The Best Portable Air Conditioner

I’m a staff writer at Wirecutter covering home-comfort products, ranging from heating and cooling to humidification to holiday lights and more. Since 2017, I’ve tested more than 100air conditioners and fans, including at least three dozen portable air conditioners, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours heating, cooling, and humidifying my home. Over the years, I’ve covered UN climate change conferences; interviewed dozens of HVAC experts, from engineers to scientists to policymakers; and combed through thousands of pages of energy and architectural regulations and research. I’ve even attended several HVAC training sessions and live installations. Not only am I really good at being cool, I’m also fun at parties.

Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete independence, in accordance with our editorial standards. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. I don’t own any stock or have any other financial interest in any of the companies that I cover (or am likely to cover), and I don’t hold on to any “freebies,” always donating products after I’m done.

Most people look for the same thing from a portable air conditioner as they expect of any home cooling system:

• It should make the room feel more comfortable.
• It shouldn’t run up the electric bill (too much).
• And it shouldn’t be too loud or inconvenient to set up and use.

Historically, this has been a pretty big ask for a portable air conditioner. In recent years, however, the Department of Energy finalized new standards for measuring the seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) and combined energy-efficiency ratio (CEER) of portable ACs. These new metrics are much more comprehensive and helpful—although the way that certain machines are labeled can still be a bit confusing. (When in doubt, consult the EnergyGuide label on the box.)

For this guide, we limited our search to portable air conditioners that met a minimum SACC threshold of 8,000 British thermal units (Btu) per hour, according to these new standards. We prioritized models with a CEER of at least 7.0, as well.

All portable air conditioners have at least one large exhaust hose that must vent out through your window, and some have two. In most situations, the number of hoses doesn’t have a huge impact on performance, so we didn’t factor it into our decision making; any efficiency lost or gained by an extra or missing hose should be factored into the SACC rating, anyway. The one major exception, however, is if you plan on setting up your portable AC in a room with a furnace or water heater or anything else that uses combustion. We’ve added more details about that below.

With our performance needs met, we set up our finalists in a roughly 250-square-foot space and tested for measurable objective criteria, including:

• Temperature and humidity changes: We measured over the course of two hours, using an environmental data logger.
• Power consumption: During our tests, we plugged each AC into an energy monitor.
• Volume and noise: At each different power setting, we used a decibel meter to track the general volume and an audio spectrum analyzer app to identify any uniquely annoying frequencies.

That data was secondary to our subjective note taking on the overall user experience of living with these things—you learn a lot about these units as you set them up, roll them around, and fiddle with their vent-hose attachments in the window. We focused on details such as:

• Basic setup process: We examined how easy it was to connect the exhaust tube, whether the window panel required tools or cumbersome construction, and how quickly we could set up any smart-home or Wi-Fi connections.
• Portability: We evaluated how well the AC moved around on casters, with or without the exhaust hose installed in the window. We also considered the ease of removing the unit and storing it in between seasons, as well as general accessibility considerations for people with limited mobility.
• Onboard and remote controls: We looked at how intuitive the buttons were, as well as how easy (or difficult) it was to customize settings, and we noted the brightness and convenience of any LED indicator lights. We also considered remote functionality.
• Other accessories: We noted any extra features, such as cord storage, a remote control, or the ability to connect to an app—minor factors that had an impact on the overall experience but not enough to influence our decisions in a significant way.

Top pick

Best for year-round climate control

Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL

This portable AC’s powerful inverter compressor and its secondary role as a heater help it dial in a precise comfort level quietly, effectively, and efficiently for most of the year.

$679 from Amazon

$679 from Walmart

With its inverter compressor and its unique dual-hose design, the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL is more powerful, more efficient, and quieter than any other portable air conditioner we’ve tested. It’s also easier to set up and generally more pleasant to live with than similar ACs. Plus, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL comes with a built-in heating mechanism, so you may be able to use it for year-round climate control, depending on where you live.

It delivers more powerful cooling than other portable ACs. With an SACC of 12,000 Btu under the new Department of Energy standards or 14,000 Btu according to the older ASHRAE standards, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL is simply one of the most powerful portable air conditioners you can find. It also has the smallest gap we’ve seen between those two measurements—which, without getting too in the weeds, is a good indicator of a high-quality design.

It’s impressively quiet. In our tests, we measured the Duo MAP14HS1TBL running at an average volume of 48 decibels. Though that’s about 2 decibels louder than the LG inverter we recommend  this Midea model is still much quieter than most portable air conditioners, and its noise is still significantly below the generally accepted “normal conversation” volume of 60 decibels. Even the compressor was hardly noticeable when it first kicked on, adding about 2 decibels of low rumble to the fan volume on average.

It’s remarkably efficient. The Duo MAP14HS1TBL has a CEER rating, under the current standards, of 10.8, which is the highest efficiency rating we’ve seen on any portable air conditioner. Even our runner-up pick, also from Midea, has an efficiency rating of only 8.9. (Most models we looked at had a CEER rating between 6.8 and 7.3.) Thanks to the inverter compressor on this model, it can gradually fluctuate its power usage, as well. Whereas most similarly sized portable ACs with standard compressors tend to run at 1,300 watts, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL never used more than 970 watts during our tests, and typically it used even less.

It spreads cool air consistently around the room. The Duo MAP14HS1TBL has a rotating cylinder fan on the top that sort of tosses the cooled air up and out in an arc. In our tests, this mechanism worked surprisingly well: This portable AC was able to drop the temperature by 10 degrees in under an hour while maintaining a roughly 1-degree temperature fluctuation across the room. In that regard, it was more consistent than any other AC we tested, with the exception of our Frigidaire pick. Even the Danby model we tested, which was identical to this Midea AC in nearly every way except for the fan, couldn’t match its uniform cooling prowess.

The dual-hose design makes it easier to wrangle. Portable ACs with two hoses typically have a slight efficiency advantage over single-hose models; unfortunately, they also tend to be more cumbersome, which sort of offsets any benefit. But the Duo MAP14HS1TBL stands out with an unusual design that combines the intake and exhaust hoses into a single tube that’s built directly into the unit—giving you all the advantages of dual hoses without the frustration of having to wrestle with a pair of annoying plastic snakes that keep detaching from your air conditioner.

The installation process is surprisingly simple. Along with that built-in hose-in-hose design, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL comes with a comprehensive window-installation kit that makes it easily adaptable for a variety of homes. The kit accompanying our unit included so many hardware options that we weren’t even sure what kinds of windows they all worked for; suffice to say, there should be a way to make this AC work for almost any setup you might have. The dual hose snaps right into place on the window panels, too—though you might want to cover the cracks with some insulation tape, anyway.

It comes with a comprehensive remote control and all of the smart-home features you might need, which is especially great for accessibility. We found the built-in user interface to be particularly clear and easy to use; by contrast, the Danby model we tested had the exact same button layout with different markings, and it managed to confuse us every time. Even the Alexa voice commands for the Duo MAP14HS1TBL felt natural.

Thanks to its heating mode, this AC can handle climate control year-round. Though this guide is largely focused on portable units’ cooling capacity, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Duo MAP14HS1TBL also has a built-in 12,000 Btu heat pump. That’s more than enough power for it to provide some efficient electrical heating in the cooler months.

It’s one of the more attractive portable ACs we’ve seen. To be fair, that’s kind of like saying that R2-D2 is better looking than R5-D4—sure, one is a little more sleek-looking, but at the end of the day, they all resemble trash cans on wheels.¹

Flaws but not dealbreakers

At 77 pounds, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL is one of the heavier portable ACs. It’s about 10 pounds heavier than our budget pick and more than 15 pounds heavier than the convertible GE dual-hose model we tested. Carrying any portable AC up and down stairs is a challenge, but this model’s added heft amplifies the problem. Fortunately, its caster wheels and handles make it easy enough to move around on flat, hard surfaces.

Runner-up

A quiet, efficient, inverter-powered cooler for summer only

Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL

Just as quiet as our top pick, this version costs less, has a little less cooling power, and does not include a heater.

$432 from Amazon

$520 from Walmart

If you don’t mind trading some cooling (and heating) power for a bit of cost savings, the Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL is a smaller, stripped-down version of our top pick that works nearly as well.

It has the same inverter compressor and dual-hose design as our top pick. Those are two of the most important factors for energy-efficient performance—and they’re the things that set Midea’s portable air conditioners apart from the rest of the pack. The MAP12S1TBL has all the same smart-home features, too, and it’s just as quiet and consistent at spreading cooled air around the room. Put another way, this Midea model works just as well as the other one, which is also better than almost any other portable AC you’ll find.

It’s about $100 cheaper than our top pick on average. Portable air conditioners tend to cost more in general than their window-mounted counterparts, and overall AC prices fluctuate throughout the season. That said, this model tends to cost around $560, while our top pick from Midea averages about $660.

This Midea AC isn’t quite as powerful, or as efficient, as our top pick. With an SACC of 10,000 Btu by the current DOE standards (or 12,000 Btu according to the older ASHRAE standards), this Midea model is still more powerful than most other portable ACs out there. Its combined energy-efficiency ratio (CEER) of 8.9 is similarly smaller than what you get from our top pick, but it still represents an improvement on almost any other option.

It doesn’t have a heating mechanism, as our top pick does. For some people, this could be a fair trade-off, especially considering the cost savings.

Upgrade pick

As luxurious as a portable can be

Frigidaire Gallery GHPH142AA1

This is one of the most efficient portable ACs we’ve ever tested. It also offers improved air filtration, intelligent climate control, and plenty of other thoughtful features.

Buy from Amazon

$701 from The Home Depot

There’s no such thing as a luxury portable air conditioner, but the Frigidaire Gallery GHPH142AA1 is the closest we’ve come to finding that impossible ideal. It’s not only the most energy-efficient portable air conditioner we’ve ever tested but also one of the easiest models to live with overall. Like the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL, this Frigidaire AC includes a heating supplement (though a cooling-only version, the Frigidaire Gallery GHPC142AA1, is available, for $150 less). It’s also compatible with Frigidaire’s proprietary air-purifier filter, and it comes with a built-in smart mode that is surprisingly effective at maximizing comfort with minimal energy. Add in a sturdy, snap-together window panel and other thoughtful touches, such as hideaway handles you can actually grip, and this Frigidaire model is simply the most palatial portable AC available. It is still a portable AC, though, and that means it’s also big and clumsy and radiates heat into the same room it’s trying to cool. But even in that context, it’s still pretty great..

This Frigidaire model is one of the most efficient portable air conditioners available, with enough power to handle rooms up to 450 square feet. With a 10,000 Btu SACC rating under the current Department of Energy standards, the GHPH142AA1 boasts the same cooling prowess as the Duo MAP14HS1TBL. But it uses much less energy to provide that cooling power, with a CEER of 12.2 In our tests, it actually did a better job of quickly dropping the temperature, too, bringing the room down nearly two whole degrees in the first half-hour. It even managed to cool the room below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and keep it there—a surprisingly rare feat among portable units. This portable AC was also better at maintaining a consistent temperature, with our monitors measuring less than a half-degree difference between them.

It’s impressively quiet, too. Even on high, the fan on this Frigidaire AC barely breaks 50 decibels, making it even quieter than our top pick from Midea. During our tests, we had to keep reminding ourselves that the Frigidaire AC was running. It can reach about 55 decibels once the inverter compressor revs all the way up, but one of the benefits of a variable-speed inverter is that it almost never actually works at full speed, and it still keeps you cool (or warm, depending on the season.)

Like our top pick, the Frigidaire AC also offers a heating option. This model’s built-in heat pump can provide up to 12,000 Btu of warmth during the cooler months, giving it the same efficient electric heating prowess as our top pick.

It also has several features that could potentially improve your air quality. While the GHPH142AA1 comes with its own standard air filter by default, you also get the option to upgrade to one of Frigidaire’s MERV-14 PureAir RAC-13 filters. That means it can provide the same filtration as a dedicated air purifier, without your having to buy a whole separate product for your home. Even if you don’t want to upgrade the filter, this AC has an air-quality indicator light on the front, so you can tell how things are going at a glance. You can also use the Frigidaire app to get more details about your current air quality.

The AI-powered “smart mode” is surprisingly effective, too. When we tried this setting in our tests, the Frigidaire kept the room stable at 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 55% relative humidity using less than 300 watts per hour—about half as much energy as it used when we ran it manually for our initial tests. While there’s no way to adjust the default smart settings, we think most people will be pretty comfortable in those conditions, especially if it helps to reduce their electric bills. Of course, AI systems are also notorious energy hogs. And even if that money’s not coming directly out of your pocket, it can still have a serious impact on the environment, thereby increasing the need for energy-efficient air conditioning. You could probably set this Frigidaire to 72 degrees and still achieve similar results without all of that extra processing power.

This Frigidaire model is also much easier to carry than other portable ACs we’ve tested. Despite what the name might suggest, portable air conditioners aren’t exactly easy to move around. They’re all cumbersome and heavy, and this Frigidaire is no exception. But if you do have to move it up and down a set of stairs, you’ll be relieved to know that the hideaway handles on this AC are actually large enough that you can get a decent grip on them. That’s the kind of thoughtful design detail that sets this Frigidaire AC apart from other models we’ve tested. It’s still not a fun experience—but it’s much better than struggling to balance 70 pounds of hardware on the tips of three fingers per hand. (Granted, we also have to lift more portable air conditioners per summer than most people do cumulatively across their entire lifetime.)

But it is still a portable air conditioner. Just to reiterate, while this Frigidaire AC might offer a luxurious experience compared with other portable models, it still can’t hold a candle to a window unit or to any sort of mini-split or central air-conditioning system. Portable air conditioners are sort of a necessary evil—which means that even the best of the best are still technically evil.

It’s not a great choice for rooms with furnaces or gas-powered devices either. Single-hose portables like the Frigidaire tend to cause a slight negative pressure, which creates a vacuum effect which equalizes the air by pulling in a backdraft of “infiltration air.” Most people will barely notice this. But in a room with a gas-powered device like a furnace, that draft could potentially bring in gas fumes or carbon monoxide, which could be dangerous. This is true of all single-hose portables, including our recommendations from LG and Black+Decker. If you’re concerned, stick with one of our dual-hose picks from Midea.

Best for…

Best for simple setup and storage

LG LP1419IVSM

This portable AC has an efficient variable-speed compressor, a built-in hose for a simpler setup, and a convenient storage pocket—but it lacks a heating mode.

$649 from Walmart

$649 from Best Buy

The LG LP1419IVSM was our top pick from 2019 to 2021, and it’s still one of the most powerful and efficient portable ACs available. It’s also one of the few portable models that actually feel portable, as it has lots of thoughtful design details that make it easier to store away during the cooler months (which you’ll need to do, since it lacks heating capabilities).

It’s one of the most powerful and efficient portable ACs you can find. Its seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) of 10,000 Btu matches that of our top pick. It also has an inverter compressor like our top pick, though it has a lower CEER of 7.9. With those numbers, the LP1419IVSM is better than every standard-compressor single-hose portable out there, though it’s still a bit more energy intensive than our top pick. Still, with its average noise output of around 45 decibels, you’ll barely notice this AC even when the compressor is working its hardest.

Its self-contained design makes it easier to live with. The LP1419IVSM comes with a remote control, as well as Wi-Fi capabilities so that you can set up all the standard smart-home features, which all work decently well. But the most convenient thing about it is the way it handles all the other, extraneous hardware. In addition to a built-in exhaust hose, which promotes easier setup and transportation, the LP1419IVSM has dedicated storage compartments for the aforementioned remote control, plus all of its window installation panels. It even has a spot to stash the manual, if you want. It’s the only portable AC we’ve ever tested that doesn’t leave you with a pile of plastic parts and nowhere to put them. You can store everything right there on the AC itself, which means you can just roll it away at the end of the summer without having to worry about losing track of the window panels or the remote control.

Like other single-hose portables, the LG can produce a slight negative pressure in the room. This can create a subtle vacuum effect, though most people probably won’t notice. In a room with a gas-powered device, however, it could be dangerous if it pulls in a draft of gas fumes or carbon monoxide. If you need a portable AC for a space with a running gas furnace, for example, you should stick with one of our dual-hose pick from Midea.

Best for…

Best for a cordless option that is truly portable

EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner

This battery-powered portable AC offers a variety of charging options so you can stay comfortable in any situation, though it isn’t as powerful as our other picks.

$899 from Amazon

$1,099 from Walmart

With a rechargeable battery and a variety of charging options, the EcoFlow Wave 3 is one of the very few portable air conditioners we’ve found that are actually portable. It’s a great choice for windowless rooms and semi-enclosed outdoor spaces such as seasonal porches, but it’s an even better option for people who need flexibility or want something to take on the road for camping trips or off-grid living. It doesn’t even need to be hooked up to a window (although the exhaust air still needs to go somewhere).

It’s more portable than other portable ACs. Unlike other portable ACs, this EcoFlow model doesn’t need to be plugged into a wall unless you’re actively charging it. That leaves you with a lot more flexibility in its location. The removable battery can last about four to six hours of constant heating or cooling, but if you switch it to fan mode once your space has reached your target temperature, it should run for the rest of the day without a problem. It pulls about 750 watts of energy while charging, too, still less energy than you’d need to run a non-inverter portable AC. Plus, the battery comes with USB charging ports, in case you need them. Still, it’s not a bad idea to keep a second battery as a backup.

It’s ideal for tents and RVs, and it can run on solar panels or a separate generator. In addition to using its removable and rechargeable batteries, the Wave 3 can also work in conjunction with one of the company’s portable power stations, such as the EcoFlow Delta Max, which in turn can run off a car charger, a generator, or a set of solar panels. After testing it, we’re in agreement with EcoFlow’s claims that this model is a good option for RVs or car camping. In fact, one day we even got eight hours of consistent cooling off the solar panels, and still had 45% battery life after the sun finally dipped for the night.

You don’t need to vent it out a window. The Wave 3 comes with a variety of hose connections that you can hook up to any of the air exhausts or intakes. As a result, you have a little more flexibility in where you vent the air, and where you get the air from. For example, you could leave the Wave 3 outside your tent and pump fresh conditioned air inside that stuffy space while you’re sleeping. You can also use it outdoors or in a semi-enclosed space such as a screened-in patio and direct the exhaust air away from you.

To be clear: The unit still produces exhaust air (the opposite of the air that you’re conditioning), and you still need to vent that air away from you somehow. But instead of forcing you to hook your air conditioner up to a window, this EcoFlow model gives you more choices, such as directing the exhaust air toward the ceiling. If you do that indoors, the exhaust air will eventually remix with the conditioned air—thanks, thermodynamics!—but at least you’ll still get some reprieve from the heat or cold.

It’s surprisingly quiet. In our tests, the Wave 3 measured at about 50 decibels with the fan running on high and 37 decibels on low. It’s quieter than any of our other portable AC picks, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about its possibly destroying the serenity of your wilderness slumber (or whatever you choose to do with it).

But it isn’t nearly as powerful as other portable ACs. With a cooling capacity of about 6,100 Btu along with 8,100 Btu of heating, the Wave 3 has about half the power output of our other picks. It isn’t so good for broadly heating or cooling down all the ambient air in a room. What it can do instead is make people more comfortable: Aim the Wave 3 at a couple on a couch, for example, or a few folks inside a tent or other small space, and you can focus the air conditioning on those individual people, instead of heating or cooling the entire space. It’s a subtle difference. But in the kinds of situations that the Wave 3 was designed for, it can make a major difference.

It’s also a lot more expensive. At around $1,300, the Wave 3 costs roughly twice as much as our other picks—while offering much weaker power output. (The bulk of that cost comes from the battery, which is $900 on its own.) However, those other ACs aren’t nearly as convenient or portable. If you have the floor and window space for a normal portable unit, you should get one of our other picks. But if you need something that offers more flexibility in how and where it keeps you comfortable, the EcoFlow Wave 3 is worth its markup.

Budget pick

Best for basic, affordable cooling

Black+Decker BPACT14WT

This popular model matches our other picks in cooling performance but feels cheaper—it has chintzy buttons and lacks conveniences such as cord storage.

$501 from Amazon

May be out of stock

The Black+Decker BPACT14WT is loud and clumsy—and it’s your best bet for a cheapish portable air conditioner that will actually do its job. It isn’t great, but it is the most affordable option that meets our minimum standards. (Plenty of more expensive models failed to even reach our threshold for power and efficiency.)

It’s surprisingly powerful for its price tag. It offers a seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) of 8,400 Btu and an overall ASHRAE-rated output of 14,000 Btu. Our other portable AC picks are all rated at a minimum SACC of 10,000 Btu under the current standards—but every other lesser AC we considered at the same size as this Black+Decker model was at least $150 more. If you actually want to save money, this Black+Decker AC delivers the best compromise for the cost.

It’s easy enough to set up and maintain. However, you will need a screwdriver to install the window panel or remove the filters. This process isn’t terrible, but it’s also not as easy to deal with as the installation for our other picks. Otherwise, setup of the BPACT14WT involves all the same standard hose-wrangling frustrations as with any other portable AC.

Black+Decker offers a five year warranty on the compressor. It covers the other parts of the BPACT14WT for only one year, the same amount of coverage as on our other picks. But you should be able to sleep easier knowing that you’ll at least have some protection in the event that, well, you can’t sleep because the AC’s compressor broke down. That counts for something.

It’s pretty loud and inefficient, especially compared with our other picks. In our tests, the BPACT14WT ran nearly 10 decibels louder than the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL on its highest setting—a volume level that could start to encroach on normal conversation levels in some rooms. The sound of it also reminded us of an amateur White Stripes cover band with a snake on lead vocals, which might not be ideal for everyone. Still, there are worse ways to try to cool down, especially when you’re desperate.

Like other single-hose portable units, it can create negative pressure in a room, resulting in a slight vacuum effect. For the most part, this is harmless (and barely even noticeable). But in a room with a gas furnace or similar device, it could be dangerous, as the negative pressure pulls in other air to equalize the room—which could include gas fumes or carbon monoxide. As long as your bedroom doesn’t have any open gas sources, you should be fine. But if you are concerned, stick with one of our dual-hose picks from Midea.

If you want a dual-hose option with easy storage: The GE Profile PPHV10WWF is a newer dual-hose portable with a built-in storage system that even has a place for the window panels to hide away in the wintertime. Those window panels also have a lot of leakage when they’re installed, though it’s nothing that a little insulation tape can’t fix.

If you’re looking for a budget option with smart-home capabilities and a nice user interface: The Dreo AC516S has the same cooling power as the Black+Decker, but it’s not quite as efficient.

If you want the most consistent cooling option: the Frigidaire FHPH142AA1 is a former pick that impressed us with its ability to cool the room more evenly than any other portable model we’ve tested. It’s not as quiet or efficient as our current Frigidaire pick, and it lacks some of the other nice luxury features, such as smart mode and grippable handles, but it’s a great AC at a great price overall.

The Friedrich ZHV16DA Portable ZoneAire Premier Inverter is a dual-hose model with heating capabilities that can handle rooms up to 800 square feet. We’re not sure how many homes there are with rooms that large, but we’re curious to see what it can do in such a space. We’re also in the process of testing several new battery-powered ACs that are similar to the EcoFlow model we recommend, including the Zero Breeze Mark 3 and the BougeRV.

The Zafro Portable Air Conditioner is the single most efficient portable model we’ve ever tested, with a CEER of 12.8. But the remote control feels like it’s on another planet from the unit itself, the smart app is nearly impossible to figure out, and the storage options are limited. The glowing emerald LED light ring that surrounds the air outlet is certainly a choice, though.

The Coolzy Pro is similar to the EcoFlow Wave 2 in that it’s a smaller portable AC designed for cooling individual people in less conventional spaces. It has an even lower cooling capacity, however, and it still needs to be plugged into a wall outlet.

The Danby DPA100B9IWDB-6 looks surprisingly similar to our runner-up pick, just with a slightly different fan on top. It functions basically the same—all the way down to the fact that it allows you to use your Midea login for the app. Midea wouldn’t comment on that, but the Danby model is a fine alternative overall.

The dual-hose Honeywell HW4CEDAWW0 was so terribly frustrating to assemble that we gave up entirely. It’s supposed to be just as powerful as our top pick, though, and nearly as efficient, even without an inverter compressor.

Similarly, the Honeywell MN4HFS9 has an SACC of 9,000 Btu, as well as a built-in heat pump, and it performed well enough in our tests. It was louder than we would have liked, however, and we’re confident that you can find a more efficient model at a better price.

The Honeywell MO0CESWK7 could have been a potential budget-pick competitor if it had a higher SACC rating. It could still be a decent choice for a smaller room.

The Lowe’s-exclusive GE APWD07JASG works as both a single-hose model and a dual-hose model, with the help of an $80 conversion kit. The conversion process is simple, and we tested the machine in both configurations, both of which proved to be the epitome of “fine.”

The dual-hose Whynter Elite ARC-122DS used to be our top pick; it’s less efficient than our current picks but still a good choice overall. The Whynter Elite ARC-122DHP is essentially the same thing with the addition of a built-in heater.

The most important thing to do to make a portable AC perform at its best is to insulate the gaps between the window, the window frame, and the panel holding the AC vent. Foam strips work, and 10 feet of the stuff typically costs a few dollars. The tape helps to prevent warm air from slipping in through the cracks as easily. When all else fails, there’s also duct tape.

When you’re using a portable AC, keep it as close to the window as you can, with as many of the accordion ribs collapsed as possible, so that the hose is as short and straight as you can make it. Clean the filter at least once a month.

Like all ACs, portable models also dehumidify the air as they cool the room. Unfortunately, they can’t just drip the excess water outside like a window model. Most portable units come with a drainage plug, or a water catch tank not unlike the kind you’d find on a standard dehumidifier. You’ll need to get rid of that collected water eventually—though depending on where you live, it could become a chore in a particularly humid summer.