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Midea Cube 50 vs Frigidaire FHDD5034: Is the Pump Worth $29?

Name: Midea Cube 50 vs Frigidaire FHDD5034 (2026)
Creator: PickGrade
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is the real flagship matchup in the category: two 50-pint units, both Wi-Fi, both ENERGY STAR, twenty-nine dollars apart. The Frigidaire FHDD5034 is certified at 49.7 pints a day and costs $271. The Midea Cube 50 costs $299.99 and adds the one thing the Frigidaire cannot do at any price — a built-in pump that lifts water up and out to a sink.

Midea Cube 50-Pint smart dehumidifier with pump in expanded bucket form with handle and top fan grille

Midea Cube 50-Pint Smart Dehumidifier with Pump (MAD50PS1QWT)

8.9 $299.99

Frigidaire FHDD5034Y1 50-pint Wi-Fi dehumidifier with white top grille and front water tank window

Frigidaire 50-Pint Wi-Fi Dehumidifier (FHDD5034Y1)

8.6 $271

Verdict

Midea

The most capable unit here, and the one to buy if you never want to touch a bucket: a real pump lifts water up to a sink, the collapsible tank holds 4.2 gallons, and it's Wi-Fi and quiet. It runs ~$299 and the app is clunky — but nothing dries a basement this hands-free.

Frigidaire

Frigidaire's current 50-pint: nearly fifty real pints a day, ENERGY STAR efficiency, a 2.7-gallon bucket, and Wi-Fi — for $271. It still has no pump, so the drain must sit below it, and it's audible at speed. But as the default whole-floor unit, it's the one to beat.

Best for

Midea

you want a basement or laundry room dried with zero maintenance — pump the water up to a sink and forget it

Frigidaire

you want the most real capacity and the lowest running cost per dollar, and a floor drain sits below the unit

Avoid if

Midea

your budget is tight, or a downhill floor drain is right there and you don't need a pump at all

Frigidaire

you need to pump water up to a sink, or the unit will live somewhere that has to stay quiet

Score breakdown

value

Midea

7.6

Frigidaire

8.9

drainage

Midea

9.6

Frigidaire

6.9

quietness

Midea

8.8

Frigidaire

7.0

usability

Midea

8.8

Frigidaire

8.4

moisture removal

Midea

9.0

Frigidaire

9.1

energy efficiency

Midea

8.6

Frigidaire

8.6

low temp performance

Midea

7.3

Frigidaire

7.4

Specs

tank

~4.2 gal collapsible reservoir, auto shut-off

2.7 gal (~21.6 pint) bucket, auto shut-off

noise

42–49 dB measured

47 / 49 / 51 dB across three fan speeds (mfr)

smart

Wi-Fi (Midea Air), Alexa & Google; humidistat 35–85%

Wi-Fi + Alexa/Google; humidistat 35–85%

energy

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient; ~425–512 W

ENERGY STAR; 470 W; IEF 2.01 L/kWh (~521 kWh/yr)

weight

~42 lb

41 lb

capacity

50 pints/day (2019 DOE)

49.7 pints/day (2019 DOE, ENERGY STAR certified)

coverage

Up to 4,500 sq ft

drainage

Built-in pump (16-ft lift) + gravity hose option

Continuous gravity drain outlet (hose not included); no pump

low temp

Auto-defrost / frost protection

Operates to 41°F; fan-only auto defrost

warranty

1 year

dimensions

14.5 x 14.8 x 14.6 in (nested)

24.7 x 15.9 x 12.1 in

refrigerant

—

R-32

Buy →Buy →

	Midea Cube 50-Pint Smart Dehumidifier with Pump (MAD50PS1QWT) Midea	Frigidaire 50-Pint Wi-Fi Dehumidifier (FHDD5034Y1) Frigidaire
Score	8.9	8.6
Price	$299.99	$271
Verdict	The most capable unit here, and the one to buy if you never want to touch a bucket: a real pump lifts water up to a sink, the collapsible tank holds 4.2 gallons, and it's Wi-Fi and quiet. It runs ~$299 and the app is clunky — but nothing dries a basement this hands-free.	Frigidaire's current 50-pint: nearly fifty real pints a day, ENERGY STAR efficiency, a 2.7-gallon bucket, and Wi-Fi — for $271. It still has no pump, so the drain must sit below it, and it's audible at speed. But as the default whole-floor unit, it's the one to beat.
Best for	you want a basement or laundry room dried with zero maintenance — pump the water up to a sink and forget it	you want the most real capacity and the lowest running cost per dollar, and a floor drain sits below the unit
Avoid if	your budget is tight, or a downhill floor drain is right there and you don't need a pump at all	you need to pump water up to a sink, or the unit will live somewhere that has to stay quiet
Score breakdown
value	7.6	8.9
drainage	9.6	6.9
quietness	8.8	7.0
usability	8.8	8.4
moisture removal	9.0	9.1
energy efficiency	8.6	8.6
low temp performance	7.3	7.4
Specs
tank	~4.2 gal collapsible reservoir, auto shut-off	2.7 gal (~21.6 pint) bucket, auto shut-off
noise	42–49 dB measured	47 / 49 / 51 dB across three fan speeds (mfr)
smart	Wi-Fi (Midea Air), Alexa & Google; humidistat 35–85%	Wi-Fi + Alexa/Google; humidistat 35–85%
energy	ENERGY STAR Most Efficient; ~425–512 W	ENERGY STAR; 470 W; IEF 2.01 L/kWh (~521 kWh/yr)
weight	~42 lb	41 lb
capacity	50 pints/day (2019 DOE)	49.7 pints/day (2019 DOE, ENERGY STAR certified)
coverage	Up to 4,500 sq ft	Up to 4,500 sq ft
drainage	Built-in pump (16-ft lift) + gravity hose option	Continuous gravity drain outlet (hose not included); no pump
low temp	Auto-defrost / frost protection	Operates to 41°F; fan-only auto defrost
warranty	1 year	1 year
dimensions	14.5 x 14.8 x 14.6 in (nested)	24.7 x 15.9 x 12.1 in
refrigerant	—	R-32
	Buy →	Buy →

Final verdict

The question answers itself once you look at where the water goes. If a floor drain sits below the unit, the Frigidaire is the better machine: slightly more capacity, better value per pint, and it runs a hair colder. If there's no low drain — which describes an awful lot of basements — the Cube's pump is the entire ballgame, and it's quieter and easier to live with besides. Twenty-nine dollars is a small price for never carrying a bucket up the stairs.

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