Reviews

Midea is a large Chinese electronic appliance company that has existed since 1968. It has over 160,000 employees worldwide and has an extensive product range from refrigerators to large HVAC systems. 

In a recent survey from Consumer Reports, Midea was included as one of the most reliable based on a survey of their members, so I was very excited when the Cube arrived.

Most residential dehumidifiers have a similar design: a rectangular box with a small bucket at the bottom. With the Cube, Midea has chosen a completely different technique that, as you can guess from the name, uses a cube as a bucket, allowing for a much bigger water bucket than the traditional design. 

The Midea Cube was launched in 2019, which means it is a reasonably new dehumidifier design. Since then, it has been very popular with consumers, so we were keen to test and review it for ourselves.  

I am reviewing the 50-pint model (MAD50PS1QWT) with a built-in pump, which is recommended for spaces up to 4500 square feet. This model is usually found for just under $300, but smaller versions go down to $200 for the 20-pint version.

The lowdown on the Midea Cube

“The best home dehumidifier for those who can’t use an external drain which has plenty of design features that make it an easy device to live with.”

— Danny Ashton, HouseFresh Founder & Senior Writer

If you don’t have the time to read my full review, then check out the key things you need to know about this dehumidifier to see if it’s a good fit for you:

A simple black cube that you can stack up

The large drainage bucket in the Midea Cube means you won’t need to make as many trips to the sink to get rid of the water removed from the air.

One thing I really like about this dehumidifier design is that you can save a ton of space when not using it by putting it inside the water bucket. This means that when storing, you will take up a lot less space than a traditional design.

You get the option of white or black. Personally, I like how well the black Cube looks; it easily fits into the surroundings in a place like a basement (which is where I have my Midea Cube).

You can see how different the design looks when comparing it to the similar-sized devices from Honeywell and Frigidaire. The entire box beneath can hold water, so you can really see how much extra water this device can hold compared to competing brands. 

The main fan is at the top of the device and a control panel is underneath. It includes a screen that gives you the level of humidity in the air as a percentage.

The control panel comes with buttons for adjusting the desired humidity and choosing the pump type. You also get a setting for selecting how high you want the bucket to fill up — if you think the full 4.2 gallons will be too heavy to empty easily, you can reduce this so the device will only fill up half the bucket. Finally, you also get a timer button, meaning you can run the device for several hours.

Another great feature of the Midea Cube is the pump. When the Cube is in pump mode, the water the dehumidifier is pulling from the air can be simply pumped from the device into a drain through a pump drain hose that is included in the box.

I was pleased to see how clear the instructions were on the Cube itself:

My not-so-great experience setting up the Midea Air app

To set up the app mode, you will need to connect the Midea Cube to your phone by holding the power button for three seconds. From there, it’s all about getting the Midea Air app set up on your smartphone.

Honestly, it was not easy setting up the Midea Air app on my iPhone. 

For starters, you can’t use it on a 5ghz WiFi – even if your router can provide for both 2.4 and 5 GHz on the same network, you must create a WiFi connection that only has 2.4 GHz. They make this clear in the app, but this could be a total pain for people, especially those with a router from their internet provider that might not provide an easy way to set this up. 

The next issue I encountered was when I tried logging in using my Apple account. It did allow me to set up the app using this login, but when I tried to add the Midea Cube, it failed every time. 

I was able to set it up with a standard email address login, but feel that they should remove the ability to use third-party login choices if they don’t work.

The setup involved several steps as the app connected to the onboard WiFi, and then finally, you chose the WiFi you want to use to control the dehumidifier. 

Compared with setting up the smart App with Levoit or Dyson, this was far from easy. I would love to see this improved in future iterations. 

There was also a concerning alert when I finally set up the app that said that the Midea Air app was no longer being updated and asked me to move to a different app than the one that was included in the material that came with the Midea Cube. You can still use the current Midea Air app, but it was concerning that they were not providing updates and I worry that, at some point, this app may no longer work. 

Once I was in the app and connected to my Midea Cube, I was happy with the overall design and UX. The Midea Air app includes features that are unavailable on the control panel, such as the estimated time when you will need to empty the water bucket.

Setting the bucket level is also much easier with a simple visualization inside the app vs the numbers on the onboard control panel.

While the installation was far from easy, I could see myself using this app daily versus the on-board buttons because it saves me a trip down the basement.

Two filters to keep the device free of dust

The Midea Cube has two filters, one on each side of the device. This is a unique feature not found in many dehumidifiers.

A big issue for all types of dehumidifiers is ensuring that no dust or particles get into the device, as this can reduce the device’s efficiency and lead to faults over time. 

Most residential-style dehumidifiers use just one filter, so it was good to see the Midea Cube comes with two filters, one on each side. 

Both filters use mesh to block small particles from entering the device and are easy to remove and clean. The dehumidifier also has a light to alert you when it’s time to clean the filters.  

As a rule of thumb, it’s recommended to clean the filters every 2-3 weeks when the dehumidifier is used, as dust can accumulate quickly, especially in a location like a basement.

The filters are easy to remove by just pulling them from the side. The best thing is that you can remove them fully to allow you to clean them thoroughly. Here is a video to show you how simple it is to do this:

The Midea Cube took 6 minutes to reduce the humidity in our testing tent

This powerful dehumidifier took only 6 minutes to reduce the air in our test tent from 65% to 45%

We tested the Midea Cube in a Gorilla Shorty Tent with a width and length of 3 feet and a height of 4.92 feet. This testing space has a volume of 44.28 feet, and this small space allows us to test all sizes of dehumidifiers in the same space. 

This model has also been tested by Energy Star and was found to remove 50 pints of water, which means it will be powerful enough to keep even a large area (up to 4500 sq. ft.) clear of humidity. 

Noise levels test results

Noise is a key feature for a device like a dehumidifier as you will likely have to run it continuously, so if it’s overly loud, this could create a problem. Thankfully, the Midea cube is a fairly quiet device, considering the amount of water it can remove in 24 hours. 

But noise can be subjective, so I made sure to include a video of the device running so you can hear for yourself:

The cost to run a Midea Cube: $446.78 per year

When buying a dehumidifier, upfront costs are important but you also need to be mindful of long-term costs.

Considering that a dehumidifier is an air conditioning unit in reverse, they can be power hungry and energy usage is higher with more powerful devices. 

While the total cost of running this device is on the high side, considering the amount of water it can remove, this is one of the most efficient devices on the market. With 1.8 liters of water removed for every kWh of energy, ENERGY STAR has certified this device. 

If you don’t have a large space, you can reduce long-term costs by choosing a smaller device such as the 20 or 30-pint mode. Be sure to match the water removal level to the size and space of the location you want to reduce humidity.

Bottom line: Is the Midea Cube worth it?

An innovative design that is one of the best home dehumidifiers on the market

The Midea Cube is one of the best dehumidifiers we have reviewed for those looking to reduce humidity in their home.

It’s priced well, considering the features and water removal rates, and it comes from a brand that has been making appliances for a long time. 

While we had some issues with the WiFi setup, its smart features worked well and made it easier to use the device in the long term. 

I would prefer to see a warranty that covers the dehumidifier for longer than just one year. Still, this is my favorite dehumidifier for consumers looking for a large water bucket that won’t need emptying all the time.

Moiswell is a specialist dehumidifier brand that produces large crawl space and commercial dehumidifiers, from 145 pints to 320 pints per day.

According to their website, the Moiswell brand belongs to Hongkong lnofia Technology Co. Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong in 2022.

As with all the dehumidifier reviews we produce here at HouseFresh, we bought the Moiswell 145 pint with our own money and tested its water removal ability and performance over time. We often will update our reviews if things change, such as when our pump died on our hOmeLabs 4000 dehumidifier last month.

The lowdown on the Moiswell 145 pint dehumidifier

“Commercial grade dehumidification without the professional price tag. The Moiswell 145 Pint dehumidifier is a great option for those who want to look beyond standard big box style residential dehumidifiers.”

— Danny Ashton, HouseFresh Founder & Senior Writer

Designed with crawl spaces in mind

Its height is 13.3 inches, which is small enough for even the tightest crawl spaces.

I am currently using it on my basement floor as I haven’t got around to mounting it on my floor joists. It weighs 70 lbs (or nearly 32 kg), so I will need help from someone else to mount it.

That being said, I was glad to see Moiswell added handles at the top of the dehumidifier, making it easier to move around – yes, it is still heavy but the handle bars make picking it up A LOT less challenging.

When I first unboxed the Moiswell 145 Pint dehumidifier, I immediately noticed how much smaller it is compared to the other residential dehumidifiers we tested here at HouseFresh. 

Just to show you one example, check out the hOmeLabs 4000 – a residential air purifier that is super popular right now:

It looks nice but the honest truth is that the hOmeLabs 4000 would be way too big for any crawl space, so if you’re looking for a dehumidifier for a tight space, then the Moiswell is your best bet:

The control panel is really straightforward. It has four buttons, one for switching on/off, two for adjusting the humidity target and a timer function, so you can set it up to work for a specific amount of time.

I have connected the Moiswell to a Philips Hue Smart Plug, which means I can treat it like another smart home gadget. This allows me to fit the Moiswell into my existing automated routines for the house, plus it means that I can turn the dehumidifier on/off from anywhere as long as I can access the internet. 

Washable filter with a pump and drain

All dehumidifiers need to keep dirt from entering the unit, as it can cause damage and lead to failure in the future. 

The Moiswell Defender MP70 avoids this by making the washable filter slide out easily for cleaning.

After using this dehumidifier in my basement for two months, I have to say that the Moiswell has a good-quality filter. It is much better than what you get with most of the residential dehumidifiers we have reviewed. 

I look forward to using the internal pump. You can use the gravity drain to connect a hose that will flow if you don’t go against gravity. 

With the pump option, you also have an internal pump that can move the water vertically up to 16.5ft, which is excellent for use in basements where the drain is often higher than the basement floor. 

The Moiswell 145 Pint dehumidifier also offers you the option of using an external pump, allowing you to move water anywhere, depending on the pump’s power. 

It’s worth noting that these commercial-style dehumidifiers save space by not having a water bucket, so you will need a hose to remove the water. There is no option just to have the unit collect internally.

I am excited to see how well the pump performs over the long term, as after less than 12 months, our hOmeLabs dehumidifier pump failed, and I saw that this happens quite a bit with residential-style units. 

I hope this dehumidifier has a higher-quality pump and won’t fail me, but I will update this review if it does.

The Moiswell Defender MP70 lowered humidity levels in my basement within 24 hours

I tested the Moiswell Defender MP70 in my very damp basement built in the 1890s. This space regularly gets very damp, reaching up to 74.1% humidity. Since the hOmeLabs pump failed, my basement had accumulated a lot of humidity, so it REALLY needed drying out. This set the perfect conditions for a test.

I used the internal pump to move water to an external drain outside my basement and was glad there was no water bucket to change. It would likely need changing multiple times a day. 

To measure the humidity levels over time, I used my Govee WIFI humidity sensor that tracks current humidity every minute. Using this data, I can share below how the Moiswell 145-pint dehumidifier helped to reduce humidity levels to a comfortable level:

Noise levels test results

When running, the Moiswell 145 Pint dehumidifier generated up to 58dB, so you can’t hear it on the ground floor. I liked that the sound was continuous as it helped to blend into the other sounds around. 

But sound levels are a personal thing, so feel free to check out the video of the Moiswell Defender MP70 running in my basement: 

The cost to run a Moiswell 145 Pint dehumidifier: $541.37 per year

Dehumidifiers use a process similar to air conditioners and can use much more electricity than expected. It’s a little tricky to measure the exact amount of electricity a dehumidifier will use, depending on the current humidity conditions and settings you set up. 

The dehumidifier must run harder to reduce the humidity if it’s very humid. When it reaches the target level, it will stop until the humidity levels increase again. 

When we tested the Moiswell 145 pint when it was in humid conditions, it pulled 514.96 watts, which, if we assume it will run for 24 hours per day every day of the year, will be $541.37 which I think is likely much higher than will be your usage but worth keeping in mind as these large commercial units do use a lot of energy.

Bottom line

I am impressed with how well the Moiswell Defender MP70 dehumidifier reduced the humidity in my 2000 sqft damp basement. The product looks well made, and while it doesn’t have any smart features, I could make it smart by connecting it to my Philips Hue system. 

If you have a sizeable damp basement, this commercial unit would be a better investment in the long term, especially considering how many residential-style units with pumps fail. 

If any issues arise, I will continue to update this update, but as of now, this is a powerful, well-built unit for a price that makes it much more affordable than better, well-known brands.

The main use case for this dehumidifier was to keep my growing tent free of excess humidity – I didn’t want to have something that took a lot of space but I also needed a unit that I could trust to deal with a large amount of humidifier as it would be located in our basement.

I will be honest, DeLonghi is not a brand I expected to run into in regards to dehumidifiers, as they are normally known for their coffee machines. But I read about the company and learned that they have significant history manufacturing heaters and air conditioners, so it makes total sense that they would move into the world of dehumidification.

As with all our hands-on reviews here at HouseFresh, I bought this unit with my own money, so I have no biases to give a better review than I would under normal circumstances. I also completed a series of tests in my own basement to assess the performance of the De’Longhi DEX214F in real-life conditions.

Right, let’s break down my first-hand experience using the De’Longhi DEX214F dehumidifier. I have been using this unit since September 2021, so I feel confident to give both a short-term and medium-term review of my experience.

The lowdown on the De’Longhi DEX214F

“The De’Longhi DEX214F is a mid-priced dehumidifier and can deal with 14 liters of water in a 24-hour period. If you are looking for a premium dehumidifier for a small to medium-sized room and are based in Europe, you should consider getting a De’Longhi DEX214F.”

— Danny Ashton, HouseFresh Founder & Senior Writer

The specifications

Clean design lines in a compact size

I know that looks are not the main focus for most people but it is something we like to assess when we know that a unit is going to be in a room all the time.

The Italian heritage is clear with this dehumidifier. The design of the De’Longhi DEX214F is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than most dehumidifiers we have tested. 

With its pearly white color and curves, the DEX214F breaks the mold used by other manufacturers who tend to release boxy dehumidifiers that are heavy and difficult to maneuver.

The handle is built into the main part of the unit, making it easy to move the dehumidifier from room to room if you need to do it. This is made even easier thanks to the low weight of this dehumidifier (only 24.9 lbs/11.3 kg when the tank is empty).

Unlike bigger units, it does not include a wall mount, so you can only use your De’Longhi DEX214F in cases where you have space to place it on the floor.

I doubt anyone is going to buy this dehumidifier for looks alone, but it is great to see the care De’Longhi took to make this unit look good when compared to the competition.

Another aspect of design that I always like to review is the control panel. After using the DEX214F at home for over six months, I am happy to report that this is one of the simplest units I have come across in terms of menu options.

The DEX214F also comes with a DRY mode 👕, which is very handy for speeding up the drying of laundry as it sets the dehumidifier to run at its top speed for a short period of time.

You will also get two indicator lights: one to let you know when the tank is full and another one to indicate that the room temperature is too low so the unit is operating at low-temp to ensure the dehumidifier doesn’t ice up.

If you’ve never used a dehumidifier before, these controls will be simple enough to ensure you can just switch on your unit and forget about it – until it’s time to empty the water tank at least!

Underwhelming double filtration technology

I would never recommend you use a dehumidifier to clean the air in the room as an air purifier will always be a better appliance for that specific job. That said, I was happy when I read that the De’Longhi DEX214F came with a double filter system as air filtration technology should keep out particulate matter that might damage the parts inside the unit.

The double filter in the DEX214F is comprised of a dust filter and a replaceable allergen filter for picking up smaller particles.

The dust filter is fine and covers the entire air intake but I wasn’t impressed with the allergen filter.

The problem is that the “allergen filter” is very very small and only protects the air coming from one section of the air intake, so it is basically useless. 

Overall this was one of the weakest areas for this particular dehumidifier. I hope that De’Longhi looks at a more effective allergen filter for future models, such as the large filters used in British-made Ebac dehumidifiers.

The De’Longhi DEX214F lowered humidity levels in our test tent within 10 minutes

As I briefly explained earlier in this review, I ran three tests on the De’Longhi DEX214F in my basement to assess its performance in real-life conditions.

The first test was the dehumidification performance test, where I ran the DEX214F inside a Gorilla Grow Shorty Grow tent (3ft x 3ft) placed in the most humid area of my basement.

In the graphic below, you can see how quickly the humidity was reduced after switching on the dehumidifier:

It took less than 10 minutes to reduce from 71% to under 30% relative humidity, which is to be expected in a small space but still impressive to see. By the way, I used a Govee Wifi hygrometer to measure the temperature and humidity levels. What I like about this device is that you set it and then easily pull data in one-minute intervals.

In the graph above, you can see how effective the onboard humidity detector is. You will see that the sensor detected rising humidity levels, and once they hit a high level (60%), the DEX214F automatically switched on to full power till humidity levels dropped.

Every time humidity levels exceeded the average, the onboard humidity detector picked up those levels and switched on the unit until the desired humidity was reached.

It’s worth mentioning that this is a test we have designed to test humidifiers in a controlled space (our grow tent). It is a small space, and most people wouldn’t even consider using a dehumidifier inside a tent, but in terms of our testing, I was pleasantly surprised by the dehumidification performance of the DEX214F.

The only downside was remembering to remove the water, as the 1.2L bucket gets filled pretty quickly in very humid conditions, and my basement is ridiculously humid.

Noise levels test results

When running at its top mode, the De’Longhi DEX214F hit a maximum of 40 dB. This is equivalent to a refrigerator humming in the background.

We’ve recorded a video where we take the dehumidifier from mode to mode so you can listen to the associated noise levels with your own ears, as I understand that noise levels are a personal thing.

The cost to run a De’Longhi DEX214F: $206.04 per year

As part of my testing, I used a power meter to see how much power was used when the dehumidifier was on standby mode (not actively removing water) and found that it used 1.5W (left), which is around $2.1 per year, assuming the average utility rate in the U.S. of $0.12/kWh.

Once the dehumidifier detects an increase in humidity, it will go into full power mode, and as you can see in the image to the right, it increased to 195.6W, which is $206.04 per year (U.S. average utility rate of $0.12/kWh).

The reality is that most people won’t need to run their dehumidifier non-stop for 24 hours a day every single day of the year. But by looking at these figures, you can clearly see the financial benefit of an automatic system that reduces usage when the humidity target is reached.

Bottom line

If you are looking for a premium dehumidifier for a small to medium-sized room and you are based in the European region, you can’t wrong with the De’Longhi DEX214F.

It’s not without its faults, such as the tiny “allergen filter” but these cons are minor when weighed in the context of this unit’s performance. The power of this dehumidifier more than makes up for these minor issues.

De’Longhi is not a company name I would have connected to powerful dehumidifiers, but now that I have tested one of their units firsthand, I am impressed. I would be interested in future models from this company, and I have high expectations for its long-term usage. I do hope they make these dehumidifiers available in America soon.