DampRid makes three different “types” of hanging moisture absorbers – the FG80, FG80LV, and the FG80CF. The only difference between these three “types” are their scents. The FG80 has a “Fresh Scent”, the FG80LV has a “Lavender Vanilla” scent, and the FG80CF has a “Citrus Fresh” scent. All three of these hanging moisture absorbers are also available in 3 packs. The FG83 is the 3 pack version of the FG80, the FG83LV of the FG80LV, and the FG83CF of the FG80CF. Our recommendation is that you purchase the 3 pack version of whichever scent you prefer instead of purchasing any of these hanging moisture absorbers individually. The reason – value. You’ll get a much better value buying the 3 pack versus buying any one of these hanging moisture absorbers individually. The 3 packs are also much more readily available online and in local brick and mortar stores such as Home Depot.
Of the three 3 packs, the Lavender Vanilla scented FG83LV is by far the most popular. We’ll be referring to this particular scented version of DampRid’s hanging moisture absorber throughout the rest of this review. This will allow us to simply refer to “the FG83LV” instead of constantly having to refer to all three scents. Note that at its very low price point of just under (approx.) $10, the only comparable product to the FG83LV, and one that we’ll be referring to throughout the rest of this review, is another moisture absorbent product from DampRid, their similarly priced 4 pound moisture absorbent tub with model number FG50T. You can find our FG50T review here. As we discuss further below, the FG83LV does not serve as a replacement for large full size dehumidifiers. Disposable moisture absorbers such as the FG83LV and FG50T have their own niche to fill, a niche that’s very different than the one filled by full sized dehumidifiers such as the top rated Frigidaire FFAD7033R1. To flesh out our review for the FG83LV we’ll discuss its proper use and application in the paragraphs that follow.
Proper Use of Disposable Moisture Absorbers
As we mentioned previously and as we discuss at length in our FG50T review, a disposable inexpensive moisture absorber such as the FG50T or FG83LV does NOT serve as a replacement for a more expensive full size dehumidifier. Disposable moisture absorbers should only be used in spaces that are NOT perpetually humid and are also either NOT very humid or very small in size. If the space you’re trying to dehumidify is perpetually humid then a disposable moisture absorber will still work, but it will work very slowly AND you’ll have to repeatedly replace it, which can potentially negate any cost savings you might have experienced over just buying a more expensive compressor based unit from the start. Yes, the FG83LV is very inexpensive as it can be purchased for less than (approx.) $10 but should you need 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. 3 packs to dehumidify a particular space over the course of several months or years, you’re looking at virtually no cost savings over just buying a $150 to $200 small capacity compressor based dehumidifier to begin with.
This type of product is also inherently “light duty” and has a very small capacity for moisture removal. The average compressor based dehumidifier removes between 30 to 70 pints (approx. 500 to 1000+ ounces) of moisture per day. The average thermo-electric dehumidifier removes between 5 and 25 ounces of moisture per day. Disposable moisture absorbers such as the FG83, FG83LV, and FG83CF and their single pack equivalents remove only a few ounces of moisture over the course of several weeks. The FG83LV and similar products such as the FG50T are also not designed for large spaces. These products can be a great option for a small closet, bathroom, laundry room, etc. but they will have little to no impact on any sizable even mildly humid space. We cannot stress enough that you shouldn’t buy this product if your humidity problem is anything more than extremely mild and temporary (not perpetual) and the space you need to dehumidify is extremely small. In anything other than these conditions you will be disappointed in the performance of these products.
Some examples of environments in which these products will excel include:
1. A closet with only a few sets of clothes that need to be kept dry. The FG83LV’s effectiveness is directly proportional to how far the air that needs to be dehumidified is away from it. If you put one of these hanging moisture absorbers in a closet directly next to those pieces of clothing that need to be dehumidified it will do a great job of dehumidifying the air directly next to them. It won’t be able to dehumidify the air around that box of shoes in the back of your closet far away from it but anything in close proximity to the moisture absorber will be in good shape against damp, stagnant air.
2. A gym locker or any other small space with damp humid air. A gym locker is a great example of a space that’s perfect for the FG83LV. This type of space fits all of the criteria we outlined above. It’s small, NOT perpetually humid, and it’s also only mildly humid or damp.
The take away here is that the FG83LV works well in small spaces but it can also work in a larger space (such as a large walk-in closet) if you only need part of that space dehumidified (such as the area in close proximity to some of your most important pieces of clothing).
Final Thoughts
We hope we’ve given you a better idea of how, where, and when to use this type of moisture absorber and perhaps more importantly, how, where, and when NOT to use this type of moisture absorber. The FG83LV is certainly a great option for the correct application. As far as how the FG83LV compares to the FG50T, our recommendations depend largely on where you want to use them. For closets or really any space where you can easily hang this type of moisture absorber our recommendation is the FG83LV. For any other space, our recommendation is the FG50T as the more versatile option.
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