I Tested Every Type of Portable Air Conditioner—These Are Worth Buying (and These Aren’t)

Floor Roll-Around AC Units

This is the most common type of portable AC, probably because it can be used nearly anywhere. Just wheel it into the room, run the exhaust hose out the window and plug it in.

“They’re super easy and definitely worth getting if you’re trying to cool down a bedroom, office or small apartment,” says HVAC expert Patrick Gambel. “But if you’re trying to cool down your whole house, it won’t be able to do that.”

Prices on roll-around ACs range from $300 to $800, and the more expensive ones — those featuring inverter compressors and dual hoses — get the job done better. Gambel’s recommendations: Whynter, LG, Midea and Frigidaire brands.

“One mistake I see all the time is people buying the least expensive portable AC,” says Gambel. “If you can, spend a little more and get a dual-hose model because they usually work so much better.”

The downside: they’re not as effective as window units.

“A portable AC gives you roughly two-thirds the cooling at the same rated BTU, because the unit itself sits inside the room generating heat,” says home services provider Mohammad Barzegar.

Pro-tips:

• Make the exhaust hose as short and straight as possible. The more hose inside, the more radiant heat it will give off.
• Insulate the part of the hose that’s inside, to keep its heat from entering the room. An easy DIY is just to wrap a towel around it, then secured it with tape.

Window Air Conditioners

If your room has a sliding window, a window AC is a great DIY option. Compared with roll-around units, they are more energy efficient, run quieter and cool more effectively because the exhaust and mechanical components remain on the outside of the house.

“Personally, I’d rather install a window unit than have a portable AC,” says Gambel. “They’re one of the simplest and most effective ways to cool down a room.”

Prices range from $200 to $700. Gambel’s recommendations: LG, Midea, Frigidaire and GE brands. Be sure to opt for one with an EnergyStar certification.

Mini-Splits

These aren’t portable, but some models are DIY-able, and they’re worth a mention because they run quieter, cool better and use less energy than both window and roll-around units. They’re especially good for hard-to-cool spaces like garages and workshops, plus work well in ADUs and home additions that lack ductwork.

“Pre-charged DIY mini-splits are genuinely cheap to run long-term,” says Barzegar. “Their SEER [efficiency] ratings double anything on wheels. The trade-off is a weekend of work and a hole in your wall.”

They range between $1,500 to $3,500. The only mini-splits that are DIY-able are those that come pre-charged with coolant. Many also double as heat pumps to warm the room in the winter, too.

Gambel’s recommendations: MrCool, Mitsubishi, Daikin and Fujitsu brands.

Evaporative Cooler

If you live in a dry climate, evaporative coolers — aka swamp coolers — are an affordable and simple option. They don’t require outside venting, they cost only $150 to $400 and the ensuing electric bill is just pennies per hour.

The downside is that they don’t work in humid areas. That’s because evaporative coolers use water to cool the air, unlike ACs, which rely on compressors and refrigerant. So instead of reducing moisture in the room, evaporative coolers actually add it.

“In dry homes it can solve two problems: high indoor temperatures and low humidity,” says HVAC service provider Jordan Low. “But they can be very detrimental to homes with indoor humidity above 50%.”

Micro ACs

These are smaller than regular portable ACs and are generally marketed for tent/RV camping or day trips to the beach. Some run off of AC compressors, while others are as simple as a beverage cooler with a fan, which delivers a cool breeze by blowing air over your ice cubes.

Some run on batteries, while others require plug-in power. Prices vary widely, from about $200 to well over $1,000. Some perform poorly, so be sure to read plenty of reviews before buying one.

This summer, we’ve been testing BougeRV’s 3,500-BTU micro AC, and it has gotten us through some sticky nights in our little camper. It won’t cool the whole space, but we partition off the sleeping area with a blanket, and that does the trick.

Personal Cooling Devices

These aren’t air conditioners, but rather small fans, which are often handheld. They’re ideal for people on the move who are looking to make a hot day more tolerable. We’ve recently been testing one of Aecooly’s portable cooling devices, which includes a misting feature.

At first, I was skeptical of whether I’d actually bother to use it, but I have to say, it’s been pretty handy. Even on scorcher summer days, it gives us enough comfort to sit on the back deck and watch the birds. Just don’t expect it to cool down a room, just your face.

Portable AC Features To Look For

• Inverter technology: Rolling and window models touting “inverter compressor” technology are more energy efficient, run more quietly and don’t make a jarring clunk when they cycle on and off.
• Noise: Choose models with lower decibel ratings, ideally under 52 dBA, says Barzegar. “If the box doesn’t state a decibel rating, assume it’s 60-plus,” he says.
• Efficiency rating: Instead of using BTUs to compare units, use SACC (Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity) or CEER (Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings, which are more accurate.

How to Size an AC for Your Space

Match the unit’s SACC or BTU square footage to your room size, and then add 10% for sunny rooms, kitchens or high ceilings, says Barzegar. “Undersize and it runs flat-out forever without hitting temperature,” he says. “Oversize and it short-cycles, meaning the room gets cold but stays clammy, because it shuts off before dehumidifying.”

Also, remember that even the best units have their limits. “The biggest misconception I see is people expecting a portable AC to cool their entire house,” says Gambel. “That’s not what they’re designed to do. They’re designed to cool down just one room.”

How to Maintain a Portable AC

• Clean the filter every two weeks.
• Dust the condenser coils periodically.
• Regularly check the vent hose for kinks and blockages.
• Regularly drain the condensate tank (or check the drain hose, depending on the type of unit).
• Vacuum the condenser coils each spring.
• During the off-season, store it upright, with the tank empty.

About the Experts

• Patrick Gambel, has more than 25 years of experience working in the HVAC industry and is owner of General Heating & Air Conditioning, a family-owned HVAC company in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Mohammad Barzegar is director of TQN Group, a Sydney-based multi-trade home services network, whose crews deal with cooling, ventilation and handyman installs across hundreds of homes a year.
• Jordan Low is the general manager of Comfort Heating, Cooling, Electrical & Plumbing in Post Falls, Idaho, where he oversees whole-home services.

Sources

• Michael Rogers is HVAC Manager at Del-Air Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical in South Orlando, Florida.

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