MeacoDry Arete One vs Arete Two: is the newer model worth paying more for?

This comparison covers the matching 10L, 12L, 20L and 25L models. Other capacities should be assessed separately.

The practical difference is that Arete One already automates the main job. Arete Two gives you more ways to direct, monitor and time it. Meaco’s range comparison, Arete One 10L/12L manual, Arete Two 20L/25L manual.

The table uses Meaco’s displayed UK selling prices for new machines, without discount codes, memberships or refurbished stock. The percentage is the extra cost relative to the matching Arete One.

Prices checked 18 September 2026. A listed price does not guarantee stock: both 12L models and Arete Two 25L were unavailable to order directly in Meaco’s product data at the check. Other capacities and colours had differing availability.

The wider retail check was close to those prices: Argos listed the Arete One 20L at £260 and Arete Two 20L at £300. Currys listed the Arete One 20L at £259 and Arete Two 25L at £329.

Our buying judgement: a £20 premium is reasonable if you will use the timer or phone control regularly. At £40, we would want a clearer benefit, such as frequent laundry drying or useful remote access. If a sale widens the gap substantially, Arete One becomes more attractive. These are value judgements, not performance thresholds.

The litres in the model name describe rated daily extraction, not tank size or a promise of daily collection at home. Temperature and humidity change what the machine can extract.

Meaco rates Arete Two 20L at 20.45L/day at 30°C and 80% relative humidity, 8.50L/day at 20°C/60%, and 3.35L/day at 10°C/60%. These manufacturer figures illustrate how conditions affect the same machine. Meaco Arete Two 20L extraction data.

For a fair comparison, the table uses Meaco’s figures at 20°C and 60% relative humidity across all eight models. These specifications do not predict a particular household’s results.

Source: the capacity-specific Meaco product pages linked in the price table, under Extraction Rate Data. All figures above are at 20°C and 60% relative humidity; wattages are not maximum ratings or measured household averages.

The 20L pair has identical quoted extraction at these conditions. The 10L Two actually extracts slightly less, while the 12L and 25L Two extract slightly more. Arete Two is not a universal jump in moisture-removal capacity.

If your workload needs a larger machine, do not buy a smaller Arete Two merely to get the app. Conversely, a larger model is not automatically better for occasional use in a small room: its purchase price, bulk and noise still matter.

If your dehumidifier comes out for spells of condensation or the occasional clothes airer, Arete One already provides the functions you are likely to use: automatic humidity control, a laundry programme and tank-full shut-off. Once you have selected a target, you do not need to keep operating it manually. Meaco Arete One 20L/25L manual.

In that situation, saving the purchase-price difference is a reasonable choice. Small electricity savings have fewer operating hours over which to accumulate, and remote control adds little if you switch the machine on while standing beside it.

We would still consider Two at a £20 gap if its timer would solve a specific annoyance. But if you cannot identify something you would regularly do with the extra features, buying One is a defensible decision.

Two’s most useful physical change is its outlet: the louvre can direct the airflow towards an airer, and laundry mode can use an additional high fan speed. The adjustable programme duration also gives you more control over small loads or heavier items. One already has a six-hour Smart Laundry programme; Two makes the process more flexible. Meaco Arete Two 20L/25L manual.

For the 20L models, Meaco lists maximum airflow rising from 160 to 255 cubic metres per hour, about 59%. That is an airflow comparison. It does not establish 59% faster drying or a 59% lower electricity bill, and the increase is different at other capacities. Meaco Arete One 20L airflow, Arete Two 20L/25L manual.

There is useful independent support for the improvement. In its 2024 test of Arete Two 20L, Expert Reviews’ Stuart Andrews judged laundry performance better than his earlier experience with One. Lighter garments dried within the six-hour cycle; heavier sweatshirts, jeans and a hand towel needed further airing. Those were separate home tests, not a controlled comparison of identical wet loads. Expert Reviews’ Arete Two 20L test.

Arete One remains a credible laundry option. Ideal Home’s reviewer reported successful six-hour drying with the One 12L, including jeans and towels. Its separate Two test used a 20L machine in another home, so those experiences cannot establish which generation is faster at the same capacity. Ideal Home’s Arete One review, Arete Two review.

For several loads a week, we would be more willing to pay the current premium for Two. For occasional washing, or an existing One that finishes in a convenient time, the evidence does not establish a saving that makes upgrading necessary. Neither a six-hour programme nor a reviewer’s successful load guarantees that your towels will be dry in six hours.

Both generations can maintain a humidity target automatically. Two’s app is useful when the machine lives on another floor or away from where you spend your evening, but continuous humidity management does not require an app.

For wider coverage, moisture needs an air path to the machine. Meaco’s instructions recommend a central position with internal doors open for general home use; for laundry, a smaller closed room concentrates the work. One appliance cannot be assumed to control every closed bedroom equally. Meaco Arete One 20L/25L instructions.

A tank also limits unattended operation. The matching 20L and 25L models all hold 4.8L, so buying Two does not increase the water they can collect before emptying. Continuous drainage can help where a suitable drain is available; ordinary hose drainage needs a downhill route. Meaco sells a separate pump for compatible larger Arete models if water must travel upwards. Meaco Arete One 25L specifications.

We would choose the capacity that can handle the moisture load, then decide whether Two’s conveniences are useful. If a One of the right size is comfortably cheaper, regular use alone does not make it the wrong purchase. Persistent water ingress or a leak also needs its cause addressed; a larger dehumidifier does not repair it.

Meaco’s published noise figures do not show a lower minimum for Two at matching capacities. Its additional maximum fan setting comes with a higher quoted noise level.

Manufacturer specifications, from the matching product pages. These are different fan settings, not a promise of the sound level at your sofa or pillow.

Independent experience can differ from those figures. Expert Reviews measured 34.2–38.7dB(A) during normal use of Two 20L and up to 46dB(A) in laundry mode. The reviewer found normal operation quiet, but considered laundry mode potentially intrusive overnight. We would not subtract readings from its separate One test to claim a guaranteed reduction. Expert Reviews’ measurements.

If you plan to run the machine near a bedroom, think about whether it needs to dry washing overnight or can do the louder work earlier. Both ranges have night mode, but a lower fan speed and dark display do not make a compressor appliance silent. Two’s maximum laundry performance and its quietest setting are different operating choices.

Two uses less power in all four matching 20°C/60% specifications above. That is useful, particularly for frequent operation, but watts alone do not tell you how much energy a whole drying job will need.

Take the 20L pair, where quoted extraction is the same. At an illustrative electricity price of 25p/kWh, holding the published power figures constant gives:

Formula: watts ÷ 1,000 × operating hours × electricity unit price. The resulting saving is £2.25 per 1,000 operating hours. A £40 premium would therefore take approximately 17,800 hours to recover from this 9W difference alone.

This is a transparent calculation from Meaco’s matched specifications, not a forecast of your bill. Your tariff, room conditions, fan setting, defrosting and compressor cycling will change consumption. Time plugged in is not the same as time operating at the quoted wattage. It also does not measure the energy required to dry an identical laundry load. Arete One 20L power and extraction data, Arete Two 20L power and extraction data.

The sensible reason to buy Two is that its features suit your routine, with efficiency as an additional benefit. We would not replace a working One on the expectation of a quick electricity payback.

One suits someone who wants to press a button and leave humidity control to the machine. Two displays more information together, including current and target humidity, and adds on/off and adjustable laundry timers. You can still operate it using the controls on the appliance. Meaco Arete Two 12L features.

The Meaco app adds remote access to settings, modes and status, plus timers; Meaco also advertises Alexa and Google voice control. Practical uses include checking humidity downstairs or changing mode without a trip to the utility room. Connected functions need the relevant network and account setup; ordinary operation uses the physical controls. The app cannot empty a full tank. Meaco’s official app listing, Arete Two 10L product information.

Independent reviews give a mixed picture of ease of use. Ideal Home found the app straightforward in its 2024 test, while Expert Reviews found scheduling hard to locate. Those are dated experiences rather than a verdict on today’s exact interface. Ideal Home’s app experience, Expert Reviews’ app experience.

If the dehumidifier sits within arm’s reach and always uses the same target, the app may add little. If it lives elsewhere, remote access can be worth paying for even when the energy saving is small.

Air purification is not a reason on its own to pay for Two. Both generations include an H13 HEPA filter and can filter air while dehumidifying or use a separate air-purification mode without running the compressor. The HEPA filter is optional for dehumidification; retain the dust filter as instructed. Meaco Arete One 10L/12L manual, Arete Two 20L/25L manual.

There is a running cost. Meaco lists a three-pack at £29.99 for the 10L/12L models, and £39.99 for the 18L/20L/25L models, shared across One and Two. It suggests replacing a HEPA filter roughly every three months, depending on its condition and environment. One is supplied with the appliance. Smaller Meaco HEPA filters, Larger Meaco HEPA filters.

Meaco also says fitting the HEPA filter slightly reduces extraction efficiency and increases noise. Buyers interested only in moisture removal can follow the manual’s instructions for operation without that optional filter. The washable dust filter and disposable HEPA filter have different maintenance requirements. Meaco’s filter guidance.

We would treat purification as a useful extra, rather than assume either model replaces a dedicated purifier for any room. H13 identifies the filter grade; it does not establish how quickly the whole appliance cleans a particular space. We did not find a directly comparable published clean-air delivery rate in the Meaco documents checked. The fan’s airflow figure should not be presented as one.