The best portable air conditioners

Last summer was the hottest ever on record, and I have some bad news: this summer is supposed to be as bad, or even worse. Fortunately, the best portable air conditioners can keep you comfortable, especially when your home doesn't have the type of windows that can accommodate a traditional AC unit.

Between window and portable units, I've tested well over 35 ACs. The Midea Duo Smart Inverter Portable Air Conditioner is my top portable pick. It's one of the quietest and most powerful units I tested, but it's quite expensive. If you don't have $600 to spend, the LG Portable Air Conditioner is an energy-efficient budget option that's about half the cost of the Midea. However, it's a little underpowered and lacks app connectivity.

One big caveat: We recommend considering a window AC before you take the leap on a portable unit. The best window air conditioners are less expensive and better at cooling than even the most top-of-the-line portable ACs. Still, not all windows and living situations accommodate traditional ACs. In those instances, a portable air conditioner offers more flexibility and storage advantages. For more about the difference between the two types of units, check out my article on portable air conditioners versus window air conditioners.

Learn more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches home products.

The best portable air conditioners

Best overall:Midea Duo Smart Inverter Portable Air Conditioner -See at Amazon

Best budget: LG Portable Air Conditioner (LP0621WSR) - See at Amazon

Best for large rooms: Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner - See at Amazon

Quietest: Friedrich ZoneAire Inverter Portable Air Conditioner (ZHV16DA) - See at P.C. Richard & Son

Best battery-powered: EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner - See at Amazon

Best with heat: Black+Decker Portable Air Conditioner (BPACT14HWT) - See at Amazon

Best overall

In my tests, the Midea Duo Smart Inverter Portable Air Conditioner (model MAP14S1TBL) was among the best at cooling and operating quietly. Its unique hose-in-hose design replaces the hot air removed from your room with cool air for more efficient cooling. It's easy to install, though the hose doesn't stay clipped into the window slider. I had to use duct tape to keep it in place.

However, it used the most electricity. The Midea used 2.16 kWh, about 0.2 kWh more than the overall hourly average in our tests. Running this portable AC eight hours a day all summer would equate to an average extra energy cost of about $240 based on average electricity rates.

It also has several smart functions not found in most other portable ACs. You can turn off the LED to avoid light pollution and set a "sleep curve" that adjusts the temperature throughout the night to balance comfort and power use. In the app, you can set the AC to turn on or off depending on whether you're home and control the airflow direction.

The Midea Duo is also our best smart portable air conditioner because it works with the feature-packed SmartHome app (iOSandAndroid), pairing with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control. I can turn the AC on/off and set a schedule from anywhere using my phone. I scheduled the Midea to turn off during surge electrical pricing and to come back on afterward to ensure the room is comfortable by bedtime.

The Midea Duo is also available with a heating mode, though we haven't tested this model.

Read our fullMidea Duo Smart Inverter Portable Air Conditioner review.

Best budget

Considering its price and Btu rating, the LG LP0621WSR Portable Air Conditioner did a surprisingly great job cooling. Our best budget portable air conditioner is designed for rooms up to 250 square feet but cooled the 550-square-foot testing room by more than 2 degrees in the two-hour testing period. That's pretty good.

Its performance was particularly impressive, considering it used the least power of any model in our guide. The LG LP0621WSR was easy to set up and install. Within 10 minutes of opening the box, I had it cooling the room. You'll need a Phillips-head screwdriver to secure the window panels. The panels fit a wide range of window sizes, a nice feature since I have extra-wide windows.

The air conditioner is relatively light at 60 pounds and has handles, helpful for moving it from floor to floor. However, I ran into issues moving it from one room to another on the same level. The unit is low to the ground and top-heavy. It fell over as I rushed to roll it to the next room.

Whether on low (55 decibels) or high speed (57 decibels), the LG LP0621WSR's noise output was average, about as loud as a quiet office or a normal conversation.

LG has a newer, 7,000-Btu version,model LP0721WSR, if you need more cooling power. We haven't tested it yet, but it may be worth the $29 extra it costs to keep a midsize room cool.

Best for large rooms

The first word that comes to mind when looking at the Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner is "monolithic." With its large, imposing, flat front, our best portable air conditioner for large rooms looks like something from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Besides its appearance, the Whynter ARC-14S's most notable feature is its cooling abilities due to its dual-hose construction. With single-hose portable ACs, hot air is removed through the hose. This lowers the pressure in the room, causing hot air from outside the room to rush in to equalize the pressure. With two hoses, the Whynter replaces the removed air with cool air for more efficient cooling.

It was among the best in my cooling test, decreasing the room temperature by 3.6 degrees over two hours. However, it was also one of the loudest models, at 58 decibels.

Weighing 86 pounds, the unit is heavy and lacks handles, making moving from room to room hard. The initial installation took me half an hour, which is longer than most models. It was slower because the fixtures needed to be screwed into the window slider by hand. The slider wasn't long enough for my 47-inch window opening, so I used Styrofoam packaging to fill the gap. Additionally, it doesn't come with foam seals, which are helpful for efficient cooling.

Additionally, Whynter offers a version with heating capabilities, the ARC-14SH, which we also recommend.

Quietest

We feature several quiet portable air conditioners in this guide, but the Friedrich ZoneAire Inverter Portable Air Conditioner (ZHV16DA) does the best job of balancing quiet operation, cooling performance, and energy efficiency. For these reasons, it's also the best portable air conditioner for bedrooms.

On high, it's only 53 decibels, which is quieter than normal conversation. On low, it isn't much quieter (51 decibels), but is silent enough to earn a spot in my bedroom this summer. I especially like that the Friedrich ZoneAire's inverter compressor doesn't make jarring noises because it isn't constantly turning on and off, like other portable units might.

The Friedrich is one of the best dual-hose portable air conditioners I've tested. Dual-hose units tend to do better than single-hose ACs in larger rooms because the dedicated air intake hose equalizes the room's pressure, keeping hot air from leaking in to fill the vacuum. The Friedrich Zoneaire demonstrated the dual-hose benefits perfectly. In two hours, it decreased the temperature of the testing room by four degrees, the best in my tests. Equally impressive is it only used an average amount of electricity.

The unit only took about 15 minutes to set up and didn't require tools. Five minutes of the setup time was connecting to the user-friendly FriedrichGo app (available for iOS and Android). Reinstalling the AC in another room was also quick, taking a little over a minute.

The Friedrich isn't our top pick because it's quite expensive at about $700, or about $130 more than our top pick. Still, if quiet operation and powerful cooling are your top priorities, the Friedrich ZoneAire Inverter Portable Air Conditioner is your best bet.

Best battery-powered

With a battery attached, you can use this AC almost anywhere. Unlike the other units in our guide, the Wave 3 doesn't require an electrical outlet, making it the best portable air conditioner for cars, camping, and other situations where you don't have access to electricity. The EcoFlow Wave 3 was just released earlier this year as an update to our former battery-powered pick, the Wave 2. The Wave 3 is more powerful and adds dehumidification.

It's also pretty lightweight for a portable AC. At 38.4 pounds, the Wave 3 is a little heavier than the Wave 2 but still much lighter than any other unit in our guide. It took longer than most to set up because you need to rig your own window slider for the two hoses. I used plenty of duct tape to attach the hoses to another unit's window slider. You don't need a window for the Wave 3, but you do need to have an opening to the outside world for the air intake and exhaust hoses.

Connecting to the EcoFlow app (available for iOS and Android) was seamless, and I found it user-friendlier than the on-unit controls, which could get confusing.

If you're not off-the-grid, I recommend you choose another portable AC before considering this one. I tested the EcoFlow Wave 3 in my normal 550 square-foot testing room with it connected to a wall outlet initially, but it struggled. It's recommended for spaces up to 180 square feet, which is about a third of the size of the testing area. It barely decreased the room's temperature. I retested it in a 200-square-foot space relying solely on the battery. It lowered the room's temperature by almost four degrees. Much better.

The Wave 3's battery barely lasted through the two-hour testing period while running on maximum power. On lower settings, it can last up to eight hours. Recharging the battery takes less than 90 minutes, and it can be recharged using a wall outlet, solar panels (sold separately), or a car charging cable. The battery attaches to the Wave 3 and adds about 21 pounds to its weight.

At $1,449 with the battery, the Wave 3 is expensive, but during summer heat waves, it can make your RV, tent, or car more bearable. It's also worth having around for heating and cooling if the power goes out.

Read our full EcoFlow Wave 3 review.

Best with heat

In addition to being one of the top performers in our cooling tests, the Black+Decker BPACT14HWT Portable Air Conditioner is the best portable air conditioner with heat, which makes it great for year-round use.

I purchased it three years ago, and it's still going strong. I particularly like that I don't have to store it during the winter. Instead, I use it to heat the living room, which tends to run colder than the rest of the house. It's also available without heat.

Installation took about five minutes, and I didn't need any special tools. I like that the window slider extends to 60 inches, which is more than enough for my needs. However, I wish it came with window security brackets to make it harder for someone to push the window open and gain access to my house. Fortunately, this hasn't been an issue.

It was in the middle of the pack in electricity use. Over two hours, it consumed 1.83 kWh. It's also one of the louder units we tested, and when I neglected to clean the filter regularly, the Black+Decker produced jarring sounds as it changed fan speeds.

I should also note that our air quality monitor registered a 50% increase in VOCs during testing. However, the levels weren't high enough to cause concern.

What to look for in a portable air conditioner

Btu and room size: One British thermal unit (Btu) equals the heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. In cooling, Btu measures how much heat is removed from a room. The more Btu per hour an air conditioner is rated for, the better job it does cooling.

That said, you shouldn't just choose an AC based on Btu. You'll also want to consider room size. Higher Btu units are better at cooling larger spaces, but they're louder and will be too overpowering in smaller rooms (meaning unnecessarily high cooling costs). Use the table below (from the Energy Star website) to determine what Btu your room requires:

Recommended Btu by room size

Your Btu needs will be greater if the room has a ceiling over 8 feet high, is very sunny, is regularly occupied by more than two people, or is a kitchen.

Energy efficiency: Even the best portable air conditioners are not energy-efficient, and none are Energy Star certified. Still, if you're hoping to save some money on cooling costs or limit your carbon footprint, you'll want to consider energy efficiency. There are two factors to look at here: the compressor and kWh usage.

A portable air conditioner's compressor pushes hot air outside so cold air can circulate in your room. Dual-inverter compressors, like the one in my top pick, are the most energy-efficient. These compressors have variable-speed motors that use much less energy than traditional compressors.

To get an overall feel for your AC's energy usage, you'll want to look at kWh usage, short for kilowatt-hour. Most electricity utilities use kWh to measure your power use, and I use it to measure the energy consumption of the air conditioners I test. The lower the kWh usage, the better.

Window size: Portable ACs usually come with a window slider, a long, adjustable piece of plastic that goes in your window's opening. The hose from your portable AC connects to the slider to send the hot air emitted from the unit outside. You'll want to measure your window before purchasing your AC to ensure the slider will fit.

Noise: No one expects an air conditioner to be silent, but you'll want a unit with minimal noise output, especially if you use it while sleeping. We measure noise output with a decibel meter, but generally, you can expect units with more Btu to be louder.

WiFi-enabled: Depending on your needs, you may consider a WiFi-enabled unit, which allows you to control the air conditioner from your phone. This makes setting a schedule or adjusting the settings easy without getting out of bed. Expect to pay a bit more for the convenience of app connectivity.

How we test portable air conditioners

I have tested and reviewed air quality, cooling, and heating devices for six years, including 14 portable air conditioners. I also consulted with Enesta Jones, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesperson, and Joanna Mauer, the technical advocacy manager for the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.

Based on my research and interviews, the main features to look for when shopping for portable air conditioners are how well they fit your window, energy consumption, and cooling abilities. Our testing methodology encompasses the following evaluation criteria.

Setup: I timed how long it took to remove the packaging and install each unit, noting if tools were needed.

Cooling: I set my home's heating system to 75 degrees. Once at the set point, I cranked the portable air conditioner to its highest fan speed and lowest temperature. Using a digital thermometer placed on the other side of the 550-square-foot testing room, I compared the before temp to the temperature two hours later to see how well the unit cooled.

Noise: A loud air conditioner can make watching TV, working, or sleeping difficult. I measured each unit's noise output by holding a sound meter 6 feet from the AC as it ran on its highest setting. It lost points if the compressor made jarring sounds as it turned on and off.

Power use: I measured how much energy each unit used while running on high for two hours using a smart plug. The least energy-efficient window air conditioner I tested still uses less power than the most efficient portable unit.

Air quality: Before and after running the air conditioner for two hours, I compared particulate matter and VOC measurements using an air-quality monitor. I didn't weigh this category heavily, but I noted when there were significant changes in the air quality.

Portability: I timed how long it took to uninstall the AC, move it to the next room, and reinstall it. Between the rooms, there is a 3/4-inch threshold, making handles advantageous. I also considered the air conditioner's weight.

Extras: All units in this guide have at least a one-year warranty and a fan. ACs needed to have more than this to get extra points. For instance, a heating mode, remote control, dehumidifying, WiFi connectivity, foam seals for efficient cooling, and a longer warranty contribute to a more favorable assessment of a portable air conditioner.

Portable air conditioner FAQs

Why do portable ACs have two Btu numbers?

According to Mauer, the Department of Energy's Btu rating, known as seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC), is more accurate than the Btu published by the manufacturer (known as ASHRAE) because it considers hot air infiltration and heat losses through the ducts.

Mauer said ASHRAE, the manufacturer's Btu, doesn't account for the significant heat released back into the room by the exhaust hose. There is also no consistent testing standard.

The DOE established the SACC Btu rating using standardized testing to account for the heat that ends up back in the room. My guide references the SACC ratings.

Is a portable air conditioner or window air conditioner better?

As outlined in my portable air conditioners vs window air conditioners article, window ACs are the better option for most people.

In my tests, the most efficient portable AC still used 60% more power than my top window pick. The window unit also cost less and did much better cooling.

I strongly recommend buying a window AC if you have a window that supports it. Portable units are only preferable when you don't have a single- or double-hung window.

Can I use a portable air conditioner in a room without windows?

Yes, but the hot air needs a way to leave the space. Otherwise, the unit won't provide any cooling benefits. Your portable AC just needs an opening big enough for the ventilating hose to send the exhaust outdoors.

Can portable ACs help with wildfire smoke and air filtration?

To some degree, yes. Most portable air conditioners have some degree of air filtration, and running your AC during smoke emergencies can help keep smoke out. However, the EPA recommends opting for a dual-hose unit, like our recommendations from Midea, Whynter, and Friedrich. You'll also want to ensure that the seal between the hose casing and the window is as tight as possible. We recommend checking out our guide to the best air purifiers for the best air-filtering options.

How do I clean and maintain my portable air conditioner?

To keep your portable air conditioner working optimally, you need to clean the filter at least once a month, more if you use it frequently. Below are other cleaning tips to ensure you get the most out of your unit.

Weekly:

• Remove condensation: Regularly remove the condensation that builds up from the cooling process. Many portable units make this easy with a built-in dehumidifier or drain hose. When you put the AC away for the season, remove condensation to avoid mold buildup.
• Keep the hose short: You can improve your portable air conditioner's efficiency and reduce dust and moisture buildup by keeping the hose as short and straight as possible.
• Wipe the exterior down: Run a damp cloth along the exterior of your unit to remove dust.

Monthly:

• Clean the filter: A filter helps reduce allergens in your air and allows for optimal airflow. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for how often to clean the filter. The best vacuums outfitted with a crevice tool attachment should get the job done. You can wash the filter with water, but ensure it dries completely before reinstalling it.
• Check the insulation: To keep your air conditioner running efficiently, check to make sure the insulation remains in place and seals any cracks. If your unit doesn't have foam seals, consider buying affordable adhesive strips. Apply insulation every time you move the AC.

Twice per season:

• Vacuum the condenser coils: Grab a screwdriver and remove the back panel to access the condenser coils on the back of your unit. To keep your AC running efficiently, use a vacuum with the crevice attachment and run it lightly over the coils. Do not press hard; you don't want to dent the coils.

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