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Midea Cube 50 vs Frigidaire vs Waykar: The Three Tiers, Settled

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

Almost every dehumidifier decision lands in one of three tiers, and these are the best unit in each. The Midea Cube 50 ($299.99) is the hands-off flagship — the only one here with a built-in pump. The Frigidaire FHDD5034 ($271) is the capacity-per-dollar champion, certified at 49.7 pints a day. The Waykar 34 ($175.99) is the budget floor: quiet, small, and enough for one damp room. Here's where they actually separate.

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

Waykar 34-Pint Dehumidifier (PD160B)

7.6 $175.99

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.

Waykar

The value budget pick: $175.99 for a quiet, ENERGY STAR 34-pint with a drain hose in the box. Don't trust the 2,000 sq ft claim — testing found it best in one damp room, not a whole basement. For a bedroom, bath, or single problem corner, it's the honest floor of the category.

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

Waykar

you want the lowest-cost quiet unit for a single damp room — a bedroom, bath, or problem corner

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

Waykar

you need to dry a whole basement or a large, wet space

Score breakdown

value

Midea

7.6

Frigidaire

8.9

Waykar

9.0

drainage

Midea

9.6

Frigidaire

6.9

Waykar

6.6

quietness

Midea

8.8

Frigidaire

7.0

Waykar

7.6

usability

Midea

8.8

Frigidaire

8.4

Waykar

7.6

moisture removal

Midea

9.0

Frigidaire

9.1

Waykar

7.4

energy efficiency

Midea

8.6

Frigidaire

8.6

Waykar

8.2

low temp performance

Midea

7.3

Frigidaire

7.4

Waykar

6.6

Specs

tank

~4.2 gal collapsible reservoir, auto shut-off

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

~0.66 gal, full-tank indicator

noise

42–49 dB measured

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

~49 dB measured on high (33 dB claimed)

smart

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

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

None; humidistat 30–80%, 24-hr timer, 2 speeds

energy

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient; ~425–512 W

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

ENERGY STAR (2025 Most Efficient)

weight

~42 lb

41 lb

~32 lb

capacity

50 pints/day (2019 DOE)

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

34 pints/day (at 95°F/90% RH)

coverage

Up to 4,500 sq ft

Best for one room (2,000 sq ft claim optimistic)

drainage

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

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

Continuous gravity hose included; no pump

low temp

Auto-defrost / frost protection

Operates to 41°F; fan-only auto defrost

Auto-defrost

warranty

1 year

1 year (+ optional 2nd year)

dimensions

14.5 x 14.8 x 14.6 in (nested)

24.7 x 15.9 x 12.1 in

12.2 x 9.1 x 20.1 in

refrigerant

—

R-32

—

Buy →Buy →Buy →

	Midea Cube 50-Pint Smart Dehumidifier with Pump (MAD50PS1QWT) Midea	Frigidaire 50-Pint Wi-Fi Dehumidifier (FHDD5034Y1) Frigidaire	Waykar 34-Pint Dehumidifier (PD160B) Waykar
Score	8.9	8.6	7.6
Price	$299.99	$271	$175.99
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.	The value budget pick: $175.99 for a quiet, ENERGY STAR 34-pint with a drain hose in the box. Don't trust the 2,000 sq ft claim — testing found it best in one damp room, not a whole basement. For a bedroom, bath, or single problem corner, it's the honest floor of the category.
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	you want the lowest-cost quiet unit for a single damp room — a bedroom, bath, or problem corner
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	you need to dry a whole basement or a large, wet space
Score breakdown
value	7.6	8.9	9.0
drainage	9.6	6.9	6.6
quietness	8.8	7.0	7.6
usability	8.8	8.4	7.6
moisture removal	9.0	9.1	7.4
energy efficiency	8.6	8.6	8.2
low temp performance	7.3	7.4	6.6
Specs
tank	~4.2 gal collapsible reservoir, auto shut-off	2.7 gal (~21.6 pint) bucket, auto shut-off	~0.66 gal, full-tank indicator
noise	42–49 dB measured	47 / 49 / 51 dB across three fan speeds (mfr)	~49 dB measured on high (33 dB claimed)
smart	Wi-Fi (Midea Air), Alexa & Google; humidistat 35–85%	Wi-Fi + Alexa/Google; humidistat 35–85%	None; humidistat 30–80%, 24-hr timer, 2 speeds
energy	ENERGY STAR Most Efficient; ~425–512 W	ENERGY STAR; 470 W; IEF 2.01 L/kWh (~521 kWh/yr)	ENERGY STAR (2025 Most Efficient)
weight	~42 lb	41 lb	~32 lb
capacity	50 pints/day (2019 DOE)	49.7 pints/day (2019 DOE, ENERGY STAR certified)	34 pints/day (at 95°F/90% RH)
coverage	Up to 4,500 sq ft	Up to 4,500 sq ft	Best for one room (2,000 sq ft claim optimistic)
drainage	Built-in pump (16-ft lift) + gravity hose option	Continuous gravity drain outlet (hose not included); no pump	Continuous gravity hose included; no pump
low temp	Auto-defrost / frost protection	Operates to 41°F; fan-only auto defrost	Auto-defrost
warranty	1 year	1 year	1 year (+ optional 2nd year)
dimensions	14.5 x 14.8 x 14.6 in (nested)	24.7 x 15.9 x 12.1 in	12.2 x 9.1 x 20.1 in
refrigerant	—	R-32	—
	Buy →	Buy →	Buy →

Final verdict

Pick by where the water goes and how damp the space is. No floor drain below the unit? The Cube 50's pump is the only thing here that solves that, and it's the quietest of the three besides — buy it and stop thinking about buckets. A drain already sits low, and the space is genuinely damp? The Frigidaire pulls the most water for the least money and is the right default for most basements. One moderately damp room and a tight budget? The Waykar does that job quietly for under $180, and spending more would buy capacity you'll never use.

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