Amy Lockwood
With the UK baking in recurrent heatwaves, the best portable air conditioners are by far the fastest and most convenient way to cool down rooms during a particularly hot summer like this year. Portable ACs have become increasingly popular in recent years because they're easy to set up and manoeuvre, making them a great choice for anyone who wants an efficient way to maintain a comfortable home environment.
Unlike the best fans, which simply circulate air to create a breeze to cool a person, portable air conditioners actively lower a room's temperature by using a refrigerant and a compressor. However, portable ACs are a bit more of an investment as a result, so it's important to take your time to find the right one for your needs. Therefore, to help inform your decision, the Ideal Home team have tested models from top brands to find the best ones among the bunch, looking at how well they cool, how easy they are to use, how loud they are, and what kind of value they offer.
Alternatively, have you considered whether it's worth installing air conditioning in your home instead? Our renovations editor, Sarah Handley, has tried both portable air conditioners and fitted air conditioning, and she has a firm favourite.
Best in-stock air conditioners
The quick list
Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best portable air conditioners available, according to our experts.
Best overall
Affordable, lightweight and compact, energy efficient and easy to use, there's a lot to love about the MeacoCool MS Series. Our reviewer tested the smallest 7000 BTU model, but there are also 8000, 9000, 10000, 12000, and 14000 BTU options for every room size imaginable.
Best affordable
There's no denying portable air con units are expensive, so if affordability is key, then this Pro Breeze model is one of the very best budget portable air conditioners for its 9000 BTU. We haven't tested it thoroughly yet, but third-party reviews mention it being basic – and noisy – but still doing the job of lowering the temperature when you're looking to beat the heat.
Best powerful
A powerful 3400w portable air conditioner that looks good, is easy to use, relatively quiet in comparison to most, has WiFi connectivity, and – most importantly – can cool down a room fast, as long as you don't mind its slightly higher running costs.
Best air conditioner and dehumidifier
Sporting a smooth, compact design with ease of portability thanks to its useful handles and castor wheels, this 2-in-1 air conditioner and dehumidifier helps tackle both heat and damp issues for all-year-round use.
Best multifunctional
If you're spending this much on an appliance – and one that's going to take up a good deal of storage space in the home – then you might want it to do more than just cool. The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 can do just that, offering 4-in-1 use thanks to air con, fan, dehumidifier, and heater functionality.
Best looking
A stylish mobile air conditioner that offers 3-in-1 functionality, WiFi connectivity, and comes with a remote control and window kit included. Our tests found it lacked a little power and was on the noisier side, but its 1000w energy consumption does mean lower energy use compared to many models.
Best portable air conditioners – tried and tested by expert reviewers
Best portable air conditioner overall
Relatively affordable, lightweight, compact, energy-efficient and easy to use, there's a lot to love about the MeacoCool MS Series portable air conditioners.
Our reviewer tested the smallest model, the 7000BTU version, which is recommended for rooms between 12-22m2. For larger spaces, Meaco offers a wide range of options from 8000 to 14000BTU, ensuring there's a suitable model for various sizes and scenarios.
The 7000BTU air conditioner's 20.5kg weight, whilst not insignificant, makes it far lighter than the 30kg average and means this unit is much easier to move around the home than most. It also boasts a low power consumption of just 780W, resulting in lower running costs overall.
During testing, it effectively reduced the room temperature by 2°C in just 10 minutes. While it produces 51-53dB of noise depending on the cooling setting, our testers found this acceptable given its efficient cooling capabilities.
The unit also comes with a remote control and includes two window kits, as well as a timer function and a 'night' mode for slightly quieter operation while you sleep. It also offers 3-in-1 functionality as an air conditioner, fan, and dehumidifier, for added versatility. Overall, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is a solid option that delivers excellent performance at an attractive price point.
Read the full MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner review for more details.
Best affordable portable air conditioner
There's no denying portable air con units are expensive, so if affordability is key, then this Pro Breeze 9000 BTU 4-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner is certainly one of the best budget portable air conditioners on price.
While I haven't had a chance to test this model myself yet, the review is coming soon, and our testers' previous experiences with Pro Breeze products have suggested they perform adequately at entry-level price points. Not to mention, third-party reviews say that while this model is basic and somewhat noisy, it still effectively lowers room temperatures to more comfortable levels.
Weighing in at 24kg, this Pro Breeze model is relatively lightweight compared to most of the portable air conditioners in our round-up, averaging 30kg and more. It also shares the efficient 780W energy consumption of the MeacoCool MC Series, although it may lack the power of higher-end models like the AEG Comfort 6000 and the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001.
While it probably won't win prizes in the style stakes, this Pro Breeze model offers several handy features for its price, including a remote control, timer, 'night' settings, and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Best powerful portable air conditioner
The AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is a powerful and stylish unit that quickly cools spaces up to 18m2. It's easy to use, relatively quiet, and even offers Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to control it from the comfort of your phone.
With a cooling capacity of 900BTU, the AEG Comfort 6000 can move big amounts of cold air with no issues at all and even offers a 12000BTU model for larger areas of up to 36m2. Yes, it comes with slightly higher running costs than others on the list; namely, the MeacoCool MC Series which operates at 780W for 7000BTU, it makes up for it with its impressive cooling speed and power, effectively cooling a room in just minutes – meaning it doesn't need to run for as long to achieve those optimal temperatures.
As far as noise levels go, the AEG Comfort 6000 is notably quieter than most portable air conditioners, maxing out at 64dB. Our reviewer noted that it instead sounded like the 'white noise' of gushing cold air, making it suitable for use in the bedroom overnight.
Unfortunately, this unit doesn't include a remote control or window kit, which some models offer as standard. It's also one of the heavier units we've tested, coming in at 31.5kg, making it a bit challenging to move freely from room to room.
Read the full AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner review for more details.
Best portable air conditioner and dehumidifier
Traditionally, the UK has long been associated with wet, dreary weather for the majority of the year, making the best dehumidifiers a more fitting investment for all-year-round use in a British home. However, with week-long heatwaves and general warm temperatures becoming more commonplace, having an appliance to tackle both concerns is the ideal solution. Enter the Russell Hobbs 2-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier.
Although it doesn't exactly bypass the issue of space and heaviness (coming in at 29kg), its design is undeniably one of the more compact and slimline among the models we've tried.
Equipped with a window sealing kit for easy installation and handles and castor wheels for added portability, this appliance is sure to become your best friend during hot weather. Better yet, because of its dehumidifier function, having both of these functionalities working in tandem with one another can help you achieve the best possible indoor air quality.
During testing, our reviewer particularly liked the LED screen on the front and the way the top opening automatically shuts when the appliance isn't in use. However, it's worth noting that because of its slightly more compact size, it likely won't effectively cool down spaces above 16m2.
Read the full Russell Hobbs 2-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier review for more details.
Best multifunctional portable air conditioner
The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 stands out with its 4-in-1 functionality, allowing it to serve as an air conditioner, fan, dehumidifier, and heater. This versatility could potentially offer better value for your money, as it can keep your space cool in summer and warm in winter, making it a practical year-round solution.
Equipped with a powerful 11000BTU cooling capacity, it can effectively cool spaces of 13-21m2 while consuming just 1230W of energy, resulting in lower running costs when compared to the 3400W consumed by the AEG Comfort 6000.
In our reviewer's tests, the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 cooled a 4.5m2 room by 2°C in just 10 minutes, and despite a manufacturer-stated noise level of 65dB, our reviewer found it quieter than the MeacoCool MC Series. This makes it most comparable to the AEG Comfort 6000 on this front.
While it's heavier than some alternatives, making it less portable, the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 boasts good build quality, easy-to-use controls, and an unobtrusive design. It just falls short of the MeacoCool MC Series because of its heavier weight and less affordable price tag, and compared to the AEG Comfort 6000 in terms of cooling power.
Read the full Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review for more details.
Best looking portable air conditioner
The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is a stylish portable unit that offers 3-in-1 functionality, including cooling, heating, and dehumidifying, alongside Wi-Fi connectivity and a remote control for ease.
Its sleek, modern design sets it apart from traditional, bulky, white air conditioners, but the Duux North 9K Smart fell short of our tester's expectations given its higher price point.
Performance-wise, our reviewer felt it was a little underpowered compared to the AEG Comfort 6000, and, although its 1000W energy consumption is a lot less than the 3400W AEG Comfort, making for cheaper running costs, it couldn't beat the best-in-class 780W MeacoCool MC Series on that front either.
Unfortunately, the noise levels emitted by the Duux North 9K are comparable to most portable air conditioners, which might make it disappointing for those who were perhaps hoping for a quieter operation similar to the brand's Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan.
Read the full Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner review for more details.
Where to buy portable air conditioners
I've rounded up the best retailers to shop for the best portable air conditioners, offering a mix of prices, styles and features, so you can find the perfect match for your space.
- Airconcentre: all things air quality and cooling
- Amazon: a wide selection of brands and models
- Appliances Direct: options from 7000 to 23000BTU
- Argos: a range of options from affordable to investment
- AO: find a selection of air conditioners, from AEG to DeLonghi
- B&Q: a good selection of in-stock options
- Currys: a wide range of brand names
- Robert Dyas: affordable portable air conditioners
How we test portable air conditioners
You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page.
Our team of reviewers tested a host of bestselling portable air conditioners within their own homes to compile this guide. And the rankings aren't based on spec sheets alone. They come from first-hand testing in our homes during the hottest spells. Each model is assessed over days or weeks so our reviewers can see how it performs in everyday life.
Our reviewers look at ease of set-up, from unboxing to getting the hose and window kit in place, and we note any extra parts you might need to buy. We check the design and controls, including whether it's compact enough for smaller rooms, easy to move room to room and if they are intuitive to use, with remote controls or WiFi connectivity where available.
The most important measure is cooling performance. We time how quickly each model brings a room down to a comfortable temperature and compare its BTU rating. We also factor in noise levels for overnight use, energy use and running costs. We then balance these findings against its price point and whether or not the unit offers value for money.
I then compare the units that score well across all these assessments to find the best portable air conditioners for various needs and budgets.
