Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 5 November 2026 · next check 7 January 2027 · how we picked
The short answer
- Quietest stated figure with a running cost we can check: Meaco Arete One 12L, 35 to 38 dB(A) by Meaco's figure, 31.8p for an eight-hour night.
- Smaller and almost as cheap: MeacoDry ABC 10L, 36 to 40 dB(A) at one metre by Meaco's figure, 32.0p a night.
- Avoid for a bedroom: a desiccant such as the Meaco DD8L, which costs 69.5p a night on low and reaches 48 dB(A) on its top setting by Meaco's figure.
A dehumidifier in a bedroom runs while you sleep, so two numbers decide it: how loud the maker says it is, and what a night of running costs. This page takes the seven machines in our best dehumidifiers UK guide and sorts them on those two numbers. We have not measured noise ourselves. Makers state decibels at different distances and fan speeds, and some do not say which, so read the figures as the makers' claims.
Noise and night cost, side by side
| Machine | Type | Maker's noise figure | One night, 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete One 12L | Compressor | 35 to 38 dB(A) | 31.8p |
| MeacoDry ABC 10L | Compressor | 36 to 40 dB(A) at one metre | 32.0p |
| Devola 12L | Compressor | 36 dB at maximum speed | 39.0p |
| Pro Breeze 20L | Compressor | 36 dB(A) maximum, speed and distance not stated | 56p on Pro Breeze's own claim |
| Pro Breeze 12L | Compressor | 40 dB(A) maximum | 32p to 40p on Pro Breeze's own claims |
| Meaco Arete One 25L | Compressor | 40 to 42 dB(A) | 56.2p |
| Meaco DD8L | Desiccant | 39, 43 or 48 dB(A) by mode | 69.5p on low |
Why the Arete One 12L is the bedroom pick
It has the lowest stated noise range of the machines whose running cost we can check against a published wattage, and the cheapest night: 151 watts for eight hours is 1.208 kWh, 31.8p. It also removes the most water per penny in a normal room of any 12-litre machine here, 18.2p a litre at 20°C and 60% humidity on Meaco's figures. The Devola and Pro Breeze 20L state similar or lower peak figures, but the Devola's is at maximum speed with no distance given and the Pro Breeze 20L gives neither, so they are not like for like.
A bedroom rarely needs the 25-litre machine. It costs 56.2p a night and Meaco rates it louder at 40 to 42 dB(A). Our guide to what size dehumidifier you need covers capacity, and compressor vs desiccant explains why a desiccant is the wrong type for a heated room.
Running one overnight
- Set the humidistat to around 50 to 60% so the machine stops once the room is dry, which cuts both noise and cost.
- Run it during the evening with the door shut, then turn it to its lowest fan setting for the night.
- A hygrometer tells you whether the room needs it at all.
What this page could not check
We have not measured how loud any of these machines is in a real bedroom. Decibel claims depend on distance and fan speed, and the makers state them differently. How a sound feels at night also depends on its pitch and on whether the compressor cycles on and off, which no specification describes.
Sources
- Meaco product pages and performance tables for the Arete One 12L and 25L, MeacoDry ABC 10L and DD8L, read 3 and 18 September 2026
- Devola, 12L product page, read 18 September 2026
- Pro Breeze, 12L and 20L product pages and Amazon UK listings, read 3 September 2026
- Ofgem, energy price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (electricity 26.32p per kWh)