TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier Review: ideal for small spaces

Design and Features

• Compact and easy to move
• Lots of modes

Compact and neat, the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L is a lot smaller than most dehumidifiers that we’ve reviewed on Trusted Reviews, measuring 443 x 322 x 239mm.

That makes it both easier to move around, and easier to store than a lot of the competition, such as the Duux Bora Smart 30L Dehumidifier.

There are four wheels at the bottom, so the dehumidifier can be slid around easily enough, and a carry-handle makes it easy to pick up and move. I’d empty the water tank before lifting it, though.

Part of the reason that the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L is so small is because it’s designed for smaller environments, with rooms of up to 30m². As you can tell from its name, it can suck up to 12 litres of water out of the air per day, and has a 1.5-litre water tank capacity.

At maximum operation, then, this dehumidifier would need to be emptied eight times in a day. If you’ve got a lot of humidity, then there’s an optional drain hose instead.

Quite a bit cheaper than most of the competition, the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L feels a bit more basic than its more premium rivals, such as the MeacoDry Arete Two.

The tank pulls out from the front and is quite a basic bit of plastic, with no handles. That’s not such an issue, as the full tank only holds as much water as a large bottle of drink. Inside is a float, which triggers the full indicator light when the max level of water has been collected; this also shuts the dehumidifier down until the tank has been emptied.

What the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L doesn’t miss out on are features. In standard mode, you can set it to maintain relative humidity between 35% and 80%, with increments of 5%. Once the target has been reached, the dehumidifier switches off and will restart automatically when humidity increases.

There’s also a Turbo mode, which ups the extraction speed (and uses more power). This defaults to a relative humidity setting of 35%, but you can override this with the controls. Comfort mode automatically adjusts humidity to keep the environment comfortable.

Finally, there’s a Continuous mode, where the dehumidifier will keep running permanently. It’s set to 15% as a nominal value.

There’s no option to turn the lights off or the control panel, so it’s not the kind of device that you’d want on while trying to sleep.

There is a handy timer, set in 0.5 hour increments up to 24 hours. It might be useful to add a timer if you don’t want the dehumidifier to be ready to run constantly.

Performance

• Great for small spaces
• Good running costs
• Efficient operation

I measured the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L with a power draw of 156W in dry mode, operating at a fairly sedate 46.5dB, so not much louder than background noise.

In Turbo mode, power consumption increases to 161W, and sound to 51.2dB, so there’s not too much difference. That works out at around 4p per hour to run, which isn’t bad at all. Of course, how much you’ll spend depends on a lot of factors, including temperature, the current relative humidity and the relative humidity that you set.

I first placed the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L in a large open-plan kitchen diner, which is also open to the stairs. Here, the dehumidifier struggled to reduce humidity, as the area was too big.

I moved it to a bedroom instead (around 20m²) and found that the TCL D12F3W0K Multi Mode Dehumidifier 12L reduced the relative humidity from 73% to 55% easily, using 0.032kWh of power.

Should you buy it?