Humidity control is important in industrial and commercial spaces to shield equipment, stock, and people from excessive moisture. A dehumidifier is a large-capacity device whose job is to pull water vapor out of the air. When the air is too wet, it gets forced through this machine and the moisture gets trapped inside. The machine passes drier air back into the space.
These units are used in large spaces like warehouses, gyms, and even offices, to keep the air at a comfortable level.
Here is a fast comparison of the 5 best dehumidifiers we recommend, all of which are commercial units. They have different capacities and features that set them apart from one another.
| Dehumidifier | Capacity (pints/day) | Coverage (sq ft) | Drainage Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlueDri 225 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier | 225 | Up to 8000 | Built-in pump (hose) |
| AlorAir 180 PPD Smart Wi-Fi Commercial Dehumidifier | 180 | Up to 2300 | Built-in pump (19.6 ft hose) |
| hOmeLabs 160 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier | 160 | Up to 4000 | Built-in pump (16 ft hose) |
| COLZER 232 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier | 232 | Up to 8000 | Gravity drain (hose) |
| Waykar 150 Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier | 150 | Up to 7000 | Drain hose & tank |
#1 BlueDri 225 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier
The BlueDri 225 Pint (BD-130P) is an industrial-strength dehumidifier that is built to take on tough jobs in large spaces. What makes the BD-130P excellent for this kind of work is not just its rugged construction (which is a must for any restoration job), but the fact that it achieves an extra-wide coverage area as well as a high airflow rate that ensures it’s pulling moisture from the air in whatever space it’s placed. This makes the BD-130P ideal for use in warehouses, in flood restoration, and in any other kind of ongoing moisture control problem in large spaces.
Capacity & Performance:
Takes out as much as 225 pints of moisture a day, nearly twice what standard units can do. This ability makes it ideal for quickly drying up large spaces or sites that have been damaged by water.
Drainage:
Comes standard with a built-in pump and a long drain hose for uninterrupted, all-day, everyday operation. The collected water is automatically pumped out of the unit—not into a tank, since there isn’t one—for 24/7, 365/day, and night use.
Durability:
It is housed in a tough, roto-molded plastic casing, made for heavy industrial use. The rugged design resists dents and corrosion, protecting the internal components during frequent transport or harsh conditions.
Portability & Controls:
This 100+ lb unit can be moved with ease around job sites because of its large wheels and ergonomic handle. It employs a digital control panel with an adjustable humidistat and an hour counter. If there’s a power interruption, the unit will auto-restart and pick up right where it left off.
Ideal Use:
Designed for large-scale commercial drying jobs such as construction sites, basements, and mold removal, the Dri-Eaz DriZone has a high airflow to cover the large areas you want to dry and a high capacity to bring the humidity down to safe levels after even the largest wet jobs.
#2 AlorAir 180 PPD Smart Wi-Fi Commercial Dehumidifier
The AlorAir 180 PPD is a modern commercial dehumidifier featuring smart technology.
This product merges solid moisture extraction with Wi-Fi access, making it easy to manage the humidity of basements, crawl spaces, or work sites where virtual supervision is a must.
Capacity & Coverage:
Under saturated conditions, it extracts as much as 180 pints daily, from the air, allowing it to control humidity in spaces as large as 2,300 sq ft. It is suitable for medium-sized commercial spaces, large basements, or multiple rooms.
Smart Controls:
The built-in Wi-Fi lets you keep track of and fine-tune the humidity from afar, using a mobile app. Set your humidity level, and the smart humidistat will work its magic, cycling on and off as needed to maintain that setting. This is a scarcely available feature in the world of portable dehumidifiers—monitoring and adjusting conditions in real time from any location.
Drainage System:
Completely integrated within the dehumidifier is a condensate pump that drives water to wherever you need it to go, whether it’s 19.6 feet up to a sink, or through a window in any number of directions. And because we like to think of the CFM 70 as a hands-free dehumidifier, its pump isn’t going to need a manually emptied reservoir either.
Portability & Build:
A small, portable design with a strong handle and wheels lets you put it in tight places and move it easily between job sites. Its industrial-grade construction stands up to heavy use, and an auto-defrost system ensures that the coils don’t build up ice if you use the machine in a cooler space.
Additional Features:
The AlorAir ensures that when the power goes out and comes back on, it continues with the dehumidifying process; it uses something called ‘auto-restart.’ “All that means,” says service manager Michael Lopez, “is that it restarts when you want it to and picks up with the same settings it had before the power interrupted it. “
In addition, the AlorAir has several good features, like a washable filter that helps keep the places where you’re using it to work in better shape. That is to say, a place with a dehumidifier in it will be less dusty and more healthy
#3 hOmeLabs 160 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier
The hOmeLabs 160 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier is a high-capacity unit popular for large basements, warehouses, and other expansive areas. It’s known for its user-friendly operation and robust features that allow continuous use in demanding environments.
Capacity & Operation:
Capable of removing approximately 160 pints of moisture per day (at saturation conditions), this dehumidifier is designed to run continuously 24/7. It excels at keeping large, damp spaces (like storage areas or gymnasiums) dry over extended periods, automatically cycling as needed to maintain set humidity levels.
Built-In Pump Drainage:
Comes with an internal pump and a 16-ft drain hose for effortless water removal. The pump can push water vertically or horizontally to a drain, meaning you don’t need to manually empty any reservoir. This feature is extremely convenient for commercial use, where frequent emptying would be impractical.
Defrost & Filter:
An auto-defrost function monitors and periodically melts any ice on the coils, allowing the unit to operate in lower temperatures (great for chilly warehouse corners or garages). It also includes a reusable mesh air filter that catches dust and can be easily washed, helping maintain efficiency and air quality
Portability & Design:
Despite its large capacity, the design focuses on mobility and safety. It features two large wheels and two swivel caster wheels (with locks) for easy movement and stability. A foam-grip handle aids in moving the 79-pound unit. The overall build is solid yet relatively compact for what it delivers, fitting through standard doors and into basements.
Energy Efficiency:
hOmeLabs emphasizes that this industrial dehumidifier is engineered to be energy-efficient for its size, helping to control running costs. It’s an excellent choice for businesses looking for powerful moisture removal without excessive power bills, and it offers reliable performance at a competitive price point
#4 COLZER 232 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier
The COLZER 232 Pint Commercial Dehumidifier is a heavy-duty, high-capacity unit designed for the largest spaces and the toughest drying jobs. Its emphasis on durability and power makes it well-suited for industrial warehouses, commercial garages, and flood recovery scenarios where maximum moisture removal is needed.
Extreme Capacity
Rated for up to 232 pints per day (29 gallons), this dehumidifier can handle very damp conditions in areas as large as 8,000 sq ft. It has the ability to rapidly reduce humidity in sprawling spaces, making it ideal for warehouse storage areas, large open workshops, or after major water leaks.
Robust Construction:
Built with a steel exterior casing, the COLZER is designed for longevity in rough environments. The metal housing protects the unit from impacts and corrosion, which is valuable on active job sites or industrial floors. This durable build is complemented by large semi-pneumatic wheels and a solid bar handle, allowing one person to safely tilt and roll the unit despite its weight.
Continuous Drainage:
It features a continuous gravity drain with an included hose for nonstop operation. Simply position the hose to a floor drain or out to a suitable area and it will constantly remove water. While it lacks an internal pump, the simplicity of a gravity drain means fewer moving parts and potentially less maintenance over time.
Automated Controls:
The unit comes with an automatic humidistat to set your desired humidity level. It will turn on and off as needed to maintain that target. Useful functions such as auto-restart (to resume operation after a power outage) and auto-defrost are built in, ensuring the dehumidifier can run smoothly without constant attention. There’s also a timer feature for scheduling run times if needed.
Use Cases:
Thanks to its high airflow and capacity, the COLZER excels in scenarios like water damage restoration, large-scale painting or concrete curing projects (to reduce drying time), and maintaining dry conditions in vast storage facilities. It is a no-nonsense industrial dehumidifier for when you need maximum performance and sturdiness above all.
#5 Waykar 150 Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier
The Waykar 150 Pint Dehumidifier is a high-capacity, versatile model that serves equally well in home and commercial environments. It is certified Energy Star Most Efficient and extracts a tremendous amount of moisture from the air while using a minimal amount of electricity.
Although it is designed to be used in spaces of up to 5,000 square feet, it is equally at home in large, quiet commercial applications and in expansive basements and homes.
High Capacity:
The Waykar can manage areas as large as 7,000 sq. ft. and handle up to 150 pints of moisture every day (at 95°F, 90% relative humidity). So it works just as well in big open spaces like offices and warehouses. You can also use it in smaller areas that just need super-serious dehumidifying, like a big basement.
That means it’s a good option for anything from office use to huge open-plan areas.
Energy Star Efficiency:
This dehumidifier fulfills energy efficiency requirements that are very stringent, and that makes it geographically eligible for utility incentives.
What’s more, this unit’s optimized design means you won’t get hit with high electricity charges when you run it almost non-stop, something you’ll be inclined to do if moisture levels persist (and they often do). This is particularly crucial in business settings where a dehumidifier might have to work nearly all the time.
Flexible Drainage:
The Waykar provides two methods for draining: a big 2.03-gallon tank that you remove and empty every so often (its “manual drain” method); and a direct drain system that connects to a hose (its “continuous drain” method).
You have to set the dehumidifier up to work with a direct drain before it will start doing so—by default, it uses the tank—but when it’s not using the tank, it can direct water to a floor drain or sump.
User-Friendly Features:
A control panel guarantees smart operation. You dictate the relative humidity you want. The panel then tells the unit to maintain that level by switching on and off.
You also get other features: The outlet oscillates, distributing dry air even more efficiently than the unit itself could manage. The compressor shrugs off damage from cool weather, and does it on its own. It auto-defrosts.
And don’t worry about the little ones. The humidistat has a lock that keeps kids from messing things up.
Portability & Quiet Operation:
Conceived with portability as a prime requirement, Waykar’s commercial dehumidifier features 360-degree rotating caster wheels and side handles.
Together these elements make a big unit, tipping the scales at just over 90 pounds, somewhat manageable.
Also on the plus side, the Waykar’s noise level is relatively low for a dehumidifier, making it decent for placement in any number of working conditions, including offices and even gyms, where a loud machine would be a distraction.
Buying Guide
Determining the Right Capacity
Dehumidification Capacity (Pints per Day):
The first thing to think about is how much moisture the unit must remove in a day.
Large capacity units (that is, those with high pint ratings—say, 150 PPD, 200 PPD) are needed for large or very damp spaces.
Even if you have a space that is mostly dry, and your run-of-the-mill humidity hits only the average 40% to 60%, you would still want to bump up your chosen capacity.
I look for a unit that can handle at least 150 PPD.
This 150 PPD unit would not be laboring under excessive strain as it attempts to do the ideal job at “normal” AHAM standards.
You see, under far more humid, saturated conditions (like 90% humidity under 90°F), a dehumidifier would labor much harder to reach ideal performance
In short, make sure your unit at the very least can cover the square footage of your space and the typical humidity levels that prevail in it.
Coverage Area:
Commercial dehumidifiers will specify an approximate coverage in square feet. This is the maximum area the unit can effectively service. Take, for instance, a dehumidifier with a coverage of 4,000 sq ft. That means it could effectively service a large basement or medium-sized warehouse bay in a modestly damp environment.
If your space has very high humidity or poor air circulation, you might want to consider a unit with a higher rating.
And if you’re trying to control the humidity in an area with a huge open-space (think very large warehouses or open-plan offices), you might need several units to do the job.
Always err on the side of higher capacity/coverage when using a dehumidifier in a commercial setting.
Drainage Options (Manual vs. Continuous)
Most commercial dehumidifier units come with a gravity drain hose attachment. This is a relatively sexy option, and it works like the other standard option: the condensation from the dehumidifier unit is drained out via the hose. As is the case with the other hose options, this isn’t really a water pump; the water doesn’t get pumped anywhere. Instead, it gets drained as long as your hose is sloping downwards from the dehumidifier unit to wherever you’re draining it. The low point has to be lower than the dehumidifier if you want the water to run out and not back into the unit
Embedded Pump: Many high-capacity dehumidifiers (like several reviewed above) have embedded pumps that push water through the hose with some force, often to a height of 15–20 feet. Pumps are good to have if you’re not draining to a sink or a floor-level drain. You could, for instance, run the hose to a higher drain and let the water do its own thing (again, to drain or to a lift next to a window).
This is crucial in crawl spaces, below-grade areas, and other situations where you might need to direct water into a sink at floor level or out to street level. You should check the lift height before purchasing a dehumidifier with a pump.
Internal Tank: There are still commercial models that accommodate an internal reservoir or bucket, but these tend to be a backup or secondary option. We consider them a fallback because the tanks are rarely large enough for serious use and fill up too quickly (1.5–2-gallon designs are common, with some extending to 2.5 gallons).
Serious humid conditions – like those found in a commercial space – would fill these tanks during the day, in which case they’d have to be emptied before the unit could meaningfully resume dehumidification.
Tip by PichHVAC: If you are using a dehumidifier in a commercial situation, it is best to let the water drain out continuously. You can use the force of gravity to do this, or set up a pump that will move the water to where you want it to go. You could also just let the dehumidifier fill up its own reservoir and then empty it by hand, but that’s not a very practical solution for a place where you want to control humidity all the time.
With Portability and Design
Commercial-grade dehumidifiers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tall vertical units (like oversized versions of home models) while others are low, boxy horizontal units (often the kind used in water-damage restoration). Think about the space where you plan to use it – will it fit? Is there a doorway wide enough to get it in?
For area in which you plan to use it, a low-profile design might be necessary to fit in a crawl space, while an upright design might proffer more utility in a consolidated utility room.
If you need to move the dehumidifier a lot (say, between rooms, job sites, or into storage when not in use), look for features that enhance portability. Large wheels or casters are essential, since these machines can weigh anywhere from 50 to over 100 lbs. Many have two fixed wheels and two swivel casters with brakes for easy rolling and positioning.
Also, check for robust handles – preferably ergonomic handles or even a push-bar handle (like a dolly) for the heavier units. Some industrial models are designed to be tipped and rolled, so a sturdy handle and wheel axle is very important for safety.
Matching the Dehumidifier to Your Space
Various business contexts have specific requirements. We highlight a handful of typical environments and what matters most in each one.
Storage & Warehouse Facilities: These often have high ceilings and vast open areas. Prioritize high capacity (pints/day) and large coverage. Noise is usually less of an issue, so you can opt for the powerful, louder models. Durability is key too, as warehouses can be dusty and equipment might get bumped by forklifts or pallets—a rugged housing is a benefit.
You may need multiple units spaced out for even coverage. Position dehumidifiers near sources of humidity or areas where goods are stored to prevent condensation and mold on products.
Work areas and offices: These spaces require energy-efficient dehumidification with quiet operation. If the workspace is not extremely humid or damp, a slightly less powerful dehumidifier should be sufficient. Look for Energy Star-rated models that efficiently extract excess moisture without consuming too much electricity.
Altogether, a unit should look modern enough to fit into an office space or be designed so staff can easily access the controls if it is stored out of sight in a utility closet where the model has enough breathing room to effectively do its job.
Fitness Centers and Gyms: Humidity develops in gyms due to perspiration and from the people working out who just finished their workouts in their showers.
To keep it comfortable, and to keep any odor from becoming evident, dehumidification needs to happen continuously in a gym, with or without a shower area. A high-capacity port dehumidifier certainly would help, but how loud it is matters, too. You don’t want it to be so loud that it and the noise from the people working out become a competition for dominance in the auditory space of the gym.
Basements and Crawl Spaces: A lot of businesses (and homes) use basements for storage or work areas. They’re prone to high humidity and mold, and for something as big as a basement, you’re much better off with a commercial dehumidifier.
They’re more reliable. They dry better. They have more features.
They also come in different form factors, so if you’re putting it in an area with low ceiling height (or if it needs to fit through narrow stairwells), you can select a compact model. And because basements can be on the cool side, you should definitely get a unit with auto-defrost (which means no coils freezing up and becoming inaccessible and/or unfriendly to the mold that likes to grow in those conditions).
And basements are often below grade—so you might need a unit with a pump to push the condensate up and out of the basement
