Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier: two-minute assessment
The Meaco 12L Low Power Dehumidifier – often known as the Meaco 12LE – is a dehumidifier with a sideline in air purification. The 12L mannequin I examined for this assessment is designed for smaller houses, nevertheless it’s additionally accessible in a 20L model for bigger areas.
The styling is useful, and it does just about the whole lot you’d need a dehumidifier to do. You may modify goal humidity ranges between 30% and 80%, or set it to run for a sure variety of hours. I discovered it was a game-changer for drying laundry in my basement flat, gathering a formidable/regarding quantity of water and significantly rushing up the drying course of. The adjustable vents imply you may direct the airflow at your washing, too.
Somewhat than being the primary focus, the air purification is a useful by-product of dehumidification. Air is flowing via the machine already, so pop within the provided HEPA filter and – hey, presto! – an air air purifier. Nevertheless, do not anticipate the info and clever purification you will discover with right now’s best air purifiers.
There’s a setting that lets you use it simply as an air air purifier – and, likewise, you may take away the filter and use it simply as a dehumidifier. That really could also be a good suggestion in some circumstances, because the filter makes the dehumidifying much less environment friendly. I like that the Meaco 12LE will be adjusted for seasonal use – I would like a dehumidifier within the winter months, whereas in the summertime an air air purifier can be very best to deal with allergic reactions; this may be each, with out taking on pointless house in my flat.
The USP right here is that the Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier is, properly, low power, which means it must be low cost to run. The quoted working prices of 4p per hour (or 5p for the 20L model) are actually among the many lowest I’ve discovered, though evaluating between producers will be tough.
On check, I had no points with the efficiency – the whole lot labored as marketed, and the design capabilities properly. Having grown used to user-friendly companion apps, I discovered the old-school controls right here fiddly and complicated to start out. All the pieces is about utilizing buttons, and also you’re counting on indicator lights and a primary, two-digit show to offer all the data you want. That is one scenario wherein you will undoubtedly must learn the consumer handbook.
My important grievance is that, fairly merely, Meaco makes one other product that’s all-round higher and prices the identical. The Meaco Arete Two does the whole lot the Low Power model does however extra effectively (so with decrease working prices), and with added capabilities together with non-obligatory app management to sweeten the deal additional. The 12LE is respectable worth for its higher mid-range price ticket, nevertheless it’s price buying round within the Meaco vary earlier than shopping for.
That is the quick model; learn on for my full Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier assessment.
Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier assessment: worth & availability
- Checklist worth: £198.95 for 12L, £289.99 for 20L
- Out there: UK
At record worth, the 12L model of this dehumidifier prices slightly below £200, placing it on the prime finish of TechRadar‘s mid-range worth bracket for dehumidifiers. The 20L model sits within the premium bracket, which is what I might anticipate for a large-capacity mannequin. At full worth you are getting respectable worth for cash right here, however at time of writing, the 12LE and 20LE had been discounted on the Meaco web site to £149 / £204 respectively, making them even higher worth.
When selecting a dehumidifier, it is also price factoring in ongoing working prices. Each LE fashions are designed to be low cost to run (4p or 5p per hour), which is able to prevent cash in the long term.
Nevertheless, there are fashions that supply added performance for the same worth. Of those, Meaco’s personal Arete Two does the whole lot the 12LE does and extra, is cheaper to run, and has principally the identical record worth.
You should buy these fashions direct from Meaco, in addition to through a choice of third-party retailers akin to Amazon, John Lewis and Currys. The Black Friday sales are typically an particularly good time to buy equipment offers (though this is likely to be extra of a time-sensitive purchase, so relaxation assured that reductions will be discovered year-round).
- Worth for cash rating: 3.5 out of 5
Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
12L Low Power Dehumidifier (examined) |
20L Low Power Dehumidifier |
|---|---|---|
|
Dimension (D x W x H): |
24.8 x 32.5 x 48.5cm |
29 x 38.5 x 59.5cm |
|
Weight: |
10kg |
13.6kg |
|
Airflow: |
100m³/h |
160m³/h |
|
Filter kind: |
HEPA |
HEPA |
|
Noise stage: |
41dB |
46dB |
|
Energy consumption: |
157W |
219W |
|
Full tank auto cut-off: |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Timer: |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Value to run (based mostly on 24.50p/kWh): |
4p per hour |
5p per hour |
|
Cable size: |
2m |
2m |
|
Tank measurement: |
2.5L |
6L |
Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier assessment: design
- Out there in 12L (examined) and 20L variations, for different-sized areas
- Mixture dehumidifier and air air purifier with HEPA filter
- Managed through fiddly panel on prime
The Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier is primarily a dehumidifier, however comes with a HEPA filter that you could add to show it into an air air purifier. It is accessible in two measurement choices; the 12L model I examined is designed for smaller houses of as much as three bedrooms, whereas the 20L model is really helpful for bigger houses with as much as 5 bedrooms. Design-wise, each fashions are comparable; however the 20L model has barely completely different specs and a few bonus capabilities in comparison with the 12L.
On the prime of the machine you will discover the management panel, air outlet with vents that may be manually opened and closed, plus a sturdy plastic deal with for shifting the dehumidifier round your private home. The vents are designed so you may direct the airflow – for instance, in the direction of your drying laundry.
The water tank is positioned on the again of the 12L machine, and the entrance of the 20L model. This may be pulled out and in. It incorporates a float which means it’s going to mechanically minimize off when it is full, and it has a lid to assist forestall spillages – that is helpful as a result of getting it out and in is slightly fiddly (that has been true of all dehumidifiers I’ve tried).
It is attainable to empty the tank with out taking off the lid, through a gap within the nook; nevertheless it’s additionally detachable, to allow you to scrub the within of the tank as wanted. There’s an outlet, too, if you wish to add a water pipe (not supplied) for steady drainage. I didn’t check this out.
Above the water tank is the air inlet grille, behind which you’ll slot in your filter in order for you the machine to carry out as an air air purifier. I used to be slightly stunned to be taught within the instruction handbook that including the filter will make the dehumidification much less environment friendly – on the 12L model, including a filter leads to 11% much less dehumidification and seven% extra power use; on the 20L model, it is 9% much less dehumidification and 5% extra power.
The bigger 20L model additionally contains a cable tidy, so you may wrap the 2m energy wire out of the best way. There is no house for this on the 12L model I examined.
By way of seems to be, the Meaco unit is not probably the most fashionable I’ve examined. The white plastic construct with inexperienced detailing is completely useful, and I might be completely happy to have it sit in my utility room (if I had one, that’s); however maybe it is not for everlasting show in my front room.
Controls
On the highest facet of the equipment you will discover the management panel. On the 12L model, this compromises an on/off button, up and down arrow buttons, and a timer button. There’s additionally a primary digital show, and 4 indicator lights. The 20L model options the entire above, plus a pair extra buttons to function extra modes.
The arrows are used to set the relative humidity stage, between 30% and 80% in increments of 5, proven on the digital show. Within the instruction handbook, Meaco recommends a very good humidity stage for a house is 50% or 55%. The dehumidifier will mechanically fall asleep when the goal humidity stage is reached. After half-hour, it’s going to get up and start the dehumidification course of once more.
When biking via humidity ranges, you will additionally see a few completely different mode choices:
- CO mode: for steady dehumidifier, stopping solely when tank is full
- AP mode: air purification solely, no dehumidification
If you need the dehumidifier to run for a set variety of hours after which cease, you utilize the timer button. You may set between one and 24 hours, in one-hour increments.
When the water tank turns into full, the machine will bleep a number of instances, the indicator mild beneath a wave icon will illuminate, and operation will pause. As soon as the tank has been emptied and accurately changed, the dehumidifier will resume operation as per its earlier settings.
If the indicator mild under the snowflake icon comes on, it means the automated defrosting system has kicked in. That is to make sure the machine continues to run effectively even in low temperatures, though it is not really helpful you utilize it in temperatures under 5ºC.
When you go for the 20L model, there’s additionally a fan pace button (swap between high and low), and a louvre swing button (for an oscillating airflow from the vents). You can even child-lock the dehumidifier by urgent the up and down arrows for 3 seconds – surprisingly, this is not an choice on the 12LE.
When the dehumidifier is on, the digital show will present the present relative humidity stage. Urgent the down arrow will present both the goal humidity stage, AP or CO.
General, the controls jogged my memory slightly of attempting to set a VCR timer report, or change my automobile clock – slightly too fiddly nowadays. There is no button to press to verify your choice, and since the show is proscribed to exhibiting simply two letters/numbers at a time, I used to be by no means fairly certain what the machine was doing, and if I might set it up accurately. At the least if you happen to change the machine on and off utilizing the button on prime, it’s going to bear in mind your last-used settings.
Whereas I do not like to must obtain an app with each equipment I check, I’m wondering if one might need been useful right here. Meaco does have an app – its Arete Two dehumidifier comes with app management.
- Design rating: 3.5 out of 5
Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier assessment: efficiency
- Settings all work as promised
- Collected a formidable / worrying quantity of water
- For air purification, not as superior as a devoted machine
The great thing about a two-in-one machine akin to that is that you need to use it for dehumidification within the winter, when the climate is moist and chilly, and you do not wish to have all of the home windows open, after which it might develop into an air air purifier in the summertime, when air flow is simpler however allergens are all over the place. I respect the truth that it might function with every perform individually – by eradicating the HEPA filter while you need simply dehumidification, or placing it in AP mode for simply purification.
In fact, it might do each issues all 12 months spherical if you happen to’d slightly, however do keep in mind the dehumidification is much less environment friendly with the HEPA filter put in. I think most individuals will not realise this, until they learn the handbook completely.
This mannequin comes with a Quiet Mark award, and Meaco says the 12L unit operates at 41dB (from 1m away) whereas the 20L model is marginally louder at 46dB. Some dehumidifiers include a quieter “evening mode”, however that is not an choice right here.
The design is useful, if not particularly lovely. The vary of modes and choices supply loads of management over the way it’s used, though in actuality, given the fiddly nature of the management panel, I might most likely have most popular one thing like a single-press “laundry” mode the place the machine simply runs for 4 hours at a goal humidity of fifty%.
Dehumidification
My flat is basement stage on the entrance and floor stage on the again, and I do generally wrestle with damp and condensation inside. I even have the difficulty of air flow – it is not an enormous space, and I would like to have the ability to prepare dinner, bathe and sometimes dry garments indoors at a time of 12 months when it is not at all times sensible to have the home windows open.
For that purpose, the Meaco dehumidifier has been a little bit of a game-changer, specifically for drying garments. Throughout the winter, garments take perpetually to dry, and I am at all times involved about damp stepping into the partitions. Including a Meaco dehumidifier made a giant distinction right here – I’ve been slightly shocked by how a lot water collects, and the way shortly, when it has been left on for this function. Plus, if it has been left working through the day, I have not been greeted by a musty odor in my residence, even when the home windows have been closed.
That is most likely true of most dehumidifiers, however I respect specifically the truth that the vents on the Meaco will be angled to direct a breeze in the direction of my garments horse. The timer perform can also be helpful for this – for instance, if I am going out for the day and simply need it to be on for 4 or 5 hours.
The USP right here is that the Meaco 12LE is designed to function effectively when it comes to value. Using a dehumidifier can help lower your heating bills typically, as a result of dry air is simpler to warmth than damp air, so including a dehumidifier theoretically means your heating system would not must work as exhausting. But it surely’s no good if you happen to offset these heating financial savings with greater electrical energy prices from a machine that makes use of a ton of energy. The 12L mannequin right here is supposed to value round 4p per hour to run, whereas the bigger mannequin is round 5p.
Air purification
I additionally examined this mannequin out as an air air purifier by itself, by placing it in AP mode and including the True HEPA filter. That is the highest-quality filter utilized in shopper home equipment, and can assist take away particles and sure allergens – together with mould spores, pollen, mud and pet dander – from the air. (This is extra on what air purifiers can and can’t help with.)
This machine is primarily a dehumidifier – the air purification right here is incidental; there’s air flowing via the machine already, so by including a filter, you may purify it similtaneously eradicating the water. So whereas there are many dehumidification settings, the air purifying is both occurring or it is not.
In the present day’s most superior air purifiers can monitor air high quality in an area, change on and off as wanted to clear particles, and offer you loads of knowledge to browse at your leisure. There’s none of that right here. It is price noting that the purification itself must be simply pretty much as good as it’s on most different fashions; it is simply that it’s not good sufficient to be responding intelligently to air pollution ranges, and it will not inform you if the air is obvious or not. Because of this, it is slightly tough to check out.
- Efficiency rating: 4.5 out of 5
Must you purchase the Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
Prime of the mid-range worth bracket at full worth, however reductions are pretty frequent. Respectable worth for high quality, however options supply extra for a similar worth. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
Fundamental however useful aesthetic, helpful setting choices, however fiddly controls. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
Primarily a dehumidifier, and all operations work reliably as marketed. Air purification is incidental, so do not anticipate the performance of a devoted air purifier. |
4 / 5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier: options to think about
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Meaco 12L Low Power Dehumidifier (examined) |
Meaco Arete Two 10L Dehumidifier |
Meaco Arete One 12L Dehumidifier |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dimension (D x W x H): |
24.8 x 32.5 x 48.5cm |
23.7 x 31.9 x 49.2cm |
23.7 x 31.9 x 47.2cm |
|
Weight: |
10kg |
10.9kg |
10.9kg |
|
Max airflow: |
100m³/h |
140m³/h |
100m³/h |
|
Filter kind: |
HEPA |
H13 HEPA |
HEPA |
|
Noise stage: |
41dB |
35, 38 and 44dB |
35 and 38dB |
|
Energy consumption: |
157W |
136W |
151W |
|
Evening mode: |
No |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Value to run (based mostly on 24.50p/kWh): |
4p / hour |
3p / hour |
4p / hour |
|
Tank measurement: |
2.5L |
2.5L |
2.5L |
|
Controls: |
Buttons, primary digital show |
App, voice instructions (Google/Alexa), LCD panel |
Buttons, primary digital show |
|
Dimension choices: |
12L or 20L |
10L, 12L or 25L |
10L, 12L, 20L, 25L |
|
Checklist worth: |
£198.95 (view here) |
£199.99 (view here) |
£179.99 (view here) |
How I examined the Meaco Low Power Dehumidifier
I used the Meaco 12L Low Power Dehumidifier frequently over the course of three weeks in January and February, in my one-bed basement flat. I attempted the devoted dehumidifier mode and mixture mode to assist with drying garments and eradicating moisture from my bed room (which is liable to condensation on the partitions). I additionally ran assessments to see how properly it may clear odours from cooking and spraying dry shampoo in air purification-only mode. I examined the assorted capabilities, assessed ease of use and construct high quality, and in contrast efficiency to different dehumidifiers I’ve used.
Learn extra about how we test
- First reviewed February 2025
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