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If you have problems with condensation, damp, mould or high humidity, Arete is the answer – whether for your home, conservatory, garage, boat, unheated basements, caravan or workshop. There are two versions of this product, one that can remove 20 litres of water per day and a larger 250-litre per day model (at 30ºC and 80% relative humidity; the water removal depends on the environment you’re in). Both have a 4.8-litre water tank, which means that the worst-case scenario would involve emptying it several times per day; in my tests, the tank needed emptying every one or two days. There’s a status light that indicates when the tank needs emptying – the dehumidifier shuts down automatically when the tank is full. The sleek and modern unit with navy blue exterior stands out from the crowd in all the right ways, and whilst it doesn't have built-in wheels like most dehumidifiers of this size, the integrated carry handle and mid-weight build make it relatively easy to transport from room to room. If you want a more compact build, then there is also a 12L and 14L model available. The Arete One has a really nice user interface. It has just four buttons that are easy to get the hang of: That extraction level may not sound like much, and this certainly isn't a dehumidifier that can cope with large damp problems or help to dry washing. But, in practice, our tests found it worked well when left running in the bedroom overnight in our tester's single-glazed Victorian terrace. It reduced the build up of condensation around windows in the morning, and the air in general also felt fresher whenever it was running. It also did really well to help eliminate steam and fumes in the kitchen whilst cooking.
And, whilst this Russell Hobbs number is cheaper upfront, running costs are higher, with the 20L dehumidifier using 440W of energy compared to Meaco's 20L Arete One which uses 216W on average. Plus, the Arete One offers a built-in air purifier which this model does not.Beyond that, this dehumidifier is very easy to use, the controls are all really well laid out, and there’s not too much to get your head around when it comes to operating it. It also looks good. The curved design is unobtrusive and relatively stylish for a dehumidifier, and it’s compact enough to sit against a wall or in the corner of a room without taking up too much space.
The Arete One is at its noisiest in clothes drying mode, where you’re looking at sound levels of over 50dB and power consumption of over 208W. What’s more, it’s not the most effective dehumidifier I’ve seen for actually drying your clothes; even after six hours some garments were still slightly damp to the touch. In the past we found the Ebac 2650eworked a little better, albeit over a longer 8 hour boost cycle. However, different washing loads and humidity levels make like-for-like comparisons impossible, and the Arete One is still a decent option – you can always leave it on at a lower humidity target or turn on continuous operation if you want it to finish drying out your laundry. The unit isn't the lightest or most compact we've tested, but then we wouldn't expect that from a machine this powerful. However, built-in wheels, a retractable carry handle, and cable tidy make it easier to move around the house and store neatly away when it's not in use. Plus, the MeacoDry Arete One also offers a built-in air purification function, so you don't need to waste energy having two appliances running at once. And at just 115W, the MeacoDry Arete One 12L dehumidifier is also very energy efficient compared to most compressor dehumidifiers.
When we use the dehumidifier elsewhere in the house the 50% setting is good and turns off automatically when it reaches that specific level of humidity. Yes – it’s an excellent dehumidifier, especially for larger spaces. I don’t have the MeacoDry ABC or Inventor EVA II Pro 20L to hand to make direct comparisons but the Arete One is right up there with them in terms of performance and is either competitive or slightly better on noise and power consumption. The MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier's build quality feels solid and durable, and its curved body is a clever touch that makes the appliance look smaller than its H47 x W32 x D24cm measurements. The 12L modeal also fits a generous 2.5 litre water tank into its compact build. There are also hidden castors on the base of the dehumidifier, so rolling the unit from room to room is also an option. I found it rolled well on both hard floor and carpet, unlike many other dehumidifiers of this weight that struggled on carpet. Maintenance Saying that we have tested it downstairs in our open plan living/dining room, as well as in our horribly damp kitchen, and it was really efficient there too. Definitely a good choice for a bigger house or living space.
If you want to control the humidity in your home without distraction then the Arete range is the market leader for exceptional humidity extraction at a super quiet operating volume. As mentioned, the water tank stores 4.8L and simply slides in and out of the body of the unit. On even the heaviest day of testing I didn’t have to empty it more than once, although I’ve generally been working at room temperatures of around 22°C with humidity levels starting at around 62-67%. If you’re dehumidifying a seriously damp space or one that’s been flooded, then you may have to empty more often. The unit also supports continuous drainage, although you’ll need your own hose and a nearby drain or sink. What do you do if you already produce some of the quietest and most energy-efficiency dehumidifiers on the market? With Meaco’s new MeacoDry Arete One, the answer is to go even lower with power consumption and even quieter – and with some higher capacity options, too. In fact, the MeacoDry dehumidifier range as a whole comprises the most energy efficent dehumidifiers that we've come across, regularly beating their main competitor – Pro Breeze – on cost to run.
In This Article
Meaco’s existing 20L MeacoDry ABC dehumidifier produced a maximum 44dB(A) of noise at one metre and consumed roughly 244W. The Arete One is specified to top out at 40dB(A) and consume around 250W, although – as we’ll see later – measured consumption is actually much lower. This dehumidifier is really easy to move around. It’s not light, in fact, it weighs 10.9kg, but there is a handy retractable handle situated on the top of the machine, which makes lifting it a lot more comfortable. We know that the thing you do most often is empty the water tank. So we wanted to make sure that was easy to do without too much effort and without annoying spillage Finding the best dehumidifier for your home depends a lot on the type of moisture issue you're trying to solve, so it's always worth speaking with the customer service department of the manufacturer you're hoping to buy from to ensure you have the right model for your needs.
In terms of noise, on the highest speed fan setting I measured the MeacoDry Arete One at 48.8dB, which is certainly loud enough to hear; on low speed, it was 45.9dB when measured from a distance of 1m. I've been really pleasantly surprised by how quiet the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier is.Especially considering noisy operation is usually one of the biggest downsides of running a compressor dehumidifier. If you press the Smart Humidity mode button repeatedly, you can cycle between the available humidity targets, ranging from 40% to 70%rh, with a continuous option if you just want to keep dehumidifying, no matter what. Basically, if you have a larger house with large rooms and a damp problem, then this is the kind of dehumidifier you should look at if you want to deal with the issue. But is it up there the best?
How we tested
Cleaning the air in your home. Meaco wanted Arete to be useful all year round. So every Arete One dehumidifier includes a H13 HEPA filter, a 75% bigger and better quality HEPA filter. This is a medical-grade filter that cleans the air during dehumidification, and can also be used as a stand-alone purifier as well. If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast.
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