HomeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier Review 2024

Is there an area of your house where the air always feels damp? Are you an indoor grower looking for a great cost-effective means of keeping your humidity levels in an optimal range?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’re going to love our review of the HomeLabs 50 pint dehumidifier.

HomeLabs isn’t a huge brand, and they’re not too widely known outside the confines of markets they serve, but they are well-respected and have a reputation for quality.

As you’ll see in the sections that follow, this dehumidifier is an excellent example of why. Throughout this review, we’ll cover every aspect and feature for you so you’ll have all the information you need to decide if this is the solution to your humidity problems. If that sounds good to you, read on, and let’s see what HomeLabs has to offer in this model!

An Overview Of The HomeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier

This dehumidifier doesn’t look like much of anything except a white box on wheels. Unless someone is familiar with dehumidifiers, they may not even realize exactly what it is at first glance. That’s fine; it doesn’t have to be flashy or showy to work, and work it does!

Specifications

Before we get into the specific features on offer here, though, let’s take a quick look at the core stats that define the model. Here are the basics:

Size & Weight

Let’s talk a bit about these numbers. First, it’s not a very big unit. Just a shade over two feet tall and about half as wide and deep. That makes it easy to find a permanent home for it.

It’s heavier than you might think, owing mostly to the compressor. It’s still light enough that you probably won’t have any difficulty moving it about, especially given the presence of the casters, but make no mistake; it’s a surprisingly hefty piece of equipment.

It also has a built-in handle to make carrying it easier if you can’t roll it where you want it to go.

Drainage Port

If you decide not to use the drainage port, you can expect to have to empty the water collection take 3-4 times a day in a high moisture environment. That’s not bad. There are models with much smaller reservoirs relative to their extraction capacity that sees you having to empty the tank nine or ten times a day.

Speaking of the drainage port, while most dehumidifiers that have one come with a drainage hose, the HomeLabs machine is a departure from this. It’s got a drainage port but no hose. That’s not really much of a loss.

Almost every company that includes one includes a stubby little bit of hose that’s not good for much of anything, so honestly, we’re kind of glad that HomeLabs didn’t bother with it. Even if they had, you’d probably have just gone out and purchased a longer one anyway, and they could put that much more time and effort into making a great dehumidifier.

Power Cord

The power cord is only six feet long, so depending on where and how you plan to use the device, you may need an extension cord to place it exactly where you want it.

Power Usage

Finally, we need to mention the power usage. At 780 watts, it uses a bit more power than a pair of gaming PCs. That’s not huge, but it’s not nothing, and if you’re using it in a confined space, it’s almost certain to add heat to the equation. It’s not an insurmountable problem, but if you’re a grower, you’ll want to take heat mitigation into account and plan accordingly.

HomeLabs 50 Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier Features

The HomeLabs 50 pint dehumidifier has a lot to offer, so there’s quite a bit to talk about in this section. Let’s start with capacity because that’s going to define where and how you use this model.

Moisture Removal Capacity

At fifty pints a day, it can handle moderate to severe moisture problems in a basement or medium to large-sized room. Depending on the particulars of your house and where you live, this single unit could probably handle a smaller home all by itself and can, in most cases, tackle whatever moisture issues you may be having in a boat or RV.

Where indoor grow spaces are concerned, as ever, it depends on how many plants you’re growing and how much water you’re feeding them daily, but you should have no problems hitting whatever RH target you like in a 4’ x 4’ or 5’ x 5’ grow tent, or a smallish grow room.

Smart Functions

The hOmeLabs dehumidifier includes smart functions such as an auto-defrost feature, an auto-restart in the event of a power outage, and ability to either set it to run for a set number of hours and then shut off, or set a target humidity level and run until you hit that.

Humidistat

Even better, the built-in humidistat is accurate to within +/-5%, which allows you to really dial into your target humidity level and have confidence that you’re hitting the mark you want and need to hit. For homeowners, such precise measurements aren’t usually necessary, but if you’re a grower, then you need to be able to hit certain humidity markers at different stages in the lifecycle of your plants.

The humidistat that comes built into the unit is probably accurate enough for most people to use exclusively, but if you’re a serious grower then you’ve probably already got a digital hygrometer, and you’ll be able to compare readouts to get a feel for how accurate the one on the HomeLabs unit really is.

Filter

It’s also got a basic, washable filter that will capture pollen, dust, pet dander, and the like, returning fresher, cleaner air into whatever space you place the unit in.

Warranty

Finally, the unit comes with a two-year warranty, and if you register your dehumidifier within 14 days of your purchase, the company will extend that by another six months.

HomeLabs does all the design and engineering work for their products here in the United States, but they outsource the manufacturing to China. Even so, these are some of the best quality Chinese products we’ve ever seen; it’s proof positive that Chinese manufacturing is really starting to close the gap with the West, and you’ll be as pleasantly surprised with the overall quality as we were.

We mention that fact because this unit comes with an option 3-year or 4-year extended warranty plan for an additional, nominal cost. In most cases, that’s not something we’d normally recommend, but in this case, the quality is high enough, and HomeLabs has a good enough reputation for post-sales customer service and support that it’s something you may want to consider.

Pros & Cons of the HomeLabs 50 pint Energy Star Dehumidifier

We really like hOmeLabs, and we actually kind of love this unobtrusive little workhorse of a machine. Sure, it’s got limitations. Put it in too large a space with too high a moisture content, and it’ll constantly run as it gamely tries and ultimately fails to gain ground.

That won’t really hurt the machine, but it will probably frustrate you.

In any case, this unit has a lot going for it. It’s expertly designed, the top-mounted control panel is clearly marked and easy to use and it’s light enough that you can still move it where you need it without much difficulty.

On the flip side, you’ll probably want or need to invest in an extension cord, a length of drainage hose, and a hygrometer to get maximum use from the unit. Assuming you’ve got an extension cord laying around the house somewhere, the other items will only set you back twenty bucks or so, and then you’re all set.

The unit is a little more expensive than some of its peers, but you’re paying for the added quality, and in our view, that’s money well spent.

HomeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier Review Conclusion

We love HomeLabs, and we love this unassuming little workhorse of a dehumidifier. It won’t wow you with its stellar good looks, but rather, with its quiet capabilities. Plug it in, set up your drainage system to deal with the water, set your desired level of humidity, and walk away, knowing you’re in good hands.

That’s all there is to it, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what you want from a dehumidifier? We think so, and if you think like we do, then you’re going to love this model. We recommend it.

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Official Manufacturer Support

References & Resources

• hOmeLabs, Official Brand Website.
• hOmeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier Manual.
• Energy Star Certification for hOmeLabs HME020031.
• Air Filters, Dehumidifiers, and Humidifiers, University of Rochester Medical Center.
• Six reasons you may need a dehumidifier, Washington Post.