Best / Roundup

The best 50-pint dehumidifiers

164 models are certified in this class and their efficiency spans a narrow band. What actually separates them is drainage, documentation and a coverage claim that ranges from 4,000 to 7,500 square feet for the same capacity.

By Scooter M.

Published September 1, 2026

Last updated September 1, 2026

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The short answer

A 50-pint dehumidifier removes 50 pints of water in 24 hours at 65F and 60% relative humidity, and draws about 488 watts doing it. That is the default machine for a US basement. The class used to be labeled 70-pint before the 2019 test change.

The class is more uniform than the marketing suggests

There are 164 certified 50-pint portable models in the ENERGY STAR list. Their Integrated Energy Factor runs from 2.01 to 2.20 liters per kWh, which computes to an average draw between 443 and 490 watts. The median is 488.

That is a spread of about ten percent across an entire product class from dozens of brands. There is a reason: these are commodity refrigeration appliances built by a handful of factories and sold under many labels. In the certified list, Waykar, KESNOS, YAUFEY and Fehom appear as a single joint entry against the same model numbers, because they are the same machines.

Average power draw by DOE capacity class, computed across 527 certified portable models

Class	DOE capacity	Models	Median draw	Range	Median IEF	kWh/year
~10 pint	8-13 pt/day	39	105 W	92-128 W	1.91	117
~16 pint	14-18 pt/day	44	167 W	166-180 W	1.89	181
20-22 pint	19-23 pt/day	51	258 W	214-267 W	1.7	276
25 pint	23-27 pt/day	127	265 W	236-289 W	1.79	285
30-32 pint	27-33 pt/day	21	318 W	293-318 W	2.01	343
35 pint	33-38 pt/day	73	351 W	313-373 W	2.01	375
40 pint	38-45 pt/day	5	401 W	396-410 W	2.21	432
50 pint	45-52 pt/day	164	488 W	443-490 W	2.01	520

Computed on 2026-09-01 from the ENERGY STAR certified product list (136 brands). Formula: liters/day = pints/day x 0.473176; kWh/day = liters/day / IEF; watts = kWh/day x 1000 / 24. Cross-check: dividing each model's published annual consumption by its computed draw gives a median implied run time of 1074 hours a year across the whole list. Source data.

Every unit we track, and whether its maker publishes a wattage

Unit	DOE pints	Drainage	Average draw	Where the figure comes from
Midea Cube 50 Pint Dehumidifier	50	gravity	487 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
Midea Cube 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump	50	pump	487 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
Frigidaire 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump and Wi-Fi	50	pump	490 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
Frigidaire 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump	50	pump	Not published	No named certified entry
Frigidaire 50 Pint Portable Dehumidifier	50	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
GE ENERGY STAR 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump	50	pump	487 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
GE ENERGY STAR 50 Pint Dehumidifier	50	gravity	487 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
Honeywell 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump (TP70PWKNR)	50	pump	Not published	No named certified entry
hOmeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier	50	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
hOmeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump	50	pump	Not published	No named certified entry
hOmeLabs 32 Pint Dehumidifier	32	gravity	318 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
Waykar 34 Pint ENERGY STAR Dehumidifier	34	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
Waykar 30 Pint ENERGY STAR Dehumidifier	30	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
Honeywell Smart Wi-Fi 30 Pint Dehumidifier (TP50AWKN)	30	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
hOmeLabs 8 Pint Dehumidifier	8	bucket	Not published	No named certified entry
AlorAir Sentinel HD55 Crawl Space Dehumidifier	36	gravity	344 W	ENERGY STAR certified entry, computed
AlorAir Sentinel HDi65S Crawl Space Dehumidifier with Pump	55	pump	Not published	No named certified entry
Waykar 80 Pint ENERGY STAR Dehumidifier	50	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
Ivation 19 Pint Desiccant Dehumidifier	19	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
Ivation 13 Pint Desiccant Dehumidifier	13	gravity	Not published	No named certified entry
Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier	1	bucket	Not published	No named certified entry

Seven of twenty-one map to a named entry in the ENERGY STAR certified list and carry a computed figure. The other fourteen say so rather than borrowing a sibling model's number.

So what actually differs

1Drainage. Pump, gravity or bucket. This is the only difference that can make a unit unusable in your room rather than merely suboptimal.
2Bucket size. From 0.62 to 1.8 gallons across our registry. At 50 pints a day, a 1.7 gallon bucket is roughly six hours and a 0.62 gallon one is about two. If you are ever going to run on bucket duty, this is the number.
3Documentation. Frigidaire prints a nameplate wattage. GE prints a pump hose run. Honeywell prints the old and new pint ratings side by side. Most print none of it.
4Minimum operating temperature. Frigidaire claims down to 41F on its Wi-Fi pump model. Below that, every compressor unit here is the wrong tool.
5Coverage claim. Which differs by 1.9x for identical certified capacity, and is therefore the one specification you should ignore entirely.

A large industrial fan housing in a plain interior — Within the 50-pint class the hardware is more alike than the marketing suggests.

Quick picks

#	Product	Best for	Draw	Price
1	Midea Cube 50 Pint DehumidifierThe only unit here that solves the real basement problem, which is not capacity but where the water goes when you are not standing next to it.	A basement you visit once a month	487 W	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded
2	GE ENERGY STAR 50 Pint DehumidifierThe same 50-pint platform as the pump model with the pump removed, which makes it the cheaper choice when the water can simply run downhill.	A garage or shop with a floor drain	487 W	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded
3	Frigidaire 50 Pint Portable DehumidifierNo pump, no app, no display theater - a compressor, a bucket and a threaded drain outlet, which is all a dry basement actually requires.	The cheapest honest 50-pint machine	Not published	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded
4	Honeywell 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump (TP70PWKNR)Worth buying on its merits and worth reading regardless: it is one of the only listings in the category that prints both the current pint rating and the old one.	Seeing the relabeling stated on the box	Not published	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded
5	Waykar 80 Pint ENERGY STAR DehumidifierSold on an 80-pint headline that is a saturation figure; the DOE rating behind it is in the same 50-pint class as everything else on this page.	A large open basement or a shop floor	Not published	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded
6	hOmeLabs 50 Pint DehumidifierA capable 50-pint machine attached to the least plausible coverage claim on this page, and the gap between those two facts is worth understanding before you buy anything in this category.	Reading a coverage claim critically	Not published	Check price on Amazon #ad How we are funded

Midea

Midea Cube 50 Pint Dehumidifier

Best for: A basement you visit once a month

The only unit here that solves the real basement problem, which is not capacity but where the water goes when you are not standing next to it.

Average draw

487 W

Computed from the ENERGY STAR certified entry for Midea MAD50S1QWT-A, the 50 pt / 4,500 sq ft Cube without a pump: 49.67 pt/day at IEF 2.01 L/kWh. Midea's own US product page confirms MAD50S1QWT-A is this configuration. Midea publishes no wattage on the Amazon listing or on that page.

What is good

The body separates, so the tank half can sit lower than the compressor half and the hose gets a genuine downhill run
Certified at 49.67 pt/day, which is a real 50-pint machine rather than a saturation number
IEF 2.01 L/kWh puts it exactly on the median for the 50-pint class - neither a bargain nor a penalty
Wi-Fi that tells you it has stopped, which is the only smart feature that matters in a basement

What is not

No pump, so the drain has to run downhill the whole way
Midea publishes no wattage anywhere, so the 487 W above is computed rather than quoted
The 4,500 sq ft coverage claim is marketing, not a spec - see the sizing guide

Who it is for

Someone with a floor drain, a sump, or a window well lower than the machine, who wants to set it once and stop thinking about it.

Skip it if

Skip it if the only drain in the room is higher than the unit. Without a pump, gravity is the entire drainage system, and no setting fixes an uphill hose.

GE ENERGY STAR 50 Pint Dehumidifier

Best for: A garage or shop with a floor drain

The same 50-pint platform as the pump model with the pump removed, which makes it the cheaper choice when the water can simply run downhill.

Average draw

487 W

Computed from the ENERGY STAR certified entry GE ADSE50X: 49.64 pt/day at IEF 2.01 L/kWh. Same certified platform as the pump variant - removing the pump does not change the DOE capacity or the IEF, so it does not change the computed draw.

What is good

Identical certified capacity and efficiency to the pump model at a lower price
Clean-filter alert, which is the maintenance nobody remembers to do
Auto defrost, so it keeps working in a cold garage rather than icing solid
Simple enough to be repairable

What is not

Gravity drainage only
No published wattage from GE
No app or timer if you want scheduled running

Who it is for

A garage, workshop or utility room with a floor drain and no interest in connectivity.

Skip it if

Skip it below about 41F. Every compressor unit on this page loses capacity as the coil approaches freezing - that is when a desiccant machine starts to win.

Frigidaire

Frigidaire 50 Pint Portable Dehumidifier

Best for: The cheapest honest 50-pint machine

No pump, no app, no display theater - a compressor, a bucket and a threaded drain outlet, which is all a dry basement actually requires.

Average draw

Not published

Not published by Frigidaire and not present by name in the ENERGY STAR certified list. The certified 50-pint class runs 443-490 W with a median of 488 W. Its current-generation non-pump sibling, the FHDD5033Y1, computes to 490 W, and Frigidaire's listing for the FHDD generation states 115 V / 545 W as a nameplate. Neither of those is this unit, so neither is printed as this unit's figure.

What is good

Threaded outlet takes a standard garden hose, so the continuous drain needs no adapter
Fewest failure points of any 50-pint unit here - no pump, no radio
Auto shut-off and a removable bucket, which is the whole feature list and that is fine
Usually the cheapest way into a real 50-pint DOE rating

What is not

Gravity only. The drain must be below the machine, full stop
No wattage published anywhere
No timer, no app, no low-temperature claim

Who it is for

Anyone with a floor drain and no interest in features. This is the control group against which the pump models have to justify their price.

Skip it if

Skip it if the machine will sit on a finished floor with no drain below it. That is the one job it cannot do.

Honeywell

Honeywell 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump (TP70PWKNR)

Best for: Seeing the relabeling stated on the box

Worth buying on its merits and worth reading regardless: it is one of the only listings in the category that prints both the current pint rating and the old one.

Average draw

Not published

Honeywell publishes no wattage for the TP70 line, and the certified list carries the TPFIT series rather than the TP70 series by name. Honeywell's certified 50-pint models (TPFIT50PWK, TPFIT50AWK and siblings) all compute to 487 W at 49.66 pt/day and IEF 2.01. That is the right ballpark for this machine and the wrong model number to print under it, so it stays in the note.

What is good

The listing states its own relabeling - 50 pints under the current standard, 70 under the 2012 one - which is more honesty than most of this category manages
ENERGY STAR Most Efficient claim on the product line
Continuous drain tube supplied rather than sold separately
Dual display, readable from across a basement

What is not

No wattage published, and the certified list does not carry the TP70 model number
Coverage claim is the maker's, not a measurement
Pump lift height is not stated

Who it is for

Anyone who has been confused by the pint numbers and wants a maker that acknowledges the change on the box.

Skip it if

Skip it if you need a stated pump lift. GE states a hose run and Frigidaire states a nameplate wattage; Honeywell states neither.

Waykar

Waykar 80 Pint ENERGY STAR Dehumidifier

Best for: A large open basement or a shop floor

Sold on an 80-pint headline that is a saturation figure; the DOE rating behind it is in the same 50-pint class as everything else on this page.

Average draw

Not published

No published wattage. Waykar's certified 50-pint entries - JD026CE-150, CHWA150A/B/E, CTH150A/B and the YD-150 family - compute to between 443 W and 488 W. The identity of the exact certified model behind this listing is not stated, so the band stands in for a number.

What is good

Sets to 30% RH, lower than most units will go
90-degree auto swing louvre, which genuinely helps in a long open basement
Continuous drainage support and a larger tank than Waykar's smaller units
Auto defrost for cold running

What is not

The 80-pint headline is not a DOE rating and should not be compared against one
No published wattage and no single certified model to map to
5,000 sq ft is the second-highest coverage claim in this registry

Who it is for

A large, open, genuinely wet basement or shop, where air movement matters as much as extraction.

Skip it if

Skip it if you are comparing it against a 50-pint unit on the strength of the 80. They are the same class of machine - the numbers are measured differently.

hOmeLabs

hOmeLabs 50 Pint Dehumidifier

Best for: Reading a coverage claim critically

A capable 50-pint machine attached to the least plausible coverage claim on this page, and the gap between those two facts is worth understanding before you buy anything in this category.

Average draw

Not published

hOmeLabs publishes no wattage and has no 50-pint entry in the ENERGY STAR certified list - its certified models are the HME0088 at 24.48 pt/day (276 W) and the HME0089 at 32.46 pt/day (318 W). For a 50-pint compressor unit the certified class band is 443-490 W with a median of 488 W.

What is good

States both numbers - 50 pints at the DOE condition and 120 at saturation - instead of quietly using the bigger one
Wi-Fi control at a price below the Midea Cube
Auto shut-off and a straightforward continuous-drain port
Widely sold, so replacement filters are easy

What is not

A 7,000 sq ft coverage claim for a 50-pint machine is roughly 50% higher than any comparable unit claims for the same capacity
Not in the ENERGY STAR certified list at this capacity
No published wattage

Who it is for

A budget-conscious buyer who understands that the coverage number is marketing and the pint number is the specification.

Skip it if

Skip it if you were buying it because of the 7,000 sq ft figure. Size from the room and the dampness, not from the largest number on the box - the sizing guide explains why.

What 50 pints costs to run

The median certified 50-pint unit

(488 W / 1000) x 12 h x $0.1834/kWh = $1.07 per day

0.488

kWh per hour

$32.69

per month, 12 h/day

$65.38

per month, 24 h/day

Rate is the US residential average of 18.34 cents/kWh from the EIA Electric Power Monthly, June 2026. Yours will differ - use the calculator.

Two things move that number more than the choice of machine does. The first is your electricity rate: at Nevada's 13.11 cents a month of 12-hour days is $23.05, and at Hawaii's 52.72 cents it is $92.68. The second is sizing - an undersized unit never reaches its target, never idles, and runs at full draw all day. Cost per month, by state.

What we would skip

Any unit chosen on its square-footage claim
In our registry, 50-pint machines claim coverage from 4,000 to 7,500 square feet - a 1.9x spread for the same certified capacity. The pint rating is a measurement taken under a defined standard. The square footage is a marketing decision taken by a copywriter. Size from the pints and the dampness.
An 80-pint headline compared against a 50-pint rating
The Waykar on this page is sold as 80 pints and sits in the same DOE class as everything else here. That is not deceptive - both figures are real - but they are measured at different conditions, and comparing one against the other is comparing nothing.

How we picked

Certified at 45 to 52 pints per day under the post-2019 DOE procedure. That is what 50-pint means.
Computed average draw from the model's certified IEF, or the class band where no named entry exists.
Drainage options, because within a class this narrow it is the real differentiator.
What the maker publishes: a wattage, a pump reach, a minimum operating temperature, or nothing.
Not tested by us. Every figure is quoted or computed, with the source named.

We did not test these units. The full criteria and their weighting are on the methodology page.

FAQ

Questions

Is a 50-pint dehumidifier big enough for a basement?

For most US basements, yes - it is the default recommendation. Very large, very wet, or repeatedly flooded spaces want more capacity or a second unit, and a small dry-ish basement is better served by a 30-pint unit at a third less power.

How much water should a 50-pint unit collect per day?

Fifty pints in 24 hours at 65F and 60% RH. Cooler or drier than that and it collects less, which is correct behavior rather than a fault. In a room already at 50% RH it may collect very little, and that means it has done its job.

What was a 50-pint dehumidifier called before 2020?

Roughly a 70-pint. ENERGY STAR's published correlation maps old 70 to new 40-45 and old 90 to new 55; the 70-to-50 pairing is what manufacturers themselves print most often. Honeywell's own listing says 50 pints, 70 pint under the 2012 DOE standard.

Sources