Looking at some of the best portable air conditioners on the market and understanding the different functionalities and requirements of owning a portable air conditioner.
Overview
If you are shopping around for a variety of air conditioners, a portable unit can be a good option if you are looking for a unit that is flexible enough to be moved from one room to another, depending on which space you need to be cooled.
Portable air conditioners are popular for their mobility to be moved wherever you need to cool. They can cool rooms of different sizes, offer advanced technological features, and are often easy to operate. When shopping for an AC unit, you will want to look for the best portable unit.
Finding the best portable air conditioner
If you want to invest in a new portable air conditioner, you will want to look for one that accommodates your cooling needs and your space. There are a number of different portable units you can consider as some of the best the market currently has to offer.
Your decisions should be based on how good the products are, their energy efficiency, cooling capacity, noise levels, as well as their price ranges. It is important to do your research thoroughly to identify which units are frequently identified as the best.
What is the best portable air conditioner on the market?
There are a couple of portable air conditioners rated as the best. These units are considered the best for various reasons, and it is up to you to decide whether a particular unit is worth it and will work effectively for you.
Some of the best portable air conditioners on the market in 2022 are the Whynter Arc-14S Dual Hose Portable air conditioners for their superb energy efficiency ratio of 11.20, environmental friendliness, and relatively quiet operation that provides powerful cooling, even in large spaces.
The Black+Decker BPACT08WT Portable Air Conditioner is one of the best budget-friendly units, while the LG Smart Portable air conditioner 12 000 BTU (Ashrae) and LG Smart Portable air conditioner 14 000 (Ashrae) units are overall brilliant units with smart Wi-Fi-enabled features.
In the same vein as most online stores, Amazon also offers convenient shopping with its array of AC units and they’re prices and specs are listed below.
| Portable AC name | Description | Amazon price |
Whynter ARC-14S Dual-Hose Portable AC unit |
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| · Cools rooms of up to 500 square feet
· Dehumidifying capacity of up to 71 pints per day · Three operational modes: Air conditioning, dehumidifier, fan · 56 dB noise level · Eco-friendly CFC-free green R-32 refrigerant |
$495.00 | |
Black+Decker BPACT08WT Portable AC unit |
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| · Quiet and powerful operation of 4 000 BTU
· Comes with Sleep Mode (extra quiet) · Best suited for smaller rooms of up to 150 square feet · Simple and quick installation · 3-in-1 functionality providing cooling, fanning, and dehumidification · Bucket-less self-evaporation operation |
From $339.99 – $431.03 | |
LG Smart Portable AC unit |
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| · Cools rooms of up to 350 square feet
· Has multiple fan speeds, 2 for cooling and fanning · 3-in-1 operation with cooling, dehumidifying, and fanning · Works with Amazon Alexa and Hey Google, utilising voice commands |
From $529.99 to $655.93 | |
What makes a good portable air conditioner?
A good portable unit is classified as good for various reasons. The cooling capacity of a portable air conditioner needs to be efficient.
Choosing the right sized BTU unit ensures your air conditioner is delivering excellent cooling. Portable air conditioners are particularly noisy, and some people can tolerate the noise while others cannot.
A good quality portable unit has bearable noise levels that do not take away from a good cooling experience. The energy efficiency of a portable unit needs to be effectual to be considered good.
What is the difference in operation between single-hose and dual-hose portable units?
When choosing the best portable air conditioner, you must choose between single-hose and dual-hose units.
Single-hose units draw in air for cooling from the room and releasing warmer air from the hot end of the coil to the outside of your house.
Dual-hose units have two hoses; one hose takes in outdoor air, cools and dehumidifies it, then releases it into the room, while the other hose releases hot air from the hot end of the coil. Dual-hose units are, however, more expensive than single-hose units.
How do I vent a portable air conditioner?
Buyers considering purchasing a portable air conditioner need to be aware that even the best portable unit needs to be vented out of a window and the user needs to be prepared to make this possible.
The exhaust hoses need to be vented out of a window as they extract and remove hot air from the room. A window is not the only means of venting, and you also can vent through a wall, ceiling, and even a door, provided that you can make the right adjustments to the hose(s).
Final thoughts
Portable air conditioners are great units if you want to be able to move your unit between different rooms or spaces. Many air portable air conditioners can be quite compact and still deliver powerful cooling and so the best portable air conditioners on the market will be a good investment to make.
There are a number of popular portable units regarded as the best the market has to offer due to their advanced features, their operational capabilities, as well as their budget- friendliness for those who cannot afford to pay much. Buyers can shop for these units on Amazon or in-store at the appropriate stores.