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. If you need a dehumidifier for a big space or want to dry laundry, I’d really recommend the 25l model. But if you’re looking for something to move around this house regularly, a smaller Meaco like the MeacoDry ABC might be a better choice. The 25l Arete is quite big and heavy, and even though it has wheels, it’s not really made for lugging up and down the stairs. This dehumidifier also offers a night mode which keeps the fans on low in case you want to use it in a bedroom overnight, but, I found the MeacoDry Arete One very quiet whichever mode I had it running in. 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.

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. 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. If you have more serious damp issues, then although a dehumidifier can help to reduce the problem and improve the air quality in your home, it won't prevent the damp from occurring in the first place, so it's important to get to the root of the issue. Read our guide to how to get rid of damp for help in identifying the cause of your damp issues, and how to treat them. At night, with the dehumidifier placed in a room adjoining the bedroom, with the door to that room left open, I could barely hear it. But when I placed the unit in the hallway directly outside the bedroom door, it was much more noticeable, and my Fitbit agreed, telling me the following morning that my sleep score the previous night was a mere 'Fair' 75 with just 32 minutes of deep sleep. Of course, your tolerance of night-time noise may vary from mine.The Arete One has a really nice user interface. It has just four buttons that are easy to get the hang of: Welcome to the latest in dehumidifier design: the new award-winning Meaco Arete. This collection has been in development for 5 years, with the dedicated Meaco design team working closely with more than 2000 customers to find out exactly what makes the perfect dehumidifier. The Arete One also has an automatic shut-off function when its water tank is full. At this point, the unit will beep and a red light will be displayed to alert you that the tank needs emptying. This is a useful feature that cheaper dehumidifiers tend not to have, and gives peace of mind that your home's flooring isn't going to be damaged by any overspill. There's also a small window on the front of the dehumidifier that shows you the current water levels. The downside is that this dehumidifier has a far lower extraction rate than most, extracting just 0.3 litres of water from the air per day. For comparison, the best in class Meaco Arete One dehumidifier can extract between 10 and 25 litres of water from the air per day depending which model you opt for. Water tank capacity is also reduced, with the Silentnight model only able to hold 0.6L of water. That means you'll be emptying the tank frequently.

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. The brand new Arete range of compressor dehumidifiers are the latest innovation in the line of ultra-quiet dehumidifiers from Meaco. Running costs vary depending on the size, make and model of dehumidifier you opt for, but the MeacoDry Arete One 12L dehumidifier uses a relatively low 151 Watts of electricity. At current prices that's an approximate running cost of just 4p per hour.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 Lastly, there's extra functionality to consider. The best dehumidifiers you can buy offer a Smart mode. That means you can leave the dehumidifier running and its sensors will detect the humidity levels and switch the machine on and off to keep humidity within your desired range. That saves energy (and money) as the appliance isn't running if it doesn't need to be.