After testing the Boreas-001, the time has come to share my review of the Rhea-003.
This is the largest model in Aeocky’s range of dehumidifiers and it comes with all the features you will expect – from laundry mode to an automatic defrost function.
We have been using it at home since July 2026 and we found that it offers excellent dehumidification performance in a package that is easy to live with.
In our tests, this large dehumidifier extracted humidity from the air faster than large dehumidifiers from well known brands like Honeywell that sell for double the price. And it did this without pulling a lot of energy, which really REALLY surprised me.
But… Is it better or worse than the mighty Midea Cube? Read on to find out.
The pros and cons of the Aeocky Rhea
A summary of our top-level findings after testing this dehumidifier, following our methodology.
“If you’re looking to dry out a large basement, an open plan space or even your entire house, the Rhea-003 from Aeocky might be just the thing for you.
It is highly affordable considering its power and won’t drain your wallet with exorbitant energy bills. Plus, the 3-year warranty is uncommon in the world of dehumidifiers.”
HouseFresh Founder
& Lead Tester
CONS
PROS
| Water removal capacity (per day): | – HouseFresh test data: 20.18 pints (11.47 liters) – ENERGYSTAR test data: 44.3 pints (25.17 liters) |
| Bucket capacity: | 14.80 Pints (1.85 gallons) |
| Electricity consumption (top speed): | 357.55 watts |
| Integrated energy factor (top speed): | – HouseFresh test data: 1.3 L/kWh – ENERGYSTAR test data: 2.2 L/kWh |
| Noise level in from 3 ft. away (top speed): | 57.3 dBA |
| Refrigerant type: | HFC-32 |
| Recommended room size: | 5,500 sq. ft. (50-80% relative humidity) |
| Dimensions: | 17.68 x 11.02 x 24.09 inches (44.91 x 27.99 x 61.19 cm) |
| Weight: | 43.4lbs (19.7lkg) |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 3 years |
| Country of origin: | China |
| Country of manufacture: | China |
Water bucket
The water tank that slides from the side and is smaller than I’d like.
The bucket slides out from the side – not as convenient as buckets that slide out from the front but much better than tanks that sit at the back.
The water tank has a capacity of 14.8 pints, which is larger than the 5.7 pints of the Aeocky Boreas but much smaller than the 34 pints of the Midea Cube.
I appreciate the cover and the handle at the top, which make it easier to empty the bucket when its full without making a mess on the way to the sink.
Design, features and controls
A large dehumidifier that Aeocky states can cover an area up to 8,000 sq. ft.
It has a large body and there’s no escaping that. That said, the design is pretty compact for a large dehumidifier.
The bucket slides out from the right, so you need to keep this in mind when choosing where to place it.
It has buttons to switch fan speeds/modes, set the desired humidity, adjust lights, schedule timers and lock the screen.
It comes with an on-board hygrometer that is fairly accurate compared to our room humidity monitor.
It comes with a handle each side of the device. The handles aren’t visible unless you push in with your hands.
I’d prefer a sturdy handle at the top, but the side handles of the Rhea are deep enough to be useful.
Dehumidification performance
We tested the Aeocky Rhea in our grow test using a humidifier and our trusted hygrometer.
First, we measured how much water the Aeocky Rhea is capable of removing from our very damp dining room at 20 degrees Celsius and 52% humidity during a set period of three hours. I weighed the water bucket before and after the test to determine how much water the Rhea was able to remove.
In our tests, this dehumidifier extracted 1.43 liters of water in three hours. The Rhea tops our water extraction ranking, beating all 27 different dehumidifiers I have tested – this includes two 50-Pint models from Honeywell and Frigidaire and an 80-Pint model from Waykar.
This means that the Rhea-003 is capable of removing 11.47 liters of water from the air in our dining room within 24 hours when running at full power. The question is, how loud is it?
Sound levels
The sound levels of the AEOCKY Rhea-003 reached 57.3 dBA – – this is quiet compared to the 62 to 68 decibels of similar performing dehumidifiers from Honeywell, GE and Frigidaire.
I used our BAFX sound meter to find out how much noise the Aeocky Rhea 003 when it runs at full power and measured 57.3 dBA from 3-feet away.
Considering that the Rhea vastly outperformed units like the Honeywell 50-Pint and the Frigidaire 50-Pint, it’s pretty impressive to see it did so while generating less noise.
That said, 57 decibels is pretty loud. I don’t mind it in my basement (where the Rhea lives now) but it was a little too much for our dining room.
Long-term running costs
Running your Aeocky Rhea-003 will cost you $276.41 per year, assuming you run it 8 hours per day, every day.
The only thing more impressive than the water extraction power of the Rhea is its energy efficiency.
I used our energy meter to record how much electricity this dehumidifier pulls and found that it pulls just 357.55 watts at full power. This might seem like a lot but it really isn’t when you consider how much water thing thing can extract from the air.
This result makes the Rhea our most energy-efficient dehumidifier, with an efficiency factor of 1.3 litres/kWH. This matches the results of ENERGYSTAR, where this model is also a top performer.
Bottom line: Should you get an AEOCKY Rhea dehumidifier?
If you’re looking for a whole-house dehumidifier or a unit for a very damp basement, then the Rhea might be it.
My first dehumidifier from Aeocky was the Boreas, which is a smaller sibling of the Rhea. The little Boreas surprised me as I wasn’t expecting much from a small dehumidifier manufactured by an unknown brand…
But I was wrong.
in our tests, the Boreas-001 outperformed popular models from Ivation and Pro Breeze. And, as soon as I saw this, I went ahead and bought a Rhea to see what a large dehumidifier from Aeocky could do.
As the data shows, the Rhea offers excellent water extraction rate without generating a lot of noise and without consuming a lot of electricity.
In fact, the Rhea-003 currently sits at the top of water extraction ranking. It beat 27 dehumidifier models from well-known brands like Honeywell, Frigidaire, Pro Breeze, Midea, hOmeLabs, GE and many many others.
Plus, you get a 3-year warranty and all the functions you need, like auto mode, continuous mode, sleep mode and even laundry mode.
This is a large dehumidifier that has a compact body and is easy to live with. It doesn’t get louder than 57 decibels and it won’t burn a whole in your pocket when the time comes to pay for your energy bill.
So if you’re looking for an affordable dehumidifier for a basement or to reduce humidity in your whole house, then the Aeocky Rhea will offer excellent value for your money.
If you decide to get yourself a Rhea, please use this link and we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We don’t run ads and we don’t do sponsored reviews of any kind, so these affiliate commissions are the one thing that helps us keep running HouseFresh.
If you have any questions about this or any other dehumidifier, just drop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you personally as soon as I can.
