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Review on ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ Efficient Room Dehumidifier: hOmeLabs 1,500 Sq. Ft Energy Star, Ideal for Medium to Large Rooms and Basements by Drake Burroughs

Revainrating 4 out of 5

hOmeLabs vs. Frigidaire 70 liter model comparison

Frigidaire 70 liter dehumidifier and hOmeLabs 70 liter dehumidifier in comparison point. Foreword: These are two of Revain's most popular and top rated dehumidifiers. So I thought it would be a good idea to compare them side by side as I have both. I've been using Frigidaire for about 9 months and hOmeLabs for about a week. The EPA recommends indoor relative humidity of 30-60%. Both units are perfectly capable of supporting this. Another clue is that both of these devices are devices that do electrical work, i.e. generate heat. If you live in a climate where you don't mind a bit of heat (Pacific Northwest, Midwest or New England) they are ideal. In general, if you live in the South (Texas, Florida, etc.), a regular air conditioner should control humidity well, but if you need extra dehumidification power, you're much better off investing in a portable air conditioner. climate block. Most of them feature a dehumidifying mode and usually pull out a comparable amount of moisture. Another great benefit is that they emit heat to the outside (via the window hood) and leave cool, dry air inside. Let's get back to the comparison. In general, these two devices are really good and reduce humidity. I'd highly recommend them both, but they differ in subtleties, which are detailed below: Build Quality: Both units are solid. However, the Frigidaire is physically smaller and much more sophisticated. For some reason, the homeLabs device's plastic casing feels more fragile. Winner: Frigidaire EASY MANEUVERABILITY: Both units come with casters attached and are easy to wheel. Frigidaire has a handle on top, while homeLabs has two handles on the sides. Winner: Tie EASY TO USE: Both devices are very easy to use. You don't need a manual at all. Buttons and displays are almost identical. One difference is that the Frigidaire hydrometer works in 5% increments, while hOmeLabs measures humidity in 1% increments. The idea here is that you can set the humidity level to maintain and the device will automatically turn off when it reaches that level and turn on again when the humidity level rises again. Good idea. The reality is that these blocks collect and store water, so once the airflow stops, the humidity around them rises fairly quickly. Frigidaire handles this problem better by expanding the on/off window. For example, if you set your desired level at 50%, it will run until it reaches 45% and turn on again until the humidity gets to 55%. It usually takes about 10 minutes while the total moisture varies between 1-3%. The hOmeLabs module completely fails with this feature. It turns off as soon as it falls 1% below the set value (49% in my example) and turns on again when it exceeds 5%. For some reason it lasts about 1-2 minutes without any measurable change in humidity anywhere else. Winner: Frigidaire (but still not working) COLLECTION BUCKET: Both units come with 1.6 gallon buckets for collecting water. This is where you can actually experience the build quality as this is the part of the dryer you will be interacting with the most. Aside from the build quality and plastic, a big practical difference with the Frigidaire is that the Frigidaire includes a splash guard, so you don't have to worry about splashing while carrying it to the sink or tub. No luck with the hOmeLabs device. Winner: Frigidaire WATER LEVEL GAUGE: If you're using a bucket to collect water, this is the part of the dehumidifier you'll most likely be looking at to find out if you need to empty the water. Bucket now or wait until later. This is where homeLabs stands out. It has a light green stripe that floats above the water to indicate its level. It also has many more vertical holes for level metering. Because of the contract, it is almost impossible to see the water level in Frigider. Nothing floats, and unlike the product images, it doesn't have a light blue backlight. Winner: hOmeLabs HOSE DRAIN: I haven't used it on either device, but both have it. hOmeLabs has it on the back, while Frigidaire has it on the side. Winner: TieTEMPERATURE: Both devices generate heat as I mentioned above. This is the main part of the refrigeration cycle. Unlike an air conditioner or refrigerator, the heat generated is mixed with the exhaust air and pumped back into the room. Both devices generate comparable amounts of heat based on my totally unscientific method of sticking my hand in the exhaust pipe. Winner: Tie A notable difference is that the Frigidaire raises it at an angle of about 45 degrees, allowing for much better airflow and therefore much more even humidity throughout the area. HOMELABS directs air to the outside, resulting in much better airflow around the floor. This also results in the air not mixing throughout the area: after about 1.5 hours of operation, the humidity at the knees was 40% (vs. 65%), while at the ceiling it was 50-55% (also lower). . of 65%) measured by the network on AccuRite hydrometers. However, everything gets mixed up in the end, but be prepared for that discrepancy. Depending on what you want, this can be either good or bad. Winner: Tie DRAW SPEED: Frigidaire has 3 speeds: Hi, Med, Lo. homeLabs has 2 of them: Normal and Turbo. One thing to note here: Normal for hOmeLabs is roughly equal to Lo for Frigidaire and Turbo is roughly equal to Medium. The hOmeLabs device does not have a Hi equivalent. Winner: Frigidaire NOISE LEVELS: Both devices are very similar. In my purely subjective perception, Frigidaire is a bit louder. When measured with a sound level meter and at medium speed (Frigidaire) and Turbo (hOmeLabs), Frigidaire generates 59 dB about 30 cm from the front, while hOmeLabs generates 57 dB. Frigidaire is noticeably louder (65 dB) at high speed. Winner: homeLabs ENERGY CONSUMPTION: There's a big difference here. All puffs are measured with the P3 P4400 Kill A Watt. HomeLabs consumes about 1W in standby mode (not in use) and 560W in turbo mode. Also, there is an instantaneous surge of current every time you turn it on, causing the light to momentarily flicker throughout the circuit. In comparison, the Frigidaire consumes 0.4W in standby mode, 470W in medium mode and 485W in hi mode. It has no problems with momentary spikes when the device is on. Winner: Frigidaire. CONCLUSION: While these two devices are very good and will do the job, I give Frigidaire 5 stars (but really A-) and hOmeLabs 4 stars (but really B+). I hope you find this helpful in making your decision.

Pros
  • High test results for support and durability
Cons
  • Expensive insurance