Product comparisons
Basement and Whole-Home Dehumidifiers compared, with a verified Canadian price.
9 products verified · checked Oct 6, 2026
For a Southwestern Ontario homeowner whose basement humidity a single portable dehumidifier from our combined dehumidifiers-and-air-purifiers comparison can't keep up with — because there's no floor drain to run a gravity hose to, because the problem is a crawl space rather than a finished room, or because the right answer is one ducted system serving the whole house instead of a bucket to empty every day. Southwestern Ontario basements sit on heavy clay soil that keeps groundwater and humidity high even without a leak, and most HVAC guidance puts 30-50% relative humidity as the comfortable, mould-resistant target — the same target whether the fix is a $277 portable unit or a $3,900 ducted system. The nine products below split into three groups: pump-equipped portables (so water drains up and out through a window or sink rather than needing gravity), crawl-space and commercial-grade units built for rougher, unfinished spaces, and whole-home ducted systems that a licensed contractor installs once into the furnace ductwork or a dedicated drain. Every unit is compared on coverage, capacity, and warranty, with a verified Canadian price read off its own Amazon.ca listing — not a marketing claim.
Portable, pump-equipped dehumidifiers for basements without a floor drain
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| Product | Type | Coverage | Capacity | Noise | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon Basics Dehumidifier with Drain Pump, 50-Pint Amazon Basics | Compressor, portable, pump or gravity drain | 4,000 sq. ft. rated on the box; the same listing separately states 2,500 sq. ft. for "effectively reducing humidity" — we show both rather than pick the flattering one | 50 pints/day (2019 DOE: 65°F/60% RH); up to 102 pints/day at 90°F/90% RH (non-DOE) | Not stated on the product page | Not stated on the product page | The cheapest pump-equipped 50-pint dehumidifier we could verify on Amazon.ca — a real built-in pump, not just a gravity drain hose, at the lowest price in this table. More+ Lowest price of any pump-equipped 50-pint unit we verified, and still carries Amazon's Choice plus a 4.4-star average across 35 ratings – The listing's own two coverage numbers (4,000 sq ft vs. 2,500 sq ft) disagree with each other — size down your expectations rather than trust the bigger figure | |
Frigidaire FHDP5033W1 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Built-In Pump Frigidaire | Compressor, portable, pump, bucket, or continuous-drain hose | 4,500 sq. ft. | 50 pints/day | 49 dBA (stated on the product page) | Not stated on the product page | The only one of the three portable units here with a manufacturer-stated noise figure (49 dBA), plus WiFi and three separate drainage options including the built-in pump. More+ Three separate drainage options — built-in pump, bucket, or gravity hose — chosen on the unit itself rather than by buying a different SKU – Only 6 ratings on Amazon.ca so far — this is a newer (2025) listing with a shorter track record than the other two portable units here | |
Levoit Dehumidifier for Basement & Home (LDH-H251S), 84 Pint/Day with Pump Levoit | Compressor, portable, 4 drainage options (pump, hose, gravity, tank) | 4,500 sq. ft. | 36 pints/day at 80°F/60% RH (DOE-style); 84 pints MAX at 104°F/95% RH (non-DOE) | 46 dB (Quiet mode); 49 dB (Turbo mode) | 2 years, per a verified buyer review quoting Levoit's own documentation (not stated in the Amazon bullet points themselves) | The quietest portable unit here at a stated 46 dB, with four separate drainage options — pump, hose, gravity, or tank — and the most-reviewed dehumidifier in this entire table at 22,299 ratings. More+ Four drainage options instead of the usual two or three, including a washable, removable pump that can be pulled out and cleaned separately – At DOE test conditions this unit's own listing states only 36 pints/day — lower than either 50-pint unit above — with the 84-pint figure only reached at a much hotter, wetter non-DOE test point |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Crawl-space and commercial-grade dehumidifiers
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| Product | Type | Coverage | Capacity | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AlorAir Helios MP35, 70 PPD Crawl Space/Commercial Dehumidifier with Pump AlorAir | Compressor, commercial-grade, built-in pump or gravity drain | 1,000 sq. ft. | 70 pints/day at saturation (35 pints/day AHAM-standard) | 6 years limited (first 2 years full coverage) | The smallest and cheapest of AlorAir's commercial-grade crawl-space line here, built specifically for tight crawl spaces and still carrying a built-in pump. More+ Smallest, lightest, and cheapest unit in AlorAir's crawl-space lineup that still carries a built-in pump (16.1 × 11.8 × 13.1 in) – No numeric noise spec published — buyer reviews flag vibration/noise as the main complaint, which is exactly what AlorAir's optional hanging kit accessory is sold to fix | |
AlorAir Sentinel HDi65, 120 PPD Crawl Space Dehumidifier with Pump AlorAir | Compressor, commercial-grade metal casing, built-in pump or gravity drain | 1,300 sq. ft. | 120 pints/day at saturation (55 pints/day AHAM-standard) | 6 years limited (first 2 years full coverage) | The one AlorAir crawl-space unit in this table that's actually Energy Star Listed, with a metal outer casing built for rougher crawl-space and job-site use. More+ The only Energy Star Listed unit among the three AlorAir crawl-space models in this table – Several buyer reviews report compressor or refrigerant failures within 6 months to a year of continuous use | |
AlorAir Sentinel HDi90, 198 PPD Crawl Space Dehumidifier with Pump AlorAir | Compressor, commercial-grade metal casing, built-in pump or gravity drain | 2,600 sq. ft. | 198 pints/day at saturation (90 pints/day AHAM-standard) | 6 years limited (first 2 years full coverage) | The largest crawl-space/commercial unit in this table at 198 pints/day saturation, with an optional wall-mounted remote for sound-isolated placement away from living space. More+ Largest capacity and coverage of any crawl-space unit in this table – Priciest crawl-space unit here by a wide margin, and NOT Energy Star Listed unlike the smaller Sentinel HDi65 above |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Whole-home ducted dehumidifiers (contractor-installed)
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| Product | Type | Coverage | Capacity | Install | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aprilaire E070 Pro Dehumidifier Bundle, 70 Pint Whole-Home Ducted Dehumidifier Aprilaire | Ducted, whole-home / basement / sealed crawl space — contractor-installed | 2,800 sq. ft. | 70 pints/day | Contractor-installed; this bundle includes the drain hose, 2 filters, and risers, but not labour, ducting, or a floor drain/pump | 5 years | The highest-rated whole-home unit in this table at 4.7 stars across 126 ratings, sold as a bundle with the drain hose, filters, and risers a contractor needs for the install. More+ ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2023 certified – Installation (ducting, a floor drain or condensate pump, and electrical) is a separate contractor cost not included in this price | |
Aprilaire E100 Whole-House Dehumidifier Aprilaire | Non-ducted or ducted, whole-home / basement / sealed crawl space — contractor-installed | Not stated in square feet on this listing — the product description only says "basement, sealed crawl space, or whole home" without a number | 100 pints/day (12.5 gallons) | Contractor-installed; place over a drain or connect a drain hose (not included), level it, plug it in | Not stated on this listing | A higher-capacity step up from the E070 at 100 pints/day, sold new through a third-party Amazon.ca reseller rather than Aprilaire's own storefront. More+ ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2024 certified – Sold by a third-party reseller ("Filterz Direct"), not Aprilaire's own storefront — zero ratings on this specific listing as of the date checked | |
Aprilaire 1870 Whole Home Pro Dehumidifier Aprilaire | Ducted, whole-home — contractor-installed, top- or front-mount control panel | 3,900 sq. ft. per the listing title; the manufacturer's own brand copy on the same page separately states 7,200 sq. ft. — we show both rather than pick the bigger number | 130 pints/day (16 gallons) | Contractor-installed, ducted; corrosion-resistant aluminum coils; 120VAC, 8.3A current draw | 5 years | The largest-capacity whole-home unit in this table at 130 pints/day, with the longest and most-reviewed track record — 261 ratings, including owners reporting 5+ years of continuous use. More+ Largest capacity of any whole-home unit in this table, with aluminum coils built for long-term use – The most expensive unit in this entire category |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Also on Amazon.ca
A few things most owners of the systems above end up buying anyway — verified on Amazon.ca's own page, same rules as the table.
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Little Giant VCMA-15ULS Residential Condensate Removal Pump
For any dehumidifier above without a floor drain nearby — a dedicated condensate pump lifts water further and more reliably than relying on a built-in pump alone.
20FT Dehumidifier Drain Hose with 3/4" FHT Brass Connector
Every pump above needs hose to actually reach a drain, sink, or window — this is the longest commonly-stocked length with a brass, leak-resistant fitting.
ThermoPro TP49 Digital Hygrometer (2-Pack)
A dehumidifier's own panel reading isn't always trustworthy — a cheap independent hygrometer in the room confirms relative humidity actually hit the 30-50% target.
AlorAir MERV-8 Filter Replacement Set, 4-Pack (Sentinel HD55 / HDi65)
The AlorAir crawl-space units above need their washable filter cleaned or replaced on a schedule — this 4-pack covers a full season without ordering again.
Reviewed by John Moelker
Founder, CompareLocal.ca · Oxford County, Ontario · Updated Oct 6, 2026 · How we choose
Near you: Woodstock, Stratford, St. Thomas — local water, utility and installer notes for heating and cooling.
How we chose
This category runs Amazon-first, same as the rest of this site: Amazon pays us a commission when you buy through these links, disclosed above every table. We only publish a product once we've opened its own Amazon.ca listing ourselves and read the price and specs off it — see the "as of" date and source link on every row. None of the nine products here duplicate a model already listed in our combined dehumidifiers-and-air-purifiers comparison (the Midea MAD50C1ZWS, DREO 73-pint, Waykar 80-pint, or AlorAir Sentinel HD55) — every portable unit here specifically carries a built-in pump, which that combined category's four units do not, and every AlorAir or Aprilaire unit here is a different model entirely. Capacity numbers are not directly comparable across groups: the three portable units state a 2019-DOE-standard figure (tested at specific temperature and humidity points) that can look smaller than an older, pre-2019 rating for the exact same physical hardware — Midea and hOmeLabs's own Amazon.ca listings show this directly, relabelling a unit from "70 pints (2012 DOE)" to "50 pints" once the newer, stricter standard took effect, a roughly 30% difference on identical equipment. The three crawl-space units instead publish an AHAM-standard number alongside a "pints at saturation" marketing figure that typically runs 2-3x higher for the same unit — we show both, labelled, rather than lead with the bigger one. A whole-home ducted system's price here is for the equipment only: installing one into existing ductwork, a dedicated drain or condensate pump, and the electrical circuit it needs is a separate job for a licensed HVAC contractor, not included in any price shown. On the Canadian framing that matters here: a sump pit or floor drain gives a portable unit's gravity-drain hose somewhere to go without a pump at all, a cottage only needs serious dehumidifying during the damp shoulder seasons (spring thaw and fall) rather than year-round, and a rough rule of thumb for running cost — using Ontario's Tier 1 electricity rate of 12.0 cents/kWh (Ontario Energy Board, effective November 1, 2025) against the one unit here that states its exact power draw, the Frigidaire FHDP5033W1 at 593W — works out to about 85 cents a day, or roughly $26 a month, if it runs 12 hours a day; a smaller or larger unit's own wattage (check the nameplate) will cost proportionally less or more. We are not HVAC technicians: if a basement is actively taking on water rather than just running humid, that's a sump-pump or foundation problem to solve first — see our backup power and sump pumps comparisons — and installing any whole-home ducted system is a licensed contractor's job, not a DIY project out of an Amazon box.
Already comparing the simpler four-unit dehumidifier and air-purifier combined table? Compare basic portable dehumidifiers and air purifiers →
Dealing with active basement flooding, not just humidity? Compare backup power for sump pumps and well pumps →
Worried about a sump pump failing in the same wet basement? Compare sump pumps and their battery backups with a verified Canadian price →
Want a professional water-treatment or HVAC installer instead of a DIY unit? See water treatment installers verified for Woodstock and area →
Frequently asked questions
Why would I need a dehumidifier with a built-in pump instead of a cheaper gravity-drain model?
A gravity-drain hose only works if the dehumidifier sits higher than the drain it empties into — fine over a floor drain or a sump pit, but useless if the nearest drain is a sink or a window several feet above the unit, or if there's no drain nearby at all. A built-in pump pushes water upward instead, typically several feet, which is exactly the problem every portable unit in this table's pump group solves: the Amazon Basics, Frigidaire, and Levoit units here can all drain to a sink, a window, or up and over a foundation wall rather than needing gravity on their side. The tradeoff is reliability — more than one buyer review across these three units mentions the pump itself failing or underperforming, which is why a gravity or manual-bucket backup is worth keeping in mind even on a pump-equipped unit.
What's the real difference between a DOE pint rating and an AHAM pint rating?
They're two different test standards measuring two different things, and mixing them up makes a smaller unit look bigger than it is. DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) is the standard residential Energy Star dehumidifiers are rated against, and the 2019 DOE standard specifically replaced an older, more flattering 2012 standard — Midea and hOmeLabs's own Amazon.ca listings for the same physical dehumidifier show this directly, relabelling a unit from "70 pints (2012 DOE)" to "50 pints" once the new standard took effect, a roughly 30% difference for identical hardware. AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) is the standard the three commercial crawl-space units in this table use instead, and it's typically shown next to a much higher "pints at saturation" marketing number — AlorAir's own Sentinel HDi90 listing states both: 198 pints/day at saturation but only 90 pints/day AHAM, less than half. Compare DOE-to-DOE and AHAM-to-AHAM, never one against the other.
Do I need a crawl-space/commercial unit, or will a portable dehumidifier work in my crawl space?
It depends on access and conditions, not just size. The three crawl-space units here (AlorAir's Helios MP35, Sentinel HDi65, and Sentinel HDi90) are built with a metal casing designed for rougher, unfinished, dustier conditions than a household portable unit expects, and all three include a built-in pump with enough lift distance (19.6 ft on the Sentinel HDi65) to reach a drain, window, or sink from a low, cramped crawl space. A finished basement with household-normal temperature and humidity and a nearby drain or sink is usually a fine fit for one of the three portable units in this table instead, at roughly half the price of the cheapest AlorAir crawl-space unit.
Is a whole-home ducted dehumidifier worth the extra cost over a portable unit?
It depends on how many rooms actually need dehumidifying and whether you're already working with an HVAC contractor for something else. A whole-home ducted unit like the three Aprilaire units in this table ties into the furnace ductwork (or runs standalone with its own ducting) and dehumidifies the whole house from one place, with no bucket to empty and no unit sitting visibly in a room — but the equipment alone costs 5-10x a portable unit, and that price doesn't include the contractor labour, a condensate drain or pump, and the electrical circuit the install actually needs. If only the basement or a single crawl space needs drying out, a portable or crawl-space unit from the first two groups above does the same job for a fraction of the total cost; a whole-home unit earns its price when multiple floors or an entire house need it at once.
How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier in Ontario?
It depends on the unit's wattage and how many hours a day it runs, and most listings in this table don't state a wattage figure at all — check the nameplate on the back of whichever unit you buy rather than guessing. The one exception here, Frigidaire's FHDP5033W1, states 593W on its own listing: at Ontario's Tier 1 electricity rate of 12.0 cents/kWh (Ontario Energy Board, effective November 1, 2025), that works out to roughly 85 cents a day, or about $26 a month, if it runs 12 hours a day — a smaller unit draws less, a larger commercial or whole-home unit draws proportionally more. A dehumidifier typically runs hardest during the damp spring thaw and fall shoulder seasons and far less in a dry winter, so a full-season cost estimate should account for that rather than multiplying one day's runtime by 365.
Will any of these fix a basement that's actually flooding, not just humid?
No — every dehumidifier in this table, portable or whole-home, removes moisture from the air, not standing water off a floor or water actively coming in through a crack or a failed sump pump. If a basement takes on water during heavy rain or a power outage, that's a sump pump, foundation waterproofing, or backup-power problem to solve first; a dehumidifier is what keeps the air comfortable and mould-resistant afterward, once the water itself is dealt with. See our sump pumps and backup power comparisons if a flooding basement, not just a damp one, is the actual problem.
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