Head-to-head · Best Dehumidifiers

hOmeLabs HME020031N 50-Pint Dehumidifier vs Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT 20-Pint Smart Dehumidifier

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT 20-Pint Smart Dehumidifier comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.4 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about Bedrooms, small home offices, single-bath setups, RV interiors, or any sub-800 sq ft room where the 50-pint workhorses would be loud and oversized. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #2 in Best Dehumidifiers

hOmeLabs HME020031N 50-Pint Dehumidifier

4.4

$162as of May 23

The HME020031N is the budget pick of the 50-pint workhorse class — typically $100 under the Midea Cube and other premium pump units, with energy-efficient performance and a long included drain hose that hits most basement geometries. HouseFresh's longer-term testing exposed durability concerns with the optional pump add-on, but the base unit kept a 2,000 square foot basement under control through months of continuous service. Buy this if budget is the dominant constraint and you do not need smart controls.

Strengths

— Reduced 90% RH to 40% RH in 10 min 3 sec in dehumidifierbuyersguide testing
— Energy Star certified at 520 W maximum draw, lower than most 50-pint competitors
— 16.4-foot included drain hose covers most basement layouts without splicing

Watch-outs

— Small 12.8-pint water tank fills quickly without continuous drain
— HouseFresh flagged a pump failure and mold growth inside the hose at six months
— Build quality and LED display feel cheaper than premium competitors

$162 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #5 in Best Dehumidifiers

Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT 20-Pint Smart Dehumidifier

4.5

$199as of May 23

The MAD20S1QWT is the small-room and budget pick of the Midea Cube line — Tom's Guide gave it 4 of 5 stars and Dehumidifier Buyers Guide named it the best small dehumidifier they have ever tested. Power draw of 262 watts is the lowest in the 20-pint class, noise testing puts it just under 60 dB on high, and the same 3.2-gallon tank that defines the rest of the Cube line means fewer empty trips than every competing 20-pint compressor. Buy it for a bedroom, bathroom, or home office that doesn't need 35 or 50 pints of capacity.

Strengths

— Best small dehumidifier dehumidifierbuyersguide has ever tested, by their verdict
— Lowest power draw in 20-pint class at 262 W at 50% RH
— Quietest 20-pint at 58.6 dB low / 59.8 dB high in lab measurements

Watch-outs

— Tom's Guide noted a metallic resonance sound during compressor operation
— No pump on the standard 20-pint SKU; pump variant adds cost
— 20-pint capacity caps useful coverage at 500 to 800 sq ft for severe humidity

$199 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

hOmeLabs HME020031N 50-Pint Dehumidifier

The HME020031N comes in roughly $100 under the Midea Cube MAD50S1QWT, with similar moisture-removal speed but a much smaller 12.8-pint tank versus the Cube's 34-pint cube tank. Compared to the Honeywell TP50AWKN, it sacrifices smart controls and the longer five-year sealed-system warranty for a meaningfully lower sticker price. Anyone who values build quality and warranty over price should skip this in favor of the Cube or the Honeywell.

Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT 20-Pint Smart Dehumidifier

The MAD20S1QWT is the smallest unit in this category and the natural pairing for the 35-pint MAD35S1QWT or 50-pint MAD50S1QWT siblings if you want to cover both a master bedroom and a main living area. Compared to the 50-pint Honeywell TP50AWKN and hOmeLabs HME020031N, the 20-pint capacity is dramatically smaller — it is not a substitute for those units in a basement application, but it is the right fit for a single small room those large units would overwhelm with noise.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	hOmeLabs HME020031N 50-Pint Dehumidifier	Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT 20-Pint Smart Dehumidifier
Capacity	50 pints/day (2012 DOE), 22 pints/day (2019 DOE)	20 pints/day (2019 DOE)
Coverage Area	4,000 sq ft	1,500 sq ft (manufacturer) / 500-800 sq ft (severe humidity)
Tank Size	1.6 gallons (12.8 pints)	3.2 gallons (25.6 pints)
Drain Options	Gravity hose (16.4 ft included) or bucket	Gravity hose or bucket
Noise (low/high)	58.6 dB / 59.3 dB	58.6 dB / 59.8 dB
Power Draw	520 W maximum	262 W at 50% RH
Energy Star	Certified	Most Efficient certified
Warranty	1 year (2-year with manual registration)	1-year parts and labor
Smart Hub	—	Wi-Fi + Alexa + Google Assistant

← See the full ranking of best dehumidifiers