Best Dehumidifier for a Basement
Basements run cooler than the rest of the house, and humidity can climb quickly after rain. All three picks below are rated to keep running at 41°F or colder.
The Midea Cube 50-pint is the strongest all-around pick for most basements. It has the largest rated coverage of the three picks at 4,500 sq ft and is the only one that ships with a drain hose. For smaller or moderately damp basements, the Frigidaire 35-pint costs less and runs down to the same 41°F floor.
Have a basement larger than 2,000 sq ft, or one that stays damp for days after heavy rain
Want continuous drainage without manually emptying a tank
Are running the unit seasonally in an unfinished space that stays at 41°F or warmer
Have a moderately damp basement under 2,000 sq ft (the Frigidaire covers that for less)
Need to pump water up to a sink with no floor drain nearby (look at the pump variant instead)
| Model | Capacity | Coverage | Lowest temp | Drain | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midea Cube 50-pint | 50 pt/day | 4,500 sq ft | 41°F | Hose included | 4.3 | Top pick |
| Frigidaire 35-pint | 35 pt/day | 3,000 sq ft | 41°F | Port, hose not included | 3.5 | |
| Hisense 35-pint | 35 pt/day | 3,000 sq ft | 38°F | Port, hose not included | 4.0 |
What makes a basement different
Since June 2019, portable dehumidifier capacity ratings in the US come from a Department of Energy test run at 65°F, down from 80°F under the older procedure, a change ENERGY STAR describes as matching basement conditions more closely. A unit in a basement colder than 65°F removes less water per day than the rating on the box, and as the room cools toward a unit’s rated minimum the coils can frost over.
The lowest rated operating temperature is the spec to compare. The Midea Cube and the Frigidaire are rated down to 41°F and the Hisense down to 38°F. Whether a unit defrosts itself varies by model, so if your basement sits in the low 40s for weeks at a time, check the owner’s manual for a defrost mode before you buy.
A dehumidifier running continuously in a damp basement can collect several gallons of water a day, far more than a 1.7-gallon tank holds. Any unit used as a primary basement dehumidifier should have a gravity drain or pump option that routes collected water to a floor drain or utility sink continuously.
Midea Cube 50-pint
I put the Midea Cube 50-pint first because it is rated for up to 4,500 sq ft, the largest coverage of the three picks, and its 4.2-gallon tank holds more than double the Frigidaire’s 1.7 gallons. It is also the only pick that ships with a drain hose, so continuous drainage to a floor drain works out of the box.
It is rated to run down to 41°F, the same floor as the Frigidaire, and supports Wi-Fi control through the Midea app with Alexa and Google Home. The linked listing is the no-pump version, so drainage relies on gravity unless you buy the pump variant.
Read the full Midea Cube 50-pint review.
- 4.2-gallon tank, more than double the Frigidaire’s
- Only pick with a drain hose included
- Rated to run down to 41°F
- Energy Star certified
- Wi-Fi app control with Alexa and Google Home
- No built-in pump, so gravity drain only unless you buy the pump variant
- Midea publishes no noise rating for this model
- Costs more than the Frigidaire
Frigidaire 35-pint
The Frigidaire 35-pint (FHDD3534Y1) is rated to remove 35 pints a day across up to 3,000 sq ft and to run down to 41°F. In a basement, I size it by ENERGY STAR’s capacity table: a moderately damp basement under 2,000 sq ft calls for 20 to 30 pints a day, which this unit covers.
Continuous drain works through a standard garden hose, which is not included, and the three fan speeds give some control over noise. It supports Wi-Fi control through the Frigidaire app with Alexa and Google Home, and it is the lowest-priced of the three picks.
Read the full Frigidaire 35-pint review, or the Midea Cube vs Frigidaire comparison.
- Lowest price of the three picks
- Rated to run down to 41°F
- Three fan speeds
- Wi-Fi app control with Alexa and Google Home
- Auto restart after a power interruption
- 1.7-gallon tank fills quickly if not using continuous drain
- 35-pint capacity is borderline for larger or wetter basements
- Drain hose not included, and no published noise rating
Hisense 35-Pint Compact Dehumidifier
The Hisense 35-Pint Compact Dehumidifier removes up to 35 pints of moisture per day and is rated to operate down to 38°F, three degrees below the 41°F floor of the other two picks. That makes it the pick for an unheated or unfinished basement that runs a few degrees below 41°F in winter. In a basement, it fits the same moderately damp space under 2,000 sq ft as the Frigidaire. It outscores the Frigidaire on the Advisor Score (4.0 to 3.5) for that cold rating and its longer warranty; I list it after the Frigidaire because it costs more than the Frigidaire and is the only pick without Wi-Fi. Hisense’s own spec sheet lists coverage up to 3,000 square feet, less than the 3,500 square feet used in some retail listings for this unit.
Hisense has no Wi-Fi control, no published noise rating, and no drain hose in the box, so budget for one separately if you want continuous drainage. It carries a 2-year warranty, but with 22 Amazon reviews as of November 2026, against 65 for the Frigidaire and 338 for the Midea Cube, it has less of a track record than the units above.
Read the full Hisense 35-Pint Compact review, or the Hisense vs Frigidaire comparison.
- Rated to operate down to 38°F, colder than the other units here
- Energy Star certified
- 2-year warranty
- No Wi-Fi control
- Drain hose not included
- Manufacturer does not publish a noise rating
- 35-pint capacity is borderline for larger or wetter basements
- 22 Amazon reviews as of November 2026, the fewest of the three
How to size a basement dehumidifier
Coverage area is a manufacturer figure, and a cool, poorly ventilated basement with concrete walls works a unit harder than a heated room of the same size.
The basement sizing guide reads pints per day off ENERGY STAR’s capacity table by dampness and square footage.
Size up from what the sizing guide’s table suggests, particularly if your basement has below-average ventilation, stays below 65°F, the DOE test temperature, for weeks at a time, or shows signs of persistent moisture such as efflorescence on walls or musty odor that returns quickly after airing out. A unit with capacity to spare cycles at part load instead of running at maximum all season.
If your basement has standing water after heavy rain, a dehumidifier is the wrong first tool. Stop the water intrusion first, with a sump pump or regrading around the foundation, before running a dehumidifier. A unit running in a space with active water intrusion cannot keep up and wears faster.
If the water is under control but a 50-pint unit has run around the clock for weeks without bringing humidity down, the basement needs more capacity than a household unit offers. The Santa Fe Classic review covers a professional-grade unit for that case; it drains by gravity and is rated only down to 56°F. The whole-house vs portable guide compares it with the AprilAire E100, which costs less, is rated down to 50°F and can be ducted to the rest of the house.
Which basement dehumidifier is the most durable?
None of the three makers publishes a lifespan or a failure rate for these models, so I judge durability on what is documented: how long the warranty runs, and whether the unit will spend its life inside its rated conditions.
| Warranty | Lowest rated operating temperature | |
|---|---|---|
| Hisense 35-Pint Compact | 2 years, parts and labor | 38°F |
| Midea Cube 50-pint | 1 year (Midea lists no further terms) | 41°F |
| Frigidaire 35-pint | 1 year, parts and labor | 41°F |
The Hisense is the only one of the three that its maker backs for two years, and it is also rated for the coldest basement. If durability is your first concern, it is my pick, with one caveat: it has the shortest owner track record of the three, 22 Amazon reviews as of November 2026.
A compressor dehumidifier run below its rated temperature can frost over its coil, which cuts the water it pulls and adds wear, so match the floor rating to your basement’s coldest weeks.
Outside these three, the Santa Fe Classic carries a five-year complete warranty and six years on components, for units built after January 1, 2024. It is a professional-grade unit rated down to only 56°F, so it suits a warm basement that a 50-pint unit could not dry; the Santa Fe Classic review has the details.
What temperature is too cold for a basement dehumidifier?
It depends on the unit’s rated minimum operating temperature. The three picks here are rated down to 41°F (Midea Cube, Frigidaire) and 38°F (Hisense). Capacity ratings come from a test at 65°F, so expect less water removed per day as the basement gets colder than that, and check the operating range in the specs before buying.
Do I need a dehumidifier with a pump for my basement?
Only if your drainage options require pumping water upward, or too far to keep a downhill slope, to reach a drain or sink. If you have a floor drain in the basement, gravity drain via hose is sufficient and simpler. If the nearest drain is a utility sink at counter height, a pump-equipped unit saves the hassle of manual emptying. The Midea Cube 50-pint with pump variant is the unit to consider if you need that capability.
Why does my basement dehumidifier keep icing up?
Coil icing happens when the coils drop below freezing, which gets more likely as the room cools toward the unit’s rated minimum. If yours ices up often, compare the basement temperature with that minimum (41°F or 38°F for the picks here), and check the manual for a defrost setting.
How often should I run a basement dehumidifier?
In a basement with regular moisture, leave it on through the humid months and let the built-in humidistat do the timing: set the humidity level you want, and the unit cycles on and off to hold it.
Which basement dehumidifier should you buy?
For most basements my pick is the Midea Cube 50-pint: the extra cost over the Frigidaire buys 15 more pints a day and a drain hose in the box.
If your basement is under 2,000 sq ft and moderately damp, the Frigidaire 35-pint is the lower-cost option with the same 41°F floor. If your basement runs a few degrees below 41°F in winter, get the Hisense 35-pint, rated to 38°F; it has no Wi-Fi, and you supply the drain hose.
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