- disclaimer
-
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more >
We tested machines on sweltering days to find the most effective – these are our top picks, plus recommendations from industry experts
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more >
At-home cooling tech is increasingly becoming a must-have, especially with a heatwave currently. The best portable air conditioners can help keep your home cool and your sanity intact. But how do they work? While the best fans simply move air around and air coolers chill it using evaporation, an air conditioner actively lowers the temperature of a room by running air through a refrigerating unit and fanning it back out, expelling unwanted heat through a window.
They’re fairly pricey, costing between £135 and £800 (and have higher running costs than fans and coolers), but a portable AC unit is more convenient than installing a built-in air conditioner.
The running costs of around 25 to 35p per hour will prove good value for money when the temperatures rise, as they are this week, and most have a Class A energy rating. Below you’ll find reviews of the portable units we recommended, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:
Portable air conditioners come in a range of different sizes, designed for spaces from bedrooms to large offices. Their cooling power is rated in British Thermal Units (BTUs). A higher number means it’s suitable for a larger space, but can also equate to a bigger, pricier and in some cases less eco-friendly device. Equally, too low a BTU rating for the room size, won’t cool efficiently.
To work out which BTU rate is right for you, find the floor area of your space in square feet or square metres and consult the chart below, provided by Appliances Direct. The height of the room, its insulation and any heat-emitting electrical devices can all make a difference, but this should be a good guide:
A note on availability: During warm temperatures, many of the portable air conditioners we recommend sell out and some manufacturers haven’t yet replenished stock from last year or refreshed line ups. Where possible, we have recommended alternative retailers or similar models. It’s also worth signing up for stock alerts if there is one you’re particularly interested in.
We tested units in bedrooms, offices and living rooms at home on days when the temperature exceeded 25C. We looked for value for money and how quickly the units cool down a room, as seen in the testing pictures above. Some of these units are big and heavy, so we’ve also rated them for how easy they are to move around and to store in cooler months when they’re no longer needed.
Many will be used in bedrooms at night, so we’ve rated how noisy they are too, measuring the decibel level each unit reaches. Extra features such as having an in-built dehumidifier, an air filter or smartphone app connectivity increased scores too.
Additionally, we spoke to air con experts with years of experience from retailers Andrews Sykes and Aircon Centre to find out which portable air conditioners they recommend. You’ll find those beneath our reviews, but you won’t see a score for these models as they weren’t tested against our criteria.
You can visit our Who We Are page to learn more about our testing process.
Best Buy Air Conditioner
This AEG model offers great simplicity. On delivery I just attached the pipe, stuck it through a window (which didn’t have to open too widely thanks to its narrow tip) and turned the power on. It started running immediately. It was initially a stuffy 25C in my bedroom. Within 30 minutes, the temperature dropped to 21C and after 90 minutes, it settled at 18C. I had set it to the 16C minimum, but I may have been expecting too much with the sun streaming through the window.
At night it performed better, but it was noisy, even on the lowest of three speeds, making earplugs a must. There’s none of the rattling or other mechanical sounds you get from cheaper air cons, though, with the Comfort 6000 offering solid engineering. That brings me to the drawback, though. This portable air conditioner is the size of a mini fridge and extremely heavy. On the plus side, a window kit is available to seal the gap, which would make that 16C minimum easier to achieve.
The user-friendly Comfort 6000 was the first air conditioner I tested and a godsend on a sweltering day. In what we used to consider a typical British summer – five days of hesitant sun – the price and weight would be hard to justify. But if global warming means we’re in for regular heatwaves, this is the one I’d buy; it’s the most powerful air conditioner on this list. Just don’t ask me to lug it upstairs again.
This unit is currently out of stock. You can sign up for notifications when available or browse other portable air conditioners at AEG air conditioners.
Best Value Portable Air Conditioner
ProBreeze £419.99
Buy nowThis unit can integrate into smart home systems including Google Home and Amazon Alexa, so you can cool down stuffy rooms with a few taps on your phone, though each system has varying abilities. With Google Home, you can only switch it on or off, and I struggled to register it with Alexa. Instead, I suggest using the Tuya Smart app (referred to as “Smart Life” in the ProBreeze manual) for control. It offers complete control over functionality (you can switch between cooling, fan and dehumidifier modes), effectively replicating the physical remote.
If apps are too much of a faff, the remote is easy to use, as are the touch controls on the top of the unit. At 27.3kg it’s not easy to move between floors, and while the castors let it glide around easily, there’s no handles on the sides. It comes with the usual window sealing kit and an exhaust hose with metal reinforced ribbing to make it more durable, but as it’s designed for larger rooms of up to 30 sq m, it’s a shame the hose is only 1.5 metres long.
None of this detracts from the unit’s actual performance, however. It lowered the temperature from 24C to 20C in my test room in an hour and distributed air evenly with motorised front-mounted vanes that move up and down. It’s certainly not the quietest; it can get up to 65dB and emitted a low-level mechanical warble from the compressor, but that’s not a major criticism given the price.
This unit is currently out of stock. You can sign up for notifications when available or browse other portable air conditioners at Pro Breeze.
Best Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier
Meaco’s MC9000 is intended to cool rooms of between 16 and 26 sq m and also functions as a fan and a dehumidifier. Operating it via the control panel (or remote) is straightforward, with two fan speeds, a temperature selector (the sleep mode lowers fan noise and gradually raises the temperature over 10 hours), plus a 24-hour timer.
Two window kits and a 1.7-metre duct are supplied as standard – the fabric one attaches via supplied Velcro strips, while another is a trio of hard plastic window plates. When joined together, the latter also lets you vent the duct through a sliding door with just a small gap at the top. This is all far better than the window kits offered with most air conditioners.
At 23.5kg, it is just possible to get the unit up a flight of stairs single-handed, but nil points for the shallow finger-grips. Fired up, the unit’s noise quality is as close to soothing white noise as you could reasonably hope for. At a cited max of 54dB, it’s tolerable too, though, in my bedroom, I preferred to use the unit for a few hours before shutting it down and going to bed.
On the high fan setting, it brought the room temperature down from a sticky 25.5C to an agreeable 21C within three hours. Higher-rated models will certainly work quicker, but I’d warrant most users will still be happy with the MC9000’s well-judged price and performance balance.
Best Quiet Portable Air Conditioner
This is an addition to De’Longhi’s Pinguino range (see another below). Like several others on our list, the Pinguino AP98 GentleJet is a three-in-one device that also has a fan and dehumidifying capabilities. It’s designed to work fast and distribute air more evenly through its 180-degree outlet. On its highest air conditioner mode, it worked quickly, creating a breeze which meant I really noticed its influence. Within 15 minutes,my living room had dropped from 29C to 24C and felt more chilled and refreshing.
It is seriously bulky, though. Getting it upstairs is at least a two-person job due to its 34kg weight. But it comes with castors for easy rolling from room to room and as it’s suitable for large spaces of up to 42 sq m (depending on ceiling height), it’s ideal if you’re after one to put in a permanent spot.
I’ve found it challenging to find a portable air conditioning unit that doesn’t require earplugs at night, but the Pinguino AP98 is surprisingly quiet for its size. The quiet mode is said to be 50 per cent quieter than the device’s maximum output. While my tests didn’t quite show this, I recorded it purring away at 41.1dB compared to 63.3dB on full power. This made a difference when I was feeling particularly flustered and didn’t want the hum of a noisy air con bugging me further.
Best Portable Air Conditioner for Speed
Atlantic Elec £389.00
Buy nowMuch to the delight of my sweltering partner and kids, I tested this EcoAir portable air conditioner on one of the hottest days in July last year. The versatile unit has an air con mode, a dehumidifier and a fan. You can also set a timer and the temperature between 16 and 30C, while a washable mesh filter traps dust particles as it runs.
At 21kg, the device is heavy; lifting it from its box and up stairs was a two-person job. Castor wheels made it easy to position in my living room, though. Once turned on, the controls are intuitive. Its fan mode has two speed settings, so with my living room already at 30 degrees, I opted to try it on high. Within 30 minutes, the room temperature dropped from 30C to 25C. Handily, its remote control means there’s no need to move if you’re feeling particularly hot and bothered.
For use in air con mode, the portable unit comes with a detachable plastic exhaust hose. It’s fiddly to attach, but once slotted in place it stretched easily out of my window. There’s a window seal included too, designed for either a sliding door or window seal to keep hot air out. Within 20 minutes using this mode, my room temperature had dropped a further two degrees, making it feel comfortably cooler and fresher.
Best Portable Air Conditioner for Versatility
Aircare Appliances £643.80
Buy nowThe Pinguino EX93 is a multi-talented portable air conditioning unit, incorporating dehumidifying and fan functionalities, too. At 30kg, it hefty to lug up stairs but deep handles and castors make moving it around relatively easy. It comes with a selection of wall or window plates, but they’re short. Both the supplied hose and fitted mains cable were also shorter than you’d find with many cheaper competitors (1.2m and 1.5m, respectively).
Operation is either via the supplied remote control (with a purpose-designed slot for storing it on the unit), or via manual controls on the front panel. A clear, front-facing display tells you the mode, selected temperature and so on. I vented the unit to an outside window and used it in temperatures of 27C. Its quiet operation was immediately striking at 46dB, which is roughly the same volume as a library reading room.
Activate the EX93’s Silent mode and noise levels drop even further to an impressive 42dB. This would be ideal for night-time cooling, but there is a slight mechanical rattle that’s otherwise masked. The EX93 got the temperature in my room down from 25 to 21.5C within a couple of hours. Its top-mounted vent generates an excellent, powerful airflow, which is enhanced further by a swing function that slowly moves the vent up and down in the vertical axis, efficiently distributing cool air to every part of the room.
This is expensive for the rated output, but the best-in-class noise levels are a powerful advantage.
Best Portable Air Conditioner for Small Rooms
This compact unit is described as a four-in-one, which usually means a combination of air conditioner, fan, dehumidifier and heater functions. But, there’s no heating element. Instead, the fourth function is a sleep mode that dims the control panel display and gradually increases temperature by two degrees when cooling the room, over the space of a couple of hours.
The unit weighs a manageable 22kg and is supplied with a sliding window kit and fabric-based window sealing kit. Extracted hot air is vented out of the room via a 1.75-metre plastic tube, while a long two-metre cable connects it to mains power.
A line of buttons on the top cover handles the main functions and there’s a clearly marked remote control, too. A rather flimsy, un-clippable air filter is located at the upper rear of the unit, along with drain points for continuous and one-off removal of collected water. If you use the dehumidifying function a lot, you’ll need to regularly empty this. This won’t win any awards for silent running with a maximum noise rating of 65 decibels, though it is free of any unduly irritating warbles.
In action, the VonHaus cooled my room down from 23C to 19.5C in 40 minutes, which I consider a good result. There’s plenty of airflow but the vanes lack any sort of motorised “swing” capability meaning cooled air is blown out in one direction. Not a deal-breaker at this price, but definitely something to consider.
Best Cordless Portable Air Conditioner
EcoFlow UK £1848.00
Buy nowBoasting Lamborghini-style spoilers and slats, the EcoFlow Wave 2 is a handsome and portable model that weighs about the same as a piece of carry-on luggage. Its rechargeable battery bumps the price and weight up significantly, but makes this the only air conditioner you can use in camping or anywhere off-grid. Fully charged, it will run for eight hours and can be topped up from a car power socket or solar panels. It also functions as a heater for winter.
It is quiet and can cool a small room quickly but it is designed for spaces around a third of the size of the other air cons we reviewed. I tested the Wave 2 on the same hot day, in the same room, as the AEG unit above and while both worked, the AEG was much more effective.
One drawback of the Wave 2 was the twin air pipes: one to suck fresh air in and one to blast hot air out. That’s a lot of hose to fit out of your window, requiring a wide opening, and warm air will come back in unless you use the window vent board, which won’t fit all windows. The pipes are a tiny bit shorter than standard, too.
The compact dimensions and modern features (it can charge your phone) of the Wave 2 make it more attractive than the other heavy white boxes, but if you’re only using it at home, save £500 and go for something less outdoorsy.
Best Portable Air Conditioner for Ease of Use
Expert-recommended
Honeywell is a brand recommended by expert Nick Kandola, co-owner of Air Con Centre. “This 9,000 BTU three-in-one model offers a cooling solution all year round. The AC provides powerful cooling during the summer, while the dehumidifier function can be used during damp seasons to keep mould at bay,” he says. “It has a 24-hour programmable timer and a remote control for easy armchair operation.”
It comes with a window kit consisting of brackets and foam seal and a pipe and tray for the dehumidifier. It compares well with dedicated dehumidifier-only units, removing 70 litres of water per day. It’s worth noting this is the noisiest portable air conditioner on this list.
Best Budget Portable Air Conditioner
Appliances Direct £199.97
Buy nowExpert-recommended
At 7,000 BTU, the electriQ is a little less powerful than the other air conditioners on this list, but the price is much lower and it’s cheaper to run, making it a better deal pound-for-pound. This may explain why it was sold out throughout last year’s heatwave and once stock returned, it didn’t last long.
“We find a lot of customers get these units for bedrooms,” says Appliance Direct’s Jake Crossley. “About 7,000 BTUs is the output we would recommend for rooms up to 21 sq m. You won’t get the full benefit in larger rooms, but a more powerful 10,000 BTU unit is available.”
With a footprint not much bigger than a dinner plate, the electriQ doesn’t take up a lot of space compared to some of the more powerful units and is considerably lighter. This may be the second reason for its popularity.
The third would be its dehumidifier function, which not only makes sticky summer nights more comfortable but can also be used to dry out damp rooms and even speed up laundry drying. It cools rooms to 16C.
Best Mid-Sized Portable Air Conditioner
Air Con Centre £429.99
Buy nowExpert-recommended
“Midea will be the market leader within three years. They’ve got all the best technology and all the bells and whistles but because people don’t know the brand yet, the price is a bit lower than what you would expect,” Kandola says.
This compact 9,000 BTU unit can cool a room up to 26 sq m and has a self-evaporating dehumidifier function (it expels water vapour through the exhaust pipe). It offers more features than other models at this price point, such as a 24 hour timer and an LCD display. “It’s renowned for its build quality and backed up by a three year manufacturer warranty,” says Kandola.
One thing to note is that the 1.2m exhaust pipe is 30cm shorter than most other models.
Most Popular Portable Air Conditioner
Bestselling model
Not mentioned by our experts but the top seller on Amazon, Black + Decker’s air conditioner comes in five models from 5,000 to 12,000 BTU, all reasonably priced.
This relatively light 7,000 BTU unit is designed for rooms up to 14 sq m. It has a special 49dB quiet mode for use in bedrooms, although at 65dB the maximum setting is seriously noisy.
One attractive feature is the charcoal filter, used to remove bad odours and bacteria (it features in a lot of vacuum cleaners for pet hair).
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。