Top 4 Best Dehumidifiers for Boats (2023 Reviews Updated)

Owning a boat comes with a set of merits. However, keeping away molds and mildew is a big commitment.

Here’s our choice for the Best Dehumidifier for Boats:

1. Ivation IVADM35 (Editor’s Choice)
2. Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier
3. Eva-Dry E-500 High Capacity
4. DampRid FG83K Hanging Moisture Absorber

Luckily a simple feat such as using boat dehumidifiers can make a huge difference. In this guide, I put together a list of the best dehumidifiers for boats!

The Best Dehumidifier for Boats

1. Ivation IVADM35 Powerful Mid-Size Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier

Ivation built a mid-sized dehumidifier from the ground up and didn’t just take the easy route of cramming components from its big models into a smaller body. The dehumidifier implements Peltier technology to operate with no moving parts, ensuring it stays quiet all the time.

The dehumidifier is a perfect fit for boats thanks to its high moisture-absorbing capacity, capable of absorbing up to 20 ounces of water per day. The humidity from the air ends up in a water tank underneath that can hold 2 liters of water.

Moreover, the dehumidifier automatically shuts down when the tank is full, so you don’t have to worry about water spilling over your boat’s floor. During my testing, it took the Ivation dehumidifier about three days before the LED tank indicator kicked off to tell me I needed to empty it.

What I liked about the dehumidifier are its compact size and wide coverage. It’s rated to absorb humidity effectively from an area of 2200 cubic feet, which is more than enough for an average-sized boat.

My only complaint is that it doesn’t come with built-in batteries, and needs to be continuously plugged in an electrical outlet, which can be less than ideal, especially on a boat.

Pros:

• Lightweight and compact form factor
• Automatically shuts down when the water tank is full
• Quiet operation

Cons:

• Needs to be plugged into an electricity source

2. Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier

Pro Breeze dehumidifier shares many of the fundamental features that I liked about Ivation IVADM35. The two dehumidifiers share the same DNA from auto turning-off when the water tank is full, to the quiet operation, and its suitability for large boats up to 2200 square feet.

Pro Breeze secures its spot as an excellent sailboat dehumidifier thanks to its capability to deal with high humidity that can lead to mildew and molds creeping into the corners of your boat. It can extract up to 18 ounces of water from the air, which then lands into the water tank that comes with a capacity of 52 ounces (around 1.5 liters.)

Moreover, I really appreciate the dehumidifier’s lightweight. At around five pounds, it was easy enough to move around my boat. Its compact footprint also made it an excellent boat cabin dehumidifier, as I easily forgot it was there in the corner.

It’s worth mentioning that the Pro Breeze Mini dehumidifier doesn’t work at a temperature below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. So, it might not be an ideal dehumidifier for boat storage over the winter season, especially in freezing climates.

Pros:

• Whisper-quiet operation
• The water tank comes with an outlet for easy emptying
• Auto shut down with an LED indicator for a full water tank

Cons:

• Requires an electricity outlet
• Not suitable for very low temperatures

3. Eva-Dry E-500 High Capacity Renewable Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

If you’re looking for a boat dehumidifier that doesn’t need to be continuously plugged in, you’re in luck, as Eva-Dry delivers just that with its E-500 dehumidifiers. The exceptionally tiny form factor means it can reach even the narrowest corners on your boat, where our previous two entries won’t.

It uses an entirely different mechanism to absorb humidity from the atmosphere, depending purely on silica gel beads. Though it has a lower moisture-absorbing capacity than its water tank operated counterparts, it shares the same quiet nature to never distract you on your boat adventures.

When the silica gel is saturated, the particles change color to indicate your boat dehumidifier needs charging, which takes about 12-14 hours for a full charge. I also appreciate how leakage-proof the silica gel compartment is, making me confident that I can use Eva-Dry dehumidifiers in my boat’s wardrobe without any worries.

The icing on top is the eco-friendly approach and exceptional life span. The dehumidifier is made of 100% renewable components and can last for up to ten years. Eva-Dry also offers value to the consumers with its four-pack bundles, so you get multiple compact dehumidifiers to place all over your boat at an affordable price.

Pros:

• Battery-powered
• An exceptional life span for up to ten years
• Five-year warranty

Cons:

• Limited moisture-absorbing capacity

4. DampRid FG83K Hanging Moisture Absorber Fresh Scent

The DampRid FG83K uses the same silica gel technology of Eva-Dry dehumidifiers minus being rechargeable or reusable. This means that the moisture bags are disposable once they get saturated.

This might turn some people off, but I was encouraged by their low price to use them as a secondary humidity-absorbing system for my boat. During my testing, I noticed that they take some of the load from my other bigger dehumidifiers, so they require less frequent charging or water tank emptying.

DampRid bags are most effective when used in enclosed spaces, making them an excellent fit for boat cabins. You can also hang a couple of them all over your boat for storage over the winter season.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that DampRid bags produce a signature refreshing scent that keeps you in a good mood and might help a bit with seasickness.

Pros:

• Compact, leakage proof moisture bags
• Works right away out of the box without an electricity source

Cons:

• Can’t be reusable

How to Keep Your Boat Dry in Winter?

Storing your boat during the winter season can be challenging. In order to prevent humidity from building up and mildew from growing on the damp surfaces, you need to use boat dehumidifiers in your storage space.

Before storing your boat, you have to carefully clean all the surfaces with fresh water, as ocean or sea salt can act as a damp sponge, and it’s capable of holding moisture.

Moreover, using a full cover can be a good idea, but you have to make sure that your cover comes with a mesh that allows humidity to escape and permits free air circulation.

The boat’s ventilation is crucial; that’s why many people use vents to ensure that air doesn’t stagnate inside the boat’s cabin. Though vents are effective, they remain expensive to operate over extended periods. I recommend you rely on dehumidifiers and passive air ventilation and occasionally use the electric vents to ventilate the whole boat’s interior.

In Conclusion

Getting your boat ready for the summer season will be a significantly more manageable process if you put enough care in how you store your boat over the winter. Boat dehumidifiers can make a huge difference by maintaining a dry environment that doesn’t favor molds or mildew invasion.

The Ivation IVADM35 is easily my favorite pick. It secures its spot as one of the best boat dehumidifiers thanks to its compact footprint, high moisture-absorbing capacity, and expansive covering area, so I could place it anywhere in my boat with no hassles.

I liked how it can smartly detect when the water tank is full and shuts down in order not to flood my boat. Finally, the quiet operation is a welcome feature, which means that the dehumidifier never distracts me from enjoying my boat trips.