Our pick
Midea 50 Pint Cube
The huge drainage bucket in this powerful, effective, and reliable dehumidifier means fewer trips to the sink for emptying—but also requires heavy lifting.
The Energy Star–rated, Wi-Fi–equipped Midea 50 Pint Cube is unique among 50-pint dehumidifiers in that it can collect 4 gallons of water—twice the typical amount. That means fewer trips to empty the bucket.
However, to access the bucket, you have to lift off the upper compressor unit, which weighs 38 pounds, and a full bucket itself weighs 40 pounds. If that task would be difficult for you, draining the Cube passively via a hose is an option, or you might look to our other recommendations, which require far less lifting.
The Cube performed very well in our testing, both in its ability to lower the humidity and in the quietness of its operation. And promisingly, Midea dehumidifiers receive far fewer complaints about mechanical failures than other manufacturers’ machines.
That said, the Midea app is buggy, the wireless connectivity works only with 2.4 GHz networks, and Midea customer service gets lousy reviews—though we’ve found that to be true for most dehumidifier makers.
Also great
Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1
Capable performance plus remote monitoring via an app make this model attractive for out-of-the-way areas, but judging from our experience, some Frigidaire dehumidifiers last only a few years.
The ability to monitor and control a dehumidifier remotely is a plus, since these machines are often used in an out-of-the-way corner of a home, such as in a storage room or basement. The Wi-Fi connectivity of the Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1 lets you monitor and control it via Frigidaire’s app (iOS and Android), and you can also sync it with Amazon Alexa and Google Home for voice control.
The app is easy to set up. We also found its alerts to be accurate, and we were able to cycle the machine through its settings with a touch of the screen.
The 2.2-gallon bucket in the FGAC5044W1 requires more frequent dumping than that of the Midea Cube, but it weighs only about 20 pounds when full, and it simply slides out, without requiring you to lift a heavy compressor unit.
Among owner reviews, the FGAC5044W1 receives more complaints of mechanical failure than the Cube does, but Frigidaire’s superior app makes this dehumidifier worthy of consideration if you value remote monitoring and control.
Also great
Frigidaire FFAD2233W1
This compact, efficient, and affordable dehumidifier is designed for smaller spaces such as bedrooms and laundry rooms.
Frigidaire’s FFAD2233W1 dehumidifier is smaller than our other picks—think carry-on bag versus suitcase—and costs far less. It’s less powerful, too. But all of that makes it a better choice for smaller spaces such as laundry rooms, where a burlier machine would be overkill.
It has Energy Star certification, comfortable pocket handles, and the same handy cord storage that the larger Frigidaire FGAC5044W1 provides.
Like most small dehumidifiers, the FFAD2233W1 lacks a pump, so you have to empty the bucket manually or place the machine where it can drain into a sink or a floor drain—which is rarely practical in a home office or a bedroom.
