Just like the MeacoDry Arete One, as well as an impressive extraction rate the Russell Hobbs RHDH2002 20L dehumidifier has some great features, including an easy-to-read LED screen that displays current humidity levels and a useful Smart mode that monitors the humidity levels for you, turning the dehumidifier on and off as soon as it rises above the recommended home humidity range between 45%~55% for more economical (and hassle-free) use. There's also auto-shut off functionality when the water tank is full. In night mode I still found noise levels too high to sleep with it running in the same room, but it was fine running in a room downstairs or in another room, with only a barely perceptible low hum crossing walls or floors. MeacoDry Arete One review: What could be improved? A dehumidifier's extraction rate is an average of how much moisture it can remove from the air during a given timeframe. Most commonly this is measured in litres per day, so an extraction rate of 10L/per day means the dehumidifier should be able to extract 10 litres of moisture within 24 hours if running continuously. In practice, this also depends on the humidity levels of the room, and the ambient temperature. Plus, the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier'sSmart Laundrymodeworks brilliantly for drying washing indoors – wet laundry was dry in hours rather than the days it can usually take in the draughty Victorian terrace we tested the unit in.

Tina also took note of how straightforward the dehumidifier was to set up, empty and what it’s like to use day to day. It’s certainly an effective dehumidifier. In a small bedroom with damp and mould issues, I saw the humidity fall from 67% to 52% within a couple of hours, and I had to force the target down to 45% to keep the purifier busy. As for energy consumption, you can find out more in our guide to ' How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?'. However, the easiest way to find out is to compare each dehumidifier's wattage. The higher the number of Watts the appliance requires, the more expensive running costs will be. The brand new Arete range of compressor dehumidifiers are the latest innovation in the line of ultra-quiet dehumidifiers from Meaco.Power requirements change, too. The first example draws 179W, while the second one requires 211W. At the maximum draw, the MeacoDry Arete One uses 235W of power. That isn’t unusual for a compressor-based dehumidifier, working out at around 3.3p per hour.

As important as it is to have moisture in the air, too much can cause problems, from mould growth to making it feel hotter as a result of sweat being unable to evaporate. Dehumidifiers are the solution, but many are expensive to run and fiddly to use. The MeacoDry Arete One aims to fix that. It’s relatively cheap to run and can aim for an ideal humidity level automatically, so you’ll never over-dry your air. Design and Features

Key specs

For emptying, the tank simply pulls out the front of the machine so you can pour away the water. Just be careful, though – the tank is quite heavy when full. The Arete One is at its noisiest in clothes drying mode, where you’re looking at sound levels of over 50dB and power consumption of over 208W. What’s more, it’s not the most effective dehumidifier I’ve seen for actually drying your clothes; even after six hours some garments were still slightly damp to the touch. In the past we found the Ebac 2650eworked a little better, albeit over a longer 8 hour boost cycle. However, different washing loads and humidity levels make like-for-like comparisons impossible, and the Arete One is still a decent option – you can always leave it on at a lower humidity target or turn on continuous operation if you want it to finish drying out your laundry.