I tested the new MeacoDry Arete Two dehumidifier – here's why it's the smartest, fastest, and most energy-efficient dehumidifier right now

This MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier review puts the second generation of Meaco's bestselling Arete range through its paces to see if it lives up to its claims as being the brand's smartest, fastest, and cheapest dehumidifier to run yet.

As we're soon to transition into the winter months, concerns with damp, condensation, and mould have quickly come back to the forefront of our minds. Enlisting the help of the best dehumidifier can help to improve humidity levels and increase comfort inside your home.

Previously, the MeacoDry Arete One reigned as our overall top pick, scoring 4.5 stars in our review, boasting all the sought-after qualities a lot of people look for when buying a dehumidifier. This includes everything from a dedicated laundry drying mode to a built-in HEPA filter efficient enough to put even the best air purifiers to shame, with our only gripes being the Arete One's lack of timer, Wi-Fi connectivity, and Smart capabilities.

However, the new MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier solves all these previous issues we had with the Arete One. It's an extremely impressive step-up from its predecessor, allowing you even more control at your fingertips whilst still prioritising a user-friendly experience, brilliant performance, and quiet operation – standout features to us about the Arete One. Not to mention, the MeacoDry Arete Two is even more energy-efficient and cheaper to run, with running costs starting from just 3p an hour.

Similar to the MeacoDry Arete One, the Arete Two is available in four sizes to suit your home's needs: 10L, 12L, 20L, and 25L. For this MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier review, I tested the MeacoDry Arete Two 20L Dehumidifier, which has the ability to extract 20 litres of moisture from the air per day. This size is ideal for 3-5 bed houses and rooms of up to 75m² – which was ideal for my 3-bed terrace.

I tested the MeacoDry Arete Two 20L Dehumidifier's performance in different areas and rooms in my home – the kitchen, bedroom, and living room to see how well it extracts steam from cooking, its noise levels when relaxing and sleeping, as well as how efficient its 'Smart Laundry' mode was at drying wet washing indoors. Here's how it compares to the Arete One and why I think it's the best in the market right now.

MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier review

Specifications

• Type: Compressor
• Extraction rate: 20L/day
• Water tank capacity: 4.8 litres
• Max room size recommended: 75m²
• Noise level: 38, 40, and 50dB
• Power: 207W
• Dimensions: H61 x W36 x D27cm
• Weight: 15.1kg
• Portable: Yes
• Automatic humidity sensor: Yes
• Continuous drain option: Yes
• Laundry mode: Yes
• Wi-Fi connectivity: Yes
• Timer: Yes
• Operating temperature: 5°C - 35°C

How I tested

Jullia Joson

I'm Jullia and my job on Ideal Home's house manual and home tech section includes curating buying guides to help you decide on the best dehumidifier, best air purifier, or best vacuum cleaner for your home alongside writing features on how to get the most out of these home appliances. I tested the MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier in my 3-bed terrace to see how well it helps with managing my home's humidity levels, how efficient it is at drying laundry, and how it compares to its predecessor: the Arete One.

Unboxing

The MeacoDry Arete Two Dehumidifier is delivered in a singular (might I add, heavy) box. It was a very smooth delivery process overall and although its 15.1kg weight inevitably makes it quite the hefty box to try and manoeuvre, I got there eventually and was able to situate it in my living room ready for unboxing.

Similar to the way the Arete One arrived when we reviewed it last October, the Arete Two is secured between two pieces of polystyrene and covered in plastic. I'll carry the same criticism that some cardboard scaffolding could've been a more eco-friendly solution to ensure the dehumidifier remains unscathed during transit.

You can easily take the dehumidifier out of the box thanks to its built-in handle, which is something I was especially grateful for as it's definitely very heavy. Better yet, it comes with castors at the bottom of the unit so you it's simple to roll it into your desired spot.

As for the rest of the contents inside the box, you get a hose adaptor (should you choose to have your dehumidifier continuously drain), a free H13 HEPA filter, and an instruction manual.

Assembly and set up

Like the Arete One, the Arete Two arrives pre-assembled and is essentially ready to use right off the bat once you remove all the external packaging. However, Meaco do note in the instruction manual that you'll just have to leave the dehumidifier to stand for at least six hours before turning it on to allow any refrigerant that may have moved during transit to settle.

If you wish to take advantage of the air purifying the MeacoDry Arete Two offers, remove the plastic bag around the H13 HEPA filter and insert it into the back of your dehumidifier.

As I mentioned earlier, a new addition to the MeacoDry Arete Two is its ability to be connected to Wi-Fi and as a result, its smart capabilities to be hooked up to your smart home system like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can download the new Meaco app to control your dehumidifier from your phone and I must say, the UI is nice and smooth when navigating the app. It's easy to use and you can link it up with voice control through the app.

Considering the Arete One didn't have these smart features, it's definitely a nice touch. With so many appliances prioritising integration into smart home systems, seeing Meaco get behind it as an already leading brand name in dehumidifiers has already set it a step above its predecessor.

Design

Admittedly, dehumidifiers aren't the most glamorous of household appliances. However, if we had to dub any the sleekest and most stylish of the bunch, the MeacoDry Arete Two is certainly a winner. It isn't awfully different from the Arete One, with the biggest differences being the addition of a louvre to allow you to direct airflow where necessary and a new and improved LCD 'chase' display offering you even more control and information at a glance. But, I'd go on to say that it looks more modern as a result of these features and is a nice addition to my living room, and doesn't look too obtrusive and out of place.

The MeacoDry Arete Two feels solid and durable, and despite its H61 x W36 x D27cm measurements, even my 20L model feels and looks far smaller because of its curved design. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a big boy, but because the dehumidifier has been designed to sit flush against a wall, you can easily tuck it into a more discreet spot in your space. This is because the air intake at the back of the unit is set back a little, in case you're a tad worried about it not receiving adequate ventilation.

The water tank is accessible from the front of the machine and even comes with a little viewing window so you can see how full it is from a glance, for your convenience.

As I mentioned earlier, there's a retractable handle at the top and castors at the bottom of the unit which make manoeuvring it super easy; especially considering how heavy it is. The air filter is accessible from the back, and it just slides out with no fuss for easy cleaning and replacement. It even has a cable tidy at the back for easy storage. Overall, its design is top notch and extremely well thought out.

Ease of use

After waiting the recommended six hours to let the refrigerant to settle, I immediately put the MeacoDry Arete Two to the test. As soon as I turned it on, I went straight to download the new Meaco app so I could connect it to Wi-Fi and take advantage of its smart functions right off the bat.

To connect the MeacoDry Arete Two to the app, simply plug your dehumidifier in and press the power button. Hold the Smart Laundry down for two seconds and the Wi-Fi indicator will light up on the LCD chase display. In the Meaco app, press the + button in and add your device by following the on-screen instructions.

I touched on this a bit earlier, but the interface of the app is well designed and easy to get around. From there, you can connect it to your smart home system. I'm a bit of an Amazon Alexa fanatic (I have three in my house), so I got to linking the Arete Two with the Echo Pop in my living room straight away – and it's been a blast being able to tell Alexa to turn my dehumidifier on, off, and set modes accordingly.

Of course, aside from the smart functionalities of the Arete Two, you can also just control it directly from the LCD chase display's control panel. Straight away, you can see the difference between the displays of the Arete One and Two, as you're not only given more comprehensive control with the Arete Two, but also more function with the addition of a timer – something we were long waiting for and wishing the Arete One had when we first tested it.

The functions on the control panel are as such:

• Power button
• Smart Humidity mode – defaults to a target humidity of 55%RH
• Variable humidistat – allows you to set your dehumidifier to reach the target humidity of your choice
• Continuous – the dehumidifier will run regardless of humidity level and only turn off when the water tank is full
• Air purification mode – strictly purifies the air without dehumidification (if the H13 HEPA filter is installed the device is always purifying the air anyway)
• Smart Laundry mode – defaults to target humidity of 35%RH and high fan speed for 6 hours
• Timer – allows you to set timer between 0-24 hours
• Night mode (which doubles as a child lock) – fan speed is reduced to low, buttons will not beep, and lights turn off

There are a couple of other indicators on the control panel which let you know what function the dehumidifier is currently performing, when the water tank is full, when child lock is enabled, a wet indicator when humidity is over 70%RH, and even a heart indicator recommending the suitable target humidity level.

Switching between these modes and identifying these different indicators is super easy, and figuring out how to use them is very straightforward.

Performance

Testing the MeacoDry Arete Two dehumidifier was a dream. I tested it in a few different areas in my home, including the living room, kitchen, and even my bedroom to get as wide a range as possible when assessing what it's capable of.

When I first turned on the Arete Two to test in my living room, it detected humidity levels of around 70% and extracted a shocking amount of water within just the first 3 days of me using it on Smart Humidity mode, which sets the target humidity level to 55%RH. However, you can adjust the level accordingly between 40% and 70% in 5% increments to suit your preference.

While it's running, it'll adjust its performance and fan speed according to the detected humidity levels. Once it's reached the target level, the dehumidifier will automatically shut off. If humidity levels rise, it'll kick back into action. Therefore, there's no need to worry about checking on it frequently or turning it off manually. The best thing to do is to just set it and forget it.

My living room leads straight into the kitchen so I positioned the MeacoDry Arete Two a little closer to the cooking space to see how well it fared dealing with steam and moisture from cooking, and it did a fantastic job at clearing it quickly. Because of the H13 HEPA filter, I found that it was also great at getting rid of cooking smells. In fact, when humidity levels are fine, I even turn the dedicated Air Purifying mode on for a 30-minute blast to fully remove odours and because of its high capacity, it's brilliant at covering my entire downstairs floor.

I brought the MeacoDry Arete Two into my bedroom for a couple of nights, and in Night mode it's extremely unobtrusive and the fan is whisper quiet at just 38dB. For my personal use, I plan to keep the dehumidifier downstairs for my living room and kitchen as these are my main problem areas; however, it's reassuring to know that the Arete Two is sleep-friendly should using it in a bedroom be your main priority.

Now, for the function I was most excited to test: the Smart Laundry mode. I'll tell you now, it's an absolute gamechanger. Seeing as the Arete One was one of the best dehumidifiers we've tested for drying clothes, it's no surprise that the Arete Two delivers just as well.

With warmer, summer days slowly coming to an end, drying washing indoors is nothing less than a pain and you can expect your washing to have to stay up and hanging for at least a couple of days – especially in the winter months. However, when I had the MeacoDry Arete Two running on Smart Laundry mode, my wet laundry was dry within the six hours the mode stays active for – proving that dehumidifiers do help dry clothes.

The Arete Two sets the target humidity level to 35%RH and runs the fan at the highest speed (then adjusting accordingly) for six hours before it automatically shuts off. Meaco advise adjusting the louvre and ensuring the airflow is pointing directly to the washing, so I followed as suit. I was able to test this function with a couple loads of laundry, and each time I found that it was plenty of time to dry an entire 3-tier clothes airers worth of washing within the allocated time. These loads included everything from lighter shirts to heavier items like towels and jeans, which were always ready to fold and put away. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed.

Since I don't have a utility room, I have to dry my washing in the living room, but being able to do a load of laundry in the morning and put it away before the end of the day meant I could reclaim my living room space again. It's a 10/10 feature for me.

Energy use

As with bringing any appliance into your home, it's important to take into account how much energy it uses. Although many appliances are a fantastic addition to your roster, if they're expensive to run and upkeep, that could very well be a reason to stay away.

The previous MeacoDry Arete One was one of the most energy-efficient dehumidifiers we've tested at roughly 4p per hour for the smaller sizes and 5p per hour for the larger sizes, which was already very affordable as is. However, the new Arete Two has cut down the cost of running a dehumidifier even more as the 12L uses a mere 136W and the 20L a relatively low 207W, costing you just 3p and 4p per hour respectively.

Compared to the Arete One's 12L 151W usage and the 20L's 216W usage, it's a small but notable difference that is definitely welcomed and makes the MeacoDry Arete Two the cheapest and most energy-efficient dehumidifier manufactured by the leading brand yet.

When you compare the energy use of a dehumidifier with the cost of running a tumble dryer, the more affordable option for drying clothes fast is crystal clear. Paired with one of the best heated clothes airers, using a dehumidifier and heated airer in tandem with one another can help you save on your energy bills this winter on just drying laundry alone. That in itself makes the MeacoDry Arete Two an investment worth making, in my opinion.

Noise levels

The MeacoDry Arete Two is very quiet and goes unnoticed when using it day to day in my home. I mentioned earlier how when I tested it overnight in my bedroom, it runs at a mere 38dB, causing no disruptions throughout the night. Even just going about my usual routine like watching TV in the living room or eating dinner, I didn't notice it being disruptive at all.

The Smart Laundry mode is undoubtedly the loudest function among the ones available, with the highest fan speed going up to 50dB. It's definitely more noticeable, but honestly I didn't really mind it as I'd either have the TV on louder in the background anyway or I'd be out of the room during the six hour period. All in all, I found the MeacoDry Arete Two very quiet irrespective of the mode it was running.

Portability

I touched on this a little earlier, but the MeacoDry Arete Two dehumidifier is super easy to move around. Yes, it's heavy (15.1kg heavy, in fact) however it's been designed really intuitively with the retractable handle for easy lifting and castors on the bottom to help you easily roll it into place.

I found that it rolls smoothly on both hard flooring and carpet, and didn't find any issues with it getting stuck on anything, which is a huge plus.

Maintenance

I tested the MeacoDry Arete Two dehumidifier in the 20L capacity, which means it can extract up to 20 litres of moisture from the air per day. With this size, you get a very generous 4.8L water tank capacity, so you don't have to find yourself constantly emptying the dehumidifier.

When the Arete Two is full, it automatically shuts off and the beeps, showing an indicator on the chase display that it needs emptying. This is a really nice feature to give you the peace of mind that it won't overflow or get damaged by over spilling of any kind. A window at the front of the water tank also lets you get a glimpse of its levels easily. These touches really let you hone into the 'set it and forget it' mindset.

To empty the water tank, simply pull the two large handles at the front of the unit and it'll pop right off. Naturally, 4.8 litres of water is a lot and if you're emptying when it's full, be sure to exercise some caution as you walk it over to a sink. The tank can be easily poured out through a little pouring holes located on both sides when you tip it over. It's very easy and straightforward overall. Alternatively, the Arete Two does offer a continuous drainage option, but in my case, I didn't opt to use this.

At the beginning of testing, I did have to empty the dehumidifier a lot more frequently as it had to deal with the overly humid conditions in my home right off the bat, but now in day to day use I don't have to empty it much at all as humidity levels have gotten fairly stable now.

Maintenance for the rest of the machine is pretty minimal. Just dust it and wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth every now and then to keep it looking its best, especially because it's white. However, Meaco advise to never spray it with water.

Since the MeacoDry Arete Two does come with a dust filter this should be cleaned pretty regularly too. Meaco suggest cleaning this a minimum of every two weeks to keep your dehumidifier running at its best. Simply remove the filter by sliding it out from the back (if you installed the H13 HEPA filter, you 'll need to remove this first) and cleaning it with the end of a vacuum or soapy water no hotter than 40°C. Rinse and ensure it's completely dry before reinserting into the device along with the H13 HEPA filter.

The H13 HEPA filter on the other hand, is not life-long, and should be replaced when it changes from white to grey. This varies depending on the environment your dehumidifier is in, but this is roughly around every 3 months. In between replacements, you can clean it by vacuuming it every so often. You can buy replacements for your respective size on the Meaco website.

Comparisons

Although from looks alone, it may not seem like the MeacoDry Arete Two is much different than its predecessor, the Arete One, I can tell you right now that the difference is almost night and day.

The Arete Two is not only sleeker and cheaper to run, but its added smart functionalities to let you integrate it into your smart home system easily make it the best in class. Whilst we would offer you alternatives to the Arete One in the past if smart features were a deal breaker for you, now that Meaco has answered to this lack and delivered on this front, it's hard to consider any other premium dehumidifiers offering the same level of all-roundedness the MeacoDry Arete Two does.

If you've been considering investing in a Meaco dehumidifier for a while now, upgrading and spending that extra bit on the MeacoDry Arete Two will be well worth it. Alternatively, if you're already a proud owner of the Arete One, it's not to say that this is no longer a viable purchase (because it's definitely still one of the best out there), as it still performs just as well. If you're not too fussy about having smart features and a timer, sticking with the Arete One will save you some extra pounds as the performance is still above many other dehumidifiers on the market. Therefore, the choice is ultimately yours.

If you want the best of the best, upgrading to the Arete Two unlocks a whole new level of potential because of its smart features. But, if simple is best for you, the Arete One will remain the ideal choice.

Verdict

So, should you buy the MeacoDry Arete Two dehumidifier? In my opinion, yes. Compared to other dehumidifiers we've tried and tested at Ideal Home, it's easily one of the best out there right now.

Its ability to extract excess moisture from the air is second to none thanks to its automatic Smart Humidity mode and does it very efficiently and quietly. Plus, the Smart Laundry mode does a fantastic job at drying wet washing quickly, cutting down indoor drying time from days to mere hours in even the dampest and draughtiest homes. This feature alone makes it well worth the investment, as it's been a gamechanger.

The Arete Two is sleek, stylish, and integrates into my living room decor pretty seamlessly without looking out of place and despite being a larger model, it sits flush and compact against a wall. It's not obtrusive or loud, and it's easy to control with the new and improved LCD chase display, through the Meaco app on my iPhone, or with a simple voice command to my Amazon Alexa devices.

The MeacoDry Arete Two 20L is a brilliant option for 3-5 bed houses, and its retractable handle and castors make it super easy and convenient to move from room to room. Better yet, the Arete Two is available in three other sizes – 10L, 12L, and an even larger 25L – to suit however big your home is, whether it's a small flat or a larger house, and to treat both mild and serious damp issues accordingly.

It's a mid-priced dehumidifier, with prices starting from £179.99 for the smallest 10L model and reaching £299.99 for the largest 25L model. However, considering how effective it is at doing its job efficiently with running costs setting you back roughly just 3p or 4p per hour, I think it's well worth the money and pays for itself in the long run. Not to mention, the MeacoDry Arete Two also offers a built-in air purification system, meaning you can save the extra hundred pounds on investing in a dedicated device.

The MeacoDry Arete Two solves all the problems we had with the Arete One – the lack of timer and Wi-Fi compatibility – and has officially secured itself a position at the top, overtaking its previous model. Overall, I think it's the best dehumidifier money can buy right now for reducing your home's humidity levels and drying big loads of laundry in just hours. These reasons make it my top choice.