove the now-empty bag, place the new one in and Bob’s your uncle.

The product I own can apparently work for spaces up to around 50sqm, which is impressive given its tiny footprint. However, the Absodry Duo Family has had a new bundle of joy with the arrival of the 3 Series, a smaller item that’s suitable for spaces up to 30sqm, although it should last the same amount of time between refills.

This version is currently on sale for only £15.99 and available in five stylish shades – Nougat, Midnight Blue, Grey, Forest Green and Mustard yellow.

It’s not just me who’s impressed by the Absodry Duo Family, either. When I was ordering refills on Dunlem the 5-star rating and the comments from other customers echoed my thoughts.

‘This really helps in taking dampness out of a room,’ said one customer. While another person agreed, saying, ‘Fantastic product that actually works. I was amazed at how effective it is. I would certainly recommend this product if you have condensation problems.’

So whether you already have a dehumidifier and want to give it an extra boost, or are looking for an easy way to keep on top of everyday damp levels, the Absodry is a good low-cost option.