What is the best 12,000 BTU air conditioner?

12,000 BTU is a standard cooling size. These are the real air conditioners we list rated at about 12,000 BTU (within a close tolerance), compared on one honest scale (coverage, noise, efficiency and live price): our top picks first, then every model at this size, grouped by type.

The short answer

The best 12,000 BTU air conditioner we list is the Frigidaire 12,000 BTU Wi-Fi Enabled Window Air Conditioner, a window unit that covers up to 550 sq ft at 55 dB(A), in stock at Abt Electronics for $398. For sizing, ENERGY STAR's chart recommends 12,000 BTU for a room of 450 to 550 sq ft.

Prices last refreshed Oct 27, 2026Independent, nobody pays for placement.
See all 85 12,000 BTU models, by type

Our top 6 picks

  1. 1Frigidaire 12,000 BTU Wi-Fi Enabled Window Air Conditioner
    Window In stock
    Frigidaire12,000 BTU Wi-Fi Enabled Window Air Conditioner

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU

    $398
    View & buy Search Amazon
  2. 2Amana 12,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls AMAP121BW
    Window In stock
    Amana12,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls AMAP121BW

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU

    $399.99
    View & buy Search Amazon
  3. 3GE Profile ClearView 12,200 BTU Inverter Smart Ultra Quiet Window Air Conditioner
    WindowENERGY STAR In stock
    GE ProfileClearView 12,200 BTU Inverter Smart Ultra Quiet Window Air Conditioner

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,200 BTU

    $424Lowest since Jul 25, 2026 $424
    View & buy Search Amazon
  4. 4Whirlpool 12,000 BTU 115V Window Air Conditioner
    Window In stock
    Whirlpool12,000 BTU 115V Window Air Conditioner

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU

    $429.99
    View & buy Search Amazon
  5. 5Frigidaire 12,000 BTU Wi-Fi Enabled Energy Star Inverter Window Air Conditioner
    WindowENERGY STAR In stock
    Frigidaire12,000 BTU Wi-Fi Enabled Energy Star Inverter Window Air Conditioner

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU

    $439Lowest since Jul 25, 2026 $439
    View & buy Search Amazon
  6. 6Keystone 12,000 BTU Inverter Window Air Conditioner
    WindowENERGY STAR In stock
    Keystone12,000 BTU Inverter Window Air Conditioner

    covers up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU

    $449.99
    View & buy Search Amazon

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Every 12,000 BTU air conditioner, by type

85 models rated at about 12,000 BTU in this chart, 61 with a live in-stock offer at Abt Electronics and Sylvane. Each type lists its in-stock models cheapest first, then the ones with no live offer. Recalled models and refurbished listings are left out.

12,000 BTU mini-splits

21 of 29 in stock, from $664

Efficiency is the SEER2 each listing publishes (higher uses less electricity), and the heating limit is the lowest outdoor temperature the retailer says it heats at. The price is for the system as listed, before installation.

8 more mini-splits at this size with no live offer right now
Every 12,000 BTU mini-split compared, by voltage

12,000 BTU window air conditioners

21 of 27 in stock, from $379

Efficiency is the CEER each listing publishes (higher uses less electricity). The voltage is the one the retailer or the listing states; check it against your outlet before you buy a large unit.

6 more window air conditioners at this size with no live offer right now
Every window air conditioner by size

12,000 BTU through-the-wall units and PTACs

15 of 20 in stock, from $549

These slide into a sleeve built into the wall, so the sleeve you already have decides which ones fit: check its width against the sleeve each row names before you compare prices. Efficiency is the rating each listing publishes, on the scale it names.

5 more through-the-wall units and PTACs at this size with no live offer right now
Through-the-wall units by the sleeve they fit

12,000 BTU portable air conditioners

4 of 9 in stock, from $394

Portables are often advertised by their older ASHRAE rating; the Department of Energy's SACC rating, which counts the heat that leaks back in, is lower for the same unit, so compare a portable's BTU only with other portables. Where the SACC is known, the row names it. What size portable you need, in SACC

5 more portable air conditioners at this size with no live offer right now
Every portable air conditioner by size

How we chose

We include units rated within 6% of 12,000 BTU (a unit between two of our sizes is listed only at the nearer one), then rank the ones you can buy in stock first and the most fully-specced next, showing each unit's real coverage, noise and efficiency. A portable is picked only when the cooling the Department of Energy certifies it at (its SACC) is also about 12,000 BTU; one sold at this size that delivers less is in the full chart, with its SACC. Nobody can pay for placement.

Read our full methodology
Compare all of these in the interactive tool

Frequently asked

What size room does a 12,000 BTU air conditioner cool?
About 450 to 550 sq ft. ENERGY STAR's room air conditioner sizing chart recommends 12,000 BTU for a room of 450 to 550 sq ft; a room of 400 to 450 sq ft needs only 10,000 BTU, and one of 550 to 700 sq ft calls for 14,000 BTU. The chart assumes an ordinary room: add 10% for a very sunny room, take 10% off for a heavily shaded one, add 600 BTU for each person beyond two who is regularly in it, add 4,000 BTU for a kitchen, and size up for a ceiling above about 8 feet. The compare.ac size calculator applies all of these to your room. A portable is the exception: most state their size on the older ASHRAE scale, and the Department of Energy's SACC rating for the same unit, lower and closer to what it delivers in a room, is the one to size by. Of the 9 portables here, 6 have a known SACC, rated 8,000 to 10,000 BTU SACC, which the same chart matches to rooms of about 300 to 450 sq ft. Each model on this page also shows the room its own maker or listing states, which can differ from the chart.
How many watts does a 12,000 BTU air conditioner use?
12,000 BTU window units draw a middle 1,090 W (from 990 W to 1,280 W), about 10.3 amps at 115 V, about 20¢ an hour at full power. 12,000 BTU portable units (advertised size) draw a middle 1,200 W (from 1,050 W to 1,350 W), about 11.8 amps at 115 V, about 22¢ an hour at full power. 12,000 BTU through-the-wall units and PTACs draw a middle 1,150 W (from 980 W to 1,570 W), about 5.5 amps at 208/230 V, about 21¢ an hour at full power. 12,000 BTU mini-splits (at their rating point, from their EER2) draw a middle 1,200 W (from 960 W to 1,412 W), about 22¢ an hour at full power. These are the middle figures of the models we list at this size that state their draw; once the room is cool the compressor cycles, so most hours draw less.
How much cooling power do I need for my room?
A common US rule of thumb for a standard, reasonably insulated room with an 8-foot ceiling is about 20 BTU per hour per square foot, so a 300 sq ft room is often quoted around 6,000 BTU and a 500 sq ft room around 10,000 BTU. compare.ac instead sizes against the official ENERGY STAR room air conditioner chart, which is not a flat rate: it recommends about 7,000 BTU for that same 300 sq ft room and about 12,000 BTU for a 500 sq ft room, then adjusts up for a hot or humid climate and down for a mild one once you pick your region. Add capacity for a sunny west-facing or top-floor room, a kitchen, or extra people who are regularly in it. Undersizing means the unit runs flat out and never cools; oversizing short-cycles and leaves the room cool but clammy.
Does my climate change how much cooling I need?
Yes, more than almost anything except the size of the room. compare.ac's base sizing, before any climate adjustment, follows the official ENERGY STAR room air conditioner chart, which assumes a temperate summer. A hot, dry region like Arizona, or a hot, humid one like Florida and the Texas Gulf coast, realistically needs on the order of 20 to 30 percent more cooling per square foot, because the outdoor design temperature is higher and, in humid places, the unit also spends energy removing moisture (the latent load). A mild, marine climate such as the Pacific Northwest or coastal New England needs a little less. compare.ac applies this adjustment once you pick your region in the tool, using ASHRAE Standard 169 design temperatures and ACCA Manual-J regional sizing practice, and always shows both your real room size and the adjusted figure it sizes against. For a final purchase, a professional Manual-J load calculation for your specific home is the accurate method.
What will it cost to run, and what do the efficiency ratings mean?
Running cost is driven by efficiency: CEER on window and portable units, and SEER2 on mini-splits. Higher is better on both, but they are separate scales and a SEER2 number cannot be read as a ratio against a CEER number. Directionally, an efficient inverter mini-split is the cheapest type to run, while a single-hose portable can cost roughly two to three times as much for the same comfort, because much of its capacity is lost back through the exhaust hose. For window and portable units that ENERGY STAR certifies, we go a step further and show an estimated dollars-per-year figure, taken from the model's published annual energy use (a DOE test that assumes about 750 hours of cooling a year) priced at the average US residential electricity rate. It is a standardized figure for comparing units, not a personal bill: your real cost depends on how much you run it, your local electricity rate, and your climate. Mini-splits are usually the most efficient of all but are rated on SEER2, so we do not convert those to a dollar figure, and a missing running cost is a data gap, never a sign a unit is worse.
How much noise is acceptable?
Noise is measured in dB(A). A quiet split indoor unit on a low setting can be around 19 to 25 dB(A), which is barely audible and fine for a bedroom. Around 30 to 35 dB(A) is a soft hum that most people accept in a living room. Portable monobloc units are usually 52 to 58 dB(A) because the compressor sits in the room with you, which is closer to a dishwasher and can disturb sleep. If quiet matters, a split almost always wins; if you only cool occasionally, a portable may be acceptable.
Watts, amps and cost per hour for every size

More buying guides

What is the best 5,000 BTU air conditioner?What is the best 6,000 BTU air conditioner?What is the best 8,000 BTU air conditioner?What is the best 9,000 BTU air conditioner?What is the best 10,000 BTU air conditioner?What is the best 14,000 BTU air conditioner?