What is the best portable air conditioner?
The short answer
The best portable air conditioner depends on the room it has to cool, so we name one per room size: among the portables we list in stock, the one that cools that room on the least electricity on the Department of Energy's portable test (its CEER), then the quieter, then the cheaper.
For a room up to 250 sq ft, the LG 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner: 6,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling, CEER 6.6, $339 at Electronic Express.
For a room up to 350 sq ft, the Frigidaire 12,000 BTU ASHRAE (8,000 BTU DOE) 115 V White 3-In-One Portable Air Conditioner: 8,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling, CEER 7.2, $394 at Abt Electronics.
For a room up to 450 sq ft, the Keystone 12,000 BTU Inverter Portable Air Conditioner w/Remote: 10,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling, CEER 14.7, $579.99 at Sylvane.
For a room up to 550 sq ft, the Keystone 14,000 BTU Inverter Portable Air Conditioner w/Remote - Cooling Only: 12,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling, CEER 13.8, $599.99 at Sylvane.
Each is sized by the cooling DOE measured in the room (SACC), not the bigger ASHRAE figure most boxes print, which leaves out the heat the hose and casing put back. Across the 20 in-stock portables DOE rates, CEER runs from 6.3 to 14.7, so the most efficient use less than half the electricity of the least for the same cooling.
A portable needs no installation: you wheel it in and run the exhaust hose to a window, which makes it the option for renters and rooms a window unit cannot fit. Portables differ more than their boxes suggest. The cooling the Department of Energy measures in the room (SACC) is often well below the BTU on the box, and on DOE's efficiency test some need far less electricity than others for the same cooling. So this answer names the best portable for each room size by DOE's own figures, then compares every portable in stock by price.
The best at each size
- 1
Best for rooms up to 250 sq ft
PortableCEER 6.6 In stockCEER 6.6 on DOE's portable test, among the most efficient of the 2 in-stock portables DOE rates for rooms up to 250 sq ft · 6,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling (sold as 10,000 BTU)
- 2
Best for rooms up to 350 sq ft
PortableCEER 7.2 In stockCEER 7.2 on DOE's portable test, among the most efficient of the 3 in-stock portables DOE rates for rooms up to 350 sq ft · 8,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling (sold as 12,000 BTU)
- 3
Best for rooms up to 450 sq ft
PortableCEER 14.7 In stockCEER 14.7 on DOE's portable test, among the most efficient of the 9 in-stock portables DOE rates for rooms up to 450 sq ft · 10,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling (sold as 12,000 BTU)
$579.99 - 4
Best for rooms up to 550 sq ft
PortableCEER 13.8 In stockCEER 13.8 on DOE's portable test, among the most efficient of the 4 in-stock portables DOE rates for rooms up to 550 sq ft · 12,000 BTU of DOE-tested cooling (sold as 14,000 BTU)
$599.99
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Portable AC prices compared, by room size
All 23 portable air conditioners we list in stock with a known Department of Energy cooling rating, grouped by the room ENERGY STAR's sizing chart gives that rating and cheapest first. The BTU on the box is usually higher than the cooling DOE measures in the room; CEER is DOE's efficiency figure for portables, and higher means less electricity for the same cooling. Compare every portable side by side, in stock or not.
| Model | Room | DOE cooling | CEER | Noise | Hose | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 150 sq ft | 5,500 BTUsold as 8,000 BTU | 6.3 | 51 dB(A) | Single | $298 at Abt Electronics |
| Aeric9,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 150 sq ft | 5,500 BTUsold as 9,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | Not stated | 50 dB(A) | Not stated | $299.99 at Sylvane |
| LG10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 250 sq ft | 6,000 BTUsold as 10,000 BTU | 6.6 | 54 dB(A) | Single | $339 at Electronic Express |
| Frigidaire10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 250 sq ft | 6,500 BTUsold as 10,000 BTU | 6.7 | 52 dB(A) | Single | $349 at Abt Electronics |
| LG11,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 300 sq ft | 7,300 BTUsold as 11,000 BTU | 7 | 53 dB(A) | Single | $389 at Abt Electronics |
| Whynter11,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner ARC-110WD | up to 300 sq ft | 7,000 BTUsold as 11,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | Not stated | 56 dB(A) | Not stated | $539 at Sylvane |
| Frigidaire12,000 BTU ASHRAE (8,000 BTU DOE) 115 V White 3-In-One Portable Air Conditioner | up to 350 sq ft | 8,000 BTUsold as 12,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | 7.2 | 49 dB(A) | Single | $394 at Abt Electronics |
| Midea8,000 BTU DOE/12,000 BTU Ashrae Smartcool Portable AC | up to 350 sq ft | 8,000 BTUsold as 12,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | 7.2 | Not stated | Single | $419.99 at Electronic Express |
| LG12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 350 sq ft | 8,350 BTUsold as 12,000 BTU | 7.4 | 57 dB(A) | Single | $439 at Abt Electronics |
| FriedrichZoneAire 13,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner | up to 350 sq ft | 8,000 BTUsold as 13,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | $589 at Sylvane |
| Frigidaire3-in-1 Portable Room Air Conditioner 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) / 10,000 BTU (DOE) | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | 7.8 | 49 dB(A) | Single | $478 at Abt Electronics |
| Midea10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner - White | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTU | 12 | Not stated | Single | $479.99 at Electronic Express |
| Aeric14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner - No Heat | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 7.8 | 53 dB(A) | Single | $499.99 at Sylvane |
| LG10,200 BTU (SACC) 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) Smart Portable Air Conditioner 115V in White | up to 450 sq ft | 10,200 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | 7.9 | 51 dB(A) | Single | $539 at Abt Electronics |
| Keystone12,000 BTU Inverter Portable Air Conditioner w/Remote | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTUsold as 12,000 BTU | 14.7 | 53 dB(A) | Dual | $579.99 at Sylvane |
| Frigidaire Gallery3-in-1 Portable Room Air Conditioner 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) / 10,500 BTU (DOE) | up to 450 sq ft | 10,500 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) | 12.5 | 49 dB(A) | Single | $597 at Abt Electronics |
| LG14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner - w/ Heat | up to 450 sq ft | 10,200 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 7.9 | 54 dB(A) | Single | $599 at Electronic Express |
| LGLP1419IVSM Dual Inverter | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 7.9 | 44 dB(A) | Single | $629 at Sylvane |
| Whynter12,000 BTU NEX Inverter Dual Hose Smart Wi-Fi Portable Air Conditioner | up to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTUsold as 12,000 BTU | 14.7 | Not stated | Dual | $679 at Sylvane |
| Keystone14,000 BTU Inverter Portable Air Conditioner w/Remote - Cooling Only | up to 550 sq ft | 12,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 13.8 | 56 dB(A) | Dual | $599.99 at Sylvane |
| Keystone14,000 BTU Inverter Portable Air Conditioner w/Remote - With Heat | up to 550 sq ft | 12,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 14.2 | 56 dB(A) | Dual | $649.99 at Sylvane |
| WhynterNEX ARC-1230WN | up to 550 sq ft | 12,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 13.8 | 42 dB(A) | Dual | $729 at Sylvane |
| WhynterNEX ARC-1230WNH (cool + heat) | up to 550 sq ft | 12,000 BTUsold as 14,000 BTU | 14.2 | 42 dB(A) | Dual | $759 at Sylvane |
How we chose
We include consumer portable air conditioners with a current in-stock offer and a known DOE cooling rating (SACC); commercial spot coolers are left out. Each model belongs to the room ENERGY STAR's sizing chart gives its SACC. For each room size with at least two models DOE rates for efficiency, we name the one with the highest CEER on DOE's portable test, counting any CEER within 5% of the best as equal (a few dollars a year), then the quieter where every figure was checked against its retailer's specification, then the lower price. Nobody can pay for placement.
Read our full methodology