Best portable air conditioner 2021
A portable air conditioner is a good solution for rooms that don’t have the single- or double-hung windows required for window units or those that aren’t frequently used, like a guest room. They can be rolled wherever you need them, are easier to install, and can be easily stored away when not needed.
Along with testing (here’s our full testing methodology), we researched ratings and reviews of the top models from hundreds of experts and owners. All the units we recommend performed well in our tests, have useful features that justify their price, and are designed to maintain a cool temperature in appropriately-sized rooms.
The best portable AC overall
best portable air conditioner 2021 — LG portable ac
LG
The LG 14,000 BTU Smart Wi-Fi Portable Air Conditioner is a well-rounded, energy-saving unit that can be controlled by your phone or voice.
Pros: Can be controlled and scheduled using your phone, voice control, easy to move, performed well in cooling tests, fits a wide array of window sizes
Cons: Set up took longer than others, one-year warranty
What sets the LG 14,000 LP1419IVSM apart from the other ACs we tested is its smart capabilities. It’s supported by the LG ThinQ app, which allows you to use your phone as a remote controller, and you can set a schedule for when you want it to run. Additionally, it’s Alexa-enabled, so you can control it with your voice.
The LG portable AC can cool up to 500 square feet and has a dual-inverter compressor, which relies on variable motor speed to regulate temperature — rather than just being on or off. This makes it more energy-efficient than non-inverter ACs. LG estimates this saves up to 40% more energy.
It did not perform the best in our cooling tests, but it was within 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit of the Whynter ARC-14SH, a difference most people would not notice. It only took a little more than a minute to move from one room to the next thanks to its handles, smooth casters, and a dedicated slot for the window slider when in transport. However, at around 60 pounds, it can be a hassle to switch between floors.
The best budget portable AC
The Black and Decker Portable Air Conditioner cools just as well as other units that cost hundreds of dollars more.
Pros: Excellent cooling, fast set-up, five-year compressor warranty, heating mode
Cons: Loud operation, high-energy consumption
For its price, the Black and Decker BPACT14HWT does a lot. In addition to being one of the top performers in our cooling tests, this workhorse also has heating capabilities that come in handy during the colder months.
I purchased this AC for my bedroom and it’s going on its third summer of use. It’s one of the louder units we tested, but living on a major road that connects the main hospital to the freeway, I appreciate that the noise drowns out the ambulances. Yet, when I neglect to regularly clean the filter, the Black+Decker produces jarring sounds as it changes fan speeds. Fortunately, the filter is easy enough to clean — check out some tips here.
Another negative is the poor EER of about 6.5. Its official Department of Energy Btu rating is 7,500, while it consumes a high amount of energy (1,160 watts).
The best portable AC for medium-to-large rooms
best portable air conditioner 2021 Whynter
Whynter
The Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner may be big and not as portable, but it can cool rooms up to 500 square feet, is relatively energy efficient, and has a heater.
Pros: Top performer in our cooling tests, heating capabilities, comes with a storage cover, energy-efficient, three-year warranty on compressor
Cons: Cumbersome to move, longer set-up, loudest of our recommendations, window slider only fits windows up to 46-inches wide
The first word that comes to mind when looking at the Whynter ARC-14SH is “monolithic.” Weighing 86 pounds, it has an impressive Energy Efficient Ratio of 11.2, which means it does a good job of cooling rooms up to 500 square feet without using an excessive amount of electricity. In addition to cooling, dehumidifying, and having a fan, the ARC-14SH also has heating capabilities.
The Whynter ARC-14SH lowered the room temperature more than other units we tested after two hours. However, it was also the loudest model at 58 decibels, but the noise variance between all of the ACs we’ve tested is relatively small — the LG is 56 decibels and the Honeywell is 51.
The biggest negatives are that the unit is heavy and lacks handles, making it hard to move from room to room — it took me 90 seconds. The initial installation took longer than most models because you need to screw the fixtures into the window slider. The slider was just short of being long enough for my 47-inch window opening.
While the standard warranty is one year for parts and labor, Whynter has an additional three-year warranty on the compressor and it comes with a storage cover for when it’s not in use.
The best quiet portable AC
The Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner is the quietest unit we tested, plus its easy installation, mobility, and energy efficiency make it an excellent solution for medium rooms.
Pros: Quick set-up, quiet operation, energy-efficient, easy to move, fits a broad array of windows, excellent installation kit
Cons: Average cooling abilities, minimal warranty (one year)
What sets the Honeywell HL12CESWB apart is its good, no-frills operation. The 12,000 Btu unit is really closer to 6,500 Btu per the Department of Energy’s standards and is meant for rooms of 450 to 550 square feet. It has a sleek, relatively lightweight (67.3 pounds) design along with handles and casters that make it easy to move from room-to-room — a task that took me less than 80 seconds.
In our tests, the HL12CESWB was the quietest of all the air conditioners, at 51 decibels, on high. This makes it ideal for a bedroom or home office — or both, thanks to its portability. Taking only 10 minutes, set-up is easy, and the unit comes with adhesive and non-adhesive foam seals to ensure efficient cooling.
Among the units we tested, Honeywell was the poorest performer, but that’s all relative. All of the ACs performed similarly with only a difference of 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature change between the best and worst performers after two hours.
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