10 Best Portable Air Conditioners for 2022 - Best Air Conditioners and Air Coolers

2022-07-10 18:02:07 By : Ms. Amanda Lee

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Because waking up covered in sweat is not the vibe this summer.

It’s finally getting warm again, which means you can *finally* start planning your beach days and 2022 summer vacays with friends. But in between all that fun, you’ll probably be spending some time at home. And trust me, you’ll need an air conditioner, especially if you’re working from home. If you don’t have central air or a window that would work with a window A/C, a portable air conditioner is your best bet. We’ve rounded up some of the best portable air conditioners you can buy now, so you’re not sweltering come summer. You’re welcome.

Something you’re likely to notice when shopping for portable A/Cs is a reference to the product’s BTUs. FYI, that stands for “British Thermal Unit,” which is basically a measurement of how much energy your air conditioner uses to remove heat from your home within an hour. If you get an A/C with too many BTUs for your space, it wastes energy and drives up your electric bill. But a unit with too few BTUs means it’ll be difficult to cool your space. Luckily, there’s plenty of info out there about how many BTUs you’d need for your room or apartment. So break out the measuring tape and figure out how big your space is before you hit “add to cart.”

Anyway, technical info aside, these are the best portable air conditioners you can buy now. We’ve included affordable options, options for apartments, air conditioner and heater combos, and even portable air coolers that don’t need a hose. No sweaty, sticky apartment life for you this year.

This is Amazon’s #1 best seller in the portable air conditioner category. It has more than 7,000 5-star reviews, so yeah, it’s good. Plenty of reviewers say this thing cools down a room quickly, and it’s easy to control using the remote. It also has a built-in dehumidifier, which will be clutch if your place gets muggy during the summer months.

This portable air conditioner can cool rooms up to 700 square feet, so if you’ve got a studio apartment or big living room, this will definitely do the trick. It’s got a lot of cool features, like a washable filter—which is great if you have allergies—and a programmable timer so you can keep things at a comfortable temp 24/7. It also claims to be relatively quiet, and a few reviewers note that while it does make some noise (it's a machine, after all), it’s not obnoxiously loud.

If Alexa already controls your entire life (well, at least all your home devices), ofc you want a smart air conditioner too. You can use Alexa or Google Assistant to control this portable air conditioner that can cool spaces up to 500 feet. But if you’re feeling retro, you can also use the included remote or the display screen on the device itself. It also offers a “Sleep Mode,” which will keep operating noise to a minimum and automatically shut the air conditioner off after a set time.

All portable air conditioners will make a little bit of noise. But several reviews mention that the noise level on this is super low, which is essential if you’re a light sleeper or working from your bedroom or home office with the A/C right next to you. It even has a sleep mode to make things extra quiet. And of course, it’ll keep your room cool down to as low as 62 degrees Fahrenheit. It also functions as a dehumidifier.

If you need something to cool your space but don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars, I feel you. This unit is under $200 and will keep your room at a comfortable temperature. It’s technically an air cooler, which is a little different from an air conditioner—the main difference is that you have to fill this unit up with cold water and the included ice packs if you want cool air. Otherwise, it’s pretty much just a fan (and you can totally use it as one, if that’s what you’re looking for). But reviews say it’s pretty easy to fill up the tank, making this a great budget-friendly option.

A portable air conditioner that’s *also* a heater is a major plus for year-round efficiency (or if you live somewhere that gets v cold at night). This two-in-one features a dual-hose system for better space utilization and more efficient cooling. It also functions as a dehumidifier, and reviews say it’s pretty quiet.

Most portable air conditioners require you to attach an exhaust hose and place it in a window in order to work properly. Luckily, many come with a window kit to make it manageable, but if that still sounds like a lot of work you just don’t wanna do, don’t sweat it. You can get a portable air cooler like this instead. You’ll fill a water tank and this will fan out nice, cold air in spaces up to 950 square feet. It blows air out three sides, so it’ll disperse cold air in all directions. Just FYI, it won’t be great in high-humidity spaces, so you’ll probably want to look elsewhere if that’s your situation.

This air conditioner has toooons of 5-star reviews and offers a ton of features too. It works as both an air conditioner and a heater, plus it can be a dehumidifier and fan if you need that. It has a remote control and programmable timer to turn it off when you’re not home or sleeping—but if you run it through the night, several reviewers say the noise level is very quiet.

This portable air conditioner works to cool rooms up to 500 square feet, and according to the reviews, it manages to do so with impressive speed. Because, tbh, you don’t want to spend forever waiting for your room to be a comfortable temperature. This unit is also made with eco-friendly materials and uses auto drain technology, which uses and recycles moisture collected during the cooling process to produce cool air. Pretty cool! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).

This portable air conditioner quickly cools rooms up to 250 square feet. It has close to 500 5-star reviews, many of which mention that it’s super easy to set up and comes with everything you need. It can be controlled with a remote and has a programmable timer, plus it’s easy to move from room to room thanks to the heavy-duty wheels.

Okay, this obviously isn’t an air conditioner, but hear me out: If you’re looking for a portable air conditioner specifically because you’re a sweaty sleeper, you should also consider swapping your usual sheets for linen sheets. They are super lightweight and will keep you cool all night long, all summer long.

Unfortunately, even the best portable air conditioners can’t come with you on your summer picnics or neighborhood walks. Enter: these gorgeous hand fans to help you keep cool while you’re out and about.