Living in a historic Pittsburgh home without central air, window units are not optional for my family. Since our 1904 home has radiator heat and no ductwork, I have used many window-unit and freestanding portable air conditioners over the past 12 years. That’s given me lots of opinions on these clunky-but-necessary appliances.

That’s why I was interested in testing the GE Profile ClearView. The saddle-style design promised to cool the room without swallowing the whole window. Rather than sit on the windowsill itself, the U-shaped design straddles the inside and outside of the wall, sitting mostly below the window itself. The expandable chassis adjusts to fit various window openings.

Beyond that useful upgrade, nice app controls, quieter operation, and a sleeker look made this unit feel like a more modern take on a product category that has not always been known for beauty or convenience. I wanted to see whether those upgrades made a real difference in daily use, or whether this was simply a better-looking version of the same old window AC.

How I Tested

To get a good sense of how the GE Profile ClearView performed in everyday conditions, I installed it in a window and used it over a period of days in June, in both cooling and fan-only modes. To gauge how this one works compared to others we own, I tested the unit across multiple temperature settings, fan speeds, and operating modes. We tested the 8,300-British-thermal-unit unit for a midsize bedroom with a bay window that tends to heat up the space. However, there are sizes ranging from 6100 to 12200 BTUs, depending on your needs.

I noted how quickly it cooled the room, how evenly it maintained the temperature, and how noticeable the sound was during regular use. I also adjusted the controls directly on the unit and through the SmartHQ app (available for Apple and Android) to gauge how intuitive each was. Throughout the testing period, I paid attention to installation, airflow, noise level, and whether the saddle-style design felt secure during normal operation.

The controls are simple and useful.

The first thing I appreciated about the GE Profile ClearView in daily use was how simple the controls felt. Instead of raised buttons, the settings are integrated into the front panel, which gives the unit a cleaner, sleeker look and makes it easier to wipe down. The SmartHQ app is a nice feature, especially if you want to adjust the temperature from bed, but I found myself using the controls on the unit most of the time. There is also an included remote if you don’t feel like using an app, though you need to be in range of the machine for that to work.

The eco mode and smart scheduling available in the app also make it easy to cool just when you need it. Since we are using this AC in a teen’s bedroom, it doesn’t make sense to cool the room when he isn’t home. It’s nice to be able to cycle the AC a bit throughout the day to keep humidity at bay, but adjust to full air conditioning via an app once he’s on his way home.

The saddle-style design saves the view while still providing solid cooling.

Once the unit was installed, the saddle-style design felt secure, and I especially liked that it preserved more of the window view than a typical window air conditioner. It also made it harder for our cat to jailbreak around the AC, as he’s apt to do in other rooms. The box included a significant amount of foam, adhesive, and weatherstripping so that we could get a secure fit.

Beyond its unique design, this unit functions like most window-unit air conditioners we have owned. Since it is newer, I found it to be quieter than some of our “classic” window units, which is a nice perk. This AC cooled a 300 square foot room that had naturally heated all day in about 30 minutes. This is comparable to our other window units of this size, honestly—and feels perfectly adequate.

The biggest advantage of the GE Profile ClearView is right in the name: It preserves far more of the window view than a traditional window air conditioner. I also liked the quieter operation, the integrated controls, and the overall look of the unit, which feels more polished than most window ACs. It’s bad enough when your home has to have these clunky boxes all over, so one that’s a bit of a vibe is a nice change of pace.

Installation wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

The SmartHQ app and remote are useful bonuses for adjusting settings remotely, and GE’s customer service was excellent when we ran into an issue with a seized screw in the expandable saddle-style chassis during installation. Not every product is perfect out of the box, but the company overnighted replacement screws, which says a lot.

Our family regularly chooses GE products, and the great customer service is one of the reasons we do so. Once we had the broken screw removed, we were easily able to size the chassis to our window depth and install the unit.

The saddle-style design does take some patience to install. The unit is heavy, and we had a hard time getting it perfectly level because of the way our window trim is designed, so we ended up using wood shims to get a secure fit. That kind of adjustment is not unusual for a window air conditioner (most of ours have some type of brace or support), but it does mean this may not be a quick, effortless install in every home. If you are installing it alone or dealing with older or unusual window trim, expect to spend some time finessing the fit.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I am glad that my intrigue over this saddle-style window unit AC paid off. While there were some drawbacks, like the tricky install and weight, I think this is a great advancement in a product category that’s seen little change in decades. It looks better than a typical window unit, preserves more of the window, and feels well constructed, with strong cooling performance and mechanics that seem thoughtfully engineered.

That said, the installation’s required finesse makes this unit a good choice for someone who’s not a novice to basic DIY jobs. If you want to simply cool a room, it's overkill. The selling point of the saddle-style design is a clearer view and sleeker look, but the tradeoff is a less plug-and-play approach.

Once it was installed correctly, it worked well and felt secure in daily use. We plan to happily keep using this unit all summer long, and hopefully for years to come.

Shop GE Profile ClearView Window AC