Further to a bout of mould that appeared on one of our walls during the rainy season and which refused to go away, we decided to get a dehumidifier.
We weren’t looking to spend a lot of money. We already had an air purifier and a dryer — hence functions such as HEPA filtering or laundry drying weren’t of much importance to us. Of the options available, the Xiaomi Smart Dehumidifier seemed to be a good choice. However, we somehow ended up with the Novita ND388, which was a new launch in early 2024. After discounts, we managed to snag it for $322 on Lazada, which is slightly cheaper than the 22L Xiaomi Smart Dehumidifier at its usual price.
The ND388 is a pretty barebones machine. Unlike the Xiaomi, you do not get any smart app functionality. It is, however, quite a compact unit for its capacity — at a (relatively) sleek 220mm x 366mm x 613mm, it fits into small spaces, while at the same time being able to absorb 25L per day with a spacious 5.5L water tank. If you do not have a water pipe nearby (like me), you will probably appreciate that the water tank level can be seen through a small window from the front, and you can empty the water through a front (it has a handle to facilitate easy carrying).
The ND388 is also easy to use given that it is at its core, a pretty barebones unit. You can set a timer mode, or a target RH mode (from 40-80%), or just set it to “Auto” and let it do its things. For me, I have found it to work well in a target RH mode of 60% — basically what this mode does is that it will run the dehumidifier until it reaches around the range of the target RH, and then switch off. 60% isn’t that low of a humidity rate, but I find that it already helps keep mould growth at bay. At 60% RH, with the recent hot weather, I was able to empty the water tank about once every two days on average. Of course, on wetter days or if you choose a lower RH, you’ll need to empty the water tank more often. But it’s generally enough to last through the night.
Noise wise, the ND388 is still pretty okay, like a gentle hum of an aircon compressor. It does emit quite a bit of hot air (like all dehumidifiers) so it’s probably best to place it perhaps near the entrance of the house rather than in the middle of your living room. That said, with a lower humidity, you would generally feel more comfortable despite the slightly higher temperature. Finally, the ND388 also comes with a pre-mesh filter which is meant to be replaced every six months. There are no claims (e.g., HEPA, etc.) as to its efficiency, though.
Overall, the ND388 is a simple, nondescript looking dehumidifer. It does its job well, is easy to use, and the water tank is easy to empty. However, if you’re looking for more advanced features such as a laundry drying function or air purifying functionality, then you may want to look elsewhere instead.