Dehumidifiers / AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier vs Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)
AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier
$1441.00
VSPro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)
$46.42
AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier vs Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)
AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier
Best warranty in the category, an 80°F pint rating, and an unheld ENERGY STAR badge.
Wins overall by 2.5 points
Quick Verdict
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier takes this by a clear 2.5 points. Best warranty in the category, an 80°F pint rating, and an unheld ENERGY STAR badge. The Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier and Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) are both closely matched dehumidifier models, and the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) is $1,394.60 cheaper than the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier ($46.42 vs $1,441). On Moisture Removal, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads (8.5 vs 1.0/10) — actual water pulled out of the air per day at a condition a home experiences, judged against the DOE-verified figure rather than the coverage claim on the box. On Build & Warranty, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads (9.5 vs 4.5/10) — coil and cabinet construction, filter grade, and above all the warranty on the sealed system — the compressor is the part that fails and the part most portables cover for only twelve months. On Drainage & Tank Practicality, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads (7.0 vs 2.5/10) — tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts. Overall, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 6.7/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 4.2/10 for the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier | Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1441.00 | $46.42 |
| Release Year | 2019 | 2016 |
| Rated Capacity (and Which Standard) | 70 pints/day at 80°F/60% RH, and 53 pints/day at 73°F/60% RH — AprilAire publishes both. The headline 70 is on the AHAM/pre-2019 condition, so this is NOT comparable to a modern 50-pint portable's DOE rating, and it is not 40% more machine than one either | Walmart's spec table for this unit says it "Collects up to 9oz of water per day" — that is 0.56 pints per day, not a pint rating at all. No DOE or AHAM pint figure exists for this product because thermoelectric units are outside the DOE portable-dehumidifier test scope. For scale, a 50-pint compressor unit removes roughly 90x more water per day |
| ENERGY STAR / DOE Verified Capacity ( pints/day) | None — the E070 does not appear in the ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifiers database. Only the E080, E100 and E130 are certified. For reference, ENERGY STAR rates the E080 at 65.00 pints/day under Appendix X1 against AprilAire's own 80-pint headline, and whole-home units are tested at 73°F/60% RH rather than the 65°F/60% RH used for portables — a third rating point in the same category | None — Pro Breeze does not appear anywhere in the ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifiers database, so no independently verified DOE Appendix X1 capacity exists |
| Technology & Refrigerant | Compressor (refrigerant), R32, 5.4 amps at 120V, 200 CFM at 0.0 in external static pressure, energy factor 2.1 L/kWh at 80°F/60% RH and 1.8 L/kWh at 73°F/60% RH | Thermoelectric (Peltier). A solid-state junction chills a small plate and moisture condenses onto it. There is no refrigeration circuit, no compressor and no refrigerant |
| Low-Temperature Operation & Defrost | 50°F to 104°F for dehumidification (40°F to 140°F in ventilation-only mode). That 50°F floor is better than a 41°F-rated portable in practice but worse than the AlorAir's 33.8°F — for a genuinely cold crawlspace the AlorAir or a desiccant is the safer choice | No frost failure mode — there is no coil to ice up — but Peltier output falls off sharply as the room cools because the plate can only sit a fixed number of degrees below ambient. Pro Breeze publishes no minimum operating temperature and no output-vs-temperature curve |
| Claimed Coverage | Sources conflict by a factor of two: AprilAire's own shop page says "whole houses up to 2,200 sq. ft.", the Amazon listing says "up to 2,800 sq. ft", and amgair.com's spec table for the same model says 4,400 sq. ft | Sources conflict badly for the same machine: 150 sq ft (Walmart's 1200-cubic-foot listing), 205 sq ft (Pro Breeze's own intl.probreeze.com page), 215 sq ft (the Amazon listing and Walmart's Peltier listing). All three describe the same 1,200 cubic feet |
| Tank Capacity & Refill Interval | None — there is no water tray. This is a plumbed appliance | Sources conflict: 17 oz (Amazon and Walmart), 16 oz (eBay and third-party listings), 18 oz (an eBay listing for the same PB-02-US). At the stated 9 oz/day extraction a 17 oz tank needs emptying roughly every two days, which is the one thing this unit does not ask much of you |
| Continuous Drainage (Hose, Gravity, Pump Lift) | Gravity drain only, with a barbed fitting and 10 ft of tubing included. There is no pump, so the unit must be sited above a drain or paired with a separate condensate pump. That is the practical difference between this and the pump-equipped AlorAir | None. There is no continuous-drain port, no hose and no pump — you empty the tank by hand. That is the practical ceiling on this product |
| ENERGY STAR Status | NOT certified. amgair.com markets this model as "Most Efficient | Energy Star Rated"; the E070 is absent from both the ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifiers list and the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient list. The E080, E100 and E130 above it are certified and are Most Efficient | Not ENERGY STAR certified and not eligible — ENERGY STAR's dehumidifier scope covers portable and whole-home refrigerant units, and Pro Breeze appears nowhere in the certified list |
| Annual Running Cost | Not published as an annual figure, because there is no ENERGY STAR entry. At 5.4 A / 120V (about 648W) and crawlspace duty cycles, budget for something in the region of the E080's certified 632 kWh/yr — roughly $107/yr at $0.17/kWh | About $34/yr if run continuously (23W x 8,760h x $0.17/kWh). That buys 0.56 pints a day. Per pint removed it is by a wide margin the most expensive machine here |
| Noise | 53 dBA ducted (AprilAire) | No dB figure published. Marketing says "ultra quiet"/"no noise"; there is a small fan and no compressor, so it is genuinely the quietest unit in this set, but the claim is unquantified |
| Warranty (incl. Sealed System) | 5 years on parts and the sealed system, per AprilAire and its dealers. This is the single strongest warranty position in the comparison alongside the AlorAir, and it is the reason the price is what it is | Not stated on the Amazon or Walmart listings used for this entry. Pro Breeze's standard consumer warranty is 12 months; confirm at purchase. There is no sealed system to warrant |
| Recall History | No CPSC recall found for AprilAire dehumidifiers | No CPSC recall found for Pro Breeze dehumidifiers. Note that thermoelectric units were not part of any of the three large compressor-dehumidifier recalls (Gree 2013/2016/2023, New Widetech 2021) |
| Warranty | 60 months | 12 months |
| Colors | White | White |
Category Scores
Capacity-Claim Honesty
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier and Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) are level here, at 6.0/10 each. this category's trap dimension. Since the DOE changed the test condition from 80°F/60% RH to 65°F/60% RH in 2019, the same machine that was a '70 pint' is now a '50 pint' — and manufacturers freely mix the two scales, plus a third 'saturation' figure taken at 95°F/90% RH. A high score means the pint number on the box matches the DOE Appendix X1 figure the manufacturer filed with ENERGY STAR. A low score means the marketing number is measured somewhere the buyer's house never is. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Moisture Removal
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 8.5 against 1.0 — a 7.5-point margin on actual water pulled out of the air per day at a condition a home experiences, judged against the DOE-verified figure rather than the coverage claim on the box. If that is what you are buying for, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Cold-Room Performance
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 6.5 against 3.0 — a 3.5-point margin on what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category. If that is what you are buying for, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Drainage & Tank Practicality
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 7.0 against 2.5 — a 4.5-point margin on tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts. If that is what you are buying for, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 4.5 against 2.0 — a 2.5-point margin on the kWh/yr on the ENERGY STAR certification and what it costs at the meter. On a machine that runs most of the year this dominates total ownership cost — often a third of the purchase price annually. If that is what you are buying for, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 6.5 — a 3.0-point margin on measured dB where published, weighted by where the machine actually lives — a 58 dBA crawlspace unit under a floor is fine, a 54 dB cube next to a desk is not. If that is what you are buying for, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Warranty
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 9.5 against 4.5 — a 5.0-point margin on coil and cabinet construction, filter grade, and above all the warranty on the sealed system — the compressor is the part that fails and the part most portables cover for only twelve months. If that is what you are buying for, the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value for Money
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier and Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) are level here, at 5.0/10 each. purchase price plus multi-year electricity against verified pints removed and how long the warranty protects the compressor is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Best For
Choose the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier if…
- • Moisture Removal matters most to you — the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 8.5/10 here (actual water pulled out of the air per day at a condition a home experiences, judged against the DOE-verified figure rather than the coverage claim on the box).
- • Build & Warranty matters most to you — the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 9.5/10 here (coil and cabinet construction, filter grade, and above all the warranty on the sealed system — the compressor is the part that fails and the part most portables cover for only twelve months).
- • Drainage & Tank Practicality matters most to you — the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 7.0/10 here (tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts).
- • Cold-Room Performance matters most to you — the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 6.5/10 here (what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category).
- • Your main use case is crawl-space or basement.
Choose the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) if…
- • Quietness matters most to you — the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) scores 9.5/10 here (measured dB where published, weighted by where the machine actually lives — a 58 dBA crawlspace unit under a floor is fine, a 54 dB cube next to a desk is not).
- • You want to spend less — it's $1,394.60 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is closet-bathroom or cold-spaces.
Pros & Cons
AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier
Pros
- +5-year parts and sealed-system warranty on a US-built unit, against 1 year from every portable here
- +Publishes capacity at two conditions (70 ppd at 80°F, 53 ppd at 73°F) instead of only the flattering one
- +MERV 8 washable filter means it is doing air cleaning as well as drying, unlike the mesh screens on the portables
- +No tray to empty and corrosion-resistant coils designed for years of crawlspace duty
Cons
- −amgair.com sells it as "Most Efficient | Energy Star Rated" — the E070 is in neither ENERGY STAR list; the E080 above it is
- −"70 pint" is an 80°F/60% RH figure. Cross-shopped against a 50-pint portable it looks like 40% more machine; measured at the same conditions it is not
- −Coverage is published as 2,200 (AprilAire), 2,800 (Amazon) and 4,400 (dealer) sq ft for the same unit
- −Gravity drain only — no pump, so a crawlspace without a low drain needs a condensate pump on top of the $1,441
- −50°F dehumidification floor is not low enough for the coldest crawlspaces, where the AlorAir's 33.8°F or a desiccant wins
Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)
Pros
- +Genuinely silent — no compressor cycling, which is why it works on a bedroom shelf where a 50-pint unit does not
- +23W means you can leave it on permanently without a meaningful bill, unlike every compressor unit here
- +No coil, so nothing frosts: it degrades gracefully in a cold room rather than shutting down like a compressor unit
- +Cheapest way to keep a wardrobe, gun safe or small bathroom from smelling damp
Cons
- −9 oz/day is 0.56 pints — roughly 1/90th of a 50-pint unit. It cannot dry a basement, a garage or a bedroom, whatever the 215 sq ft claim implies
- −Three different coverage figures (150/205/215 sq ft) and three different tank figures (16/17/18 oz) circulate for the identical PB-02-US
- −No drain port at all, so there is no unattended operation beyond a couple of days
- −Cost per pint removed is the worst in this comparison by a factor of ten or more
- −No published dB, no published minimum operating temperature, no published warranty on the listings
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier or Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Moisture Removal, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier or the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Moisture Removal (8.5/10 vs 1.0/10) — actual water pulled out of the air per day at a condition a home experiences, judged against the DOE-verified figure rather than the coverage claim on the box.
Which is better for Build & Warranty, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier or the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Build & Warranty (9.5/10 vs 4.5/10) — coil and cabinet construction, filter grade, and above all the warranty on the sealed system — the compressor is the part that fails and the part most portables cover for only twelve months.
Which is better for Drainage & Tank Practicality, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier or the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Drainage & Tank Practicality (7.0/10 vs 2.5/10) — tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts.
Which is better for Cold-Room Performance, the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier or the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Cold-Room Performance (6.5/10 vs 3.0/10) — what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category.
Is the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier worth the price difference over the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) is the cheaper option at $46.42 versus $1,441. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Moisture Removal.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier is the better fit if you mainly care about crawl-space or basement. The Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) is the better fit for closet-bathroom or cold-spaces.
What's the warranty on the AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier vs the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US)?+
The AprilAire E070 70-Pint Crawl Space / Whole-House Dehumidifier ships with a 60-month warranty; the Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier (PB-02-US) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Premium Option
AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier — $1507.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.