Meaco vs Ebac: which dehumidifier brand is best?

If you're looking for a dehumidifier to buy, chances are you'll have come across both Ebac and Meaco. 

Both brands produce dehumidifiers at a range of prices, although mainly clustered around the middle of the price spectrum. You won't get an ultra-cheap dehumidifier from either, other than possibly in the sales. Dehumidifiers can cost as little as £70, or as much as £450. Meaco home dehumidifiers start at £135 and go up to £285, while Ebac dehumidifiers start at £140 and go up to £300. 

So far, they might sound pretty similar. Yet one of the brands stands head and shoulders above the other in our dehumidifier tests.

Read on to find out how these two popular brands compare. You can also click on the links above to jump to the section you're interested in. 

Or head straight to our list of best dehumidifiers across all the brands we've tested. 

Ebac vs Meaco compared

As you can see from the chart, one brand tends to do much better than the other in our tests, with a higher average test score. And one has several Best Buys, while the other has none. The brand with no Best Buys also has one model that disappointed us so much we made it a Don't Buy. 

However, even the brand that does better on average has occasionally brought out the odd unimpressive dehumidifier – including, once, a Don't Buy (now no longer available). So it's not completely straightforward. It's safest to check our reviews of Ebac dehumidifiers and Meaco dehumidifiers for the model you're interested in before parting with your money.

As you'll also see from the chart, they're both reliable brands. Every two years, we survey hundreds of Which? members about their experiences of different brands. In our last survey, in 2019, more than 500 dehumidifier owners took part. We gathered reliability data on four brands: Ebac, Ecoair, Meaco and DeLonghi. 

Out of Ebac and Meaco, one was second most reliable of the four brands, and one was least reliable – but still pretty reliable on the whole. Dehumidifiers are generally pretty dependable appliances, with our survey finding that 93% of them (across all the brands) remain in perfect working order for eight years. 

So you can expect your dehumidifier to last a long time, whichever of the two brands you go for. That said, if you're disappointed with the performance of your dehumidifier from the start, you might find yourself replacing it long before it gives up the ghost. 

Ebac dehumidifiers prices and features

Ranges 

• Ebac dehumidifiers aimed at ordinary home use range from 15 litres to 21 litres.  Capacity doesn't mean tank capacity: it means extraction rate. To understand more about capacity, and what capacity you should go for, head to our guide on buying a dehumidifier.
• Ebac's Powerdri range models all have high capacities of 18 to 21 litres. These are aimed more at tradespeople working in very damp environments. These tend to be bright yellow and grey, and have a more industrial look. We've tested the Ebac Powerdri 18 Litre dehumidifier. 

Typical prices 

Ebac dehumidifiers start at £140 and go up to £300. 

Features 

Ebac models come with a technology called Smart Control, which Ebac claims is better than a basic humidistat (which you would set to your desired relative humidity, or RH) and can reduce running costs by up to 40%. It's designed to understand the conditions in your home and regulate the moisture accordingly, using artificial intelligence. The idea is it prevents excess moisture developing, rather than simply responding to it. It's also designed to try to achieve an optimum relative humidity that varies according to the activities within your home and the weather outside, rather than trying to achieve a fixed relative humidity. You can't set the dehumidifier to try to achieve a specific relative humidity you have stipulated. Most Ebac models have this.

Ebac dehumidifiers also have a feature called Intelligent Defrost. Refrigerant dehumidifiers need to defrost periodically, like a freezer does, but, according to Ebac, a dehumidifier in defrost mode can't collect moisture, so Intelligent Defrost is designed to optimise the defrost frequency and duration, keeping the dehumidifiers running more efficiently. Again, this is a feature most Ebac models have. 

Ebac dehumidifiers also have handles to make them easier to move around, a container-full indication light, telling you when it's time to empty the water tank, continuous drainage options if you don't want to empty the tank yourself, and a cable tidy to stop loose cables trailing around and getting in your way. 

Warranties

Ebac dehumidifiers come with a free one to two year warranty (extended warranties can also be bought).

Other interesting facts

• Ebac consistently highlights that its dehumidifiers are designed specifically for the UK climate (which is temperate and humid, without the extremes of temperature seen in other countries). Ebac claims that most homes need a dehumidifier, due to all the moisture-producing activities we carry out, such as washing laundry, showering and cooking. Ebac allows you to trial using a dehumidifier at home for free for 48 hours, so you can see whether you feel a significant difference in your home. 
• You can also buy refurbished dehumidifiers from the Ebac site, which may come with small external blemishes (these have a six-month warranty). These could be a good way to save money, if the model is a good one, if you're not fussed about a scratch or two on the plastic. 

Meaco dehumidifiers prices and features

Ranges

• The Meaco Dry ABC range comprises refrigerant models with capacities of 10 to 20 litres. 
• The Meaco Low Energy Platinum range comprises refrigerant models with capacities of 12 to 25 litres. 
• The Meaco DD8L range are all desiccants with an eight-litre capacity. 
• There's also an Ultra Low Energy refrigerant dehumidifier ('Dehumidryer') with a 25-litre capacity.

Typical prices

Meaco dehumidifiers start at £135 and go up to £285. 

Features 

Meaco claims that its MeacoDry ABC dehumidifiers have noise-reducing technology, making this the most suitable range for smaller properties where noise is likely to be irritating. Several have Quiet Mark accreditation. Models in the range also come with a humidistat (allowing you to set the dehumidifier to aim for your preferred relative humidity), laundry modes (whereby the dehumidifier runs at maximum for six hours, then switches off), a timer function and a child lock, to stop children playing with the settings. 

Meaco Low Energy Platinum dehumidifiers also have a humidistat, laundry mode, timer and child lock. And they have a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter designed to filter out pollutants and allergens such as mould spores and dust mites. This isn't intended to replace an air purifier but is more like a nice bonus feature. 

There are three Meaco DD8L dehumidifiers. The Meaco DD8L (£185) is incredibly small and designed to be portable. It's one to consider if you need a dehumidifier you can use in an unheated garage, conservatory or boat, or in both warmer and colder rooms. The Meaco DD8L Zambezi (pictured above) is similar, but has more features, including a digital display showing happy and sad elephants and an anti-mould coating on the water tank. There's also the Meaco DD8L Junior (£160) which is a slightly stripped back version of the DD8L. 

The Meaco Ultra Low Energy Dehumidryer 25L is designed to be especially good at drying clothes, thanks to having what Meaco describes as a ground-breaking DC (direct current) motor.

Warranties 

Meaco dehumidifiers come with a free three-year warranty, which Meaco says is worth £40, if you buy through Love Shopping Direct, Meaco's official partner. 

Other interesting facts 

Some dehumidifiers come with plastic hoses you can use to set up your dehumidifier for continuous drainage. Meaco removed all plastic hoses from its dehumidifiers in 2019, on the basis that many people don't use them and they end up in landfill. In 2020, Meaco replaced polystyrene in its packaging with recyclable cardboard. 

Find out more about the features to look for on a dehumidifier. Head over to our guide on how to buy the best dehumidifier. 

The best and worst dehumidifiers from Ebac and Meaco

In the table below, you'll see the best and worst dehumidifiers we've tested from both brands. 

Only logged-in members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Tables correct as of December 2020. 

Ebac and Meaco aren't the only brands of dehumidifiers we've tested, of course: we've tested more than 50 dehumidifiers, from brands including Ecoair, Electriq, De'Longhi, Dimplex and Vax.

Want to find out more about all the brands we've tested, including how long you can expect dehumidifiers from different brands to last for? Head over to our guide which dehumidifier brand to buy in 2021.