TCL D25P6W0K Extra Large Capacity Dehumidifier 25L

Design and Features

• Basic build quality
• Tank or hose drainage
• Lots of modes

A bigger version of the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L, the larger TCL D25P6W0K Extra Large Capacity Dehumidifier 25L has a similar range of features, but is designed to cope with bigger spaces (up to 65m²).

This dehumidifier is exceptionally well priced, and is less than half the price of the similarly specified MeacoDry Arete Two 20L. There are good reasons for this price disparity, with the MeacoDry Arete Two being the better-built product with a nicer interface and smart app; however, the  TCL D25P6W0K is a great budget choice.

The outside looks a little cheap, but the plain white finish is, at least, unobtrusive. As with its little brother, this dehumidifier is mounted on caster wheels, so it’s easy to slide around a room to get it where you want, which is important given its 15.kg weight (when empty).

There are some upgrades over the smaller product, starting with the pull-up handle on the back. This makes it easier to lift the dehumidifier when you do need to take it up or down stairs, or even lift it into storage.

Similarly, the water tank also has handle here. That’s needed, as the 3.5-litre water tank can feel heavy when full.

Inside the water tank is a float, which cuts the dehumidifier off when full. As the TCL D25P6W0K can remove up to 25 litres of water from the air per day, the 3.5-litre tank could have to be emptied multiple times in high humidity environments.

If you don’t fancy doing this, TCL provides a drainage hose in the box, which can be plumbed in or dropped into a sink for continuous use.

On top is a simple control system that lets you move through the dehumidifying options, which are very comprehensive. In the standard Dry mode, the TCL D25P6W0K can be set between 35% and 80% relative humidity target levels in increments of 5%. Once the target has been reached, the dehumidifier switches off, and will restart automatically when humidity increases.

There’s also a Turbo mode, which increases moisture extraction speed (and uses more power). This mode defaults to a target of 35% (handy for drying washing), but you can override this setting between the same limits as with the standard mode.

Then, there’s Comfort mode, which automatically adjusts the target to keep a comfortable environment.

Finally, there’s Continuous mode, where the TCL D25P6W0K will just keep running (it’s set to a nominal target of 15% relative humidity).

There’s also an integrated timer, which can be set in 0.5 increments up to 24 hours. That’s potentially useful if you want to lower the humidity of a room but don’t want to risk running the TCL D25P6W0K permanently.

Indicator lights are available to show when the tank is full or the filter needs to be cleaned. For the latter, the filter can be easily unclipped from the rear and cleaned with warm soapy water, allowing it to dry before replacing it.

There’s no option to turn off the blue status lights, so this isn’t really a dehumidifier that you’d want to use in a bedroom at night.

Performance

• Deals with large spaces
• Works efficiently

With just over double the moisture extraction capability of its little brother, the TCL D25P6W0K uses around twice as much power, operating at around 305W in dry mode and 318W in Turbo mode.

Sound is similar, with 46.9dB on Dry mode, increasing to 52.1dB in Turbo mode. That’s not much louder than a fan, so it’s easy to have this dehumidifier running without it getting too distracting. In standard mode, you’re looking at around 8p per hour to run this product.

Placing the TCL D25P6W0K in a bedroom (around 20m²), the dehumidifier managed to reduce relative humidity from 76% to 55% in around half the time of its little brother, for a similar 0.036kWh energy consumption.

More importantly, the TCL D25P6W0K can handle larger spaces. Using it in an open-plan kitchen-diner, where the TCL D12F3W0K struggled, the TCL D25P6W0K managed to control and lower humidity to a reasonable 55% target.

Should you buy it?