Meaco vs Ebac: Which Dehumidifier Should You Buy?

Meaco and Ebac are the two dehumidifier brands UK buyers ask about most when they want something better than a supermarket special. Both are British, both specialise in humidity control, and both sell compressor machines in the £170–£400 bracket. They take quite different approaches, though. This comparison is based on manufacturer specifications (Ebac's figures were taken from ebac.com on 24 October 2026), the Meaco data in our dehumidifier roundup, and patterns in verified owner reviews. We have not tested Ebac machines ourselves, so we stick to what the specs and the maths can tell you.

The short answer

Choose Meaco if noise, tank size or upfront price matter most. The MeacoDry Arete One 20L is quieter on paper (38–40 dB against Ebac's 44 dBA), holds 4.8 litres against 2.5–3.5 litres, and usually costs less than the Ebac equivalents. Choose Ebac if you value a UK-built machine with a long direct warranty (four to five years, depending on model) and an automatic Smart Control mode that decides how hard to work for you. Both will deal with typical winter condensation in a UK home.

Two different philosophies

Ebac builds its dehumidifiers in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and is the only mainstream brand still manufacturing in the UK. Its current range (2650e, 2850e, 3850e and 4850) shares one core design: a two-speed compressor, a 190W maximum power draw, 44 dBA noise and a 13kg body. What sets Ebac apart is Smart Control, which monitors your home's humidity over time and adjusts itself, rather than asking you to pick a target percentage. Ebac says this can save up to £113 a year compared with running flat out. That is the manufacturer's claim, and the real figure depends on how you would otherwise have used the machine.

Meaco designs its machines in the UK and has them manufactured overseas. The Arete One range uses a conventional digital humidistat: you set a target (usually 50–55%) and the compressor cycles off once the room reaches it. Meaco's focus is on low noise, bigger tanks and efficiency, and the Arete One 20L also includes a HEPA filter and an air-purifier mode.

Spec comparison

*Prices at time of writing (October 2026). They move often, especially around Black Friday, and several Ebac models were out of stock on Ebac's own site when we checked.

A note on extraction figures: rated litres per day are measured at 30–32°C and 80–90% humidity, which is far warmer and wetter than a British home in winter. Ebac itself points out that most UK homes need to remove no more than about 2 litres a day. In practice, the difference between a 20L and a 21L rating is meaningless. What matters more is noise, tank size and how the machine controls itself.

Noise

On paper this is Meaco's clearest win. Every current Ebac model is rated at 44 dBA, while the Arete One 20L is rated at 38–40 dB and the 12L at 35–38 dB. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a 4–6 dB gap is noticeable, though it is not night and day. If the machine is going in a bedroom or a living room you sit in every evening, the Meaco has the edge. In a hallway, landing or utility room, Ebac's 44 dBA is unlikely to bother most people. For more on this, see our quiet dehumidifier guide.

Running costs

Using the current price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026), here is what each machine costs at full power:

Ebac quotes its own figure of £0.45 a day, which lines up with roughly nine hours at full power. In reality neither brand runs flat out all day. Ebac's Smart Control and Meaco's humidistat both switch the compressor off once the air is dry enough, so real-world costs are usually well below these figures. The difference between the two 20L-class machines is around 5p a day at most, or about £9 over a six-month damp season even if you ran both for eight hours every day. Running cost should not be the deciding factor here. To work out your own figure, use our dehumidifier running cost calculator, or read the full dehumidifier running costs guide.

Tank size and emptying

The Arete One 20L's 4.8-litre tank is noticeably bigger than Ebac's 3.5 litres (or 2.5 litres on the compact 3850e). In a damp house in November, that can be the difference between emptying once a day and twice. Both brands support continuous drainage via a hose, although Ebac sells its drainage kit separately. If you plan to run the machine in a utility room next to a drain or sink, tank size matters much less.

Warranty and build

This is where Ebac makes its strongest case. Bought direct, the 2650e and 2850e come with a four-year warranty and the 3850e and 4850 with five years. Warranty terms can differ when buying from other retailers, so check before you buy. Ebac also advertises a 30-day condensation guarantee. Meaco's warranty terms vary by model and retailer, so check the current terms on the product page when you buy. If a long manufacturer-backed warranty and a UK-built product matter to you, Ebac has a genuine advantage.

Cold rooms, garages and conservatories

Both brands' compressor machines are rated to operate at low temperatures (Ebac lists 3°C as its minimum), and both use automatic defrost. But all compressor dehumidifiers lose a lot of their performance below about 15°C, because the coils spend more time defrosting. For an unheated garage, caravan or outbuilding, neither brand's compressor range is the right tool. Meaco's DD8L Zambezi desiccant works far better in the cold, at the cost of higher power use (600W). Ebac does not currently sell a desiccant model. Our compressor vs desiccant comparison explains the trade-off in full.

Drying clothes

Ebac models have a dedicated laundry mode, and Meaco's Arete One has a laundry setting too. Either will speed up indoor drying in a closed room. For how long it really takes and what it costs compared with a tumble dryer, see our guide to dehumidifiers for drying clothes.

Which should you buy?

If you are leaning towards Meaco, you can buy direct from Meaco: Arete One 20L, Arete One 12L or DD8L Zambezi. For Ebac, the current range and prices are on ebac.com. We have no commercial relationship with Ebac.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ebac better than Meaco?

Neither is better across the board. Ebac wins on warranty length and UK manufacturing; Meaco wins on noise, tank size and price. For a bedroom, we would lean Meaco. For a busy family home where you want a machine to look after itself, Ebac's Smart Control makes a good case.

Are Ebac dehumidifiers still made in the UK?

Yes. Ebac states its dehumidifiers are designed and manufactured in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Which is cheaper to run, Meaco or Ebac?

At full power, Ebac's 190W models cost about 5p an hour and the Arete One 20L about 5.7p an hour at 26.32p per kWh. The smaller Arete One 12L is cheapest, at about 4p an hour. In everyday use the gap is a few pence a day.

What size dehumidifier do I need?

For most UK flats and two- to three-bed houses, a 12L–20L compressor machine is plenty. See what size dehumidifier do I need for a room-by-room breakdown.

Will either stop mould and condensation?

Both will bring humidity down to the 50–60% range where mould struggles to grow, provided the room is reasonably warm. They will not fix the cause of damp, such as a leak or rising damp. Our mould and condensation guide covers this in more detail.

Disclosure: some links on this page, including the Meaco store links, are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our recommendations. Ebac specifications were taken from the manufacturer's website on 24 October 2026; check current specs and prices before buying. Read how we review.