The Best Portable Air Conditioners To Keep You Cool In The Dog Days Of Summer

Power: 12,000 BTU ASHRAE / 7,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 400 square feet | Drainage: Automatically exhausts moisture but may need a drain hose (sold separately) | Noise level: Less than 52 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions

While you’ll find the slightly larger Whynter ARC-14S elsewhere on this list, the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS earns its place as the best overall portable air conditioner by providing most of the same capabilities at a lower price point. With the 12,000 BTU ASHRAE (7,000 BTU DOE), this cooling engine can handle rooms up to 400 square feet and has three operating modes: cooling, fan-only and dehumidifier-only.

Unlike most units in this price range, this is a dual-hose system; one hose serves as an input and the other as an exhaust, which makes it run more efficiently by cooling a room without drawing in warm air. While it has an automatic drain to clear out accumulated moisture, many reviewers suggest getting a drain hose (which you’ll have to purchase separately), especially if you live in a humid area.

Pros:

• Three operating modes
• Dual-hose system
• 24-hour programmable timer
• Automatic drain

Cons:

• Window kit doesn’t seal well

Power: 10,000 BTU ASHRAE / 6,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 250 square feet | Drainage: Bucket-less design evaporates water (drain hose included | Noise level: 51 to 53 dB | Additional features: Fan and dehumidifier functions, sleep timer

While you don’t want an underpowered air conditioner, you also don’t want that delivers too many BTUs is wasteful. With 10,000 BTU ASHRAE (6,000 BTU DOE), this model from Black+Decker is perfect to small rooms up to about 250 square feet, though it performs best in spaces around 150 square feet.

Along with air-conditioning capabilities, this unit also functions as a fan and dehumidifier. Plus, its bucket-less design evaporates condensation from the air conditioner, meaning maintenance couldn’t be simple. Pretty much the only thing you need to do regularly is clean the filter about twice a month.

The BPACT10WT rolls around on casters for easy placement and features an LED display with controls on the top panel, but you can also operate this air conditioner using the included remote control. You’ll also appreciate the fact that it’s largely autonomous; it’ll run for 24 hours at a time with an automatic sleep timer.

Pros:

• Ideal for small rooms
• No drainage required
• Automatic sleep timer

Cons:

• Window kit is complicated to install

Power: 14,000 BTU ASHRAE / 9,500 DOE | Coverage area: Up to 600 square feet | Drainage: Automatically recycles moisture but may need drain hose (sold separately) | Noise level: Less than 56 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions

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Have a large space you’re trying to cool? The Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner is near the top end of what portable AC units can do. That said, you should probably be sure you need this much air conditioning before you invest in the ARC-14S; it’s a bit of an investment, weighs a formidable 80 pounds and the lack of handles makes it challenging to move on anything but smooth flat surfaces (where the casters can help out). However, this unit means business.

Unlike most portable air conditioners, this is a dual-hose model, with one hose serving as an input and the other as an output. That makes it more efficient and better able to cool your space without unintentionally sucking more warm air into your room. It has an impressive 14,000 BTU ASHRAE (9,500 DOE) that can cool a 600-square-foot room with ease, moving 253 cubic feet per minute. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a portable unit able to cool a room faster.

Better yet, it can dehumidify an impressive 101 pints of water per day from your home and has an automatic drain function that’s supposed to exhaust moisture (although, some reviewers say they had to manually drain the unit). And if you’re concerned about air quality, it has a washable pre-filter and activated carbon air filter to keep your air fresh. Unlike some of the other options in this roundup, the Whynter air conditioner has a temperature setting between 61 degrees Fahrenheit and 89 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to set your desired temperature and let the device do its work. If you’re looking for a similar unit that also heats, check out the brand’s ARC-14SH model.

Pros:

• Cools rooms up to 600 square feet
• Dual-hose system
• Multi-stage filtration system
• Adjustable temperature setting

Cons:

• Expensive
• Heavy

Power: N/A | Coverage area: Up to 21 square feet | Drainage: None | Noise level: 50 dB | Additional features: Simultaneously cools, humidifies and purifies; night light

Amazon Prime Day Sale: Go ahead, save 20% on this small-but-mighty pick during Amazon’s Prime Day extravaganza.

Evapolar’s EvaChill is an evaporative cooler, meaning it pulls air through a moist environment to lower the temperature instead of using refrigerants. While generally less efficient than traditional air conditioners, this pint-sized gadget is ideal for small spaces. While it can’t efficiently cool an entire room, it’s more than capable of tackling a roughly 21-square-foot area around the device, such as a workspace. In fact, its nightlight feature, plus the fact it does double-duty by cooling and humidifying, makes it suitable for your sleep space. (Note: This machine is not ideal for humid climates)

The EvaChill is incredibly small—7 x 7 x 7 inches and weighs just 1.7 pounds—so it will fit easily on a tabletop or desk. Plus, its oversized tank allows it to run continuously for four to six hours. It’s powered by a USB cable, which again makes it a smart cooling solution for a home office or bedroom. If you’re only concerned about keeping your personal space cool rather than the entire room—and you want a cooler that looks like it belongs on a space ship—this unit is a tremendous value. Plus, this unit comes in three colors: ocean blue, white and gray.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Built-in night light
• Extremely quiet

Cons:

• Limited cooling area

Power: 10,000 BTU ASHRAE / 6,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 270 square feet | Drainage: Automatically exhausts moisture but may need drain hose (sold separately) | Noise level: 55 to 57 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions

The SereneLife SLPAC10 earns its status as the best affordable portable air conditioner thanks to its moderately powerful cooling abilities and its overall versatility. Not only does the SereneLife SLPAC10 operate as a simple air conditioner, but it can be used as a circulating fan (the fan automatically swings around to spread the airflow) and a dehumidifier. It comes in a variety of capacities from 8,000 BTU to 12,000 BTU. This particular model is rated for 10,000 BTU ASHRAE (6,000 BTU DOE); it’s able to keep rooms up to about 270 square feet cool with an airflow of 290 cubic meters per hour.

The SereneLife stands just under 3 feet tall and has a 17 x 13-inch footprint. It has easy-rolling casters, though, and the sides are easy to grip, making it a cinch to move around the house. Don’t expect it to be the quietest air conditioner on the market—with a rated noise level around 57 dB, it can seem louder in actual operation, sometimes whining like a vacuum cleaner. Nonetheless, it’s fairly compact and comes with a remote so you can operate it from across the room, though there’s also a simple control panel on the top of the unit as well.

Pros:

• Good value
• Several sizes available
• Easy to move

Cons:

• Noisy

Power: 14,000 BTU ASHRAE / 7,500 DOE | Coverage area: Up to 300 square feet | Drainage: Drain hose included | Noise level: 56 dB (highest setting)| Additional features: Includes fan, dehumidifier and space heater functions

Amazon Prime Day Competitor Sale: Walmart’s competing with the Amazon Prime Day action and offering $50 off this standout model.

Multi-purpose devices are always handy, which is why it’s great to get an air conditioner that can do double-duty as a dehumidifier. This portable air conditioner from Black+Decker does one better, though: You can use it year-round, since it works as both an AC and heater—and you get formidable cooling power in the BPACT14HWT.

It’s rated at 14,000 BTU ASHRAE (7,500 DOE), which can competently cool about 300 square feet. It’s worth noting that this air conditioner has the same ASHRAE rating as the Whynter ARC-14S but a lower DOE rating and smaller max room size. That’s the advantage of Whynter’s dual hose system—it can make a substantial difference—but if you are okay with Black+Decker’s more modest specs, you get the ability to heat a room up to about 81 degrees in cooler weather. However, as a heater, it has slightly less reach, only good for about 250 t0 300 square feet.

You can run the unit as a dehumidifier, choose multiple fan speeds, and set a 24-hour timer for automatic all-day operation. It’s also simple to move around thanks to large, free-spinning casters and an easy-to-grip handle, and Black+Decker puts a simple set of controls on top of the unit in addition to providing a handy remote.

Pros:

• Cooling and heating abilities
• 24-hour timer
• Easy to move

Cons:

• Smaller heating area

Power: 14,000 BTU ASHRAE / 10,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 450 square feet | Drainage: Empty collection tank | Noise level: 53 dB (highest setting) | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions

If your house is filled with smart devices, you may come to expect all your appliances to be app- and voice-operated. Good news: Your portable air conditioner can be just as smart as your doorbell, thermostat and alarm system if you choose the LG LP1021BSSM Portable Air Conditioner. Equipped with Wi-Fi and compatible with LG’s ThinQ app, you can control the AC from anywhere—at home or while on the road.

The app allows you to start and stop the cooling, set the temperature and change the fan mode. It’s also Alexa- and Google Assistant-compatible, so you can command the AC by voice. It’s certainly not a necessity, but this feature is a great convenience, especially if you’re already used to turning lights and other appliances on and off by voice.

LG has packed this model with a fair amount of cooling power; it is rated at 14,000 BTU ASHRAE (10,000 BTU DOE) and it can effectively cool rooms up to about 450 square feet. The 3-in-1 operation includes cooling, fan-only and dehumidifying-only modes with two fan speeds and an auto-swing vent mechanism to spread the cool air around the room automatically.

In addition to the smart device controls, it has a 24-hour sleep timer (handy if you just want to control it from the remote control and not worry about the mobile app) and an auto-restart feature in case you lose power while it’s running.

Pros:

• Wi-Fi connectivity
• 24-hour sleep timer
• Auto-swing air vent

Cons:

• Drain hose not included

Power: N/A | Coverage area: Up to 320 square feet | Drainage: Empty detachable water tank | Noise level: 64 dB (highest setting) | Additional features: Includes humidity settings

True portable air conditioners require a hose that vents out a window, and if you don’t have the space for this ventilation (or simply don’t want the eyesore), you might want to consider an evaporative cooler—also known as a swamp cooler—like this one from Honeywell. The indoor/outdoor unit works by pulling air over ice that you load into the appliance, and it creates a cool breeze that can cool spaces up to 320 square feet.

Despite not being a true portable air conditioner, this product is surprisingly effective, especially in hot, dry climates. It has three humidity settings and a programmable timer that can run for up to 7.5 hours, and it comes with a convenient remote control, as well.

Pros:

• No ventilation required
• Three humidity settings
• Indoor/outdoor design
• Programmable for up to seven hours

Cons:

• Works best in dry climates
• Not a true air conditioner

In the market for a unit with dehumidifier capabilities? Look no further than this small but mighty Winado model, which cools up to 400 square feet. It also comes with a handy remote control and four built-in casters so you can easily move it around.

With 10,000 BTU and three different fan speeds, this compact cooling device—that you can easily roll from room to room—can effectively tackle spaces up to 350 square feet. It also doubles as a dehumidifier and fan, and comes with a programmable timer so you don’t have to worry about manually turning off the unit.

This remote-controlled model—which also functions as a fan and dehumidifier—can cool up to 300 square feet. Plus, it’s quiet: It maxes out at 49 decibels, which is no louder than rainfall.

While this compact HomCom unit may not be capable of tackling spacious layouts, it’s nonetheless worth considering. Featuring four functions and two cooling speeds, it has all just the right number of bells and whistles to get the job done. “Went from a hot muggy home to a cool and comfortable home,” writes one reviewer. Another notes that the “exhaust hose and components seem to do a great job of not letting heat back into the house.”

Your air conditioner’s IQ will go up big-time when you bring home this portable option from Pasapair, which is 11% off during Prime Day. Thanks to its corresponding app, you can control your thermostat from anywhere. (That way, you can come home to an icy cold space.)

With an LCD screen and a timer to turn off while you sleep, the Vremi has some feature that set it apart from the rest. It can cool rooms ranging from 150 to 250 square feet and has a 10,000 BTU rating. This chic-looking AC is 36% off for Prime Day when you clip the on-page coupon.

This highly-rated portable AC from Midea is 16% off right now. It’s another great option for smaller rooms up to 175 square feet. Plus, it has a timer, easy-to-read LCD display and a washable and reusable air filter.

This 3-in-1 portable AC also has a dehumidifier, a fan, and auto evaporation and works for rooms up to 250 square feet. Right now, Amazon Prime members can save $78 off this model, a solid 22%.