Midea 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump, 4,500 Sq. Ft, Energy star
Let me start with the problem.
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Visit on Amazon →The short version: Frigidaire wins on performance, hOmeLabs wins on comfort. The long version is below, and it involves a bucket, a scale, and a lab mix named Boudreaux who sleeps in front of whichever unit is running.
The Frigidaire 50-Pint (FFAD5033W1)
Let me start with the problem. This thing is loud. Not annoying loud, but "you will hear it through a closed door" loud. The compressor hums, the fan rattles a bit at certain settings, and when the pump kicks on, it sounds like a small appliance having a moment. In my bedroom, I can't run it while I sleep. That's a real limitation for a unit that costs $12.67.
But here's why I keep coming back to it. It pulls water like it's got something to prove. I weighed the bucket on a July afternoon, 85 degrees and 70% humidity, and it collected 34 pints in 24 hours. The sticker says 50. That's the industry standard lie, but 34 pints is more than any other portable I've owned in that room. My old 30-pint unit pulled 18. The math is the math.
The hose hookup is the reason I bought this one. There's a threaded fitting on the back, you screw in a standard garden hose, and it drains continuously. No emptying a tank every day, no rubber plugs, no mess.
I ran a hose out the back window into a flower bed for two months and forgot the tank existed. That's the feature that makes a dehumidifier actually work long term, because a unit you have to empty every day is a unit you'll stop using.
After two years, the Frigidaire still runs like day one. The compressor kicks on, the fan spins, no weird noises beyond the normal hum. I've had cheaper units die at the two-year mark, right after the warranty expired. This one shows no signs of quitting. That's worth something.
The downsides beyond the noise: the tank is heavy when full, the casters are cheap plastic, and there's no app or smart features. I don't care about the app. I care that it pulls water, and it does.
Choose the Frigidaire if you're okay with noise and want the most water pulled per watt. I measured it at 580 watts on high, which is about $12.67 a month at 15 cents per kWh if you run it eight hours a day. That's the cost of dry air.
The hOmeLabs 50-Pint
The hOmeLabs is the unit I wanted to hate because it's cheaper and marketed to people who don't know better. After a year with it, I can't hate it. I just can't love it either.
The biggest issue is the tank. It's not the rubber plug disaster of the Pro Breeze, but it's close. The tank slides out, you carry it to the sink, and you tip it over a spout. That sounds fine, but the spout is small, the tank is awkwardly shaped, and I've splashed water on my floor more times than I care to admit.
The first time I emptied it, I thought I was doing something wrong. I wasn't. It's just a poor design.
The performance is a step down. Same conditions, same July day, the hOmeLabs pulled 28 pints versus the Frigidaire's 34. That's a 15% difference, and it's consistent. I ran them side by side for a week, swapping rooms, and the Frigidaire won every time. The hOmeLabs uses about 540 watts, so it's slightly more efficient per pint, but not enough to make up the gap.
What the hOmeLabs does better is the living experience. It's quieter, maybe 20% less noise, and the sound is lower pitched, less annoying. The controls are simpler, just buttons and a digital readout. The app, which I ignored for months, actually works. I connected it out of curiosity, and it shows humidity readings and lets you set targets. I don't need it, but it's not stupid.
The build quality worries me. The plastic feels thinner, the handle flexes when you grab it, and the casters are smaller. After a year, one of the casters is starting to bind. Nothing failed yet, but I don't see this lasting five years. The Frigidaire I can see lasting five years. The hOmeLabs I'd give three.
Choose the hOmeLabs if you want a quieter unit, don't mind emptying a slightly annoying tank, and want to save twenty bucks. Choose the Frigidaire if you want the most water pulled and a unit that feels like it was built to last. I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know next week's, but the gap between these two has been steady for the year I've owned them.
The Bucket Test, Side by Side
I put both units in my back hallway, which is the dampest room in the house, no AC, just a window unit and a prayer. I ran them for 24 hours, swapped them, ran them again. The Frigidaire pulled 34 and 33 pints.
The hOmeLabs pulled 28 and 27. The Frigidaire used 580 watts, the hOmeLabs 540. Do the math: the Frigidaire pulls more water per dollar, but the hOmeLabs pulls more per watt.
If your electricity is expensive, the hOmeLabs might actually be cheaper to run. If your problem is the water, the Frigidaire wins.
That's the honest answer. It's not a blowout. The Frigidaire is the better dehumidifier, but the hOmeLabs is the better value for some people.
What I'd Do With My Own Money
My shop, my garage, my 1920s house with the damp back rooms: I'd buy the Frigidaire again. I've had it two years, it's still running, and it pulls more water than anything else I've owned. The noise doesn't bother me in the shop. Boudreaux doesn't care either, he just sleeps in front of whichever one is blowing cool air.
For a bedroom, I'd think harder. The Frigidaire is too loud to sleep next to. The hOmeLabs is quieter, but the tank is a daily chore. I'd probably get the hOmeLabs and run it during the day, or I'd spend more money on a unit with a real hose kit and a quiet compressor. There are units that do both, but they cost more than either of these.
The Bottom Line
The Frigidaire is the better dehumidifier. It pulls more water, it's built better, and it'll last longer. The hOmeLabs is the better roommate. It's quieter, the app is fine, and it's cheaper. You're not making a mistake with either one, but you're making a different trade. I've lived with both for a year. I know which one I'd replace if it died tomorrow, and it's the Frigidaire.