Method

We read the marketing; we do not test the product.

Nobody here has a lab, and nobody has run the dehumidifier in their basement for a summer. Every article on this site is built from documents anyone can read: the manufacturer's own spec sheet and manual, the test standard the headline number was measured under, and the federal rules that say which standard applies. When we tell you something about a machine, it comes from one of those, and the article says which.

Why the number needs reading

The machines this site covers (dehumidifiers, air compressors, pressure washers, power stations, air purifiers, vacuums and the like) are sold on a rate: pints per day, CFM, PSI, GPM, watt-hours, CADR. A rate has to be measured under some condition. A temperature, a humidity, a pressure, a hose length, a battery state. Change the condition and the number changes.

Two things follow. A number can be honest and still not describe your situation, because the test condition is not your basement or your driveway. And two brands' numbers can be measured on different bases, so the bigger one is not always the stronger machine. Our job is to find the condition behind the number and translate it into the decision you are trying to make.

What we do

• Find the test behind the headline number. We name the standard where one exists and quote what it measures.
• Quote the brand in its own words, with a link. If we cannot corroborate a figure anywhere but the brand's page, we say it is the brand's claim rather than repeating it as fact.
• Separate what is documented from what we conclude. An article shows which parts are the record and which are our reading of it.
• Say when we would not buy something, and why. Saying no costs us nothing; see Disclosure.

What we do not do

• We do not claim to have tested, used or owned any product we write about.
• We do not show prices. They change by the hour, and a stale one is worse than none. Check the retailer.
• We do not take free products, paid placements or brand sponsorships.

Mistakes

If we have a number or a standard wrong, tell us at privacy@underidealconditions.com with the document that shows it. We fix errors in the article and note the correction at the bottom with the date.