Quick Answer: The Midea Cube 50 (MAD50S1QWT) beats the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 on efficiency and speed — about 512 watts versus roughly 978 watts at 50% relative humidity per Dehumidifier Buyer’s Guide testing, plus a 34-pint water reservoir nearly triple Frigidaire’s 2.7-gallon bucket. Frigidaire’s advantage is warranty: 5 years on the sealed system versus Midea’s 1 year. Buy the Midea Cube 50 if you want the lower power bill and less-frequent emptying; buy the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 if long-term coverage matters more than either.
Both machines sit at the same shelf: 50-pint (DOE-rated) capacity, ENERGY STAR certified, Wi-Fi and Alexa control, rated for spaces up to roughly 4,500 sq ft. We put each brand’s mainstream 50-pint model side by side using manufacturer specs and third-party bench testing already verified across our Midea and Frigidaire roundups.
Midea vs. Frigidaire at a glance
| Midea Cube 50 (MAD50S1QWT) | Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 50 pints/day, up to ~4,500 sq ft | 50 pints/day, up to ~4,500 sq ft |
| Power draw at 50% RH | ~512 W | ~978 W (8.5 A) |
| Water reservoir | ~34 pints (lift-and-twist base) | 2.7 gal (~21.6 pints) |
| Smart control | Wi-Fi + Alexa/Google | Wi-Fi + Alexa/Google |
| Warranty | 1 year (2 yr select models) | 5 yr sealed system |
| ENERGY STAR | Certified | Certified |
| Price | ~$300 | ~$300–320 |
Power draw: Midea wins by nearly 2x
This is the single biggest gap between the two brands. Dehumidifier Buyer’s Guide measured the Midea Cube 50 at roughly 512 watts at 50% relative humidity — the lowest of any high-capacity 50-pint unit they tested — against Frigidaire’s own published spec of 8.5 amps, or about 978 watts, for the FHDD5034W1. Run both 12 hours a day and that 466-watt gap adds up to roughly 5.6 extra kilowatt-hours daily for the Frigidaire, which works out to about $28 a month at the US average residential electricity rate of 16.5 cents per kilowatt-hour published by the EIA — close to $110 across a four-month humid season, nearly a third of what either machine costs upfront.
Midea Cube 50 Pint (MAD50S1QWT)
- Up to 4,500 sq ft coverage, and pulled a room from 90% down to 40% humidity in under 8 minutes in Dehumidifier Buyer's Guide testing.
- 34-pint lift-and-twist base holds nearly triple a standard 50-pint bucket, so it needs emptying far less often.
- Wi-Fi and Alexa/Google control, but only a 1-year standard warranty — the line's one real weakness.
Get your dehumidifier running in two days — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days instead of waiting on a slower shipper.
Warranty: Frigidaire wins by four years
Flip the scoreboard on coverage and Frigidaire takes it decisively. Frigidaire backs the sealed system on the FHDD5034W1 — compressor, evaporator, condenser — for 5 years, while Midea’s Cube line defaults to a 1-year standard warranty (extendable to 2 years on select models sold through Home Depot). On a compressor appliance meant to run most of a humid season every year, that’s the difference between a failed part in year three being covered or coming out of pocket.
Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 (50-Pint Wi-Fi, High Humidity)
- 50 pints/day, ENERGY STAR certified, rated for spaces up to about 4,500 sq ft.
- 2.7-gallon bucket plus auto-defrost down to 41°F for cooler basements and garages.
- 5-year sealed-system warranty — the longest coverage of any portable model either brand sells.
Water reservoir: Midea holds nearly 3x more
The Midea Cube 50’s lift-and-twist base holds about 34 pints of water before it needs emptying — nearly triple the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1’s 2.7-gallon (roughly 21.6-pint) bucket. If you’re not running either unit on a permanent drain hose, that difference means noticeably fewer trips downstairs during a humid stretch. It’s less relevant if you’re plumbing either machine to a continuous drain, in which case reservoir size stops mattering and warranty and power draw carry the decision.
Price: essentially a tie
Both machines land in the same narrow band — the Midea Cube 50 runs about $300, and the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 typically lists around $300–320 depending on retailer. Price isn’t the deciding factor here; efficiency and warranty are doing all the work in this comparison, so shop whichever spec matters more to your situation rather than chasing a sticker-price gap that barely exists.
The bottom line
The Midea Cube 50 is the more efficient, faster, lower-maintenance machine — nearly half the power draw, a reservoir that empties far less often, and a documented 8-minute humidity drop in third-party testing. The Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 answers back with a 5-year sealed-system warranty that dwarfs Midea’s 1-year standard coverage. If your power bill or emptying frequency is the bigger annoyance, take the Midea. If you’d rather not think about a compressor failure for half a decade, take the Frigidaire. See the full lineups in our best Midea dehumidifier and best Frigidaire dehumidifier guides, or start from our best dehumidifier pillar for the wider field.