The Takeaway:
1. Our Pick: Original Dehumidifier by Goldenrod
2. Runner-Up: Silica Gel Dehumidifier SGD57 by Cannon Safe
3. Value Pick: Dehumidifier Rod by Lockdown
Now that you’ve got the perfect gun safe to keep your firearms collection safe and secure, it’s time to track down the best gun safe dehumidifier. Being an enclosed space, the humidity level inside your gun safe can quickly become high enough to allow for mildew and even condensation to build up inside.
Both of these can cause expensive damage to your guns, affecting their appearance and, more importantly, their performance. There is a variety of dehumidifiers available, and we’ll look at the best ones out there that offer continual high performance to keep your guns in good shape. Our top pick is the Original Dehumidifier by Goldenrod. Keep reading to find out why.
Our Pick: Original Dehumidifier by Goldenrod
Dehumidifier rods are the most effective way to reduce the humidity level in your gun safe consistently. This rod comes in various sizes, available at 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, and 36 inches long. This allows you to choose just the right length for your gun safe, as larger gun safes, such as the long cabinets for rifles and shotguns, benefit from the extra length of a longer rod and the more effective dehumidifying provided.
As such, the 12-inch long rod delivers effective dehumidifying for up to 100 cubic feet, while the 36-inch long rod delivers enough power for up to 500 cubic feet -making it the best dehumidifier for gun-safe use. This is an electric-powered dehumidifier that must be plugged into an outlet to work. A small hole (the size of the cord, not the plug) will need to be drilled through the wall of your safe to accommodate the cord. High-temperature silicone can then be used to seal the hole around the cord.
This dehumidifier rod comes with everything needed to mount it inside of your gun safe and will use approximately 36 watts of electricity. This dehumidifier works by raising the temperature within the gun safe slightly to create warm air currents that effectively reduce humidity levels. It weighs less than one pound and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Runner-Up: Silica Gel Dehumidifier SGD57 by Cannon Safe
This is a silica gel-based dehumidifier that provides a lifetime of use, as it is reusable and never needs parts replaced. It measures 6.5 inches by 5.2 inches by 7 inches and weighs one pound. This dehumidifier requires no electricity and, thus, no need to alter or drill holes through your gun safe.
This dehumidifier is made of steel and filled with silica gel that pulls moisture out of the air inside of your gun safe. This eliminates the risk of mildew as well as your guns being damaged by corrosion or rust. A viewing window at the top of the dehumidifier lets you see when the silica gel can no longer pull any more moisture.
With just a glance, you can tell that the silica gel is full because it will have turned pink in color. This means the silica gel needs to be reactivated, which you can easily do by drying it in the oven: simply bake at 335 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three hours. This is a very simple yet effective means to keeping the humidity level in your gun safe down and works best for an area of 57 cubic feet or less (for larger gun safes, just buy an additional dehumidifier.) It comes with a one year warranty.
Value Pick: Dehumidifier Rod by Lockdown
This is a rod-style dehumidifier that is available in a 12 inches length only. It works to gently raise the temperature inside your gun safe to create currents of warm air. The combination of the increased temperature with moving air serves to keep moisture levels inside the gun safe down. This eliminates the risk of condensation, mildew, rust, and corrosion and will help to keep your guns looking and performing their best.
This is especially important if your guns are for protection measures; the last thing you need in the event of an emergency is to reach for your gun only to find your ammo wet and useless and your gun has rusted inside the barrel.
For best results, this dehumidifier for gun safes should be installed horizontally at the lowest point in your gun safe (hot air rises.) It is an electric-powered dehumidifier, so you will need to drill a hole through your safe to feed the cord (the cord and plug are separate, so only a small hole is needed.) This rod will work effectively for up to 100 cubic feet.
Also Great: Rechargeable Cordless Dehumidifier SPAD-100 by Stack-On
This gun-safe dehumidifier is made by one of the top gun safe manufacturers out there. This is one of the easiest styles of dehumidifiers on the market, as it doesn’t require any alteration of your gun safe, doesn’t require electricity or batteries, and you don’t have to bake it in the oven as with silica gel dehumidifiers.
This dehumidifier is small, measuring 3 inches by 9 inches by 8.5 inches and can effectively pull the moisture from up to 100 cubic feet. It will last for about four to six weeks, at which time the moisture indicator on the front will show that it is full.
To recharge the dehumidifier, simply remove it from your gun safe and plug it into a standard 110 volt electrical outlet. After eight to ten hours, it will have released all of the moisture it removed back into the air and it can then be returned to your gun safe. If the idea of extra moisture being released into the air sounds unappealing, this dehumidifier can always be recharged in your bathroom, garage, or even on an outside outlet.
What Is The Best Gun Safe Dehumidifier 2024?
Whatever type of gun safe dehumidifier you choose, make sure that it provides the right level of performance for the size of your safe and the relative humidity of the environment where you live. Our choice of the best gun safe dehumidifier is the Original Dehumidifier by Goldenrod.
It does require alteration of your gun safe, unless your safe comes with a pre-drilled hole for a power cord, but it provides effective and continuous humidity reduction -protecting your guns against damage from mildew and condensation. You also never have to remember to check if it needs to be recharged or reactivated, so this electric dehumidifier rod style is great for those who may not remember to check if their dehumidifier is still “good.”
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