Mould is often associated with a dirty home, but the truth is that even if your house is the cleanest in the world, high indoor humidity can still lead to mould growth. I learned this the hard way, constantly cleaning my walls, furniture, and clothes, only to have mould return within a week. The Breville Smart Dry Plus has been a game changer for my family, helping with both humidity control and air purification.
To learn more about products and strategies to use when controlling mode in your home, click read more.
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Why High Humidity Encourages Mould Growth
To understand why a dehumidifier matters, it helps to know what high humidity does inside your home:
- Ideal conditions for mould: Mould spores are everywhere, but when relative humidity (RH) consistently stays above ~ 60%, those spores can land, settle, and grow into visible mould colonies.
- Condensation on surfaces: High humidity often leads to condensation on walls, ceilings, windows, and other cool surfaces, and that dampness is a perfect breeding ground for mould.
- Poor air circulation compounds the problem: In areas that don’t get much airflow (corners, wardrobes, behind furniture), moisture lingers, making mould more likely.
- Health risks: Mould doesn’t just look ugly, it can aggravate allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Mould becomes a huge health concern when left untreated as the spores can get into your lungs and cause diffuculty breathing.
- Structural risk: Over time, persistent mould and dampness can damage paint, plaster, and materials.
Reducing indoor humidity isn’t a magic wipe, but it’s one of the most effective measures to prevent mould from taking hold.
What Is the Breville Smart Dry Plus — A Quick Overview
The Breville Smart Dry Plus Connect Dehumidifier (model LAD308WHT) is Breville’s mid-to-large-room dehumidifier, built to control dampness in spaces up to ~50 m².
Key features:
- Live Humidity Control (SensAir System): it senses current humidity and works to maintain a target level you set on the machine or the app.
- Colour-changing humidity indicator: a visual bar or light shows whether it’s dry, “good,” or too humid, indicated by blue or red.
- Two-stage air filtration: has a pre-filter (for dust, pet dander) and a carbon filter (for odours, smoke).
- Laundry mode: high fan speed + low humidity setting to help dry clothes hung indoors or even damp rugs, without the harshness of a tumble dryer.
- Smart connectivity: controlled via the Breville Home Connect app (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and compatible with Amazon Alexa & Google Home.
- Tank & drainage — has a 3.5 L water tank; also supports a continuous drain with a hose (hose in the box)
- Size / Power — 26.2 × 26.2 × 59 cm, 350 W
It’s designed to run in auto mode (where it targets a humidity percentage), but also offers manual modes to suit different needs.
How the Smart Dry Plus Helps with Mould Control
Putting it all together — here’s how this dehumidifier actually helps reduce risk of mould:
- By lowering the relative humidity, it makes it harder for mould spores to grow.
- The SensAir live control means the machine adjusts dynamically as humidity fluctuates, rather than just blasting constantly or shutting off too early.
- With filtration, it not only removes moisture but also filters out particles and smells that might carry mould spores or contribute to a musty environment.
- In laundry mode, damp clothing or fabrics don’t hang around moist air for too long, reducing the chance of mould developing on them.
- Smart control (via app or voice) lets you monitor and respond to humidity even if you’re not home e.g., boost dehumidification after rain or when your house feels “muggy.”
Quick Guide to the Smart Dry Plus Buttons / Controls
Based on the instruction manual: Here’s what the main buttons / controls do:
- Power: Turns the unit on or off.
- Mode: Cycles between operating modes:
- Auto: The unit will try to reach and maintain your set humidity
- Continuous: Runs the dehumidifier at low fan speed until manually turned off
- Ventilation: Just circulates air without dehumidifying
- Laundry: High fan speed + low humidity target to help dry laundry & damp fabrics
- Humidity Setting: When in Auto mode — lets you set your target RH between 30% and 80%, in 5% increments.
- Fan Speed: Choose between Low or High. Works in Auto and Ventilation modes.
Smart Dry Plus vs. Regular Smart Dry: What’s the Difference?
Here’s how the Smart Dry Plus compares to the Breville Smart Dry Connect Dehumidifier, i personally got the SmartDry plus because I wanted the option of dehumidifying a bigger room sapce if i needed, but this came at a higher price point. If you have smaller rooms, the Breville SmartDry could still work for you with similar features.
| Feature | Smart Dry Plus | Smart Dry (Basic model) |
|---|---|---|
| Room Size / Capacity | Designed for medium rooms up to 50 m². Brevill | Designed for smaller rooms for up to ~30 m². |
| Tank Size | 3.5 L tank. | Smaller tank (e.g. 2.5 L in the LAD208 model) |
| Power Consumption | 350 W | 220 W |
| Smart / App / Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth + voice assistant support. | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth + voice assistant support. |
| Filtration | 2-stage (pre-filter + carbon) to filter dust, pet dander, odours, smoke. | 2-stage (pre-filter + carbon) to filter dust, pet dander, odours, smoke. |
| Smart Features | More “plus” capacity + smart sensor to control RH effectively in larger spaces. | Smaller footprint, likely more energy-efficient in small rooms; ideal when you don’t need the bigger capacity. |
- 10L per Day of water extractioncapacity
- Suitable for small rooms up to 30m2
- SensAir Live Humidity Control & Indicator Light
Final Thoughts
If you’re battling mould or dampness, especially in a medium/large-sized room, the Smart Dry Plus is a very smart pick. It offers strong moisture removal, intelligent humidity control, and flexible modes (like laundry) to tackle common household damp issues. The smart connectivity also means you can control it remotely without having to check the physical machine.
That said, if you’re in a smaller bedroom or office, a regular Smart Dry might be enough and more efficient. And no dehumidifier solves mould by itself: you’ll still want to manage air flow, clean regularly, and address any structural dampness or leaks.