Meaco vs Ebac: which dehumidifier brand is better?

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 and Ebac home 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, or head straight to our list of best dehumidifiers across all the brands we've tested. 

Ebac and Meaco compared

As you can see from the chart above, 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 that we made it a Don't Buy. 

However, not every model from the brand that does better on average is a Best Buy, so it's not a completely straightforward choice. 

It's best to check our reviews of Ebac dehumidifiers and Meaco dehumidifiers for the model you're interested in before parting with your money.

Every two years, we survey hundreds of Which? members about their experiences of different brands. In our last survey in 2021, 1,000 dehumidifier owners took part. We gathered data on six brands: DeLonghi, Dimplex, Ebac, Ecoair, Electriq and Meaco.  

Out of Ebac and Meaco, one earned the second-highest customer score out of the six brands and the other sits mid-table. 

For one brand, 5% were faulty after seven years; for the other brand, it was 10%. 

Dehumidifiers are generally pretty dependable appliances, with our survey finding that 94% of them (across all the brands) remain in perfect working order for seven 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 yours from the start, you might find yourself replacing it long before it gives up the ghost.  

As you can see from the chart, Meaco, with an average test score of 76%, tends to do much better than Ebac (58%) in our lab tests. 

Meaco has several Best Buys, while the Ebac has none. Ebac also has one model that disappointed us so much that we made it a Don't Buy. 

However, not every Meaco is a Best Buy, so it's not completely straightforward. 

It's best 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, both Meaco and Ebac are reliable brands. Every two years, we survey hundreds of Which? members about their experiences of different brands. In our last survey in 2021, 1,000 dehumidifier owners took part. We gathered reliability data on six brands: DeLonghi, Dimplex, Ebac, Ecoair, Electriq and Meaco. 

Meaco was second most reliable of the four brands, and Ebac sits mid-table – but still pretty reliable on the whole. 

Dehumidifiers are generally pretty dependable appliances, with our survey finding that 94% of them (across all the brands) remain in perfect working order for seven 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 yours from the start, you might find yourself replacing it long before it gives up the ghost. 

Ebac dehumidifiers prices and features

Ebac ranges 

• Ebac dehumidifiers aimed at ordinary home use range from 10 litres to 21 litres. Capacity doesn't mean tank capacity: it means extraction rate. To learn more 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 and 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. 

Ebac prices 

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

Ebac Smart Control feature

Ebac models come with a technology called Smart Control, which Ebac claims is better than a basic humidistat (you would set it 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 Intelligent Defrost feature

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. 

Ebac warranties

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

Other Ebac 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 (they 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

Meaco 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 20 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.
• Meaco has also recently released new Arete One models (20 and 25-litre capacity), which are combined dehumidifier and air purifiers, and come with a free five-year warranty. We'll be testing these, so keep a look out for our in-depth reviews in the future.

Meaco prices

Meaco dehumidifiers typically start at £140 and go up to £300. 

Meaco noise-reducing technology feature 

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 little ones playing with the settings. 

Meaco Low Energy Platinum features 

Meaco Low Energy Platinum dehumidifiers also have a humidistat, laundry mode, timer and child lock. And they have a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) 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. 

1. 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. 
2. The Meaco DD8L Zambezi (pictured above) is similar, but has more features, including a digital display and an anti-mould coating on the water tank. The digital display shows cartoon elephants - a happy elephant when water is being collected and a sad elephant when it's not. There's also the Meaco DD8L Junior (£160), which is a slightly stripped-back version of the DD8L. 
3. 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 direct current (DC) motor.

Meaco warranties 

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

Other Meaco 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. 

To find out more about the features to look for, see our guide on how to buy the best dehumidifier. 

Meaco vs Ebac: how they perform in our tests

Meaco

• Total number of models tested: 6
• ​Number of Best Buys: 5
• Average test score: 76%
• Customer score: 85%
• Our verdict: You can't do much better than buy one of the top-scoring Meacos, especially since our surveys have found 94% of them remain fault-free within the first seven years, so it won't need swift replacing. A good number of owners are pleased with their purchase, too, with the brand securing the second-highest customer score among the six brands we received responses for in our survey. Meaco has brought out a few less good models, though, so it pays to do your research and check the individual reviews before buying.

Ebac

• Total number of models tested: 4
• Number of Best Buys: 0
• Average test score: 58%
• Customer score: 79%
• Our verdict: Our surveys have found that while the brand is generally reliable, you're still more likely to experience a fault with an Ebac dehumidifer than other brands –10% of its dehumidifiers developed issues within seven years, which is more than any other in our survey. Despite this, Ebac customers are reasonably happy, with its customer score of 79% placing it fourth out of the six brands we received data for. However, with an average test score of 58%, Ebac still trails far behind Meaco.

How we gather our data:

• Data last updated July 2021
• Total number of models tested, number of Best Buys and average test score includes all models reviewed and currently live on our site
• Doesn't include models that have since been discontinued and for which our reviews are no longer online 
• Manufacturers of refrigerant dehumidifiers have updated their models to use a new, more eco-friendly refrigerant gas, a change that could also affect performance
• We have retested three Meaco models that now use the new refrigerant gas and are working on retesting models from other brands, including Ebac, in the coming months. Find out more about the difference between refrigerant vs desiccant dehumidifiers.

Ebac and Meaco dehumidifier reviews

We've rounded-up some of the best and worst dehumidifiers 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.

Ebac and Meaco dehumidifiers we recommend

Ebac and Meaco dehumidifiers to avoid

Tables correct as of July 2021. 

Ebac and Meaco aren't the only brands we've tested, of course: we've tested more than 30 dehumidifiers, including those from Ecoair, Electriq, DeLonghi, Dimplex and Vax.

Want to find out more about all the brands we've tested, including how long you can expect models from different brands to last for? Head over to our guide which dehumidifier brand to buy in 2022.