The Pro Breeze Dehumidifer shouldn't be judged by its small size, according to our resident dehumidifer expert.
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Pro Breeze Dehumidifier Review: My Honest Thoughts After a Year of Testing
Updated Oct. 01, 2024
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is a compact dehumidifier designed for small places like an RV or college dorm, but is it the best small dehumidifier? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for.
I’ve been using it to combat humid North Carolina summers for two years now, and while it’s not my primary dehumidifier, it’s been useful in maintaining good air quality in my office and bathrooms. I can use it in multiple rooms because it’s lightweight and under $50, so it’s a cost-friendly investment for RVs, dorm rooms, or any place 215 square feet or under.
My Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review will discuss my experience with this machine, its pros and cons and how it compares to similar dehumidifiers I’ve used.
What is the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier?
ANTHONY O REILLY/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Pro Breeze Portable Dehumidifier
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is a compact and budget-friendly dehumidifier that can remove excess moisture in spaces up to 215 square feet. Excess moisture feels uncomfortable, and the water vapor can damage clothes, collectibles and even parts of your home.
If your closet has an outlet, it can also be used in closets to prevent clothes from getting damaged or smelly. It can hold two cups of water before automatically shutting off, and the company claims it costs around a cent per day to run.
Dehumidifiers work by drawing the air in a room or other space, such as a crawlspace, and passing it over a frigid coil that causes the water vapor to turn into a liquid that is collected in a bin. Many people pair a dehumidifier with an air purifier, such as the Blueair Air Purifier or NuWave OxyPure, to get rid of any harmful airborne particles.
While some dehumidifiers have a drainage hose option that allows them to run continuously, the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier must be emptied manually before it can continue working.
Pro Breeze Dehumidifier Features
Quiet
When I say that the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is quiet, I mean it sounds like a white noise machine. So unlike a Midea dehumidifier, it won’t keep you up at night or be heard during your company Zoom call.
I placed it on my nightstand to see if it would be bothersome in a dorm or other small bedroom. Again, it wasn’t whisper-quiet, but I was able to easily fall asleep, especially once I put in my earplugs.
Portable and Lightweight
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier weighs less than three pounds, so it should be no problem for most able-bodied people to carry it from room to room. There’s not really a handle on it, so you have to grab the entire unit, but with how small it is, that’s not an issue. The plug can also be disconnected from the main unit to avoid having to drag the cord on the floor.
16-ounce Water Tank
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier can hold up to 16 ounces of water, so it’s best for small bedrooms, studio apartments, college dorms or closets that are susceptible to excess moisture. I’ve used this in bathrooms for the most part. During the summer, it has to be emptied about once a day. There’s no continuous drain option, which would have been nice for those days you’re away and want to keep it running to keep the room comfortable.
The tank easily comes out and can be dumped into a sink, tub, or to water certain plants.
If you’re looking for a basement dehumidifier, we recommend the Frigidaire dehumidifier.
Energy Efficient
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is not an Energy Star-certified appliance, but it’s still quite energy-efficient. The company’s official website says this specific model’s 0.023 kilowatt-hours (a unit of measurement to gauge energy usage) is about the same as most ceiling fans use. In terms of your utility bill, appliances with similar energy usage cost less than a penny per hour to run.
In other words, you could hypothetically leave this on for an entire day, and your energy bill would go up by less than a quarter for the month. That’s a good price to pay for relief from the humidity.
How We Tested It
As Family Handyman’s resident dehumidifier expert, I’ve tested more than a dozen full-sized, small, basement, crawl space and rechargeable dehumidifiers in my North Carolina home. For those who don’t know, the Tar Heel State experiences perpetual humidity from May to September. It sometimes feels so swampy that I wouldn’t be surprised if Shrek has a summer house in the state.
I’ve used the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier for about two years in three different homes, mainly in my bathrooms, to ensure the excess humidity keeps the room comfortable and the moisture doesn’t cause bad odors to linger (you know exactly what type of odors I’m referring to).
I also used it in my bedroom for a few nights to monitor its noise level and see if it would be a good fit for college students or apartment dwellers.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Budget-friendly
- Quiet
- Auto shut-off function
- Energy-efficient
Cons
-
Only covers up to 215 square feet
FAQ
Does the Pro Breeze dehumidifier work?
According to a North Carolina homeowner who’s used the Pro Breeze dehumidifier for about two years, it works, but it’s a small dehumidifier, so it will take a while to get rid of all the excess moisture in the air.
How much does it cost to run a Pro Breeze dehumidifier?
According to Pro Breeze’s website, the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier costs a penny per day to run (if left on for 24 hours).
What are the modes of the Pro Breeze dehumidifier?
The small Pro Breeze Dehumidifier only has an on and an off mode. Other Pro Breeze Dehumidifiers have adjustable humidity settings and fan speeds.
What Other Reviewers/Experts Had to Say
At the time of this writing, the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier had a 3.8 rating on Amazon, with about half of the nearly 51,000 reviews being five-star ratings.
“For the money and the size of the space I’ve inhabited (either a small dorm room or a 1-bedroom apartment) it’s worked very well,” says five-star Amazon reviewer Hannah. “It’s also genuinely quiet, and I like that it shuts of automatically when full. I’m very happy with the unit for what I spent on it.”
Many of the negative reviews come from people who say the machine lasted a short period.
“Purchased one of the dehumidifiers and it quit working after two or three months,” says one-star Amazon reviewer RockHound. “I immediately contacted customer support who, by the way, were amazing to work with, and they shipped me out a replacement. Well, within approximately one month the replacement stop working. This time when I reached out to customer support, they told me to just not to bother about providing proof of anything and they just refunded my money.”
The reviewer went on to say that a third one also broke within a few weeks of arriving at their house.
I’ve used it for two summers in humid North Carolina, and it’s withstood the test of time.
Pro Breeze Dehumidifier vs Gocheer Upgraded Air Dehumidifier
The Gocheer Upgraded Air Dehumidifier was our top pick for small dehumidifiers, and for a good reason. It only costs $20 more than the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier and is quieter, has a larger water tank capacity (68 ounces compared to the Pro Breeze’s 16-ounce tank, comes with a continuous drain hose option and a sleep mode (which the Pro Breeze does not have).
The Pro Breeze is much simpler to operate than the Gocheer. The latter has multiple buttons that could be confusing for those unfamiliar with dehumidifiers, whereas the Pro Breeze only has an on/off switch.
Final Verdict
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is one of those products that is, objectively, not the best. I don’t mean it’s bad, because it’s not. So long as you’re only using it in small spaces that don’t require a continuous drainage hose option. Many Amazon customers have complaints about its long-term durability, but as someone who’s used it for two years, I can attest that it gets the job done.
Are there better options out there? Yes. For people on a very tight budget, the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier will still get the job done.
Where to Buy the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier
ANTHONY O REILLY/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Pro Breeze Portable Dehumidifier
The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is available through Amazon for less than $50. It is also available at Walmart and The Home Depot for the same price.
Originally Published: October 01, 2024
