How Loud Is the Meaco Cirro? Making Sense of 42, 45 and 51dB

The headline claim for Meaco’s Cirro range is that it runs at about half the noise of the company’s previous portable air conditioners. In practice you will see several different decibel figures quoted for the same units, and they don’t agree. Here is where each one comes from, and what it means if you want one for a bedroom. We haven’t tested the Cirro ourselves.

The numbers in circulation

Figure	Source	What it refers to
45dB	Meaco, Cirro 12000	Super Quiet mode
42dB	Meaco, Cirro+ 14000 and 16000	Super Quiet mode
45-51dB or 42-51dB	Meaco spec tables	The noise range, with no mode or test method stated
51dB	Retailer listings, such as John Lewis	The single figure in a spec table
62dB	Ideal Home’s measurement, 12000 cooling-only	Normal cooling
59dB	Ideal Home’s measurement	Super Quiet mode
About 53dB	Ideal Home’s measurement	Once the room reached its target and the compressor switched off
52-54dB (9000 CH), 53-55dB (10000 CH)	Meaco, older MeacoCool Pro models	Spec-table range

Why they differ

Meaco doesn’t say how, where or at what distance its figures were taken, or whether they describe sound power (how much noise the machine produces) or sound pressure (what you’d hear at a given distance). Those are different quantities, and a sound power figure is not comparable to a reading from a meter held a metre away. Other things that move the number: which fan speed and mode the unit is in, whether the compressor is actually running, and the room itself, since hard surfaces bounce sound around. A phone-based meter will also read differently from a calibrated one; the Ideal Home review doesn’t say what the reviewer used or at what distance.

So we can’t say whether Meaco’s numbers are optimistic or the reviewer’s are pessimistic. What we can say is that the two sets are far enough apart that you shouldn’t plan around the 45dB figure.

What a few decibels mean

A rule of thumb is that a 10dB reduction sounds roughly half as loud, and 3dB is just noticeable. By that rule, the step from the older MeacoCool Pro’s 52-54dB to the Cirro’s 45dB Super Quiet figure would be a real improvement (about 7-9dB) if it holds. But the gap between Meaco’s 45dB and the 59dB measured in the same mode would be about 14dB, which is well over twice as loud again. That’s the difference between a hum you forget about and one you notice.

Is it right for a bedroom?

Our bedroom cooling guide suggests aiming for 42dB or below on the lowest setting. On Meaco’s figures the Cirro+ models reach that in Super Quiet mode; on the one set of independent measurements, the 12000 doesn’t come close, and we found none for the others. The reviewer’s own verdict was more relaxed than the numbers might suggest: she compared the sound with a fan on a high setting, slept with it on, and also suggested ear plugs for light sleepers. She also measured a drop to about 53dB when the room reached its target and the compressor switched off, which is a good argument for cooling the bedroom before you go to bed rather than leaving the unit working hard all night. The Meaco app and the timer let you pre-cool a room.

Practical steps

• Check the returns policy before you buy. Meaco’s product page for the 12000 heater version says £50 is deducted from refunds on non-faulty returns within 14 days. If noise is the whole reason for buying, that’s worth knowing, and worth comparing with other retailers’ terms.
• Use Super Quiet mode and the timer. Cool the room first, then let the unit settle.
• Consider position. Putting a 28kg machine on the far side of the room from your head is easier said than done, but distance helps more than anything else you can do.
• Don’t assume bigger is quieter. A larger Cirro+ in a small room is more machine than you need; see our size comparison.

For the reviews, see the 12000 and 14000, and for the whole range and its stock position, our Cirro range guide. If a quiet bedroom is the only priority, it’s also worth asking whether a fan is enough; our bedroom guide covers when it is.