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Disclosure: Meaco, through its PR agency Brooks Communications, sent us this dehumidifier free of charge for review. We paid nothing for it. Meaco hasn’t seen this review and had no say over what it says. We earn a commission if you buy through our links. How we handle supplied products →
The MeacoDry Arete Two 20L has run in the living room of my flat since it arrived on 5 October. It has dried the room out and kept it there, it took the washing in its stride, and I ran it through an energy-monitoring plug, so the running costs below are measured, not copied off the box.
It’s a dehumidifier I’d recommend, and it gets four stars. The one thing that didn’t match the box is the noise: in my flat it is louder than my fridge.
★★★★☆: recommended, noise aside.
- Best for: a flat or small house with condensation, and drying washing indoors
- Best thing: set a humidity and forget it; it gets there and holds it
- Watch out for: it isn’t as quiet as “whisper quiet” suggests
- Costs: 69p to £1.11 a day on the days we metered, at 26.32p per kWh
When we checked on 10 November, it was back in stock on Amazon at £310, sold by Buy It Direct. Prices move, so check the button below for today’s.
MeacoDry Arete® Two 20L Dehumidifier & HEPA H13 Air Purifier | Quiet & Energy Efficient, Wi-Fi Meaco App, Smart Humidity Mode, Laundry Mode, Prevents Damp & Mould, 5x Year Warranty
What it is
The Arete Two 20L is a compressor dehumidifier with an air purifier built in (an H13 HEPA filter). It has a humidity display that shows the current and target readings side by side, buttons on the top, and the Meaco app, with Alexa and Google voice control as well. Set a target and it runs until the room reaches it, switches off, and starts again if the humidity climbs.
- Rated power: 230 W (rating plate)
- Extraction: up to 20 litres a day at 30°C and 80% humidity; 12 litres a day at 26.7°C and 60% (rating plate)
- Works in: 5°C to 35°C (rating plate)
- Weight: 15.1 kg (rating plate)
- Noise: 38 dB, by Meaco’s figure
- Refrigerant: R290
Where I used it, and how
It lives in the living room of my flat, a double-glazed flat on the coast, on normal running. I used the buttons on top and the app about equally. On the first day I set a target of 55%, and later lowered it to 50%.
Did it dry the room?
Yes. The app read the room at 65% the day it arrived. Once I’d lowered the target to 50%, the room settled there and stayed there, which is about right for a living space in autumn: dry enough to keep condensation and mould at bay, not so dry it feels parched.
On a typical day of normal running the tank held about 2 to 5 litres. That is well short of the 20 litres on the box, and it should be. The rating plate explains why: 20 litres a day is at 30°C and 80% humidity, and even at a warm 26.7°C and 60% Meaco rates it at 12 litres. A lived-in room near 50% in autumn has much less water to give, and a dehumidifier pulling 20 litres a day out of a flat would be telling you something was wrong with the flat.
Drying washing
I used Laundry Mode on a load hung up indoors, with the Arete Two beside it, and the washing dried noticeably faster. Meaco says to open the louvre and stand the machine next to the washing, and that Laundry Mode then runs on a timer before switching itself off.
What it costs to run
I ran it through a Tapo P110 energy-monitoring plug, so these are metered numbers:
| Reading (October 2026) | Energy | At 26.32p per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct, running most hours | 4.207 kWh | £1.11 |
| 13 Oct | 2.618 kWh | 69p |
| While the compressor runs | about 233 W | about 6p an hour |
The plate says 230 W and I measured about 233 W while it ran, so the plate is honest. Meaco’s listing quotes about 5p an hour at 24.5p per kWh, which works out at roughly 204 W, so expect a little more than the listing says. It doesn’t draw that all day: on a humidity target it rests once the room gets there, which is why a quieter day cost 69p.
These costs use the Ofgem price cap for October to December 2026, 26.32p per kWh for electricity. Electricity carries no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, so don’t compare these with a running cost worked out at an earlier price.
Noise: the one real catch
Meaco calls the Arete Two “whisper quiet” at 38 dB. On normal running in my living room it is louder than my fridge. That isn’t loud, but if you’re buying it on the strength of the quiet claim for a bedroom or a small open-plan flat, expect to hear it. There’s a Night Mode that Meaco says runs it as quietly as possible and dims the display. I haven’t used it, so I can’t tell you how much it helps.
Who it suits
- A flat or small house with condensation or damp, where you’d like to set a humidity and leave it.
- Anyone drying washing indoors through the winter.
- Not the first choice if quiet matters more than anything else in the room it’s going in.
How it fits with the rest of Meaco’s range
Our Meaco dehumidifier guide compares the whole range, including the smaller Arete Two 12L and the simpler ABC 10L. For drying washing in particular, see our dehumidifiers for laundry guide. We’ve also reviewed the Duux Bora.
Verdict: 4 out of 5
The Arete Two does what a dehumidifier is for. My living room went from 65% to 50% and stayed there, the washing dried faster, and the measured running cost is modest at today’s prices. It loses a star because it isn’t as quiet as the box says.
MeacoDry Arete® Two 20L Dehumidifier & HEPA H13 Air Purifier | Quiet & Energy Efficient, Wi-Fi Meaco App, Smart Humidity Mode, Laundry Mode, Prevents Damp & Mould, 5x Year Warranty
Questions
How much does the Meaco Arete Two 20L cost to run?
On a smart plug in our living room it used 4.207 kWh on a busy day (£1.11) and 2.618 kWh on a quieter one (69p), at the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. While the compressor runs it draws about 233 W, close to the 230 W on its rating plate, which is about 6p an hour.
Is the Meaco Arete Two quiet?
Meaco rates it at 38 dB. On normal running in our living room it is louder than our fridge. It has a Night Mode that Meaco says runs it as quietly as possible; we haven’t used it.
How much water does the Arete Two 20L collect?
In our flat in autumn, about 2 to 5 litres on a typical day. The 20 litres on the box is measured at 30°C and 80% humidity; at 26.7°C and 60% Meaco’s plate gives 12 litres a day.
Does the Arete Two help dry washing indoors?
Yes. With Laundry Mode on beside a load hung indoors, our washing dried noticeably faster.
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