Basements, cottages and storage rooms get damp while nobody is down there to notice. By the time you smell it, the tank has been full for days and the machine shut itself off. You only find out on the next trip down the stairs.

The Smart Life app shows the room humidity and the current setting from your phone, so you can check the basement from upstairs or from work. Alexa handles it by voice. Connect the drain hose and the tank never fills in the first place.

Two ratings on the same photo, and why

This graphic is the most useful picture on the page. The big number, 100 pints, is measured at 95F and 90% relative humidity, hot and tropical. The small one, 36 pints, is the 2019 DOE test at 65F and 60%, which is closer to a Canadian basement. Both describe this machine. When you compare it against another brand, compare the DOE figures or you are comparing a sauna to a cellar.

Emptying a tank, or never emptying one

The tank holds 1.3 gallons and has a window down the front so you can see the level without pulling it out. When it fills, the unit stops and lights the water full indicator rather than overflowing. The better answer in a basement is the supplied 3.3 ft hose: push it on, run it to a floor drain or sump that sits lower than the machine, and it drains by gravity for as long as you leave it running.

What it sounds like at 2 am

The manufacturer lists the unit at 46 dB or under, which its own scale puts between quiet breathing and a library, not near street noise. Sleeping mode drops the fan to low and dims the panel. The 24 hour timer can shut the machine off at a set hour, which matters more in a bedroom than in a basement, and auto shutoff covers you if the tank fills overnight.

Four modes, and when each one earns its keep

Auto holds the humidity you set between 30% and 80% and idles when it gets there. Continuous drying ignores the setting and runs flat out, which is the mode for the laundry rack in the photo or for a room you have just flooded. Fan mode moves air with the compressor off. Sleeping mode is the quiet one. Two fan speeds sit under all four.

The Smart Life app connects over Wifi or Bluetooth and shows the room reading, not just an on switch. Hold the timer button for about five seconds to put the unit into Wifi pairing.

Once it is linked, Alexa can start it, stop it and change the setting. Useful when your hands are full of laundry at the bottom of the stairs.

Every compressor dehumidifier ices its coil when the room gets cold. Auto defrost pauses the compressor and clears the frost instead of letting it build into a block.

The mesh filter slides out, goes under a tap and goes back in. There is no cartridge to buy, and a clogged filter is the usual reason one of these slows down.

Four universal casters, side handles and a rack on the back for the cord. Net weight is 37 lbs, so rolling it is easy and carrying it up stairs is a two hand job.

Settable from 30% to 80% in the auto mode. Health Canada advises keeping a home between 30% and 50%, and running a dehumidifier in damp areas or when moisture condenses on window panes.

115V, 60Hz, 5A rated input current. It plugs into a normal grounded Canadian outlet. Give it an outlet of its own rather than sharing an extension lead with a freezer.

The manufacturer states the unit is ETL listed and DOE certified, which is why a DOE rated figure is published alongside the headline number.

Ships from our Canadian or United States warehouse depending on where this item is stocked when you order. United States stock usually reaches Canada in 8 to 14 business days, with no customs charges or duties either way. Free shipping on orders over $150, a flat $18.90 below that, and tracking by email as soon as it leaves.

Return within 14 days of purchase, unused, in original condition and packaging.

Covered directly by the manufacturer under their warranty terms for material and manufacturing defects.

Found it cheaper at a Canadian retailer? Send us the link and we will match that price. It has to be the same item, in stock, sold and shipped inside Canada, and compared like for like on what comes in the box.

At 36 pints a day on the DOE test this is a large capacity machine. It suits an open basement, a big rec room, a garage or a workshop rather than a single bedroom, where a smaller unit would cycle less and cost less to run.

A cottage, a rental suite, a storage room or a second home benefits most from the app. You can see the reading and change the setting without walking down the stairs.

Continuous drying mode runs the compressor without waiting for a humidity target, which is what a rack of wet clothes in a closed room needs. It pulls the water into the tank rather than into your walls.

This is a compressor machine. It is happiest in a heated basement or living space. For an unheated crawl space or garage that sits near freezing, a desiccant type is the better tool.

What we stand behind

• Ships from our Canadian or United States warehouse, free shipping over $150, and 14 day returns unused in the original packaging.
• 14 day returns on unused items in original condition and packaging
• Covered by the manufacturer's own warranty for material and manufacturing defects
• Drain hose, washable filter and the Smart Life app are all included, with nothing extra to buy

Is this a 100 pint dehumidifier or a 36 pint dehumidifier?

Both figures describe this machine at different test conditions. 100 pints a day is measured at 95F and 90% relative humidity. 36 pints a day is the 2019 DOE test at 65F and 60%, which the US Department of Energy moved to because it reflects a basement rather than a greenhouse. ENERGY STAR publishes a rough guide to the change: a unit that used to be called 70 pints is about 40 to 45 pints on the newer test. Use the DOE number when you compare brands.

What humidity should I set it to?

Health Canada advises keeping relative humidity in a home between 30% and 50%, and says to run a dehumidifier in damp areas such as basements, or if moisture is condensing on cold surfaces like window panes. Somewhere around 45% to 50% is a sensible starting point in a basement. Setting it lower makes the compressor run longer for very little gain.

Does it need a special outlet?

No. The specification is 115V, 60Hz with a rated input current of 5A, so an ordinary grounded Canadian household outlet is correct. Plug it straight into the wall rather than into a light duty extension cord, and do not share the circuit with another large appliance.

Will it fix a musty smelling basement?

It controls the moisture that a musty smell usually comes with. Health Canada notes that mould can begin to grow in an area with excess moisture within 48 hours, and recommends a dehumidifier as part of keeping a home between 30% and 50%. It is not a mould treatment: existing growth and any water getting in through the wall or floor still have to be dealt with separately.