The 9 Best Portable Air Conditioners to Use This Summer, According to Customer Reviews
amazon.com
Best Overall:
realsimple - 355 Available at Amazon
Best Without an Exhaust Hose:
realsimple - 259 Available at Amazon
Most Quiet Option:
realsimple - 650 Available at Amazon
Best Affordable Option:
realsimple - 296 Available at Amazon
Best Small Option:
realsimple - 400 Available at Amazon
Best for Large Rooms:
realsimple - 551 Available at Amazon
Best Multifunctional Option:
realsimple - 430 Available at Amazon
Best Smart Option:
realsimple - 900 Available at Amazon
Best With Heat:
realsimple - 575 Available at Amazon
If your home isn't equipped with central air and your cooling fan just isn't cutting it anymore, it may be time to invest in an air conditioner. While window AC units are usually the go-to option for people looking to beat the heat, if your building doesn't allow these or your windows aren't sized to accommodate the appliances, you may want to consider a portable air conditioner instead.
These handy gadgets are designed to sit on the floor of a room, so you don't have to worry about safely securing it to a window. They are also a great option if you are on a budget and can't buy more than one AC unit, as you can easily move them from room to room.
These are the best portable air conditioners to shop:
Best Overall: Black + Decker Portable Air Conditioner
Best Option Without an Exhaust Hose: Honeywell Portable Evaporative Tower Cooler
Most Quiet Option: De’Longhi Portable Air Conditioner
Best Affordable Option: Shinco Portable Air Conditioner
Best Small Option: SereneLife Portable Air Conditioner
Best for Large Rooms: Midea Portable Air Conditioner
Best Multifunctional Option: Whynter Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier
Best Smart Option: LG Dual Inverter Portable Air Conditioner
Best With Heat: Whynter Portable Air Conditioner and Heater
When it comes to choosing the right portable air conditioner for your home, there are a few things to look for. First, you'll want to check the device's BTUs (British thermal units). The larger the BTU, the larger the room the AC unit can cool down. You'll also want to keep in mind that while these appliances won't sit in your window, they do use an exhaust hose to remove the hot air from the room. So you will need to have a window or another open space (like a ceiling or door) to which the device's hose can attach.
If you are looking to cool down a room that doesn't have windows or spaces, don't worry—you can opt for an evaporative cooler. These mobile appliances don't require an exhaust hose, as they use a water tank to cool a room down. So no matter what type of portable air conditioner you are looking for, we've got you covered.
We looked through thousands of reviews from real customers who have bought and used these appliances for themselves to see which ones are actually worth buying. Some options on the list below are multifunctional and do more than just cool things down, while others feature smart technology and can be controlled from your phone or other smart devices.
From small portable air conditioners to options that cool large rooms and affordable picks, these are the nine best portable air conditioners that shoppers love the most. Keep reading to learn more about them and buy one for yourself before temperatures start to rise.
Best Overall: Black + Decker Portable Air Conditioner
This portable air conditioner by Black + Decker has racked up thousands of five-star reviews from Amazon shoppers thanks to its lightweight design, energy-saving modes, large cooling capacity, and easy-to-use LED control panel. It can cool rooms up to 250 square feet, and it comes with a convenient kit that has everything you need to connect the exhaust vent to your window quickly and efficiently. Even better, it has a remote control, so you can change the temperature settings without getting up. “I love this thing,” wrote one reviewer. “Living in an apartment with no AC has been driving us crazy so we finally caved and bought this portable unit. It works amazingly fast and after initially cooling down the room it seems to turn into sort of a fan; if the temperature drops to a certain level, then it will kick back on and cool off the room again. It’s worked great so far!”
Best Without an Exhaust Hose: Honeywell Portable Evaporative Tower Cooler
Shoppers love this Honeywell portable evaporative cooler because of its affordable price point and the fact that there’s no exhaust fan to deal with; you just have to fill the water tank before you start using it. Not only will it quickly cool down your room, but it also acts as a humidifier. There are three cooling settings to choose from, and the device will alert you if it is running low on water. “I'm extremely impressed,” wrote one customer. “The unit blows very cold with just water! It's very quiet compared to a box fan. I would say the temperature it blows is around 65 degrees. I live in a basement and it's perfect for places with no windows.”
Most Quiet Option: De’Longhi Portable Air Conditioner
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line portable air conditioner that doesn’t make a lot of noise, consider this De’Longhi option. Along with a washable filtration system, the appliance has a quiet mode function and three cooling settings to choose from. It also has energy-saving modes that use up to 30 percent less energy, according to the brand. “Cools my entire den plus parts of the living room,” said one shopper. “It has a quiet mode which is important because it’s in a room with a TV. Would also be good for a bedroom. Another nice factor is that it blows from the top which works perfectly to ensure the cool gets into the entire room, and not just ‘at’ a single person, location, or is blocked by an obstruction.”
Best Affordable Option: Shinco Portable Air Conditioner
At less than $300, this Shinco portable air conditioner may be one of the most affordable options on the list, but shoppers say it provides the same amount of cooling power as more expensive models. It comes with everything you need for easy installation, and its exhaust hose is nearly 5 feet long, so it can be placed almost anywhere in the room—not just under the window. “This AC unit works great,” wrote one customer. “I live in Alaska, and we’ve never needed air conditioning until this summer. My apartment was like an oven, on the fourth floor and with a giant west-facing window. This thing has been a life saver, I no longer dread going home on hot days. Within minutes the temperature in my apartment started to drop, set up was super easy, and it’s very easy to move and store.”
Best Small Option: SereneLife Portable Air Conditioner
Looking for a compact portable air conditioner that won’t take up too much space? Check out this 8,000 BTU option by SereneLife. The small gadget is only 27.2 inches tall, and it can cool rooms up to 200 square feet. Shoppers love that it weighs less than 50 pounds, doubles as a dehumidifier, and comes with a remote control. One shopper called it the “best portable air conditioner on the market,” while another wrote, “Nice design, and compact. Does not take up too much floor space. Easy to set up and easy to use.”
Best for Large Rooms: Midea Portable Air Conditioner
This popular Midea portable air conditioner has 14,000 BTUs and can cool down rooms as large as 330 square feet super quickly. Not only is it easy to install, but it is easy to clean as well thanks to its washable filtration system. It may weigh nearly 70 pounds, but the appliance is on wheels, so you can easily transport it when needed. It has an easy-to-read LED control panel, but you can also control the AC unit through Alexa-enabled devices. “We remodeled the basement, which is a nice and large room. But it has a problem, small windows,” wrote one customer. “This is the reason I ordered this Midea Smart 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner, because a regular window unit wouldn't do. And I'm glad that I did, because this portable air conditioner is easy to install, and it truly cools the whole room. It also includes a remote control, and it's more easy to move around than I expected.”
Best Multifunctional Option: Whynter Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier
This multipurpose option by Whynter works as a portable air conditioner, a dehumidifier, and a fan—meaning you get three appliances for the price of one. It uses an activated carbon filter to improve air quality in the room, and it comes with a full installation kit that includes both an extendable exhaust and intake hose. Shoppers say it’s very easy to set up and use thanks to its control panel and remote control. “Great way to cool a room without cooling the entire house,” said one reviewer. “With the dual hoses it cools more efficiently and is Energy Star-rated. You can also use it just as a dehumidifier when it's not that hot but it may be humid.”
Best Smart Option: LG Dual Inverter Portable Air Conditioner
This smart portable air conditioner by LG can cool rooms up to 450 square feet and use up to 40 percent less energy than similar models on the market. It can be controlled through Google- and Alexa-enabled devices as well as your phone. You can program it for 24 hours at a time, and it even has built-in compartments to hold the exhaust hose when it’s not in use, making the AC unit super easy to store. “This air conditioner is what I needed,” wrote one shopper. “It cools my 400 sq foot room well, it is quiet (never heard the high pitched hum). Setup and operation is easy. The wifi app works well. I controlled it by turning the cooling and fan on from 40 miles away. The app tells me the current room temp and air conditioner set point.”
Best With Heat: Whynter Portable Air Conditioner and Heater
If you are looking for an option that creates the perfect room temperature all year long, consider investing in this Whynter model, which is both a portable air conditioner and a heater. It boasts a dual-hose operation and has a thermostatic control ranging from 61 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has a fan function and dehumidifying capabilities. One shopper called it “great for all seasons,” and another added, “This AC/Heater is an amazing product. First of all, the use of this product made my electric bill go from $450 a month to $190. This unit is in our bedroom and now we leave the central air at 74 degrees, but have this AC unit on at night. DRAMATIC decrease in our electric bill. It is likewise great in the colder months, where we can pop on the heater on this unit with a flip of the remote.”
