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A portable air conditioner is likely not something you often think about – until you need one. When the summer months come, there is nothing more vital than staying cool.
But there are also an overwhelming amount of models out there, and the last thing you want to do is waste your money. Of course, there is also central air, and many questions about which method is truly best when it comes to cooling your home.
So we did the research, tested a variety of air conditioners, and aggregated tens of thousands of reviews. After extensive testing, we were able to find the best portable air conditioners – here are our top picks.
Our Top Pick
Whynter ARC-14S
Our top pick for the best portable air conditioners, the ARC-14S is a stellar choice. The 1,975+ positive reviews agree with our assessment – it’s absolutely flawless. It will keep you cool all summer long, and is our top pick.
Other Great Picks
RolliCool Alexa-Enabled Portable Air Conditioner
With over 250 positive online reviews, the unanimous opinion is that this is one of the best portable air conditioners on the market. We loved that it can also be easily accessed via Alexa, as well as the native app . Highly recommended.
BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT
For anyone looking for an extremely reliable air conditioner, this is one of the top picks. With over 1,800 positive reviews, and a near-flawless score – it doesn’t get much better. We especially how quiet this machine was. Highly recommended.
Global Air 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
Our staff loved the digital controls on this model , and how quiet it was. With over 900 glowing reviews, it is a near-perfect machine. Definitely recommended.
Honeywell MN10CESWW
With a great dehumidifier feature, flawless cooling, and a great price point – this is a flawless air conditioner. The near-perfect online scores, from over 3,500 customers – definitely agree with our assessment. Highly recommended.
HomeLabs 14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
With over 195 stellar online reviews, and a near-perfect score – this air conditioner from HomeLabs is a fantastic pick. While it doesn’t offer any innovative or unique features, it cools very well. Definitely a solid choice.
Colzer 14,000 BTUS Portable Air Conditioner
125 glowing online reviews can’t be wrong. This air conditioner from Colzer is a great pick for anyone looking to get a high-end air conditioner. Definitely not a budget pick, but it is assuredly worth the extra money.
Emerson Quiet Kool EAPC8RD1
The Quiet Kool might be our favorite name for a portable air conditioner – and the performance is up there, too. With over 300 stellar online reviews, this is a great machine. A solid choice.
Haier HPN12XCM
Over 180 positive online reviewers agree that this luxury air conditioner is a fantastic pick. While it is certainly pricier, if you have the means, we definitely recommend it.
Honeywell MO08CESWK
With over 500 glowing online reviews, this air conditioner from Honeywell is great for anyone. It offers quiet, great performance, durability, and reliability. One of our favorite models we tested, and definitely recommended.
What Is A Portable Air Conditioner?
While most of us enjoy central air conditioning these days, or we have a window fan to keep us cool during the summer months. But if you don’t have one of these two options – or you just need more cool air in your home – you should grab a portable air conditioner.
Just as the name implies, a portable air conditioner can be moved around your home or apartment, which makes it great for cooling specific areas on-demand. For example, if you are writing at your desk and it’s August – portable air conditioner aimed right at your desk is a godsend.
How Do Portable Air Conditioners Work?
Using casters or wheels, portable air conditioners can be moved from room to room. However, we should also mention that you need a power outlet, as well as a window nearby, for portable air conditioners to work properly.
The window is used to vent the heat outside, thereby making your home cooler. Similar to a clothes dryer, this warm air is vented outside, and will reliably leave your room far cooler than not having a portable AC unit.
By pulling warm air from the room, and then cooling it with a motor inside the portable air conditioner, the unit is able to recirculate cooler air, as well as dispose of some of the warm air via the aforementioned window.
Most portable air conditioners also have a water reservoir. This helps in dehumidifying the area.
These reservoirs do need to be emptied occasionally on most units, but before to check your unit’s specific instruction manual for exact steps to follow. Some portable air conditioners evaporate a larger portion of the moisture, and then send the remnants out through the air duct.
Who Needs A Portable Air Conditioner?
If you have central air, you may not need a portable air conditioner. Likewise, if you have a window air conditioner installed.
However, we often find ourselves with dead spots in our house – meaning there are areas that aren’t really cooled down by our air conditioning. This is especially noticeable in July and August, when we are sweating through our t-shirts.
So we have a portable air conditioner as a ‘just in case’ option. And boy does it come in handy – especially when writing for long summer hours.
Much like a tiny desk fan, a portable air conditioner can be pointed in any direction you choose. This results in optimal cooling, and a very calm feeling – even under the most sweltering conditions.
How To Install A Portable Air Conditioner
Installing a portable air conditioner is fairly easy, but it may require a few specific steps, which will be unique to your chosen model. In broad strokes, essentially you just need to place your portable air conditioner near a window and electrical outlet.
Install the window kit that came with your portable air conditioner, and then plug in your unit. It’s that simple.
There are workarounds if you don’t have a window available, however none of them worked that well in our testing. This included venting the unit out of a door, into an attic, and even into a drop ceiling.
Do Portable Air Conditioners Work?
In our experience and testing, portable air conditioners worked extremely well. There was something so immensely satisfying about being able to simply point an air conditioner at ourselves, and instantly feel cooled off.
The biggest potential issue to be aware of (and really the only issue to be concerned about) – is when you don’t have a window that will be available to vent the unit out of. In our testing, workarounds (including venting the unit out of a door, into a drop ceiling, and into an attic) – did not work very well.
How To Vent A Portable Air Conditioner Without A Window
We should start by mentioning that if you don’t have a window to vent your portable air conditioner out of, you will likely need an HVAC specialist to help you set up a workaround. We would not recommend setting up an alternative option on your own, for largely safety reasons.
That being said, an HVAC specialist will be able to help you vent a portable air conditioner through a door, into your attic, and even into a drop ceiling (if you are setting up an AC unit in an office). There are too many things that can go wrong to set this up entirely on your own, so please make an appointment with a professional HVAC specialist, if you find yourself in this scenario.
Portable Air Conditioner: Fan Speeds
A vital adjustment in our testing, you will want to always choose a unit that has multiple fan speeds. There are usually three fan speeds present, and we found ourselves using all three, at different times of day.
Portable Air Conditioner: Heat Mode
If you really like getting a good bang for your buck, you can choose a portable air conditioner that also has a heat mode, and use it during the cold months as well. We did not do extensive testing with any heat modes, but we do believe the mode does provide extra value.
Portable Air Conditioner: Timer
We absolutely loved the timer feature, as we could set the portable unit to keep cooling until after we fell asleep. From here, we set it to turn off, saving lots of money on electricity costs.
Of course, you can set it however you like, and don’t need to follow our blueprint. The timer is also useful if you have a pet, as they will quickly figure out to plant themselves in front of the unit when it’s on, if you are away for a long vacation in July or August, for example.
Portable Air Conditioner: Remote Control Operation
While this may not seem that important – a remote control actually came in super handy for us, during testing. For example – have you ever been reading in bed and not wanted to get up to turn the light off?
Imagine the same scenario, only with your portable air conditioner. A remote control makes life a lot easier, and you will be glad you have it, if you point the unit at your bed during the sweltering months of July and August (or at any other time of year).
Portable Air Conditioner: Dehumidifier Mode
We highly recommend grabbing a portable air conditioner with a dehumidifier mode, as it will save you from having to buy a separate appliance. Many units are so good at dehumidifying, that they can remove up to 100 pints of water a day – but you will need to attach a hose to drain this moisture.
Portable Air Conditioner: Sleep/Night Mode
This is a unique feature that makes the unit quieter at night. Honestly though, we rarely used this, and found it far more economical to have the unit turned off while we slept.
Portable Air Conditioner: Noise
When it comes to portable air conditioners, you will want to make sure you choose a unit that fits in with your desired level of noise. Each unit will have a decibel rating, which will give you a perfect gauge of just how loud cooling your home with it might be.
Portable Air Conditioner: Single Hose vs. Dual Hose
This is a fairly straightforward choice – dual hose units provide better cooling (without a vacuum like effect to your air) – but they are far less portable, as well as usually more expensive. Single hose portable air conditioners are easier to move around and are usually also less expensive – which is why we recommend them for most people.
How To Install A Portable Air Conditioner In A Horizontal Sliding Window
Installing a portable AC in a horizontal sliding window is not that difficult. In fact, it only requires a few minor tools.
However, because it is important to install the hose properly (as well as the seal), we recommend getting a professional to install it. While not 100% necessary for all people, we always sleep better at night knowing an appliance has been professionally installed – and we think you will, too.
How To Clean A Portable Air Conditioner
Cleaning a portable air conditioner is fairly easy, if somewhat annoying. You’ll need to start by unplugging the unit, and then drain the water.
Next, let the unit run on fan mode for about two hours (this will dry out the unit). After this step, remove the filter, dust, and any other nasty junk food inside the unit.
Of course, thoroughly rinse and clean the filter next. Follow this by going to the air intake vents, and vacuuming them.
By this point, you are almost done. For the final two steps, simply clean the cooling coils, as well as the external housing units.
How To Drain A Portable Air Conditioner
This one is easy (if a little bit messy). Prepare for draining by placing a pan under the drain port (usually found at the back of the unit), and then unplug the machine.
Your portable AC will slowly drain, though this may take a while. Keep letting it drain until no more water comes out of the unit.
How To Vent A Portable Air Conditioner
We recommend venting a portable air conditioner through a window, as this is by far the most reliable (and easiest) method. Simply install the adjustable window kit that came with your unit, and then follow any additional (unit-specific) instructions given by the manufacturer.
How Long Can You Run A Portable Air Conditioner?
Hypothetically, you could run it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We recommend actually running it only when you are home, awake, and in need of cooling. Anything else, is just a waste of money.
What Are BTUs – And Why Are They Important?
BTUs are also known as British thermal units, and they are simply a way of knowing how much thermal energy needs to be generated. For most rooms that are 500 square feet, about 10,000 BTUs are needed to properly cool that space.
Does More People To Cool, Mean More BTUs?
In a word – yes. And the good general formula to remember, is another 750 BTUs, for each additional person (beyond two) that you add to the room.
Are Portable Air Conditioners Energy Efficient?
Yes, and in many ways they are much more efficient than central air. However, it also comes down to the individual model you choose, as well as using common sense (like not leaving the portable unit running all night long, while you sleep).
Portable AC vs. Window AC
There is no clear cut winner between these two. A portable air conditioner offers the obvious advantage in terms of being able to easily be moved, and placed anywhere throughout your house.
However, a window air conditioning unit is also very convenient – just stuck in one place. We recommend starting with a portable air conditioner, if you have no AC, and seeing if that is enough cooling for your apartment or home.
Portable Air Conditioning vs. Fixed Air Conditioning
Portable air conditioning is obviously able to be moved around, but fixed (or central) air is ubiquitous. Both forms of air conditioning are good, but if you have a small space, you may be able to save some money, and simply rely on a portable air conditioner, rather than central air.
Are Portable Air Conditioners Worth It?
In our experience and testing – yes. Even if you have central air (or a window AC unit) – there is just something ultra-refreshing about the personal cooling experience that a portable air conditioner provides.
How Do I Choose The Best Portable Air Conditioner For Me?
Choosing the best portable air conditioner for you comes down to looking at the individual factors unique to you. For example, are you cooling a small space or a large space?
Do you need the unit to have a lot of power, or is a lower cost more important? Once you determine these factors, you’ll be able to arrive at the best buying decision.
The Best Portable Air Conditioner
There you have it – our picks for the best portable air conditioner. There are a ton of great products besides these, so be sure to check out some of our other reviews, in the home and kitchen categories.