Comparison chart
We compare 10 window air conditioners sold in the US that straddle the windowsill or hang below it instead of filling the opening, 6,100 to 12,200 BTU: 2 U-shaped (Midea), 4 saddle (Soleus Air) and 4 that hang below the sill (GE Profile). 5 are in stock right now at Abt Electronics and Sylvane, from $358. 2 also heat. The models CPSC recall 25-320 (Midea U and U+ Window Air Conditioners) lists by number are left out of the chart and named below it.
Midea U and U+ Window Air Conditioners (CPSC recall 25-320, risk of mold exposure): 5 models it lists by model number.
Which model numbers it listsNone in stock right now
1 in stock, from $358
GE Profile
ClearView 8,300 BTU 115 V White Smart Ultra Quiet Window Air ConditionerSize
8,300 BTU
up to 350 sq ft
Efficiency
Not published
Noise
41 dB(A)
Heat
Cooling only
115 V
2 in stock, from $394
GE Profile
ClearView 10,300 BTU Inverter Smart Ultra Quiet Window Air ConditionerSize
10,300 BTU
up to 450 sq ft
Efficiency
CEER 14.7
ENERGY STAR
Noise
40 dB(A)
Heat
Cooling only
115 V
Size
10,000 BTU
up to 475 sq ft
Efficiency
Not published
Noise
38 dB(A)
Heat
Heats
115 V
Price
2 in stock, from $424
GE Profile
ClearView 12,200 BTU Inverter Smart Ultra Quiet Window Air ConditionerSize
12,200 BTU
up to 550 sq ft
Efficiency
CEER 14.7
ENERGY STAR
Noise
40 dB(A)
Heat
Cooling only
115 V
Price
Size
12,000 BTU
up to 550 sq ft
Efficiency
Not published
Noise
38 dB(A)
Heat
Heats
115 V
Price
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. Through-the-wall units and PTACs have their own chart, matched to the wall sleeve they fit.
Figures are the ones each listing publishes; "Not published" means the listing does not state that figure. Where one model number is sold as more than one listing, the row shows the cheapest and links the others. Prices are live retailer offers, checked October 30, 2026, and change often; compare.ac may earn a commission on purchases, at no cost to you.
A window unit built to straddle the windowsill, or hang below it, instead of filling the opening. Midea launched the U in April 2020 as a U-shaped inverter window air conditioner. Midea says the U shape lets the window open and close normally with the unit installed and keeps the operating and compressor noise outside. GE Profile ClearView units sit below the windowsill on adjustable supports, with an expandable chase-way through the opening, so the window can still be opened and closed with the unit installed. GE says only the larger 10,300 and 12,200 BTU sizes use inverter technology. Soleus Air Saddle units are lowered over the window sill so they straddle the wall, which Soleus says removes the need to drill into the window for support. The WS5 models heat with a heat pump, which Soleus says works less efficiently below 30°F. Each maker's page on compare.ac cites where it says so.
On their published ratings, yes: the 5 in-stock models here whose listing publishes an indoor noise rating list 38 to 41 dB, against a middle rating of 52 dB across the 74 in-stock window air conditioners in our chart that publish one. Listings do not all say how they measured, so treat a gap of a few decibels as close.
Yes: 2 of the 10 here also heat: the Soleus Air WS5-10HW-301 (10,000 BTU) at $659 from Sylvane and the Soleus Air WS5-12HW-301 (12,000 BTU) at $759.99 from Sylvane. The rest are cooling only.
CPSC recall 25-320, Midea U and U+ Window Air Conditioners (risk of mold exposure), names 5 models we list by model number, sold as Frigidaire and Midea. They are left out of the chart and named below it, with a link to the notice and every model number it lists. The models in the chart are not among the numbers it lists; check the model number on your own unit's label against the notice.
The GE Profile AHTT08BC (8,300 BTU) at $358 from Abt Electronics, the lowest live price among the 5 in-stock U-shaped and saddle window air conditioners in this chart. The cheapest unit is only a good buy if it is the right size for your room, so check the size column first.
Of the 5 in-stock U-shaped and saddle window air conditioners whose listing publishes an indoor noise rating, the lowest is 38 dB(A), on the Soleus Air WS5-10HW-301 (10,000 BTU) and the Soleus Air WS5-12HW-301 (12,000 BTU). The GE Profile PHNT10CC (10,300 BTU) is close behind at 40 dB(A), a gap small enough that you may not hear it. Listings do not all say how they measured, so treat a gap of a few decibels as close. Sort the chart by noise to see every rating.
Among the 2 in-stock U-shaped and saddle window air conditioners rated on the CEER scale, the GE Profile PHNT10CC (10,300 BTU) and the GE Profile PHNT12CC (12,200 BTU) share the highest at CEER 14.7. A higher CEER means less electricity for the same cooling. A listing that publishes no CEER figure shows as not published and is not ranked.
Size it to the room rather than buying the biggest you can afford: an oversized unit cools in short bursts and leaves the air damp. The sizing calculator turns your room's square feet, sun and occupancy into the BTU to look for, using ENERGY STAR's sizing chart, and lists the in-stock units that fit.