Which portable air conditioner is best

With 10, BTUs of cooling power, it can cool a room up to square feet in size between 62 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and has a hour adjustable timer. This portable AC option from De'Longhi can cool rooms up to square feet in size, according to the brand.

With the De'Longhi app, you can control the device from your phone — even if you're not at home. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The air conditioner can also be used as a fan, dehumidifier and heater in the colder months.

First, assess your space. The higher the BTUs, the more powerful the air conditioner is at keeping your room cool. On average, an air conditioning unit needs about 20 BTUs per square foot of space to keep things cool, said McKeon. EnergyStar, a federal program promoting energy-efficient products, has its own guidelines to help you choose the right model. As BTU capacity increases, the weight and size of the model typically will, too. When shopping for portable air conditioning units, McKeon recommended considering the following.

This portable air conditioner, heater, and dehumidifier provides 12, BTUs of power and features a dual-hose system. Positive reviews noted the usefulness of the included remote control and the quiet nature of the motor. Many customers also enjoyed the dual-hose system because it was more efficient than single-hose models.

Negative reviews mentioned that their model failed within a year of use and that Whynter customer service was difficult to communicate with. This buying guide will help you find the best portable air conditioner to keep every room in your house cool and comfortable. Portable air conditioners typically have a cooling power between 7, and 15, BTUs. The larger a room, the higher BTU output your unit will need to cool it.

Some portable air conditioners can do more than cool a space. Many feature fan, dehumidifier, and heater settings. This makes them useful all year round. Common filter types include:. Additional features that can improve the effectiveness of a portable air conditioner include:.

Start by measuring the area of your room in square feet. Note, too, that this drain is higher up on the Duo than on other models—about 1 foot up from the bottom, which should make it easier to tilt and drain. Also like other portables, the Duo uses filters that are easy to remove and clean without any additional tools. The remote control is standard, and the unit has a convenient recess on the back to store the plug at the end of the season. The Duo also has smart capabilities that allow you to control it via a smartphone app, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant.

We appreciated that the Duo could function fully without relying on the app or the voice controls, but we valued this versatility, especially for anyone who has difficulty getting up and manually adjusting the unit itself.

At 73 pounds, the Midea Duo is one of the heavier portable ACs out there—about 5 pounds more than our budget pick and more than 10 pounds heavier than the convertible dual-hose model we tested from GE. The caster wheels and handles make it easy enough to move around on flat areas. It also has all the same smart-home features though with a different user interface , a similar built-in accordion hose and sturdy window-installation kit, and a convenient pocket on the back where you can store the remote control, plug, or manual.

The LG sounds similar to the Midea, too, with a pop-up fan that makes a gentle, almost breath-like white noise. Some owner reviews complain that the compressor on the LG emits a loud, high-pitched whine that sometimes makes sleeping difficult.

The Frigidaire also cooled faster at the beginning of the cycle, dropping the temperature about 2. And the Frigidaire was better than any other model we tested at maintaining a consistent temperature between the two sensors we placed in the testing room one at 3 feet directly in front of the AC, and the other 6 feet away on a diagonal , spreading the air evenly around the room so that there was never more than a half-degree difference.

But its volume output came as a similar surprise, as it measured about 2 decibels quieter on average than the Midea. Like the other models we tested, the Frigidaire has a drain plug, a washable filter, and mostly seamless smart-home capabilities.

However, the LED indicators—including the optional Quick Glance Light, which lets you know when your room has reached your target temperature—were a little too bright for our tastes. Although the hose has some nice touches such as a lattice over the exhaust port and a nice cloth sheath to dress up the otherwise unsightly plastic accordion tube, this model also came with the least modular window-panel options.

We had to snap one of the plastic plates in half in order to fit it snugly into a standard double-hung window. This is great if you think you might enjoy listening to an amateur White Stripes cover band with a snake on lead vocals, but it might not be the best if you want to sleep or get any work done.

At It has rough, bumpy casters that felt cheaply made to us but work well enough. Unfortunately, the stock has been wildly unreliable, and we suspect this model may be at the end of its life. Even if you can find it, the price has gone up, as well, making it just as expensive, or even more so, than our other picks. But even with an SACC rating of 7, Btu per hour, it struggled to make the room any cooler than 70 degrees even though the thermostat went lower than that.

It has all the smart-home connectivity you might need, and all of the buttons and features are clearly labeled and accessible and right where you might expect them. It was one of the nicest-looking portable ACs we had ever tested, with a high energy-efficiency ratio and lots of thoughtful design touches including a tool-free window-installation kit, a cloth covering for the exhaust hose, a magnetic holder for the remote, and smart-home capabilities.

If you live in an area that frequently gets above 95 degrees or so, a dual-hose model might be worth using, according to one DOE study [PDF]. In a previous version of this guide, we also dismissed the dual-hose Avallon APACC , which was too bulky and too inefficient with its energy use, as well as the Whynter ARCS , which was our also-great pick in but was just too loud. We previously dismissed another three dozen dual- and single-hose models from CCH Products, EdgeStar, Emerson, Friedrich, Frigidaire, Haier, Sunpentown, and others due to shaky reviews, concerns over specs such as noise and efficiency, and price and availability issues.

They require a large amount of water to cool the space and are ideal in dry climates where humidity levels are low and the air is hot.

While useful features and aesthetics are nice, most importantly, you'll have to find a portable air conditioner with the correct British thermal units BTUs or Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity SACC rating for capacity. It also works as a fan with three speeds and a dehumidifier that can remove up to a claimed pints per 24 hour period. The 24 hour programmable timer lets you set a schedule for throughout the day read: scheduling it to turn on 30 minutes before you'll be home from work , and you can monitor temperature on the digital readout.

The exhaust hose extends up to five feet so you'll have some flexibility in placing it, but you'll definitely want to clear some space. You'll get m ore of a cool breeze than intense cold air, but it's a solid affordable option for a room that needs a chill. It doesn't need to be hooked up to a window in order to work, so you have more flexibility in choosing where to place it and it only weighs 14 pounds, making it easy to move around.

The included remote is an extra bonus — control it without needing to leave your bed. It's quieter than other portable air conditioners and at 53 pounds, you won't strain a muscle moving it.

It has a smaller suggested cooling area, so it's best for an office or small bedroom. The filter slides out of the back for easy access for cleaning, and the included remote means you won't have to pause working or get out of bed to change the settings. The hour programmable timer and included remote helps you better manage cooling throughout the day.

Whynter claims it can dehumidify up to 76 pints per 24 hour period while the manufacturer's claimed noise level is under 52 dBA, so it should be easy to sleep through its operation. The included storage bag helps keep all parts and accessories together for storage in the winter. If you do need to stow it away throughout the year, it comes with a storage bag.

Similar to our overall pick, it can dehumidify up to pints for every 24 hour period, helping bring ease to a humid summer. It has a built-in dehumidifier that removes 67 pints a day when used in "dry mode. This all-in-one heater, dehumidifier, fan, and cooler will get you through the year with multi functionality. Whynter claims the 12, BTU unit can cool up to square feet, and it can dehumidify up to 96 pints over 24 hours.