MeacoDry Arete One 10L review: best dehumidifier and air purifier combo you can buy

The Meaco MeacoDry Arete One 10L review in a sentence: a brilliantly efficient, quiet dehumidifier that doubles as an air purifier too.

 This is the new Meaco MeacoDry Arete One 10L, which isn’t just a dehumidifier because it’s also an air purifier too. That’s great news for me as the Meaco dehumidifier I currently own (as opposed to ones I test) is getting a little long in the tooth, so I’ve been keen to try this most recent addition to the Meaco product portfolio. Having a dehumidifier with the option to transform it into an air purifier adds even more appeal, as far as I’m concerned.

Don’t get this model confused with the MeacoDry Arete One 20L Dehumidifier/Air Purifier however, because that’s another kettle of fish. It’s got twice the capacity for removing water from the air for starters – as in 20 litres instead of 10 litres here, which might be more than some households need. You’ll need to spend more money to buy it too and, good though it is, you might be better off with the 10L, which is more affordable at just £149.99, has a compact design and is built specifically to meet the needs of your average three-bed home.

Having said that, Meaco also has a 12L variant of this model too, so you’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to the various moisture removing potential of this range.

I’ve got an air purifier in the house already, but it is huge. The MeacoDry Arete One 10L on the other hand, is a lot more compact, so I’ll touch on its purifying credentials a little further down the page. You can also mount this appliance on castors too if you want added mobility and freedom to move it from room to room as the need arises.

This model is certainly more than worthy of being in T3's best dehumidifier buying guide too, alongside the other marvellous Meaco’s, which incidentally, is a British brand.

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MeacoDry Arete One 10L review: price and release date

The MeacoDry Arete One 10L costs £149.99, which if you’re on a budget, compares very favourably to the asking price of the 20L model. That larger capacity variant costs £259.99 while there’s a 25L model that can be yours for £299.99 if you live in a mansion or have untold amounts of moisture running down your interior walls.

MeacoDry Arete One 10L review: design and features

The Meaco MeacoDry Arete One 10L arrives in a box that proclaims ‘Excellence in all things’. Not sure about that, but the brand is certainly very good at dealing with damp and moisture issues, as the time I’ve spent using my older Meaco model will attest. The Meaco MeacoDry Arete One 10L is a much more modern looking appliance though, with an abundance of white plastic for the main body, topped with a black control panel on the top and the same-coloured base, which can be home for those castors if you want them.

This model does feel a little heavier than my older unit, though usefully the Meaco designers have incorporated a solid lift-up handle that can be pulled out from the top of the unit. This makes lifting it around a cinch. Another new and currently unique feature of this model is the option to order a wall-mounting bracket. This means the Meaco MeacoDry Arete One 10L can be located somewhere off the floor and the thinking might work especially well if you have a dedicated room where you wash and dry laundry.

In terms of controls, this model is a lot more advanced than the older Meaco I own. All of the options are situated in a panel on the top of the machine, with icons that give you an idiot’s overview on what they do. There’s Power, Smart Humidity Mode/Air Purification, Smart Laundry Mode and Night Mode/Child Lock. There’s also dehumidifying, water tank full, air purification and child lock LED visual indicators underneath. The manual is similarly easy to digest, so it’s well worth having a read through to learn how to squeeze the most efficient performance from the appliance.

The MeacoDry Arete One 10L also comes with an included H13 HEPA filter, which is you insert it turns the appliance into a multitasking machine. While it’s still a dehumidifier, the addition of the filter makes it an air purifier too. Bear in mind if you do insert the filter, which is added at the back of the unit, Meaco states that the unit will be a little louder, but only by around 4-5 decibels. However, if you’re struggling with allergies and suchlike, it may well be worth giving it a go.

MeacoDry Arete One 10L review: performance

I’ve been making great use of the Laundry mode, which means the machine will run for a six hour session and can slowly draw all of the moisture out of your wet clothes. With everything hanging on a clothes airer and the bathroom door closed I’ve found that it works to great effect, even though I usually stop before the six hours is up. Next, I’ll be trying the same with a weekly load from my washing machine and see how that fares. It’s way better than hanging soggy clothes on radiators too, with all of the negatives that delivers such as windows full of condensation.

The MeacoDry Arete One 10L is a solid performer, of that there is no doubt. I had no worries on that front based on my experiences with the older Meaco dehumidifier we own. This latest model definitely seems quieter though and while the old one wasn’t exactly loud, the Arete hums along nicely. Even running it on an upstairs floor, which isn’t concrete, doesn’t make much of a noise. It’s easy to just go with the default settings, especially thanks to the Smart Humidity button that means the machine runs most efficiently in its surroundings.

 In fact, the MeacoDry Arete One 10L has spent most of its time so far in the bathroom upstairs, which has turned out to be an excellent drying room for laundry. Wintertime means it’s really hard to dry my gym kit unless I use the washer/dryer, which given energy price increases is no longer an option. Going to the gym and having to put on wet kit from the day before isn’t any fun at all. So, the Arete has certainly been helping out.

MeacoDry Arete One 10L review: verdict

The arrival of this MeacoDry Arete One 10L has been timely and so far it’s been a real trouper. This is definitely a better machine than my older Meaco, while the features and functionality are excellent. Having the Laundry Mode is perfect for my needs and it’ll be getting a lot more use as my wet laundry pile grows. Having the castors on this unit makes it perfect for anyone who might not be able to lug a dehumidifier around the house and even the cable tidy shows thought has been given to the design. If you’ve got damp in your home and/or have wet laundry to sort, this could well be the model you’re looking for.