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) and, as of this update, a lower price — Midea’s Cube 50 now runs closer to $345–350 at most retailers, roughly $30–50 above the Frigidaire. Buy the Midea Cube 50 if the lower power bill and less-frequent emptying are worth that premium; buy the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 if long-term coverage and the lower upfront price matter more.
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 | ~$345–350 | ~$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.
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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: Frigidaire now costs less
This gap has narrowed the comparison since we first published it. The Midea Cube 50 now typically runs about $345–350, while the Frigidaire FHDD5034W1 lists around $300–320 depending on retailer — a real $30–50 difference, not the near-tie it used to be. That doesn’t flip the recommendation on its own: the Frigidaire’s higher power draw costs roughly $28 a month in the calculation above, so a Midea buyer running it a full humid season still comes out ahead on total cost even after the higher sticker price. But it does mean price is no longer a wash between the two — Frigidaire is the cheaper machine to buy, Midea the cheaper machine to run.
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, plus a $30–50 lower price tag at current retailer listings. If your power bill or emptying frequency is the bigger annoyance and you don’t mind paying more upfront, take the Midea. If you’d rather pay less today and 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.