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Jun 08, 2025

Best portable air conditioners, tried and tested

As hot weather sets in, might it be time to invest in a portable air conditioner? Here are the best, recommended by experts Copy link twitter facebook whatsapp email Copy link twitter facebook

As hot weather sets in, might it be time to invest in a portable air conditioner? Here are the best, recommended by experts

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Any sort of heat in the UK can catch us unawares at the best of times, but luckily there’s a solution. The best portable air conditioners, also known as AC units, can be an effective way to keep your home cool and your sanity intact. (If you need more tips on sleeping in the heat, read our guide to the best mattresses, cooling pillows and duvets.)

But how does a portable air conditioner work? While even the best fan simply moves air around, and an air cooler chills it a bit using evaporation, an air conditioner actively lowers the temperature of a room by running air through a refrigerating unit and fanning it back out, expelling the unwanted heat through a window. While they’re fairly pricey, starting at around £135 and going up to almost £800, a portable air conditioner (PAC) is more convenient than installing a built-in, wall or ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

The running costs of around 25 to 35p per hour will seem reasonable value for money the next time temperatures rise. Most have a Class A energy rating.

If you consider this a price worth paying for summertime comfort, then read on to find out which portable units we and our air con experts recommend, followed by their answers to some frequently asked questions. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:

Portable air conditioners come in a range of different sizes, designed for spaces from bedrooms to large offices. Their cooling power is rated in BTUs (British thermal units - see FAQs). To see which BTU is right for you, find the floor area of your space in square feet or square metres and consult the chart below, provided by Appliances Direct.

The height of the room, its insulation and any heat-emitting electrical devices can all make a difference, but this should be a good guide.

Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don’t accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles.

All reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.

Simon and Kulwinder tested units in bedrooms, offices and living rooms at home on days when the temperature exceeded 25C, while Abi spoke to air con experts with years of experience from retailers Andrews Sykes and Aircon Centre, to ask which portable air conditioners they recommended this year. We were looking for value for money and how quickly they cool a room (see pics above).

Some of these units are very big and heavy, so we’ve also rated them for portability and how easy they were to store in the cooler months. Many will be used in bedrooms at night, so we’ve rated how noisy they are in terms of decibels. Extra features like dehumidifying, filtration and smartphone app connectivity also increase the scores.

Score: 9/10

We like: Excellent value and relatively quiet in use

We don’t like: Window plates could do with being a little longer

Reviewed by Kulwinder Rai

Designed in Guildford and manufactured in China, Meaco’s MC9000 is intended to cool rooms of between 16 and 26 sq m. Given that the average new-build UK living room is a little over 17 sq m in volume, that makes this model a prime candidate for most homes.

As well as being an air conditioner, the compact MC9000 can also function as a fan and a dehumidifier. Operating it via the control panel (or remote) is perfectly straightforward, with two fan speeds, a temperature selector (the sleep mode lowers fan noise and gradually raises the temperature over 10 hours) plus a 24-hour timer.

You get two window kits with the supplied 1.7m duct as standard – a fabric one designed to be attached via supplied Velcro strips, plus one that comprises a trio of hard plastic window plates. When joined together, the latter also allows you to vent the duct through a sliding door – though you’ll be left with a small gap at the top. This is still far better than the window kits offered with most air conditioners, a big point in the Meaco’s favour.

I tested the unit over a couple of humid days in my home office and bedroom, both of which measure around 26 sq m, the upper volume limit for the unit. Weighing in at 23.5kg it is just possible to get the unit up a flight of stairs single-handed, but nul points to Meaco for the shallow finger-grips.

Fired up, the immediate thing that struck me was the noise quality generated by the unit: it’s as close to soothing white noise as you could reasonably hope for. At a cited max of 54dB, it’s tolerable too, though, in my bedroom, I preferred to use the unit to just cool things down for a few hours before shutting it down and slipping between the sheets. Earplugs and I have always been uncomfortable bedfellows.

When it came to cooling efficiency, it managed (on the high fan setting) to bring the room temperature down from a sticky 25.5C to an entirely agreeable 21C within three hours. Higher-rated models will certainly get you cooler quicker, but I’d warrant most users will still be happy with the MC9000’s well-judged price and performance balance.

Key specifications

Score: 9/10

We like: It’s fairly nice looking as air conditioners go

We don’t like: It’s quite noisy

Expert-recommended

Honeywell is a brand recommended by expert Nick Kandola, co-owner of AirConCentre. “This 9,000 BTU three-in-one model offers a cooling solution all year round. The AC provides powerful cooling during the summer, whilst the dehumidifier function can be used during damp seasons to keep mould at bay,” he says. “It has a 24-hour programmable timer and a remote control for easy armchair operation.”

It comes with a window kit consisting of brackets and foam seal and a pipe and tray for the dehumidifier purpose. It compares well with dedicated dehumidifier-only units, removing 70 litres of water per day. It’s worth noting this is the noisiest portable air conditioner on this list.

Key specifications

Score: 9/10

We like: Solid German engineering and two-year warranty

We don’t like: Pricey and heavy

Reviewed by Simon Lewis

AEG have been around for 135 years, so there’s a trust factor here that you don’t always get with the less familiar brands. Simplicity, too: on delivery I just attached the pipe, stuck it through a window and turned the power on. It started doing its job immediately.

It was a stuffy 25C in my bedroom when I first turned it on. When I came back half an hour later, it was 21C. Another half an hour later, 19. After another half hour it seemed to settle at 18. (I had set it to the 16C minimum, but I may have been expecting too much given the sun streaming through the window.) Anyway, the room had gone from sweltering to comfortable in less time than a prog-rock drum solo.

At night it performed better, but did make a great deal of noise, even on the lowest of three speeds, making earplugs a must. All the noise is air flowing through it: there’s none of the rattling or other mechanical sounds you get from cheaper air cons. Some brands below are noisier without being as effective. Here the engineering is solid as a rock.

That brings me to the drawback with the Comfort 6000. It’s the size of a mini-fridge and extremely heavy. Comfort is not the word I’d use after wrestling it up a spiral staircase. On the plus side, the exhaust pipe is a decent length and has a useful narrow tip, meaning you don’t have to open the window as far. A window kit is available to seal the gap, which would make that 16C minimum easier to achieve.

The user-friendly AEG was the first air conditioner I tested and a godsend on a sweltering day. In what we used to consider a typical British summer – five days of hesitant sun – the price and weight would be hard to justify. But if global warming means we’re in for regular heatwaves, this is the one I’d buy. Just don’t ask me to lug it upstairs again.

Key specifications

Score: 9/10

We like: Ultra-low noise levels

We don’t like: Physically large and heavy, mains cable and hose are very short

Reviewed by Kulwinder Rai

Designed for rooms of up to 34 sq m, the large Pinguino EX93 is a multi-talented portable air conditioning unit, incorporating dehumidifying as well as fan functionality. At 30kg, however, this is a hefty lump to lug up a set of stairs. Thankfully, deep, side-mounted handles and castors make moving it around relatively easy, once it’s in place.

As you might expect, this comes with a selection of wall or window plates, but they’re very short so they won’t be as effective with, say, a bifold door. Given the price, I was also disappointed to find both the supplied hose and fitted mains cable were also shorter than you’d find with many cheaper competitors (1.2m and 1.5m, respectively).

Operation is either via the supplied remote control (good to see there’s a purpose-designed slot for it in the top of the unit), or via manual controls on the front panel. There are a couple of functions on the remote that aren’t replicated on the main unit, so you’ll need to look after it. The controls are accompanied by a clear, front-facing display that tells you whether you’re in air-conditioning, fan or dehumidifying mode, the selected temperature and so on. Bonus points for the easy to remove filter, too.

I vented the unit to an outside window and used it over the course of several summer days when temperatures peaked at 27C. The immediate thing that struck me was how incredibly quiet this unit was. The similarly-specified Meaco MC9000 I usually run generates a fairly benign 54dB, but the EX93 is far less noisy at 46dB, roughly the same volume as a library reading room. One immediate upshot is that watching the telly while the room was being cooled no longer required a massive increase in TV volume.

Activate the EX93’s Silent mode and noise levels drop even further to an impressive 42dB, which would be ideal for night-time cooling, but for the fact it accentuates the audibility of a slight mechanical rattle that’s otherwise masked in the standard operating mode.

In my room the EX93 got the temperature down from 25 to 21.5C within a couple of hours, which is about right for this rating, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. While its top-mounted vent generates an excellent, powerful airflow, it’s enhanced further by a Swing function that slowly moves the vent up and down in the vertical axis, something that really helped to efficiently distribute cool air to every part of the room.

This is undoubtedly an expensive device for the rated output, but the best-in-class noise levels are a powerful advantage, one that could prove a deciding factor.

Key specifications

Score: 9/10

We like: The superior performance

We don’t like: The equally superior price tag

Expert-recommended

With an 11,000 BTU rating, the Pinguino PAC EL110 is more powerful than the EX93 above, although considerably more noisy. It has an A energy efficiency rating and runs on R290, an eco-friendly gas. This is typical of De’Longhi models, according to Kandola, who says: “They’re more energy efficient and the gases are more environmentally friendly.”

It is about as stylish-looking as an air conditioner could be, and also boasts a range of extra features including Real Feel technology which automatically adjusts the temperature and humidity of a room, and Wi-Fi connectivity to link with voice-enabled smart speakers (like Amazon Alexa). This model isn’t cheap, but it’s designed to be environmentally friendly and built to last.

Key specifications

Score: 8/10

We like: Great performance for the rating and price

We don’t like: It’s not able to swivel

Manchester-based VonHaus offers a dizzying and diverse range of products for the DIY, garden and home markets, including air-conditioners. This compact 9,000 BTU/h unit sits at the top of the brand’s current line-up, but, in pricing terms, it’s very much at the budget end of the market.

While VonHaus describes this as a four-in-one unit in its marketing. This usually means a combination of air conditioner, fan, dehumidifier and heater functions. This doesn’t contain a heating element however, so can’t heat up a room. Instead, the fourth part of the branding simply refers to a sleep mode, one that dims the control panel display and gradually increases temperature levels when cooling the room, by two degrees, over the space of a couple of hours.

The unit weighs a manageable 22kg and is supplied with a sliding window kit (66-127cm long) as well as a fabric-based window sealing kit. Extracted hot air is vented out of the room via a decent 1.75m (max) unreinforced plastic tube, while a sensibly long 2m power cable connects it to mains power.

A line of membrane-type buttons on the top cover take care of the main functions. For convenience, all of the functions are also duplicated on a rather lightweight, but clearly marked remote control. A rather flimsy, un-clippable air filter is located at the upper rear of the unit, along with drain points for continuous and one-off removal of collected water. If you plan on making heavy use of the dehumidifying function, you’ll need to do this fairly regularly; there’s no self-evaporating dehumidifier capability, as there is on the Midea 9000 BTU, for example.

Bad news first: this is never going to win any awards for silent running. With a maximum noise rating of 65db, this is more than 20dB noisier than the whisper-quiet De’Longhi Pinguino Extreme EX93. Having said that, it’s also roughly a third of the price, so the gulf between the two in noise levels isn’t entirely surprising. Fortunately, the quality of noise generated is fairly constant and even in character, free of any unduly irritating warbles or rattles.

In action, the VonHaus managed to cool my test room down from 23 to 19.5C in the space of 40 minutes, which I consider to be a very good result. There’s plenty of airflow pushed out into the room (the maker cites this unit as being suited to small rooms, such as bedrooms, up to 18 sq m), but it’s worth noting that the vanes lack any sort of motorised “swing” capability. This means that cooled air is just blown out in one direction, unless you physically get up and move the unit on its castors. Not a deal-breaker at this price, but definitely something to consider.

Key specifications

Score: 8/10

We like: Half as expensive as some similarly-powered units

We don’t like: Only suitable for bedrooms and other small spaces

Expert-recommended

At 7,000 BTU, the electriQ is a little less powerful than the other air conditioners on this list, but the price is much lower and it’s cheaper to run, making it a better deal pound-for-pound. This may explain why it was sold out throughout last year’s heatwave and is only now back in stock.

“We find a lot of customers get these units for bedrooms,” says Appliance Direct’s Jake Crossley. “About 7,000 BTUs is the output we would recommend for rooms up to 21 sq m. You won’t get the full benefit in larger rooms, but a more powerful 10,000 BTU unit is available.”

With a footprint not much bigger than a dinner plate, the electriQ doesn’t take up a lot of space compared to some of the more powerful units and is considerably lighter. This may be the second reason for its popularity.

The third would be its dehumidifier function, which not only makes sticky summer nights more comfortable but can also be used to dry out damp rooms and even speed up laundry drying. It cools rooms to 16C.

Key specifications

Score: 8/10

We like: It’s the only one you can take camping

We don’t like: It’s expensive, and the twin air pipes are a bit of a faff

Reviewed by Simon Lewis

You’d be hard-pressed to market most air conditioners as a hipster lifestyle accessory, but that’s how America’s EcoFlow pitch the Wave 2. Boasting Lamborghini-style spoilers and slats, it’s a handsome and genuinely portable model that weighs about the same as a piece of carry-on luggage.

The main selling-point is its rechargeable battery which bumps the price and weight up significantly, but makes this the only air conditioner you can use in tents, caravans and anywhere off-grid. Fully charged, the Wave 2 will run for eight hours and can be topped up from a car power socket or solar panels. It also functions as a heater for winter use.

Impressive, but we’re comparing air conditioners for the home here. Can it compete with its less hip cousins when stuck in the corner of a sweltering bedroom? In its favour, it is very quiet and can cool a small room very quickly. Unfortunately, that does have to be a very small room: this is designed for spaces around one third of the size of the other air cons we reviewed. I tested the Wave 2 on the same hot day, in the same room as the AEG unit above and while both worked, the big German machine was much more effective.

One drawback with the Wave 2 was the twin air pipes: one to suck fresh air in and one to blast hot air out. That’s a lot of hose to fit out of your window, requiring you to open it further. That will let some warm air back in unless you use the window vent board, which is not guaranteed to fit all windows. The pipes are a tiny bit shorter than standard, too, so you may need to sit the Wave 2 on a chair or desk to bring it closer to the window.

So, while the compact dimensions and modern features (it can charge your phone) of the Wave 2 make it a more attractive than the other heavy white boxes, if you’re only using it at home you may be advised to save £500 and go for something less outdoorsy.

Key specifications

Score: 8/10

We like: Decent balance of price and power

We don’t like: It’s not designed for large rooms

Expert-recommended

“Midea will be the market leader within three years. They’ve got all the best technology and all the bells and whistles but because people don’t know the brand yet, the price is a bit lower than what you would expect,” Kandola says.

This compact 9,000 BTU unit can cool a room up to 26 sq metres and has a self-evaporating dehumidifier function (it expels water vapour through the exhaust pipe). It offers more features than other models at this price point, such as a 24 hour timer and an LCD display. “It’s renowned for its build quality and backed up by a three year manufacturer warranty,” says Kandola.

One thing to note is that the 1.2m exhaust pipe is 30cm shorter than most other models.

Key specifications

Score: 7/10

We like: It’s cheap considering the power

We don’t like: It costs far more to run than the others

Included here because it’s the bestselling portable air conditioner at Appliances Direct, rather than having been recommended by our experts, this electriQ model is three times more costly to run than the average model, at 3.5kW. But it does pack a lot of power and has a longer exhaust hose than average (1.8m compared to 1.5m), making it a tad more practical. A 12,000 BTU rating is enough to cool a 30 sq m room, roughly equivalent to most living rooms.

Key specifications

Score: 7/10

We like: The active carbon filter to remove bad smells

We don’t like: It’s top heavy, so difficult to move around on its wheels

Not mentioned by our experts but the top seller on Amazon, Black + Decker’s air conditioner comes in five models from 5,000 to 12,000 BTU, all reasonably priced. This relatively light 9,000 BTU unit is designed for rooms up to 14 sq m. It has a special 49dB quiet mode for use in bedrooms, although at 65dB the maximum setting is seriously noisy.

One attractive feature is the charcoal filter, used to remove bad odours and bacteria (it features in a lot of vacuum cleaners for pet hair.)

Key specifications

Since they are a relatively large and specialised piece of equipment, air conditioners aren’t sold everywhere. Appliances Direct and Amazon each have a selection but the UK’s top supplier is AirConCentre. For our recommendations above we consulted Aircon Centre’s co-owner Kandola, who is an expert in the leading models and brands.

£500 will generally buy you a decent unit rated to at least 9,000 BTU (see below), which will be enough to cool the average bedroom by 10C - so, from a steamy 26C to a spring-like 16C. Most won’t cool below 16C. Remember to close doors and windows and close curtains to keep sunlight out.

“Many new ACs offer room heating and dehumidifier options, giving an all-year-round solution to room temperature control,” Kandola says. “The latest models are also Wi-Fi enabled.”

If you will only be using your air conditioner occasionally, or if you want to be able to move it from room to room, a portable air conditioner is the wiser choice. However, there are good reasons for choosing wall-mounted units.

They tend to be more powerful, drawing over 2.5kW, whereas most portable units draw 1kW. This means they can cool more air, more quickly. They are also quieter, since the motor is generally situated on the exterior wall. And, because they are professionally installed, there are no gaps for warm air to sneak back in (as there are when you trail a portable unit’s exhaust hose through a window).

However, professional installation costs between £1,750 and £3,000 according to Checkatrade. And, although they don’t take up any floorspace, wall-mounted air conditioners are a permanent fixture and aren’t pretty. This is why we recommend portable air conditioners, which can be stored in the garage for use during heatwaves.

Portable air conditioners are rated in British Thermal Units (BTU). A higher BTU number means a larger space can be cooled, although this also makes the device bigger, pricier and in some cases less eco-friendly. It is essential to check the size of the room you’ll be cooling before buying; if you purchase a unit with too low a BTU rating for the room size, it won’t be able to cool it efficiently.

Kandola says the most popular options for portable air conditioners are 9,000 and 12,000 BTU, which would cool a room of around 21 and 30 sq m respectively. Remember that the exhaust pipe will need to be run outside through a window and the gap sealed if possible. Window kits are sold for this purpose – see below.

Depending on the size of the portable air conditioner (AC) unit, they typically use between 0.75kW up to 1.5kW per hour, Kandola says. “Overall, modern AC units provide an energy efficient way to cool your home,” he adds. Look for an energy efficiency rating above D (which is equivalent to the old A rating).

Using Kandola’s estimate that portable air conditioners use 0.75kW to 1.5kW per hour, you’re looking at 20p to 41p per hour at current energy prices.

You will need a window close enough for the exhaust hose to reach (nearly all hoses are 1.5m long), that can be opened wide enough for the hose to pass through. Good air conditioners will come with a window pack to fill the gap in the opened window. Sometimes the pack is extra. “The vent expels hot air and moisture outside, while the AC unit blows cooled air in,” explains Kandola.

People often ask whether you can vent a portable air conditioner without a window, and the answer is you can, if you use a door. If you’re unable to run a vent outside via a window or door, a portable air conditioner isn’t right for you.

There is one obvious downside: cost. While a high-end fan costs less than £100, a decent PAC unit costs upwards of £500. “Anything under £300 isn’t worth buying, unless it’s for a small bedroom – and most people wouldn’t buy an air conditioner for that size of room, they’d just buy a fan,” Kandola says.

Hose length: Make sure the exhaust hose is long enough to reach the window you will be expelling the hot air through. Most are 1.5m long. Power cables are usually the same length, so bear that in mind too.

Noise levels: All air conditioners in operation make a fan-like noise, but they vary by as much as 10 decibels, which could make all the difference when you’re trying to sleep.

Air quality: Some air conditioners have filters to remove allergens and mould from the air. HEPA is the highest filtration standard here. Many also double as dehumidifiers and some have a heating function, making them useful in winter as well as summer.

Energy saving features: Timer switches, eco modes and sleep modes feature on most models. Smart air conditioners will link to a smartphone app or voice assistant, enabling even more control over the room temperature.

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