Midea Cube 50-Pint Dehumidifier Review: Is the MAD50S1QWT-A Worth the Extra Cost?
A look at whether the largest tank and the only included drain hose of the three basement picks justify being the most expensive one.
The Midea Cube MAD50S1QWT-A is the largest and most capable of the three units on this site’s basement roundup, rated for up to 4,500 square feet and holding 4.2 gallons (33.6 pints) before it needs emptying, more than double the Frigidaire’s 13.6-pint tank. It’s also the only one of the three that ships with a drain hose in the box. It ties the Frigidaire’s 41°F operating-temperature floor and loses to the Hisense’s 38°F rating, and at $249.99 it’s the most expensive of the three. For a bigger or wetter basement where coverage and tank size matter more than shaving a few dollars off the price, it’s the pick I’d point a reader to first.
Have a basement space up to 4,500 square feet
Want the largest tank of the three picks, so you go the longest between drains (4.2 gallons)
Want a drain hose included in the box rather than bought separately
Want Wi-Fi and voice-assistant control (Midea app, Alexa, Google Home)
Have price as the deciding factor (it’s the most expensive of the three, at $249.99)
Have a basement that regularly drops below 41°F in winter (see the Hisense instead, rated to 38°F)
Care about a published noise rating (not reliably published for this exact SKU)
| Spec | Midea Cube MAD50S1QWT-A |
|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 |
| Coverage | Up to 4,500 sq ft |
| Moisture removal | Up to 50 pints/day |
| Tank capacity | 4.2 gallons (33.6 pints) |
| Continuous drain | Yes, hose included |
| Operating temperature | Down to 41°F |
| Wi-Fi / app control | Yes (Midea app, Alexa, Google Home) |
| Noise | No reliably published dB rating for this SKU |
| Warranty | 1 year limited, parts and labor |
| Energy Star certified | Yes (per the Amazon listing for this ASIN) |
How much basement this covers
The Midea Cube is rated to pull up to 50 pints of moisture a day out of a space up to 4,500 square feet, the largest coverage rating of the three units on this roundup. As with any dehumidifier’s rated coverage, that figure comes from a lab test at a set temperature and humidity level, not from a basement that’s already damp and pushing the unit harder than the test condition assumes. A larger basement, an open floor plan connecting several rooms, or a basement with a sump pump that runs often are all good matches for this unit’s higher ceiling. A smaller, drier basement doesn’t need this much capacity, and the Frigidaire or Hisense will cover it for less money.
Running it through a cold basement
This unit is rated to run down to 41°F, the same floor as the Frigidaire. Below that threshold, a compressor-based dehumidifier like this one starts to lose efficiency, because the coil can frost over, and running it in that state doesn’t remove more moisture, it just adds wear. A basement that stays above 41°F through winter, which describes most finished basements and a good number of unfinished ones with any heat source at all, is within range for this unit. The Hisense goes lower, to 38°F, which is the better pick if your basement runs a few degrees colder in winter. None of the three is rated for an unheated basement that regularly drops to freezing.
Drainage: the only one of the three with a hose in the box
This is where the Midea Cube separates itself from the other two picks on this roundup: it ships with a drain hose, so continuous drain works out of the box instead of requiring a separate purchase. The internal tank also holds 4.2 gallons, or 33.6 pints, more than double the Frigidaire’s 13.6-pint tank, for anyone who’d rather rely on the tank than run a hose to a floor drain. Between the larger tank and the included hose, this is the easiest of the three units to leave running unattended for a few days.
Wi-Fi and app control
The Midea app, along with Alexa and Google Home compatibility, lets you check the humidity reading and tank status without walking down to the basement. The Frigidaire offers a comparable feature set through its own app, so Wi-Fi control isn’t a point of difference between these two; the Hisense is the one pick on this roundup without it. If you’d rather skip the app entirely, the unit runs the same without it.
Noise: a spec this review can’t confirm
Midea doesn’t publish a decibel rating for this exact no-pump SKU (B0GL7B1FC8) that holds up to scrutiny. A related built-in-pump variant (MAD50S1QWTB, a different model) is documented at 54.5 dB in one source, and a separate review cited a 42.5 to 49 dB range without specifying which sub-variant it tested. Because those figures may belong to a different SKU than the one linked on this page, this review doesn’t carry a noise number for the Midea Cube rather than borrow one that might not apply. For a basement used for storage or laundry, that’s unlikely to matter much either way; for a finished basement doing double duty as a living space, plan to listen before you commit to where it sits.
Energy use and the Energy Star certification
The Amazon listing for this exact ASIN states Energy Star certification as a feature, which is the basis for stating it here. That’s worth a caveat: a related built-in-pump variant in the same model family was found not Energy Star certified on one retailer’s page, so the certification is specific to this listing, not assumed across the whole Midea Cube line. In practice, Energy Star certification means a lower electricity cost than an equivalent non-certified unit run for the same number of hours, though the exact dollar figure depends on your local electricity rate and how often the unit runs.
Build and everyday features
The unit measures 14.45″W x 14.76″H x 14.57″D and weighs 41.54 lbs, sourced directly from Midea’s own product page for this model. It runs on R32 refrigerant and carries a 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor. Midea’s shared user manual for the MAD-series family describes three fan speeds (low, mid, high) for the built-in-pump variant specifically; that same manual covers this no-pump SKU too, so three-speed control is very likely to carry over, but it hasn’t been independently confirmed on this exact listing, so treat it as probable rather than certain.
- Largest tank of the three roundup picks (4.2 gallons / 33.6 pints)
- Largest coverage area of the three (4,500 sq ft)
- Only one of the three that ships with a drain hose included
- Ties the Frigidaire’s 41°F operating-temperature floor
- Wi-Fi app control plus Alexa and Google Home support
- Energy Star certified, per the Amazon listing for this exact ASIN
- Most expensive of the three roundup picks, at $249.99
- No reliably published noise rating for this exact SKU (conflicting figures exist for a different pump variant)
- Loses to the Hisense on cold-basement tolerance (41°F floor vs. 38°F)
- Fan-speed count isn’t independently confirmed for this specific SKU (very likely three, per the shared manual across the model family, but not confirmed on this listing itself)
| Midea Cube 50-pint | Frigidaire FHDD3534Y1 | Hisense 35-Pint Compact | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 | $229.00 | $242.99 |
| Coverage | 4,500 sq ft | 3,000 sq ft | 3,000 sq ft |
| Tank | 4.2 gallons | 13.6 pints | Not published |
| Operating temp | Down to 41°F | Down to 41°F | Down to 38°F |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | No |
| Drain hose included | Yes | No | No |
Alternatives
The Hisense review page doesn’t exist yet, so that card below still links to the basement roundup. Once it’s written, this should be repointed to the individual page.
Need a lower price?
See the Frigidaire 35-Pint review.
Need it to keep running in a colder basement?
See the Hisense 35-Pint Compact on the basement roundup, rated to 38°F.
Does the Midea Cube work in an unheated basement?
It’s rated to operate down to 41°F, the same floor as the Frigidaire, which covers a basement with any heat source at all through a typical winter. Below that temperature the unit loses efficiency and can start icing over, so an unheated basement that regularly drops toward freezing is better matched to the Hisense on this roundup, rated to 38°F, though even that unit has a floor.
Does it come with a drain hose?
Yes, unlike the other two picks on this roundup. It’s the only one of the three that ships with a hose in the box for continuous drain.
Is this unit loud?
There’s no dB rating reliably published for this exact SKU. A different, built-in-pump variant of the Midea Cube has a published rating, but that figure belongs to a different model and isn’t used here. If noise matters in a finished space, plan to listen to it running before deciding where it goes.
Does it need Wi-Fi to work?
No. The app and voice-assistant support are optional extras for checking humidity and tank status remotely; the dehumidifier itself runs the same with or without a Wi-Fi connection.
Is the Midea Cube MAD50S1QWT-A worth it?
The MAD50S1QWT-A earns its spot on this roundup as the capacity pick, not the budget one. At $249.99, it’s the most expensive of the three units recommended here, but it backs that up with the largest coverage rating, the largest tank, and the only included drain hose of the group. It ties the Frigidaire on cold-basement tolerance and comes up short against the Hisense there, so a basement that runs especially cold is better served by that unit instead. For a bigger or wetter basement, or for anyone who’d rather not think about the tank for days at a time, this is the pick on the roundup built for that.
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