The Best Dehumidifier for Cars: The Best Moisture Absorbers

Congratulations on finally getting that car, because they are generally excellent additions to the life of anyone, obviously proven by the staggering number of cars in the world today. But as cool and fancy looking as they are, there is a problem of not being immune to the relative ease with which moisture and dampness cause damage, which makes a dehumidifier very useful. Having the best car dehumidifier helps increase your vehicle’s life span, keep it dry, and prevent mold growth and mildew formation.

A dehumidifier’s primary function is to remove the excess amount of atmospheric moisture that could go as far as leaving water droplets on your window and creating an unsafe driving experience. If you own a caravan, you should take this more seriously than the small-sized car owners because having a caravan with a home setting means more items will be affected by mold and dampness. The best dehumidifier for a caravan should then be amongst the top things you should consider purchasing.

Moisture generally thrives in the hot summer season, causing a great deal of sweat and irritation. It could also bring about health issues for those with reactions to allergens, and in confined spaces such as a car, it’s probably best to keep the atmosphere humidity level as low as possible. This requires the best moisture absorber for cars (moisture absorber also performs the same function as the dehumidifier), and it does an excellent job in dropping down the level of humidity, giving your car and interior a longer life and your health in check.

Nooks and crannies also exist in cars like car storage and may be hard to reach, especially when they are filled with items. The car storage allows for space that is handy for keeping kinds of stuff that could be needed at any time but is also the right place for molds to grow unnoticed. Placing the best dehumidifier for car storage in a confined space should help in reducing the required amount of cleanups and avoid rot.

Top 5 best moisture absorbers for cars

1) Litepak Activated Charcoal Bags Odor Absorber

Special Features: Activated charcoal, Reusable, odor eliminator, and highly effective

This moisture absorber type looks like a portable bag easily placed in the car. The top left-hand side of the packet contains a space that allows for easy hanging in the car, and it has a relatively light weight of about 200g (per bag), meaning it can be hung anywhere without the need for special installments.

The bag contains activated charcoal that easily absorbs water and deals well with bad odors in the atmosphere. It doesn’t operate like air fresheners that cover smells as they absorb the odor. Wonder what happens when the charcoal becomes saturated? It is quite a simple process, really. You just have to leave the bag out to dry under sunlight, after which they are ready to be used again.

This comes in five quantities and lasts a very long time while used. It is very easy to use, as you just have to hang it in strategic locations in the car, and within two days, it eradicates any moisture/ smell. We recommend you make use of two bags at a time.

Pros

• lasts long,
• activated charcoal for odor removal,
• reusable,
• eco-friendly.

Cons

• it is relatively expensive compared to other products.

2) Patu renewable wireless dehumidifier

Special Features: Renewable, Eco friendly, portable, healthy, and very silent.

This is a very small-sized square-shaped dehumidifier containing a silica jell that also acts as an indicator. It has an inbuilt plug to be connected directly to an electrical outlet when recharging. It is quite dense and fragile, meaning it could develop issues if dropped.

The blue color gel means the unit is set and ready to be used, and after absorbing moisture till saturation, the silica gel turns pink as an indication that it needs to be recharged, which takes about 5 hours. It works for nearly a year, after which the gel expires and ceases to absorb moisture anymore.

In general, the device is straightforward and pretty small, so you wouldn’t have to worry about the space it would occupy in your car. It works well, efficiently removing moisture, and we would recommend it for any small-sized car (sedans) and two or more for larger-sized vehicles.

Pros

• renewable,
• eco-friendly.

Cons

• lack of hanging space.

3) Eva dry mini renewable dehumidifier

Special Features: Silica gel, Nontoxic, No batteries, 333 cubic feet work area, and 100% renewable.

This is another small-sized dehumidifier like the patu that also adopts the technology of crystal absorbent material. It has a droplet-shaped indicator that displays the crystals, enabling you to tell when color changes and charging is needed. It has a port by the side for recharging; you just need to connect to electricity through an adapter cable in a well-ventilated environment.

The Eva dehumidifier is built with moisture-absorbing crystals that change color i.e., green when saturated with moisture and orange after recharge, and it is good to go. It lasts a couple of weeks before a recharge is needed, depending on the degree of usage and the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. Recharging takes about 10-12 hours.

This dehumidifier’s procedure is pretty straightforward; make use until there is a color change, then plug to recharge, and it can go from a humidity level of around 50% to as low as 38% in closed spaces. You might want to get more than one of these devices for a larger-sized automobile.

Pros

• renewable,
• 5-year warranty,
• long-lasting duration.

Cons

• suitable for small-sized vehicles only.

4) Probreeze renewable cordless mini dehumidifier

Special Features: last 20-30 days, nontoxic, renewable, rechargeable, and wireless dehumidifier.

This portable cordless dehumidifier allows the ease of being moved anywhere it is needed in the car, fitting into tight spaces and car storage. It has a stylish design featuring several perforations around the top side and one of the edges, an indicator displaying the silica gel color, and a color description showing when dry or wet. The device will virtually stand up at any angle you need it to

It contains crystals that absorb moisture from the atmosphere easily, changing color accordingly to its saturation level, i.e., when saturated with moisture, the crystals turn green and are orange-colored when dry. It takes 10-24 hours to thoroughly dry, although you would have to keep an eye on it, as the dehumidifying beads pop when the device is plugged in for too long.

This type of dehumidifier is best for small spaces and works well, while being cost-friendly like the patu and Eva types, relatively low cost.

Pros

• renewable,
• Affordable.

Cons

• damaged by overcharging.

5) Gurin DHMD renewable wireless dehumidifier

Special Features: No batteries, no cord, 100% renewable, non-toxic, and wide area of coverage.

The Gurin dehumidifier shares the same design as most of the humidifiers for cars out there, featuring horizontal spaces shaped as lines across the surface, in which moisture is absorbed through, and an affront indicator for displaying the crystal color, and therefore the time recharge is needed.

The crystal is blue-colored in the default state but changes to pink after absorbing enough water, therefore showing the need for a recharge which takes about 12 to 15 hours. The relatively cheap cost makes it an attractive option, and when used in a confined space, it can drop the humidity level by 10%.

It comes with a 5-year warranty, covering any potential losses for a long time, and does well in dealing with moisture in the atmosphere. The device lasts a long time before needing a charge and shouldn’t be charged for more than 15 hours.

Pros

• affordable,
• renewable,
• 5-year warranty,

Cons

• might short-lived

Also read: Best dehumidifier for grow rooms

What causes condensation on the inside of car windows

To remove condensation problems in a car, you must first know what causes and sustain its presence. Condensation generally is formed when the warm air in a humid atmosphere collides with a cool surface. In cars, these surfaces are mostly car windows. It also occurs in cases where moist surface/ water in the car tries to evaporate (when heated by the sun) and a proper ventilation system is lacking.

In both cases, tiny water droplets end up on the windows, forming a translucent extra layer surface that makes navigating much more difficult. The water droplets would have to be wiped off for proper view range. Some of the common causes of condensation in automobiles are:

• Breathing inside the car
• Wet items like clothes, shoes, etc.
• Leakages in the vehicle lead to the inflow of water.
• Damp trunks or carpets
• Steamy foods

How to prevent condensation on the inside of car windows

We recommend you take the following quick-fix steps to avoid condensation

• Ensure you always clean the car properly, to remove dirt particles that can attract moisture.
• Always allow conventional and proper ventilation in your car by leaving your windows open when safe.

• Do not leave damp materials like coats or towels inside the car.
• Turning on the air conditioner helps by ducking in moist air and giving out dry air, reducing moisture.
• Clean your windows thoroughly.
• Using a dehumidifier for a car’s interior also causes great change.

Also Read: Best dehumidifier for drying clothes

How to dehumidify a car 

Now that we have identified the cause of condensation and most of their sources, you might wonder how to avoid the same situation next time. The solution is simply using a good dehumidifier. Vehicle dehumidifier removes the excess amount of moisture, therefore removing condensation. There are several ways you can use to remove moisture from your car; they are:

• Leave your car out in the sun to dry, but with space for ventilation so that water molecules in the car can escape to the atmosphere, not forming water droplets o the window screen.
• Check for mold and dampness: in corners like the air vent, carpets, and door hinges, molds can grow unnoticed. For this reason, we advise you to fish out every trace of mold.
• Apply vinegar for a few minutes to kill the mold on the surface.
• Scrub off: cleaning the mold found is the next step, and we advise you not to use soap or water, as this could worsen the problem. Instead, you should use a very soft brush and scrub until the mold is removed. A vacuum cleaner also comes in handy for removing mold remnants.

Although all these processes are very useful, placing a dehumidifier in the car and leaving it to run is the most efficient and stress-free procedure at very little cost.

Read Also: Best dehumidifier for Conservatory

Qualities to consider when choosing the best car Dehumidifiers

• Type of dehumidifier:

The two most prominent dehumidifiers for cars are the 12V device and the moisture-absorbing bags. We recommend the moisture-absorbing bag, as it passively absorbs water from the air and stores it in a bag. The unit is built with different material types as the absorbing agent, but silica gel is the most common. Whereas the 12V unit uses power and needs to be plugged into your dashboard to function. It sucks in water faster than the other type but needs to be emptied more regularly.

• Reusable ability:

Dehumidifiers for autos that aren’t usable are not worth the stress and expense; in the long run, it’s a good thing most humidifiers are reusable. When using the 12V type, the water tank must be emptied when filled up, while the moisture-absorbing type is recharged in the microwave.

Some moisture absorbers are built with a single-use crystal, i.e., after the crystal absorbs water until saturation, it must be thrown away. These are not advisable for cars since the moisture battle is never-ending.

• Brand:

Although there are several types of dehumidifiers for autos out there, there is a difference in performance in which some brands are generally more effective than others. This is why you must purchase the only unit that reliable brands make. Whichever manufacturer you choose, ensure their devices are eco-friendly since they would be used in a confined space.

• Price:

The price of any device is always one of the significant factors to consider before purchase, but not to worry, car dehumidifiers are generally cheap and easily affordable. Therefore you wouldn’t have to save up to purchase one of these, although we still advise you to have a budget or range you are willing to path with. Dashboard dehumidifiers are generally more expensive than others.

Read Here: Best dehumidifier for cold basement

Final Verdict: Best moisture absorber for cars

We recommend the California Moisture Absorber as the best product for your car because it comes with five packs, which means it would last much longer than other dehumidifiers. It also doesn’t consume any electricity, as it only needs to be dried by sunlight.

The Patu renewable wireless dehumidifier is next on our list due to its eco-friendly nature and high moisture-absorbing rate.

Important Reads:

Also Read: Best dehumidifier for dorm room