The Best Portable Air Conditioner
We evaluated air conditioner systems from 2013 to 2016 and we evaluated portable equipment specifically from 2016. Over 125 hours have been devoted to research and testing in the field, with thousands of hours devoted to portable devices. We considered nearly 125 different portables and conducted tests in which more than 20 options were tested. We have spoken to manufacturers in a variety of exhibition and event settings, interviewed many sources and searched through volumes of energy materials on AC efficiency standards.
Types of Room Air Conditioners
During the warm summer months, temperatures can be unrelenting despite cooling equipment or cooling systems in some areas. In the southeastern United States, central air conditioning can consume energy and cool rooms that remain mostly idle and you may find it difficult to lower your thermostat. A room air conditioner is a good choice to beat the hot summer air. There’s a variety of air conditioning units for rooms, so choosing a suitable one is easy. Portable cooling units.
Single hose models, which are more common, pull stagnant air from inside your room, cooling and recirculating it throughout. Dual-hose units, on the other hand, have one air exhaust hose and another that pulls fresh air from outside.
7 best portable air conditioners of 2022 to keep you cool anywhere
June 22 2022 12:30 PDT Summer is here and having air conditioners is the easiest method of maintaining the cool temperature. There are numerous air-conditioning systems available like window air conditioning units and portable units. If you are looking for a portable air conditioning unit that can easily be moved around the house without any hassle, advise the manufacturer. What should I look for in an air conditioner?
Portable Air Conditioners
We’ve highlighted their cooling power, the size of room they’re fit for (according to the brand) and their hose type, whether single or dual. All of the portable air conditioners we recommend have wheels so you can move them around easily. Best affordable portable air conditioner: Shinco Shinco 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner Cooling power : 10,000 BTUs Room size : Up to 300 square feet Hose type : Single hose This portable air conditioner.
Look to this unit to cool your bedroom without keeping you up at night. 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 .
If you don’t want the stress and hassle of installing a unit, you may want to consider a portable air conditioner, which is easier to set up and can be moved throughout your space, experts told us. SKIP AHEAD How to shop for a portable AC unit To help you find the best portable air conditioner, we consulted cooling and appliance experts to help you find the right model for your space, plus used their advice to round up some top-rated recommendations.
Portable Ac Unit
If you don’t want the stress and hassle of installing a unit, you may want to consider a portable air conditioner, which is easier to set up and can be moved throughout your space, experts told us. SKIP AHEAD How to shop for a portable AC unit To help you find the best portable air conditioner, we consulted cooling and appliance experts to help you find the right model for your space, plus used their advice to round up some top-rated recommendations.
Cool Air
Auto features make it even easier to find the right settings for each room. Circulate air with the press of a button on models that include remote control setting options. Auto air swing vents help move cool air around your space more efficiently to reach your desired temperature faster. If you’re living in a studio or small apartment without central air, reach for a small portable air conditioner that helps you stay comfortable without taking up a lot of space.
Dual-hose units, on the other hand, have one air exhaust hose and another that pulls fresh air from outside. According to Prouty, dual-hose units are louder and more expensive. They also require more work: Prouty told us that pulling air from the outside produces condensation, which is stored in a bucket within the unit that you’ll have to empty.
Window Air Conditioners
Thom Dunn has written Wirecutter guides to window air conditioners , room fans , space heaters , and more. He has also published articles for The Huffington Post , Upworthy , Vice , The Weather Channel , and other outlets, and in 2019 he was commissioned by Cornell University to create a full-length play about community responses to climate change.
Multiple Unit Control: Most brands allow you to control multiple units from one location. Considerations Though PTAC AC units are popular in the hospitality industry, they’re also used in sun rooms and various other residential spaces. Vertical Package Air Conditioners A vertical package air conditioner (VTAC) is a vertical heating and cooling unit that’s usually installed in a space hidden from view, like a closet.
Window Units
Who this is for If you don’t have central air conditioning, you should first look into window ACs or ductless mini-splits , which are generally more efficient and (in the case of window units) more affordable. But not every room or window type can accommodate a window AC, and mini-split installations can be too costly or complicated.
The machines must be vented to the outside because they are extracting hot air that you want to be released outside of the room. You can choose to vent through a window (most common), wall, ceiling or even a door. Those without exhaust hoses are called evaporative coolers.
Cooling Rooms
Our tests have borne this out over the years, as well; we’ve seen supposedly efficient models that barely made a dent in cooling rooms they were appropriately sized for. Those results helped our decision to go big and not focus too much on the claimed square-footage requirements. So we set a baseline SACC of 7,200 Btu per hour, which often corresponded with 14,000 Btu according to the older ASHRAE standards.
Once we figured out what was happening, it made sense and actually helped to demonstrate the Duo’s impressive air-circulation prowess. After all, cold air is heavier than warm air and thus tends to sink to the ground sooner. But the Duo was able to send those initial gusts of air far enough to ensure that the cold air actually spread before it sank. Anecdotally, we could feel that physical difference in the room, too.
Other Portable Units
This powerful portable AC from Whynter has a dual hose so it can cool down a room faster than other portable units. “Dual hose” means it uses outside air instead of inside air to cool down the internals of the AC, helping it to cool the room quicker and more efficiently.
Portable, window, and thru-wall ACs can also be used as supplementary cooling systems in rooms that are already covered by a central air conditioner. To gain the most energy efficiency, you’ll need to offset your usage of a central AC by turning up your thermostat (or turning it off) and letting the room air conditioner do most of the cooling work.
