Midea MAD20S1QWT

Choose it if: You have a modestly damp room and like the Cube's flexible reservoir arrangement and Wi-Fi control. Skip it if: You need to move large amounts of water daily or send a drain hose upward. The smart features are useful, but they cannot turn a 20-pint dehumidifier into a basement rescue crew.

Who it fits

A bedroom, den, or small living area that feels muggy is a different challenge from an unfinished basement with wet concrete. The Midea MAD20S1QWT belongs closer to the first group. ENERGY STAR records 20.16 pints/day of moisture removal under controlled conditions. It's the smallest certified extraction class in this PIQSY shortlist, and that should shape expectations before you consider the app or the Cube design.

If you are trying to keep a fairly ordinary room comfortable, it may be a sensible scale. If you have repeatedly emptied large buckets during rainy weeks or must dry a genuinely wet utility space, look at the 35- and 50-pint alternatives. Buying an undersized machine because its shape looks neat can mean more running time and more attention.

What changes the decision

The Cube design changes the water-handling conversation

Midea's Cube range places a compact operating section with a reservoir configuration that differs from a conventional tower-style bucket. That can be attractive where you don't want to empty a small conventional tank as often. But the benefit depends on how you plan to use the reservoir and how heavy the collected water becomes. More storage can mean fewer trips to the sink and a heavier lift when the trip finally comes.

Before buying, check the exact reservoir capacity and filled weight in this model's current manual. A tank size borrowed from another Cube generation could make that trip to the sink a lot less convenient than expected. What matters first is access. Can you lift or move the filled section comfortably? Can you reach the drain? Will the device sit on a level surface with enough room around it?

A 20-pint rating is daily extraction, not a bucket size

The model's 20.16-pint/day ENERGY STAR rating is measured under a standardized test. It does not mean 20 pints fit in the water container, nor does it guarantee you'll pull that much water from a cooler home. Real collection changes as the room dries, outdoor weather shifts, and the compressor cycles. This is why judging solely by an impressive advertised square-foot number can be a trap.

ENERGY STAR lists an integrated energy factor of 1.70 L/kWh. In everyday terms, that measures water collected for a given amount of electricity in a standardized test. It is useful context, not a direct prediction of your electric bill or proof that the 20-pint Cube costs less to run than every larger unit.

Wi-Fi is useful if you'll actually check it

This US model is listed with smart app functionality. For a room you don't visit often, being able to check or change settings can be convenient. The value is modest but real when the unit is in a basement corner instead of your living room. Just remember that a phone screen cannot empty a full reservoir, install a drain hose, or solve a dripping foundation.

If you want the appliance to run largely unattended, plan your water disposal before paying more for convenience features. This Cube is not the MAD50PS1QWT-A pump version. It should not be described as capable of lifting water through a hose to an elevated sink.

Temperature can limit a good-looking setup

Midea's US family manual tells owners to position the unit where the temperature is not below 41°F, and gives the broader operating range up to 95°F for the covered models. That is especially relevant if your plan is an unheated basement in winter. A claimed moisture-removal number does not override the manufacturer's temperature guidance.

If the space routinely falls below that minimum, don't force this Cube into the role. Address the room conditions or compare solutions designed for that environment.

Living with it

For most buyers, three questions determine whether the Cube feels clever or awkward after the novelty wears off: where will it sit, how will the water leave, and who will lift a filled reservoir? Put it somewhere you can access without moving furniture, allow the stated clearance, and check that hoses are routed without kinks. Water weighs about eight pounds per gallon; the practical lifting burden is easy to underestimate.

Once it's running, check the independent room humidity rather than assuming the set number always matches the exact conditions on the other side of the room. If a musty smell persists because water is getting through a wall, find and repair that source. A dehumidifier controls airborne moisture; it doesn't waterproof a house.

Who should choose something else

Choose the Frigidaire FHDD2233Y1 if you want a simple conventional small dehumidifier and don't need app control or Cube-style handling. Consider the Frigidaire FHDD3534Y1 if the room is larger or more persistently damp and you need mid-capacity extraction. If your basement has heavy moisture and water must travel upward to a drain, the Midea MAD50PS1QWT-A offers a different 50-pint-class pump-equipped setup, subject to its installation limits.

Avoid buying this model solely because another Midea Cube review praises a 35- or 50-pint version. Cube generations and suffixes differ; independent testing of a related model cannot be treated as testing of this exact one.

Owner feedback

Owner feedback is still developing for this particular US configuration. Reviews associated with neighboring Cube capacities or suffixes are not proof of this model's long-term reliability, tank comfort, or noise profile. We have not tested the MAD20S1QWT in-house. Consider model-specific return terms and warranty service alongside its features.

PIQSY conclusion

The MAD20S1QWT makes most sense as a modest-room moisture-control appliance whose app and water-handling design genuinely fit your routine. Its small certified extraction class is both the point and the limit. Pick it to handle the right-sized job more conveniently; skip it when the job really needs a bigger compressor or an actual lift pump.

Use the full MAD20S1QWT model number when checking current US availability. Check the retailer's live price, seller terms, and exact configuration before buying.