I never give five stars on a review, but the MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier is too good not to

The term sell-out success is brandished around a lot these days, but the MeacoDry Arete Two has fully embodied the very literal sense of it. This has been so immensely popular that it's sold out multiple times over. Now, stock is back and I've managed to get my hands on one.

You'll know Meaco for making the best dehumidifiers on the market. The famous predecessor to this MeacoDry Arete Two is, unsurprisingly the MeacoDry Arete One. It's been at the top of our buying guide for years thanks to its simplicity and efficiency. However, I think it's just been knocked off the top spot.

The MeacoDry Arete Two takes all the commercial power of Meaco's more substantial dehumidifiers: it's 60% more powerful than their other models; the H13 HEPA filter is medical grade; and it works in spaces even colder than 10°C. And then they've combined it with an elegant touchscreen, voice commands, and a whisper-silent 35 dB setting. It's an impressive dehumidifier in its own right, but when you add in the air purifying function, it's something else. Here's everything you need to know about the MeacoDry Arete Two.

Specifications

First impressions

You won’t be surprised, especially if you’ve used a Meaco dehumidifier before, to know that this is quite big. It comes in a hefty, but robust cardboard box that has some useful handles on the sides for carrying around. Once you’ve cut into the box, you’ll see that the Meaco lifts right out. Most of the packaging is recyclable, which Is a big step forward for the world of dehumidifiers and there isn’t much faffing around that you’ll need to do to get this set up. All I had to do was fit the HEPA filter (which is medical grade, by the way) and that's a matter of just sliding it into place.

Meaco has fitted some neat castor wheels on the bottom and a retractable handle on top, so it’s really easy to move around the room and tuck away. I actually think it looks smart, for a dehumidifier. It has lovely curved edges, a sleek, matte white body, and a premium touchscreen control panel on the top. It’s certainly the most impressive dehumidifier that I’ve tested in terms of aesthetics.

Who would it suit?

The clue is in the name for one of the big appeals of the MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier & Air Purifier. If you suffer from allergies, live in a polluted area, or you're looking to improve the air quality in your home, this tackles any issues on two fronts. The air purifier uses a medical-grade H13 HEPA filter, so it'll whip allergens out of your air whilst the dehumidifier will reduce the humidity in your house, taking out all the fuggy dampness and funny smells.

Depending on the size of your home, you can choose which capacity model you want from Meaco. The Arete Two is available as a 10L, 12L, 20L, and 25L model. Effectively, this means that one-room flats could fit a MeacoDry Arete Two, but large four-bed houses could too. It's nice to have your options.

The high efficiency, impressive speed, and quiet functions make this a competitive option for bathroom dehumidifiers as well as bedroom dehumidifiers. This covers a lot of different issues in the home without really compromising anywhere. That's the kind of appliance I like.

What is it like to use?

There’s always a danger that newer clever models become more complex and confusing. However, I think Meaco has achieved the impossible and made this somehow easier to use. The top of the Meaco lights up with a touchscreen panel. You could read through the instructions book, but you don’t need to.

The different settings are obvious. You have a t-shirt icon for the laundry mode; a moon icon for night mode; a scale of different target humidities; current humidity; a timer; and a lock button (if you have little ones that might play around with the screen). The tech-savvy might want to connect this up to their home assistants or even download the app, which gives you remote access to your dehumidifier, but rest assured. Anyone at every level could use this.

Test 1: humidity and condensation

We all struggle with condensation on our windows from time to time and my main problem comes on the shower room. In the picture above, you can see what happens to my windows and that condensation will sit, drip, and then gather into a layer of mould if I don't act on it.

I've been testing out different dehumidifiers in my bathroom, looking for one that can work quickly in my warm, humid room and I have to say, the MeacoDry Arete Two was one of the quickest to produce results.

When I set it in my shower room, the humidity was up at 70. I tasked the Arete Two will restoring the air to 50% (your bathroom should be between 30 and 60%, ideally 50%) and shut the door. I could hear the fans whirring away when I set it running, but these didn't sound obnoxiously loud like many of the dehumidifier that I've tested before. In fact, after half an hour, my windows were pretty much clear. It's a small room and this is a big dehumidifier, but that's a really impressive result.

Test 2: laundry

The MeacoDry has a special laundry setting, so I was really intrigued to see how this would handle my laundry room. These are some of the most humid rooms in the house, but mine is also quite cold, which is a bit of a nightmare combination (both for the clothes and the air quality). To test this out, I loaded my clothes horse with a medium-sized load of laundry and left the MeacoDry running. It only costs 3p per hour to run, so I was relaxed about leaving this running.

I came to check on my clothes every half an hour and was really impressed. Not only did this dry my laundry in half a day (normally it would take all day in my laundry room), it worked really quietly. I checked my dB measurer and it never went above 32 dB, which is quieter than quiet library sounds, more like someone whispering nearby. That's incredible.

Test 3: night mode

In fact, I was so intrigued by the quietness of the MeacoDry Arete Two, I decided to test it out in my bedroom, over night. I'm one of those people who has to sleep in complete darkness and silence, so I was a little apprehensive about this. I left it running in the bedroom and, when I would normally wake up to windows covered with condensation, they were completely clear. It was nice to know that the air was being cleaned too, because I often worry in the winter. If the window isn't open, there's no circulation in the air, which isn't great for your health.

I've given you the caveat that I'm a sensitive sleeper, so take what I say with a pinch of salt. I did feel that I could hear the Meaco in my silent room, which isn't a surprise. It wasn't so loud that I couldn't drift off, but I definitely tossed and turned a little more. Given that I've tested all best dehumidifier for a bedroom, I'd say that this is actually surprisingly quiet in comparison. If anything, it's one of the gentlest, quietest models that I've tested.

Test 4: cellar

I am in a constant battle with my cellar. This is a seriously damp space in my home — water even drips from the ceiling. When I put the MeacoDry Arete Two in my cellar, it said that the humidity was 68%, which is far from ideal. So, I left this running overnight, with the aim of bringing the humidity down to 50%. That's a tough ask, but, sure enough 12 hours after plugging in the Meaco, it had achieved its goal. I've never had a dehumidifier work this well.

I pulled out the reservoir and it was two-thirds full, which is even more proof that the Meaco had been working hard. The reservoir slides out and is easy to drain away too. All in all, I was very pleased with myself, if you can't tell.

For context, my cellar is an underground vault. It's quite small, which I think helps, but I have tested plenty of other dehumidifiers that couldn't even get this to drop below 60%. Of course, that doesn't get to the root of the issue, but it's a great way to stop any more deterioration.

How does it compare?

Since the summer, Meaco has found that lots of people who owned the MeacoDry Arete One have switched over to their newer, quicker, more energy-efficient model. If you want the summary, people are making the swap for faster fan speeds, quieter functions, and a more luxurious feel. I still think that the Arete One is a fantastic buy, this just gives the little upgrades that tech fans might appreciate. If you are after a more detailed breakdown of what makes this different, Meaco has a list of all the extras that you get with the Arete Two. I'll list them below, but I think extras is a good way of thinking about them. These are certainly nice to haves rather than essentials, so if you're on a budget, don't feel like you're missing out by investing in the Arete One.

Here are the extras:

• The option to remotely control the dehumidifier using an app or voice commands (Google and Alexa)
• Extra fan dries laundry quicker (I found it shaved about an hour off my drying time)
• Better efficiency and quieter function using a high air volume DC motor
• Manual louvre lets you adjust the airflow yourself (like vents)
• Adjustable laundry timers, so you don't waste money
• High humidity alert
• Relative Humidity Heart indicator - displays your room's humidity so you know when to use the Meaco

There are other differences, but those are the ones that I would highlight. If you like the sound of that, keep an eye out for the best dehumidifier deals to get these models at more affordable prices.

Should you buy it?

I've never given a dehumidifier 100% in a review before. That's not because I'm grumpy or mean, but because I always feel like there's room for improvement. However, the MeacoDry Arete Two is perfect. The fact that it's available in a range of sizes makes it accessible for everyone and once you've got one, you can start using it in all the rooms of the house. Just make sure that you've had a look at our page for everything you need to know before buying a dehumidifier, so that you don't make any mistakes.

How we test

At woman&home, we put a lot of thought into how we test dehumidifiers. If we find a model that we think you'll love, we want to test it for ourselves, so that we can give you our word that it's genuinely good. We look through all the specifications so that we know where we should apply some extra rigorous tests. For example, if a dehumidifier claims to be a laundry specialist, we'll test it for weeks in our laundry rooms with bedding, towels, jeans, and more.

We make notes on the performance of the dehumidifier in three key contexts. The first is on condensation in a bathroom because that gives us a good indicator of how the dehumidifier would be able to tackle humidity in the bedroom and kitchen. We also test dehumidifiers with a load of laundry and in a damp cellar. That way, we have a representative test for how these dehumidifiers will work in different contexts.

We'll tell you everything you need to know about the aesthetics, cleaning, and versatility of all the best dehumidifiers on the market. That way, you can choose the perfect one for your home with complete certainty.