Having finally got central heating this year, I discovered my home is damp - not severely; no mould on the walls and such - just damp enough to make fabrics feel cold to the touch and create a "wind chill" factor in the house. I bought some 1kg crystal dehumidifiers - the boxes with bags of calcium chloride, which dissolves as it draws in moisture - and a Prem-I-Air El Poquito. I've been using them all for a week.
The Prem-I-Air, running 12 hours a day, has collected roughly the same amount of liquid as the boxes. The fan makes very little noise (about the same as my laptop fan) and it's a more attractive appliance than the white plastic boxes with congealing bags inside! However, it's more expensive to buy and uses electricity, which obviously the others don't.
I think the choice would be down to how much you care about appearance and conserving power. Chemical dehumidifiers are unsuitable for homes with young children, as the liquid they collect is acid. The electronic variety collects distilled water and has an automatic shut-off when disturbed, so would be the safe choice for a family home.