With this summer on track to be the hottest on record, the demand for cooling products like fans, portable ACs and even fitted units has skyrocketed.

This unprecedented demand has seen these appliances fly out of stock in record time, and well before the end of the summer. This means if people want to get their hands on portable or fitted air con units, they are likely to act fast.

But sadly, when this happens, all too often, we see an increase in scammers coming out of the woodwork, duping customers with too-good-to-be-true claims and prices, and hoping that they will miss red flags in their haste to nab such a sought after product.

Both The Guardian and the BBC have reported on an influx of fake websites and sub-par fitted and portable cooling products claiming levels of performance they can't uphold. I spoke to air con and consumer experts who shared their tips for identifying the scams and ensuring you aren't a victim.

How to spot an air conditioning scam online

Whether it's fitted air con or portable air con units, multiple scams are doing the rounds, hoping to take advantage of unsuspecting households looking to keep their homes comfortable. So it's important you understand the red flags to look out for.

'Air conditioning scams can take many forms. Most of them come through malicious ads, text messages, and emails,' explains Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech. 'These promise quality work for prices that seem too good to be true, because they are. These could take the form of phishing scams that steal your personal and payment info, or advanced fee scams that ask for payment up front.'

So how can you spot an air conditioning scam? 'Scammers often take advantage when temperatures rise, demand for air conditioners increases and trusted retailers sell out,' says Chris Michael, founder of Meaco. 'Consumers can protect themselves by checking the seller as carefully as the product. An unfamiliar website offering stock that is unavailable everywhere else should prompt further checks before making a purchase.'

These are the red flags to look out for:

• Prices that seem too good to be true, including huge discounts, or a price significantly above the normal price
• Exaggerated claims of performance around temperature drops and energy usage
• Lots of 'last one remaining' messaging that puts the pressure on you to rush the buying process
• Claims of a model in stock at an unfamiliar website or on social media, but sold out everywhere else
• Customer reviews that claim dramatic results, or seem vague or repetitive, and a lack of independent media reviews
• No verifiable contact information or complaints procedure and a lack of verified social media accounts
• Lack of information on delivery, returns/refunds, and warranties as well as customer support
• Limited or unusual online payment options, like crypto or direct bank transfer

'The recent spell of hot weather has created unprecedented demand for air conditioning across the UK,' explains Philip Davis, Director of Island HVAC Systems and Checkatrade Sustainability Champion Award winner. 'While that's good news for the industry, it's also brought a significant increase in companies offering installations with little real experience of designing, installing and commissioning air conditioning systems.

'As a specialist contractor, we're seeing a worrying trend. Every year we're called out to rectify installations carried out by others, but this year the number of enquiries to investigate poor workmanship, incorrect installations and underperforming systems has increased dramatically.'

How to avoid an air conditioning scam online

If you aren't sure if want you are seeing is legitimate, then it's important to do a few checks

• If it looks like the website of a well-known retailer, double check the URL and make sure it matches the official website. You can also Google the retailer to find the official website, and then see if you can find the product using the official retailer website's search function.
• Google similar products on other websites to get a sense of how much other retailers are selling them for and whether they are in stock. If you've seen a price that is massively lower, then there's a chance it's too good to be true.
• Check for independent reviews of the product on other websites. Here at Ideal Home, we review loads of products in our own homes, so you can get a real sense of whether they live up to the claims.
• If you don't recognise the retailer name, look for independent reviews and verify UK addresses and working telephone numbers
• Keep an eye out for information on refunds and returns, as well as customer complaints and warranty information.

Chris at Meaco also shared the green flags to look out for when buying cooling products online:

• The seller appears on the manufacturer’s authorised retailer list, where one is available
• The retailer has an established trading history and independently verified customer reviews
• The website provides a verifiable UK address and working contact details
• Delivery, returns, refunds and warranty terms are clearly explained
• The retailer offers secure, recognised payment options
• The product has credible independent reviews from established publications
• The price remains consistent with the manufacturer’s recommended retail price.

How to identify and avoid an air conditioning scam in person

It's also important to be vigilant when air conditioning engineers come to your home, and there are some red flags to look out for there too:

• They knocked on your door without you arranging it
• They offer an amazing price, but only if you commit then and there
• They can fit it straight away, or pressure you to fit it by a certain date
• They don't do a thorough assessment of your home, taking measures and looking both inside and out
• They're vague about examples of their work, their certifications, and their experience

If you call an engineer out to your home, there are things you can do to avoid potential rogue traders, as Philip explains:

• Prioritise experience over speed and price: 'Don't choose an installer based solely on who is available quickest or cheapest. A quality installation requires years of experience, structured training, and mentored expertise. Taking extra time to find a dedicated specialist prevents you from paying twice to fix poor work later.'
• Verify their credentials: 'Always ask if they are a dedicated air conditioning specialist or if it is just a side service. Ensure they are REFCOM registered, manufacturer-approved installers, and hold recognised electrical and competent person certifications.'
• Speak to previous customers. 'Do your homework before signing a contract. Look closely at their portfolio of previous work, read customer reviews, and ensure they have a demonstrated commitment to ongoing staff training.'
• Check their equipment: 'When a professional is in your home, ensure you trust your gut. If the unit they are installing looks worse for wear, it is best to take a step back before you commit to the project.'

'Choosing a qualified installer is essential,' adds Hamid Salimi, Residential Product Manager at Daikin. If you are looking for a fitted air conditioning unit, looking at the websites of those who manufacture the air conditioner units to see if they have a list of approved installers is a good first step.

'It's also worth asking about an installer's experience, qualifications, aftercare support and whether they'll carry out a full assessment of your home's cooling and heating requirements before installation,' adds Hamid.

As a hot sleeper trying to get some well needed shut eye in what looks to be the hottest summer on record, I have never been more grateful that my job includes testing the best cooling appliances on the market.

From the best fans, through to portable air conditioners, and even fitted air conditioning, I've tried it all.

But while trying out all these options, I've learned two important lessons. One is that what works for me during the day, may not be my top pick for use while I'm trying to drop off in the hottest room in the house. And the second, is that one appliance can't do it all.

Here I've rated each of the three appliance types and ranked them by which I found the most effective and comfortable to have in the bedroom.

3. Fan

I like to have a fan in my room all year round, and for most of the year the fan is exactly what I need. I'm a big fan of the Duux Whisper Flex 2 (sadly it's currently sold out) as it's super quiet, doesn't take up too much space and gets the job done. But when the temperature really ramps up, even on the highest speed setting, it's not enough to make my bedroom cool enough to sleep in.

I've even tried sleeping with two fans in the room, one blowing towards the bed and one facing out the window to help push the warm air out and draw cooler night air in, which, again, is effective, until it remains excessively warm overnight.

2. Portable air conditioner

I had thought my cooling appliance of choice for in my bedroom would be a portable air conditioner. After all, it's essential in my home office to keep me cool while I'm working. And it is undoubtedly the most effective at cooling to a comfortable temperature.

But, despite the fact that I've tested some of the quietest portable air conditioners you can buy, including the Dreo portable air conditioner and Meaco Cirro, the bulky size of appliances like this, combined with the layout of my bedroom (including the position of the window), means they feel like clutter. And for me, that's not conducive to a good night's sleep.

However, on night's when the humidity is high, the my portable air con is definitely my appliance of choice, clutter be damned.

1. Misting fan

Over the course of this very warm summer, I've been surprised that my favourite cooling appliance to use overnight has been my misting fan (the Dreo 765S misting fan, in stock at Amazon, to be precise). I'll even use it downstairs and carry it upstairs each night. And when it's roasting hot, that's testament to how much I enjoy it!

Not only does it fit neatly in the corner of the room, and offer very impressive wind speeds in fan mode, but the mist itself is so ultra fine that it creates a cooling breeze (that sits half way between a fan and a portable air conditioner), that does manage to make my room a lot more comfortable on hot nights, without leaving my room feeling damp.

The only time I found my misting fan less effective was on a couple of humid nights. This is a downside of misting fans in general, as they work better in dryer climates than humid ones due to existing moisture levels in the air and how that affects the misting process. Fortunately, those humid nights have been few and far between, and so I have been enjoying the misting fan most nights.

Could one appliance have done it all?

If you'd asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said that having a decent fan was all you needed to have a comfortable night's sleep. But given an increasing frequency in heatwaves, and this summer reaching record breaking temperatures, I now think you need an arsenal of goodies if you want to stay cool while sleeping.

I think a good, ultra-quiet fan is a must, or a misting fan that offers decent and quiet wind speeds in fan mode with the addition of a cooling mist. If your budget will stretch (and you can find one in stock), then a portable air conditioner is well worth investing in, especially when we are likely to see these uncomfortably hot temperatures more often.

If you don't have a portable air conditioner, make sure you boost the cooling potential of your fan for maximum impact.

It's also worth stocking up on a summer stash of bedding, like a lighter tog duvet, a cooling mattress topper and pillow to see you through the hot nights.

If you've managed to get your hands on a portable air conditioner this summer, you'll know that, in order for it to work most effectively, you'll need to install a window kit.

After all you need to vent a portable air conditioner outside so that it can expel hot air, and the seal works to keep this hot air out, which means your appliance can work in the most energy efficient way possible. But let's be honest, these window kits don't always look the best.

So how can you make them look more attractive? I asked the experts for their best tips.

1. Make sure you use the correct seal for your window type

First up, it's important to use the right seal for your window type. Many portable air conditioners come with two types of seal: one that is a rigid and slides to fit gaps in sliding windows, and another universal kit that includes a fabric seal, with a zip through the middle and a roll of hook and loop tape to help attach it to the window frame.

The rigid vent is arguably the better looking out of the pair, but is only suitable for sash windows where you can easily eliminate any gaps that could let hot air back in the room.

I've seen people on social media using these rigid vents vertically in a casement window (and that may be an option if you rent and can't apply the hook and loop tape to the window frame for a fabric seal), but this won't create the most effective seal.

2. Take your time applying the window seal

If a fabric seal is the most suitable for your window type, then taking the time to apply it carefully will help keep it looking neat.

'Most of the complaints about fabric seals looking messy come from loose fitting, excess material hanging down or gaps around the edges, so take time to measure the window properly, pull the fabric seal tight before attaching it and make sure the zip opening around the hose is snug,' says Rhys Powell, Director of Operations at WarmZilla. 'A well-fitted seal looks much more intentional and also works better because it stops warm air leaking back into the room.'

Over the summer, when my window seal isn't in use, I leave it attached to the window but fold it on on itself so that it's not visible from outside. Then once the summer is over, I remove the seal and fold it away for next year. I leave the hook and loop tape in place as it matches the colour of the window frame so is barely visible.

3. Try a DIY alternative

If you love a bit of DIY, then you could always make your own fabric seal, using material that better suits your home and tastes. But remember your choice of fabric will impact the effectiveness of keeping the heat out when the window is open and the appliance is in use. Fabric seals included with most portable air conditioners tend to be made from a tightly woven polyester that has been coated to weatherproof it.

But fabric isn't your only option.

'A made-to-measure clear acrylic panel is a much neater alternative because it creates a clean, almost glass-like finish rather than covering the window with fabric,' explains James Bryant, Founder of Cut My, that offers cut-to-size acrylic air conditioner window seals, with an opening sized specifically for the exhaust hose.

'Acrylic or polycarbonate can be effective for a DIY seal, but accurate measuring is essential,' he says. 'A badly fitting panel can leave gaps, put pressure on the window frame or become unstable.'

It's also important that any DIY option like this is still fitted properly and safely. 'People should avoid permanently altering rented windows and make sure the panel does not interfere with hinges, locks or safety restrictors,' adds James. 'The hose should follow the air-conditioning manufacturer’s guidance, remain unobstructed and be kept as short and straight as reasonably possible. Never use ordinary glass or brittle offcuts, as these are harder to cut safely and may break.'

While social media might provide inspiration for other DIY seals, it's important you focus on effectiveness as a priority, as Rhys explains: 'A homemade seal needs to create a proper barrier around the exhaust hose without putting strain on the window or creating gaps where hot air can escape. What you're seeing on Instagram might look good in photos but fail in practice because it has small openings that allow warm air back into the room. If you're making your own solution, prioritise a tight seal and safe installation over appearance. A portable air conditioner will only perform properly if the hot air it removes is directed fully outside.'

4. Vent through a wall

Another option is to avoid venting your portable air conditioner out of a window and vent it through the wall instead. I recently reviewed the Dreo portable air conditioner which came with a wall vent included. This is a permanent option, so likely won't be suitable for those who rent, but it will feel a lot more discreet that a window seal.

Unless you are competent with DIY like this, it's a job left for a professional, as it's vital it's done correctly so that it's effective.

In case you've been living under a rock (which would be cooler than where I am sitting right now), temperatures are soaring into uncomfortable territory, and lots of portable air conditioners are either sold out or carrying eye-watering price tags.

I've found myself recommending a different cooling appliance to friends and family this week: an air cooler. In fact, the Midea 5L Air cooler became an Amazon bestseller as we were all looking for a way to beat the heat, but on a budget, and I can see history repeat itself. With features like three speeds, 75° automatic oscillation, a 7h timer and minimal noise output, it's clear that it offers sweet relief from hot and humid weather.

If you've never come across one before, I'll give you a little explainer on them and how they differ from the best air conditioners and fans. Sitting somewhere between a fan and an air conditioner, air coolers are an underrated appliance that seem to fly under the radar until a heatwave arrives.

But after testing quite a few cooling appliances over the years at Ideal Home, I think they're one of the most affordable ways to stay comfortable when the mercury rises. Here's more on what they are and why you should get your hands on one, quicksnap.

What is an air cooler?

Unlike a standard fan, which moves warm air around a room, an air cooler uses water to help create a cooling-feeling breeze.

Emma Coleman, seasonal buyer at Robert Dyas, explains that unlike a fan, an air cooler releases cool air instead of circulating warm air, which will have a more noticeable effect on the temperature.

You fill an internal tank with cold water (and sometimes reusable ice packs), and as hot air passes through the appliance, it is cooled before a fan inside the unit circulates it around your room. In fact, it works a lot like this effective fan ice cube hack.

'This temperature will also be felt across the whole room, instead of the focus point that a fan cools. Some also have a heating function, making them useful in the winter as well,' explains Emma.

It's important to be clear, though, that an air cooler isn't a portable air conditioner by any stretch of the imagination. It won't dramatically reduce the temperature of an entire room in the same way a fitted AC unit can.

However, it will make the air blowing towards you feel cooler and fresher than a standard fan, which can make a huge difference on hot, sticky days.

Shop these in-stock air coolers

We haven't tested any of the models below; however, we have based our selection on brand reputation and shopper reviews.

If you see an air cooler that will suit your home, I wouldn't wait around for a deal, as I expect these coolers are going to sell out fast.

The biggest advantage is their affordability. While many portable air conditioners cost £300 to £600 or more, a good air cooler can often be snapped up for under £100. They're also much easier to live with, with no bulky exhaust hose to hang out of a window, no complicated installation, and they tend to be quieter and more energy-efficient than portable AC units.

Saying that, if you're expecting a more dramatic cooling effect, you'll probably be a bit disappointed, but if you're just looking for a way to cool yourself down during a heatwave, it's an option well worth considering, since there are a lot still in stock right now.

With more spells of hot weather forecast and air conditioners increasingly hard to get hold of, it's the cooling appliance I'll be recommending to friends and family for some quick relief.

If you're struggling to find an in-stock air conditioner, you can sign up for stock notifications for our best air conditioners on sites like Argos and AO.com. Or if you want a budget cooling alternative for right this second, a compact air cooler could just be the sweet spot.

It won't necessarily cool down your room like an AC, but it can make you feel a lot more chill, and I think that's what really counts in the middle of a muggy UK summer.

I've become an expert when it comes to bagging a deal in the Amazon Prime Day sales after writing about it for the past six years. As a homes journalist, my job involves tracking sales prices and the stock levels of home appliances all year round, so I know exactly what products to buy in the sale and what to hold off on.

The Amazon Prime Day sale kicks off next week, one of Amazon's biggest sales events of the year. I would typically recommend waiting until then to invest in a high-ticket home appliance, but the last two years of covering the event have taught me there is one appliance you absolutely should not wait until Amazon Prime Day to buy: a portable air conditioner.

The best portable air conditioners have shot up in popularity over the last few years, thanks to a series of exceptionally warm summers. But stock levels aren't quite matching the demand, especially during a heatwave.

This means two things if you're in the market for a portable air conditioner:

1. It is incredibly unlikely you'll find a major deal on a portable air conditioner in a summer sale like Amazon Prime Day.

2. They sell out exceptionally fast.

Over the last two years, I've seen firsthand how fast they can sell out. I've had to launch 'stock watch' feature on portable AC's during the last two Amazon summer sales events to track down any remaining units online.

This year, thanks to the heatwave at the end of May, stock levels on portable ACs are already depleted, and if you want to get your hands on one for the summer, I wouldn't wait even a week, let alone for a sale, to click buy.

‘Thanks to an unseasonably toasty end to May, the demand for portable air conditioners has already seen some models sell out before summer even hits,' explains Sarah Handley, Ideal Home's Renovation Editor and portable AC expert who has been monitoring this years stock levels.

'While I’ve spotted that brands like Meaco are due to replenish their stock at the beginning of July, others may not be restocked at all this summer. All is not lost though and there’s still a decent number of options available. But all it takes is another heatwave and they could sell out quick, so if you want one, definitely snap it up when you see it in stock.'

‘I’ve been testing the Dreo 318s portable air conditioner, which is still in stock on Amazon, which I would recommend,' adds Sarah. 'I’ve also spotted options from household names like Morphy Richards and Bosch also in stock on Amazon. Appliances Direct is another option that seems to have a steady stock supply of portable air conditioners, even when a heatwave hits.’

If you want to beat the heat this summer and invest in a portable AC over the best fan, then I'd buy now, or regret later, especially with another heatwave on the way.

Portable air conditioners in stock

With predictions rife of record heatwaves this summer, it's no wonder more of us are prepping to keep our home's as cool as possible when the heat hits.

A popular and effective option is to invest in one of the best portable air conditioners, but as these appliances can cost hundreds of pounds, it's important you understand their pros and cons before you commit to spending the money. In many cases, they will be a very worthwhile addition to your home, and will give you the summer comfort you crave. But there are some cons that should be considered before you buy.

I've tried and tested multiple portable air conditioners myself, and roped in the experts to help you decide whether a unit like this is the right choice for your home.

Is portable air conditioning a good idea?

Having one of the best fans is a bit of a no-brainer during a heatwave, but with summers seemingly getting hotter every year, it's becoming more apparent that fans are brilliant at moving the air around which can make you feel a bit cooler, but they won't actually lower the temperature in a room. That's where air conditioning comes in.

When it comes to AC, there are two choices, fitted or portable. Fitted air con is more expensive to purchase upfront and requires professional and permanent installation, which means it won't be suitable for everyone.

Fortunately portable air conditioners are more readily available than ever before. And if you have struggled with the heat in more recent years, then a portable air conditioner can definitely be worth it.

However, it is crucial that you understand the benefits and drawbacks of an appliance like this so you can be sure you're making the best choice for your home. Let's look at the pros and cons.

Pros of portable air conditioning

• Effective cooling. When it gets hot, it can feel that fans are just blowing warm air around, but a portable air conditioner will quickly lower the ambient temperature in a room. 'AC units actively lower room temperature using a refrigeration cycle,' explains Noel Fok, CEO and co-founder of EcoAir, ‘Warm air is drawn in and cooled over a refrigerant-filled cooling coil, before being released back into the room, with any remaining heat and moisture extracted from the air vented outdoors via an exhaust hose.’
• Can be moved from room to room. Most portable air conditioning units are set on castors meaning they are easily to move from room to room on the same floor.
• Non-permanent. Beyond the expense of a fitted air con system, not everyone is able to opt for a built in solution. Portable air con requires no permanent alterations to the property so it's ideal for those who are renting or live in a designated area where permanent alterations may not be permitted.
• Doesn't need professional installation. Another pro is that anybody can set up a portable air conditioner, there's no special skillset required.
• Relatively affordable. Portable air conditioners can vary in price from around £200 to close to £1,000, so some are more affordable than others. But all are more affordable than fitted air con that can cost close to £1,500 for installation in a single room.

Cons of portable air conditioning

• They're heavy. While it's quite easy to move a portable air conditioner between rooms on the same floor, the same can't be said for moving one up and down the stairs. That's definitely a two person job.
• Some set up required. 'To get optimal results, it’s crucial to get the set up right;' explains Katie Lillywhite air treatment expert at AO.com. 'Portable units need to be properly vented through an open window to expel the hot air. Failing to do this means the performance will drop off significantly.' Many portable air conditioners come with a universal window kit, but not all do, so it's important to check whether you need to buy one separately. A word of advice here, don't wait until it's roasting hot to set up the window kit. It can be a bit fiddly and that's not something you want to tackle when you're baking.
• Can be noisy. Portable air conditioners can be quite noisy when in cooling mode, although as technology improves, they are getting quieter. But while you can get fans that are whisper quiet, the same can't yet be said for portable air conditioners.
• Bulky to store when not in use. You're not likely to use air conditioning all year round (although if you choose an appliance than also works as a dehumidifier, then you might), so you'll need to think about where you can store it. It'll need to somewhere warm and dry, but the dimensions and significant weight can limit your options.

What else should you consider before buying a portable air conditioner?

Once you've weight up the pros and cons, there are other considerations that will impact how effective and affordable a portable air conditioner will be in the longer term.

Firstly, you need to ensure you choose a suitably powered portable air conditioner for the size of room you want to cool. 'Each air conditioner is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units),' explains Katie Lillywhite. 'Essentially, if the unit is too small it’ll struggle, or too large and it’ll cycle off inefficiently.

'To calculate what you need for your home, think of the space you want to run it in. Room specifics matter, so think of your ceiling height, insulation, windows and even the number of people in your given room. For instance, a sunny loft room will need far more power than a shaded ground-floor lounge.'

She adds: 'You’ll soon know if your air conditioner is too small for purpose as it’ll run constantly, attempting and failing to reach the target temperature. This is a waste of energy and can lead to higher energy bills. As a rule of thumb, it’s always better to size slightly up rather than down.'

You should also think about ongoing running costs, especially with energy prices going up by 13% in July 2026. Based on the appliances we've tested here at Ideal Home, portable air conditioners can use anywhere between 780-2600W, which based on the July 2026 energy price cap, means they can cost between 20p and 68p per hour to run.

'While they do come with a much higher upfront and running cost, most users consider this a small price to pay for the sake of additional comfort in peak summer,' concludes Katie. 'A portable air conditioner can pose as an upgrade, providing a targeted solution when temperatures really spike and cooling grows more essential as opposed to just a ‘nice to have’.'

If you're convinced that a portable AC is the right choice, then take a look at our top-rated, in-stock picks below.

FAQs

Meaco has just added to it's collection of air cooling products with a brand new portable air conditioner range that claims to make half the noise of its previous range.

The new Meaco Cirro range will include six smart models across 12,000, 14,000 and 16,000 BTU sizes, with variants that offer cooling only, or those that offer both cooling and heating. A couple of models have launched already, while the rest is expected to drop at the end of June/beginning of July. A huge draw will be that the Cirro range operates at just 45dB, which is twice as quiet as Meaco's previous range of portable air conditioners.

The launch of the Meaco Cirro collection comes as the UK has just experienced its first heatwave of the year that saw many of the models in our round-up of the best portable air conditioners sell out, highlighting the huge demand for portable cooling products to help keep homes cool when temperatures spike.

'Portable air conditioners are often bought when the weather is already uncomfortable, but people increasingly want products that do more than just cool a room,' says Meaco Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Chris Michael. 'They want something quieter, easier to live with and more efficient to run.

'With Cirro, we wanted to directly address the main frustrations people have with portable air conditioners. The range delivers the cooling performance people need, but with up to half the noise of our previous portable air conditioner range.'

That noise reduction is achieved through an advanced Dual-Wrapped Compressor, with layers of cotton wool and silicone insulation used to help absorb vibration and reduce sound, all while maintaining cooling power.

As well as being much quieter to run that it's predecessors, the larger powered appliances feature inverter technology. This means they can adjust their output as the room cools, which not only helps to maintain a comfortable temperature, but also helps to reduce their energy consumption. This will be especially important to those on their suppliers standard variable tariffs who are facing a 13% increase in energy prices from 1 July 2026 when the new energy price cap comes into effect.

Prices range from £519.99 for the 12,000 BTU cooling only version to £659.99 for the 16,000 BTU cooling and heating version. All models come with two window kits (a standard one for sliding windows, and a flexible fabric one for hinged, casement and other window styles), a 1.8m (15cm diameter) duct and 65cm drainage hose.

If you're in the market for one of these appliances, I'd act fast as they won't be on the shelves for long. In fact, our live air con stock watch is showing very few portable air conditioners in stock at all at the moment.

But don't worry, there are still cooling solutions you can shop now, such as these (far cheaper) air cooler options. They might not offer the same cold chill as an air conditioner, but they can help ease the heat by blowing air over cold water and ice packs to create a fresh, cool breeze.

They're also cheaper to buy, quieter to run, and don't require a window hose.

When the next UK heatwave hits, a portable air conditioner can feel like an absolute lifesaver, especially if your home tends to trap heat upstairs, when you're trying to sleep or work.

However, the best portable air conditioners don't come cheap, so this is an investment purchase where it pays to have a little know-how under your belt before you shop.

With so many designs promising powerful cooling, whisper-quiet operation and energy efficiency, knowing which one to choose can be tricky.

So, from BTU ratings and room size to noise levels and running costs, I've rounded up the key features to look out for when sourcing the best portable air conditioner for your home.

1. BTU (British Thermal Units)

The first thing you'll want to consider when choosing the best portable air conditioner for your home is BTU.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and describes how many units of heat an air conditioning unit can suck out of the air per hour to cool down an indoor space.

Portable air conditioners tend to start from 5000 BTU and can go up to a substantial 23000 BTU. The higher the BTU, the larger the space that the air con unit will be able to cool and the quicker it will do so.

However, a higher BTU also means a higher price tag, and likely higher running costs, so it's a balancing act of investing as much as you can for better performance against how much you're willing to pay upfront for a unit.

2. Room size

As mentioned, BTU is also linked to the size of the space that an air conditioner can keep cool, which is one of the things I wish I'd known about before buying one. Most manufacturers will give a recommended room size in the air-con unit's specifications, generally somewhere from 8m2 to 100m2+, so make sure to check that the unit you buy is powerful enough to cope with your indoor space.

It's generally recommended to close doors and windows in the room that you're trying to keep cool, so if you only want to keep a small bedroom cool, then you can opt for a cheaper, lower BTU unit; however, an open plan space will require a much more powerful appliance with a larger BTU.

As such, it's also worth being aware of the worst places to put an air conditioner so you can ensure your unit is operating in the best possible way per its location.

3. Portability

You're likely opting for a portable air con unit because you would like it to be – well, portable! However, in reality, even the best portable air conditioners are both bulky and heavy, weighing from 20kgs for a smaller 'lightweight' air conditioner to 30kgs+ for more powerful units.

Check that your preferred unit comes with built-in wheels to help you manoeuvre it within the home, but bear in mind that if you want to carry a unit up and down the stairs, then you're probably going to need two people to do that safely.

If you know you'll struggle with a cooling device of that weight, an air cooler could be a lighter option, although it won't deliver the same cold air that an air conditioner can. You can read up on the pros and cons of the two cooling devices in our detailed air conditioner vs air cooler explainer.

4. Noise levels

The biggest bugbear with portable air conditioners – and the most common gripe found in online reviews across the board – is their noise levels.

A portable air conditioning unit uses both a fan and a compressor to cool the air, and that's a noisy process, meaning you're likely to have to turn the TV up quite a few notches if you have one running in a living space. And, if you're a light sleeper, then you may struggle to sleep whilst the air conditioning unit is running.

I found the best bet is to run the air con unit in a bedroom for a few hours before you want to go to sleep, and then turn it off once you turn in for the night.

If you're sensitive to noise, then make sure to check the manufacturer's stated decibel level (measured in dB) before you buy. Most will be around the 50dB mark, with some models offering quieter functionality of 40dB and others clocking in around 60dB.

However, in our testing process, our testers found that there's noise and then there's noise. We tested several portable air conditioners where the noise they emitted resembled the sound of a train engine chugging – a noisy, mechanical whirring noise that chopped and changed and soon drove us to distraction, making us want to switch the unit off as soon as we possibly could. Some of these were units with lower decibel ratings.

On the flipside, there were others, like the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner, where, despite the higher decibel rating, the noise created was more like a steady stream of gushing air exiting the appliance. Because the noise is steady and never changing, it was more like having white noise playing in the background while you work or sleep. So once you got accustomed to it, it was actually pretty easy to ignore.

Largely, that means reading the reviews to see how other users have found the experience of having the air con unit you're considering in their own home.

5. Other functionality

Very often, an air con unit will come with additional functionality, usually a fan setting and a dehumidifier function. More expensive portable air conditioners sometimes also feature a heater function, which means you're more likely to be able to get year-round use out of your investment.

You might also want to consider whether you want your portable air conditioner to come with a timer, remote control, or WiFi connectivity.

A remote control is always a handy feature to have, especially if you're using the unit in the bedroom and don't want to have to get out of bed to adjust settings or turn the unit off.

Similarly, investing in a unit with a timer function gives you the ability to programme the unit to turn off a few hours after you've got into bed, or to turn on during the hottest part of the day to keep the house cool for pets, or reduce the temperature before you get home from work. A unit with Smart functionality can also offer the means to control the unit when you're away from home.

6. Window kit

For an air con unit to really do its job, it needs to be operated within a sealed room and vented out of an open window via an exhaust hose to dispel the heat. For this reason, the best portable air conditioners come with window sealing kits, but not all do, so it's worth checking that one is included before you buy.

A window kit can be a bit of a faff to install the first time – especially as very few windows are a uniform size, so a generic kit can sometimes fall short – but once installed, you can leave it in place for subsequent use.

FAQs

Shop portable air conditioners

Choosing the best portable air conditioner ultimately comes down to matching the unit to your space, lifestyle and budget. Think about where you'll use it most, how often you'll move it between rooms and whether you'd benefit from extra features like a smart app control.

Once you've narrowed it down, check the BTU rating and energy efficiency to make sure it'll cool effectively. Getting the right model will help you breeze through hot spells in comfort.

When the weather heats up, a portable air conditioner can feel like the ultimate summer essential. They're easy to move from room to room, don't require permanent installation and can cool a space in minutes. But there's one part of the setup that is a little confusing: the window kit.

If you've unboxed one of the best portable air conditioners and found a hose or even a fabric seal that looks puzzling, you're not alone. The window kit is what makes your portable air conditioner truly effective, helping it get rid of hot air instead of letting it drift straight back into the room.

So, if you've ever wondered what these kits do, how they fit, and whether you can use one with your type of window, I've put together a guide to portable air conditioner window kits that'll walk you through what they actually do, the different types available and how to make sure you're getting the most efficient results from your cooling setup.

What is a portable air conditioner window kit?

A window kit is the piece of equipment that allows a portable air conditioner to vent hot air outside. And without it, you might end up recycling warm air around the room. Usually, kits consist of:

• A vent hose which connects to the back of the AC unit.
• A window slider or sealing panel that can be adjusted to fit your window type and hoses the hose securely in place.
• A hose connector clips the vent hose to the panel, so air only escapes outside and not back into your room

Why do you need an portable air conditioner window kit?

Your portable air conditioner needs a window kit because, without one, it basically becomes an expensive fan, explains Katie Lilywhite, air treatment expert at AO.com.

If you use it without a kit, the unit would cool the air temporarily, but the room would quickly warm up again because the hot air has nowhere to go. 'The hot air your appliance absorbs needs to be expelled, and the window kit is a practical, sealed exit point that prevents any hot air from circulating back inside. This keeps the cooling efficient, reduces strain on your air conditioner and helps to keep your energy bills down,' says Katie.

'Without it, the unit would be constantly fighting against the warm air being released back into the room, wasting energy and delivering poor cooling, adds Chris Michael, Chair at Meaco.

Types of window kits

Turns out not all window kits are created equal, and that's where things get a little tricky, especially if you didn't receive one with your portable air conditioner in the first place.

I've run through the main options and what types of windows they are designed for.

Slider window kits

As the name suggests, these are designed for sash or sliding windows and usually come as an adjustable plastic panel that slots into the opening.

Casement window kits

These work with side-hinged windows that swing open and often use a fabric seal that sticks around the frame with a zip opening for the hose.

Velcro or fabric seal kits

These are popular for abnormally shaped windows or tilt and turn windows and are made from weatherproof fabric that you attach with Velcro, with the hose poking through the zip or flap.

Can you use a portable air conditioner without a window kit?

According to Katie, technically, you do not need to run an air conditioner with a window kit. However, in practice, this is far from ideal.

You'll lose efficiency, waste energy and risk letting insects or rain in, so a proper kit is always worth fitting.

'Portable air conditioners work by pumping cool air into the room and pushing hot air out through an exhaust hose. Without venting it outside, through a window kit, the hot air will simply leak straight back into the room and undo all efforts of cooling the air.'

'If a window kit simply isn’t feasible, then you should still vent your air conditioner through a door or wall, though be aware this isn’t as effective,' explains Katie.

Top tips for fitting a window kit

If you haven't received a window kit with your portable air conditioner or you've received one that doesn't work with your window type, you'll need to make sure you buy the right one and understand how to fit it.

I asked the experts for their advice.

• Measure first: You'll need to check your window size before ordering a kit. 'Always measure your window dimensions before you buy, and double-check this to ensure your window kit will be suitable. Most of these window kits are adjustable; however, some houses can have tilt-and-turn windows or casement, which can make things harder to fit,' explains Katie.
• Seal tightly: The better the seal, the cooler your room will stay. 'You should also be vigilant and seal all gaps around this kit properly. If there are any gaps, this can lead to vented hot air seeping back into your home and undermining your air conditioner,' says Katie. She recommends using foam seals, available at Amazon or trying draft excluder tape that you can pick up at Amazon, too, to plug any gaps you spot.
• Check compatibility: Some brands (like DeLonghi or AEG) sell universal kits (AEG universal window kit, £87.69, available at Amazon and DeLonghi universal window kit, £36.36, at Amazon), but others work only with their models.
• Think about storage: Most panels are removable, so you can take them down when summer's over.
• Ensure good airflow: 'Keep the hose short and straight for good airflow. Check the hose isn’t kinked or crushed and leave at least 50–60cm between the unit and the window for proper circulation,' adds Chris.

The biggest problems (and fixes) with portable AC window kits

One of the most common problems is poor sealing around the window kit's edge, explains Katie. 'This allows hot air to leak back in; try to combat this with foam to seal the gap and prevent future leaks,' she explains.

Chris adds that poor sealing can be fixed with sealing strips or tape as recommended above (these Fixmend sealing strips, £9.99 are a bestseller on Amazon).

'Another error that may happen is your air conditioner’s hose falling out of the window. Due to its weight, sometimes this can tug itself loose and fall through. Try to support your appliance’s hose with a small bracket or even simply a hook and cable tie combo,' suggests Katie.

'Performance also drops if the hose is bent or twisted, so keep it as straight as possible without overstretching,' explains Chris. 'If condensation builds up, check the drainage and empty the water tank regularly.'

While a portable air conditioner window kit isn't the most charming part of your cooling setup, it'll make a huge difference to how well your unit performs. Choose the right kit for your window style, fit it snugly and you'll get the most efficient cooling result.

Have you invested in a portable air conditioner yet? And did you get a window kit with it? Let us know by commenting below.

You don't need me to tell you it's hot out there at the moment, and it seems like everyone out there is trying to get their hands on the ultimate home cooling gadget out there: an AC. But you might be wondering how they actually work before hitting the checkout button.

With UK heatwaves getting hotter and longer, demand for quick cooling solutions is surging, and the best portable air conditioners are a great alternative to fitted, full-scale air conditioning, whether you rent or simply have limited space to play with.

So if you're considering getting your hands on one this summer, but want to understand how they work first, we've asked the experts for all the intel. Here's how portable air conditioners work, in simple terms.

How do portable air conditioners work?

At their core, portable air conditioners work just like built-in or window-mounted units, only they're designed to sit on the floor and roll from room to room. Inside the unit is a refrigeration cycle that cools and dehumidifies the air, then vents the hot air out through a hose connected to a window kit.

I asked Katie Lilywhite, air treatment expert at AO.com, how air conditioners actually work.

'Simply put, air conditioners remove heat from your room and leave the indoor air cooler. Warm air is drawn in through its vents before being blown across cold evaporator coils filled with refrigerant,' explains Katie.

'This absorbs the heat and cools the air before blowing this now-cool air back around the room. Some units can also remove excess moisture from the air as they cool – which can help to make your room feel less muggy.'

'At the same time, excess moisture is either collected in a tank, drained off through a hose, or evaporated and vented out with the hot air, depending on the model,' adds Chris Michael, Chair at Meaco.

Do portable air conditioners have to be vented out a window?

The short answer is yes, they do need a hose to vent the hot air from inside, outside. If there is no hose, the unit is more like an air cooler, which uses water and evaporation to lower the temperature slightly but doesn't truly 'condition' the air.

'Air conditioners do have to be vented, as all the heat the appliance pulls through has to move somewhere. If you do not vent this air, then the unit will blow cool air from the front while releasing hot air out of the back, right back into the room,' explains Katy.

'There are some options if you’re looking to vent this from your home. You can choose to vent this through a window or perhaps through a wall vent if your external wall has one handy. But for most homes, a window venting kit is the most practical and effective solution.'

'Without proper venting, the unit will simply circulate warm air and won’t cool the space effectively,' explains Chris.

'Most models include a window kit to help with installation. It's important to check which type of kit is provided before buying, to make sure it suits your window type.'

Portable air conditioner comparison: single hose vs dual hose

Katy explains that single-hose models have one hose to vent hot air from the appliance and work by drawing air from your room, cooling it through their system, then venting this out.

'Single hose models do tend to be cheaper and lighter than their dual counterparts but lack a bit of power to cool particularly hot rooms,' she adds.

'Dual-hose air conditioners have a lot more power – one hose to pull in outdoor air and the other to vent this back out.'

'This can reduce the negative pressure created by single hose units, making them more efficient in some settings, but they’re typically more expensive and bulkier,' adds Chris.

However, 'if you have a larger space or a hotter climate to tackle, they’re more than worth the upgrade,' says Katie.

Top portable air conditioner features to look for

'When you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, the first thing to be mindful of is the unit’s BTU rating. Ultimately, this tells you the appliance's cooling power, so the more BTUs, the better its rate of cooling,' explains Katy.

'There are also some air conditioners that can double up nicely as a dehumidifier with ‘dehumidifier mode’, which helps them pull moisture from the air – ideal for those extra muggy days.'

And when it comes to energy saving, Katie suggests that 'you can also save money on running this appliance if you look out for ‘timer’ or ‘sleep’ modes, which can help reduce its energy consumption while you snooze or head out.'

And if you're looking for an air conditioner for your bedroom or while you work at home, 'an air conditioner with quiet operation can be a great asset.'

Chris Michael, Chair at Meaco, has put together a handy features list:

• Energy efficiency for lower electricity bills.  
• Sleep mode to reduce noise and energy use at night.
• Remote control for convenience.
• App enabled to cool the room on demand before they get home. 
• Timer functions to set operating hours.
• Multiple fan speeds for personalised comfort.
• Dehumidifying mode to remove excess moisture from the air.
• Window kit compatibility to ensure that hot air is effectively vented. 

What are the drawbacks?

Like most appliances, portable air conditioners are convenient, but they aren't perfect. They can be on the noisier side, are less energy efficient than fitted systems and take up a hefty bit of floor space. Plus, that exhaust hose can be quite the eyesore if not positioned neatly.

Shop top-rated air conditioners

Have you invested in a portable air conditioner yet? Or are you considering fitted air con instead? Find out if air conditioning is worth it in the UK.

With another heatwave set to hit the UK, it’s no surprise that we’re all looking for ways to stay cool and comfortable, and right on time, Lidl has arrived with an affordable portable air conditioner.

The best portable air conditioners are a godsend when temperatures soar, so it comes as absolutely no surprise that these babies have been selling out fast. If you haven’t managed to find a good deal online, Lidl’s Silvercrest Local Air Conditioner (£149) has arrived in the Middle Aisle today (10 July).

But with portable air conditioners selling like hot cakes right now, I suggest you act fast if you want to get your hands on one, as when it’s gone, it’s gone.

The Silvercrest Local Air Conditioner works as a three-in-one unit, cooling, dehumidifying and ventilating a room. It has two fan speeds and an automatic oscillating feature that blows air horizontally around the room.

The Lidl air conditioner works best for rooms between 30 and 45m³, and the dehumidifying function collects up to 1.5L in a room that’s 30 degrees with an 80% relative humidity.

The unit also has a control panel with soft-touch buttons for ease of use, a remote control with batteries and a 24-hour digital timer. With side grips and transport wheels, this air conditioner is easy to move around, whether you want to cool a bedroom in the evening or keep it in your living space during the day.

Air conditioners have been selling out fast because they work more effectively than other cooling hacks. Because of this, they’re a great investment to make, but they're also selling out fast. The Inventor Portable Air Conditioner Magic 5-1, £424 on Amazon, is one product that hasn’t sold out yet.

I haven’t tested the Lidl air conditioner yet, but I do have high hopes for it - Middle Aisle products have never let me down, and in this heat, I’m willing to try anything. However, I expect this product will fly off the shelves, so if you don’t have the chance to grab one, here are a few more alternatives to choose from.

The Lidl air conditioner is worth a try in my book. It’s affordable, available where other air conditioners are not, and will help combat sweltering heat.

It's clear that we're all gearing up for the inevitable heatwave that's fast approaching. And with the best portable air conditioners selling out left, right and centre as lots of us scramble to beat the next heatwave, armed with the ultimate cooling gadget, it's no surprise that we're turning our sights on the next best thing: air coolers.

Air coolers work a little differently from portable air conditioners, but versions like the Black+Decker Portable 2-In-1 Air Cooler, £70 on Amazon, are quietly becoming best sellers.

The difference between an air cooler and an air conditioner is that air conditioners actively remove heat and humidity from a room, using a refrigerant and a compressor, which is why they can be bulky, on the noisier side and can be costly to run.

Air coolers use evaporative cooling to circulate cool, moist air with ice packs. While they aren't as powerful as ACs, they can create a lovely, refreshing breeze.

So if you're on a budget and you need a cooling fix without the faff of a window hose or stock issues, these are the ones to take a look at.

Air coolers

We haven't tested any of the models below; however, we have based our selection on brand reputation and shopper reviews.

If you see an air cooler that will suit your home, I wouldn't wait around for it. In the last 24 hours, the Midea air cooler (shown below), which we originally included in this round-up and was a bestseller on Amazon, has already sold out. So I expect these coolers are going to sell out fast.

If you're struggling to find an in-stock air conditioner or want a budget cooling alternative, a compact air cooler could just be the sweet spot.

It won't necessarily cool down your room like an AC, but it can make you feel a lot more chill, and I think that's what really counts in the middle of a muggy UK summer.

Delonghi makes very decent appliances across all its areas of expertise. I am a dedicated user of one of its automatic bean-to-cup coffee machines, so I was keen to see how its high quality and modern functionality translated into some of the best portable air conditioners.

The Pinguino Care4Me EL112, RRP £979.99, is a new entry into Delonghi’s air comfort range. It offers plenty of functions to make it easy to operate and fit around modern lives. And it has a price tag that reflects this bang-up-to-date technology.

The features include a smart-sensing remote, which it uses to adapt its functionality based on the air near you rather than around the machine. There’s also geofencing, so it can fire up or power down depending on whether you’re at home or away. And there’s also a connected app, which allows you to tweak the cooling to suit your needs.

It’s all very clever, and complemented by brilliant cooling power that leaves you feeling chilled yet not refrigerated. And it’s quiet when working too.

In a nutshell

This Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 impressed me in terms of cooling power and functionality. It’s easy to use and offers adaptive cooling based on your needs. I loved that there were four ways to control it: via an app, a smart remote, on the unit itself or via a voice assistant.

During operation, the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 is whisper quiet and works hard to cool reasonably large areas in a short space of time.

The window kits are flexible and mercifully easy to fit. However, it is an expensive unit, the portability is relative (I wouldn’t fancy lugging it about often), and the venting hose could do with being longer.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 450x410x750mm
• Recommended room size: 110m3
• Cooling capacity: 11,000BTU/h
• Cable length: 1.5m
• Number of functions: 3
• Power consumption: 0.9W (on standby)
• Water tank capacity: N/A
• Noise levels: 63dB (max)
• Weight: 33kg
• Other features: Smart sensing remote, voice-assistant enabled, geofencing, personalised settings
• Window kit included: Yes
• RRP: £979.99

How I tested

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 comes in a big box, and is extremely heavy; it took two delivery drivers to bring it to my front door. I’d really recommend calling in backup from friends or family if you’re having it delivered and plan to lug it up any stairs yourself.

Once inside my house, it was pretty easy to unbox. It had a bit of plastic/styrofoam packaging, but a lot of it was cardboard and therefore easy to recycle. Inside there’s venting, a window kit, a hefty bunch of instructions, a remote and the unit itself.

The unit feels very robust, and I was immediately impressed with the quality of the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112. It has handles on the side to help lift it (this is still very much a two-man job though). There are coasters on the bottom, and it was easy to glide it around on my hardwood floors. Carpets were a bit more tricky. But everything on the unit feels built to last, including the odd-looking remote – which took me an embarrassingly long time to realise is meant to slot into the top of the unit itself.

This smart remote actually uses smart sensing to monitor temperature and humidity and adjust both to keep you comfortable. Delonghi advise you to keep the remote near you for most-accurate monitoring.

The cable could do with being slightly longer, if we’re looking for fault here. However, when plugged in it was easy to pair with the app I was instructed to download on my phone. This allowed me the flexibility to control the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 from my phone, the remote or using the LED control panel on the unit itself.

I like that in the app I could tell the unit what I was up to, choosing from a range of options including quiet relaxing or working out. The unit would then adapt its functions to suit my activity.

There is also a silent mode here, a timer and a way to schedule the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 to work around your life. You can also use the geofencing technology, and set it to power off when you leave the house, or power on when you arrive (it will use your phone to track your location). You can set the radius of what it judges to be “at home” and “leave home” ranges – so if you’re just popping to the shop down the road, it won’t switch itself off.

Ease of use and performance

Easy to control

I found the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 so easy to control. The four options are all intuitive: the remote, voice assistant, the control panel on the unit and the app. My personal preference is the app, as you can use this as a command centre and easily review all your settings from here.

The Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 might be a bit more complex to use if you don’t want to use the app, and you might miss out on some of the functions such as being able to tell your unit what activities you’re doing. Certainly the geofencing wouldn’t work without the app.

I hate installing a/c window kits - I find it a massive stress for some reason (will it fit? Will it actually seal the windows etc). But actually the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 was simple to set up and use. There is also guidance of how to permanently install it by creating a hole in your wall. I liked that it included caps, which you can screw over the ducting hole when the unit isn’t in use.

The Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 was responsive, whirring quietly into action as soon as I tapped the unit, remote or my phone. There are not a huge amount of settings if you’re intimidated by operating an a/c unit - you can adjust the fan speed and cooling temperature. To be honest, I found leaving it on auto worked best unless you want a short, sharp shock of cool air. I also liked that you could set a schedule, and pre cool rooms before you entered them. This was such a win for me, as I could precool my son’s bedroom (which is usually stiflingly hot) before bedtime and it was the perfect temperature for him when he went to bed.

Most of the key functions are one tap away: silent mode, changing the swing mode, fan speed and timers. I was really impressed with how simple Delonghi have made it to use.

Powerful cooling

I tested the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 through an unusually hot May in my living room/dining room mostly. It cooled the room impressively quickly, and maintained that temperature consistently during testing. The fan is powerful – when you’re stood directly infront of it, it’s akin to standing in the chiller aisles at the supermarket; absolute bliss on searingly hot days.

Personal comfort

Delonghi says that the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 offers “personal comfort” via its MyEcoRealFeel technology. What that actually relates to is you can set in the app what activity you’re doing, or what your preferences are with regards to cooling, and the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 will adapt its function accordingly.

DeLonghi claims this saves 30 per cent on energy consumption. This saving is quite hard for me to measure during testing, but I would say the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 is fiercer than other a/c units I’ve tested – it definitely is going to keep you temperate whether you’re working or working out.

Smart sensing

This is another function of Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 that is perhaps a “nice to have” rather than strictly necessary, and probably explains the higher price point of the unit in part at least. The “smart sensing” function monitors the temperature and humidity of the air around the remote constantly, and adapts how it's working to make the environment comfortable.

I really liked this feature, as it meant it was working with the air near me on the sofa, rather than monitoring the air right by the unit. It’s useful if you want to take the guesswork out of how cold to set the unit by the window if you want it to be cold by your desk, say. It’s also handy as you don’t have to get up and down constantly. You can monitor how its working via your app, too.

Quiet operation

I was incredibly impressed with how quiet the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 is. The quiet mode was 46.8dB on my decibel meter. This is the same as a whisper.

Even when it was actively cooling, it only got up to 52.7db – around the volume of a quiet fridge. There were no complaints of not being able to hear the TV over it, or that people were struggling to concentrate on work over the hum of the unit (this has happened when I’ve used other units). Two thumbs up here.

Easy to move

Now, Delonghi says the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 is easy to move. And I think you need to apply the knowledge of it still being an a/c unit here. A/c units are heavy - this one is 33kg, and cumbersome. There are handles near the top to help you carry it, and there are casters on the bottom.

This is great for moving it across a smooth, single-level floor - but moving it on carpet, rugs or up and downstairs and you’re going to find it tricky. Having said that, everything is of great quality here.

It feels robust enough to move about, and the casters are good enough quality that I didn’t feel they were going to buckle or get jammed after a few turns around my living space.

Cleaning

Day-to-day, all you’re going to need to do is wipe down the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 with a damp cloth once in a while. After prolonged use, you need to remove the filters and gently vacuum them and then rinse and air dry them before reinserting them.

You will also need to drain the water out of the back of the unit, which might well be a two-man job as the outlet is near the bottom, and you don’t have a vast amount of room to get a container under it – I’d recommend going for a tray rather than a box.

Storage and maintenance

If you’re based in the UK, chances are you’re not going to need this a/c unit all the time. So, make plans for its storage. It is large and heavy – you’d probably want to avoid taking up ladders to a loft space, for example. And if you plan on storing it in a cupboard, you’re going to need to plan to sacrifice a considerable amount of space to accommodate it.

However, there’s not a huge amount of maintenance with the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 other than the cleaning mentioned above.

How does it compare to similar models?

DeLonghi makes a range of portable air conditioning units. The Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 compares well to the Pinguino Care4Me PACEX130, the latter of which is a bit more expensive and offers less dehumidifying capacity but slightly more cooling capacity at 13,000BTU/hour.

Otherwise, it’s very similar in all functionality. DeLonghi’s Pinguino PACEL110 Portable WIFI Air Conditioner is just under £800, so a touch cheaper. But for this it doesn’t have remote sensing and a slightly lower dehumidifying capacity, but if you’re just after cooling, this is a more affordable option as the cooling capacity is exactly the same as the EL112.

I tested the Meaco Cool MC Series Pro 9000 [insert link when available], and I would say the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 is easier to use, and has some useful features that the Meaco Cool doesn’t offer. However, the Meaco unit is considerably cheaper, although it offers a less impressive cooling capacity.

How does it rate online?

The Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 fares well in the brutal world of online customer reviews. There’s a lot of chatter about how powerful the cooling is and how energy efficient it is compared to customers’ older units. Many people love the smart sensing technology and remark at how clever it is at cooling you down without leaving you feeling like you’re sitting in a fridge.

A consistent gripe of users is that the vent hose is too short, and I can see this would be an issue for some users. You do have to have the unit fairly close to the window opening. Some others seem taken aback by how much the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 costs.

Verdict: Should you buy the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112?

If you have the budget and are suffering in the searing heat, then I’d definitely buy the Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112. It has loads of brilliant features, and is powerful enough to cool most single rooms in a house, or a smaller office.

It’s quiet, easy to use and flexible to fit. I’d recommend it to hot sleepers and those who are wilting in the heat in a heartbeat. However, it’s expensive and you’d do well to shop around and weigh up whether the extra features are really worth the extra spend to you.

As we edge closer into summer, with temperatures on the rise, many of us turn to air conditioning for comfort, but did you know you could be making some air conditioner mistakes that could be quietly driving up your electricity bill?

The cost to run even one of the best portable air conditioners increases when you run it at the wrong temperature, ignore simple maintenance, or place it in the worst possible spot (yes, location really does matter), as it's having to work a lot harder and in turn, can reduce its efficiency.

I’ve spoken to the experts and uncovered three of the most common air conditioning slip-ups that are the easiest to make, and you'll be pleased to know they’re super easy to fix. With a few simple adjustments, you'll improve your unit's performance, reduce energy use, and ultimately save yourself money.

1. Not using the window kit correctly

One of the most common and costly mistakes people make with portable air conditioners is not using the included window kit in the correct way.

These kits are designed to create a seal between your window and the exhaust hose, which vents hot air outside, so if the kit isn’t installed properly, or if you skip installing it altogether, that hot air can leak back into the room, forcing your unit to work much harder than it needs to. And the result is a never-ending cycle of poor cooling performance and higher energy bills.

'Now, leaving your window open is a big no-go. Instead, you should always use your window kit properly and ensure the window is sealed so it doesn’t undo all the work your air conditioning unit has done,' explains Katie Lilywhite, AO.com's air treatment expert. 'Ensure your kit has closed the gap snugly around the hose and creates an effective barrier between your room and the outdoors.'

To avoid wasting energy and money, it's worth taking the time to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when setting up your portable air conditioner's window kit. If your window setup is unconventional, there are universal kits and foam sealing options (like this foam sealing tape from Amazon) that can help you get a tight fit.

2. Not cleaning the air filter regularly

Your portable air conditioner's air filter is responsible for trapping dust, pet dander, and other airborne particles to keep the unit running efficiently, so it will get clogged over time.

When it gets clogged, airflow becomes restricted, forcing the portable AC to work harder to cool your space. However, cleaning or replacing the air filter is usually quick and straightforward.

'Your AC has to work double-time to pull air through, which uses more power and doesn’t even run properly! Make sure you’re cleaning out its filter every fortnight by rinsing this out under a cold tap and allowing it to dry completely,' warns Katie.

3. Setting the temperature too low

Many of us instinctively set our units to the lowest possible temperature, thinking it will cool the room faster. However, most portable ACs work at a consistent pace regardless of how low the thermostat is set. And what actually happens is the unit keeps running longer than necessary, using more electricity than it needs to.

After all, Chris Michael, Meaco's chair, says, 'If you are happy to sleep at 20/22°C in the winter, why set the stat on an aircon to 16°?'

'This might sound counterintuitive, but you should really be putting your air conditioner on a higher temperature than you think. Cranking this down to 16°C won’t cool your room any faster – it just keeps it running unnecessarily, which wastes power,' explains Katie.

'A handy tip is to set this higher, between 22°C and 24°C, during the summer months. This means your AC will cycle on and off efficiently rather than running flat-out.'

This sort of temperature range keeps you cool without pushing your unit too hard or causing unnecessary energy consumption. Pairing this with one of the best fans or closing blinds during the hottest time of the day can help your space feel cooler without cranking the AC to the max.

Chris Michael shares his top tips for stopping the room from getting too hot in the first place:

• 'Open all doors and windows in the house once the sun has gone down to cool the room back down (this can also be done in the morning to get rid of excess heat).'
• Pre-cool a room before you go to bed if you are cooling your bedroom, then just use the aircon in fan-only mode overnight, this makes the aircon a lot quieter when you are in bed.'

There you have it: the biggest mistakes you might be making that might be costing you more money than you'd think.

And while you're here, take a look at the things I wish I knew before buying an air conditioner, so you'll get the most out of your appliance and beat the heat as efficiently as possible this summer.

With the sun intermittently peering through the clouds and rain, transforming our living spaces into veritable ovens, the thought of buying an air conditioner becomes not just a luxury but a downright necessity.

I remember the sweltering sleepless night in London with my first baby that drove me to buy my air conditioner. However, my hasty search to find the best portable air conditioner for my home would have been a lot breezier if I'd been aware of what to look out for before clicking 'add to basket'.

Alongside a few nuggets of wisdom I’ve gleaned from my own experience, I asked air treatment experts for their take on the things you should know before buying an air conditioner vs say, a fan, to ensure you invest in the ideal unit for your specific needs and avoid making the mistakes I made.

1. Size matters more than you think

With portable air conditioners coming in all shapes and sizes, one of the most important lessons I learned from buying my air conditioner is the importance of finding the right size unit for your space.

'The size of your air conditioner is crucial as this directly impacts its efficiency and effectiveness,' explains Joshua Warren, air conditioner expert at AO.

'A unit that is too small for your room will struggle to cool your space adequately, while one that is too large will cycle on and off frequently, which wastes energy and costs you more money.'

'Make sure you do the research first to calculate the cooling capacity needed based on the size of the room or space you want to cool.'

Now I know that it's really crucial to measure your room and understand BTU (British Thermal Unit) ratings to find the perfect match.

'Higher BTU means more cooling efficiency. For example, a 14,000 BTU air con is suggested to be used for a room around 200-450ft². Our AC516S can cool down a room around 300ft² for 7˚C (12.6˚F) in 30 minutes,' explains Dreo's Product Director, Paul Chan.

2. Energy efficiency is a big deal

While the initial cost of a highly efficient model might be higher, it’s an investment worth making, especially when you factor in how much it costs to run a portable air conditioner.

'When you’re in the market for a new air conditioner unit, it’s important to choose one with a good energy efficiency rating,' explains AO's Joshua Warren.

'Higher ratings mean lower energy consumption and lower utility bills over time. These units are typically more efficient and can save you money in the long run, so shop around for the best possible models.'

3. Don't ignore the installation requirements

Embarrassingly, I really didn't think the installation part of it through when buying my own on a roasting summer's night and it turns out, I was fairly clueless about what to do with it when it arrived. It's important not to skip proper installation to make sure you get optimal performance and longevity from your machine.

A poorly installed unit can lead to inefficiencies, higher energy consumption, and even safety hazards. It's worth hiring a professional to get the job done right, if necessary.

'Consider the installation requirements of the air conditioner. Some units require professional installation, while others are designed for easy setup by homeowners,' explains Joshua Warren from AO.

'Check if your space has the necessary electrical requirements and if any modifications or additional accessories are needed for installation.'

4. Placement is crucial

Where you place your air conditioner can significantly affect its efficiency too.

Installing your unit in a shady spot prevents it from overworking, while some of the worst places to put an air conditioner include placing it in a corner where airflow is obstructed which can lead to uneven cooling.

'The best place to put an air conditioner is near a window because of the ventilation,' explains Paul Chan, Dreo's Product Director.

'Also, make sure it's placed in a room that is a suitable size according to your air con’s BTU.'

5. Consider the maintenance needs

Once the air conditioner is in the right spot, it’s not a 'set it and forget it' situation. It'll require regular maintenance to keep it working well and this includes cleaning it effectively or replacing filters. Neglecting to do these things can lead to reduced efficiency and costly repairs down the line.

'Looking after your appliances will go a long way to helping them look after you,' says Joshua Warren, AO's air conditioner expert.

'Regular cleaning of filters and coils is an essential part of maximising its performance and longevity. Some units have more accessible maintenance procedures than others, so consider ease of maintenance when making your choice.'

6. Noise level can make or break a night's sleep

When I bought my air conditioner, I went for a budget option, not thinking through the noise it might make in the stillness of night. The soft hum during the day became a significant disturbance come bedtime.

So don't do what I did and check the noise levels of the unit you have your eye on before you buy, especially if it’s going into a bedroom or a home office. Opt for models that have been rated for their quiet operation to ensure a peaceful environment.

'All air conditioner units make some noise, yet the level of this noise can vary significantly between models,' explains AO's expert Joshua.

'If you're sensitive to noise or plan to place the unit in a bedroom or quiet space, try to find a model specifically designed for quiet operation. Keep in mind that reviews can give you a good indication of how noisy a particular unit might be.'

Joshua adds that some portable air conditioners have extra smart features such as a night mode and wifi connectivity, which can be pretty useful in helping you manage your unit easily and keep running costs as low as possible.

These are just a few of our favourite portable air conditioners that feature smart tech like this.

FAQs

What features are most important to consider when buying a portable air conditioner?

When choosing a portable air conditioner, prioritise the cooling capacity to ensure it effectively cools down your space, so you can stay comfortable even on the most uncomfortably hot days.

If you aren't looking to spend a great deal, weigh up whether you actually need an air conditioner. Compare an air conditioner with some of the best fans, for example, or even with an air cooler to see if these might suit your budget better.

Energy efficiency is also key, so look for models with high EER ratings or Energy Star certification to save on electricity.

You'll also need to consider the noise level, ensuring it’s quiet enough for sleep and is easy to move between rooms when you want to.

What to avoid in portable air conditioners?

When searching for the right model, steer clear of air conditioners that are too large for your space; they’ll cool the area too quickly without removing enough humidity.

Avoid units with low energy efficiency ratings too, as they will lead to higher electricity bills. Plus, buying without researching the noise levels of the unit, especially if it's placed in a bedroom, will lead to an awful night's sleep. I learned that the hard way.

There you have it, the most important things I wish I'd known before buying an air conditioner.

Forking out for one is a hefty investment, so take the time to do your research. Read lots of reviews, compare the different models, and seek recommendations from those who've got one already.

Afterall, what works for one household may not suit another, and firsthand experiences will help provide valuable insights.

As summers in the UK continue to get hotter and hotter by the year, the demand for household appliances to help us stay cool at home is inevitably rising by the minute too. But in the toss-up between an air conditioner vs dehumidifier, which is ultimately the right one for you?

When wanting to maintain a comfortable home environment, both air conditioners and dehumidifiers play pivotal roles – albeit quite different ones. In the pursuit to stave off the heat, purchasing one of the best portable air conditioners will pretty much always be the ideal pick of the two because, in reality, a dehumidifier isn't a cooling device by any means.

However, given how humid British summertime gets, the benefit of having one of the best dehumidifiers running in your home is that it can lower indoor humidity on the hottest of days, providing some comfort from the stifling heat.

Understanding the differences between their purposes, functionalities, and benefits is the first step to better help you make an informed decision about which appliance is right for your home.

Air conditioner vs dehumidifier

'A dehumidifier and air conditioner both manage the quality of indoor air, but in different ways,' says Georgette Beacham at BiGDUG.

'Primarily, a dehumidifier will remove excess moisture from the air to reduce humidity, which in turn, will help to prevent mold. An air conditioner cools the air by removing heat and some moisture, which is great for those hotter summer months,' begins Georgette.

Below, we explain in detail the differences between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier, their respective strengths, and which one you should invest in if staying cool is your biggest concern.

How does an air conditioner work?

The primary function of an air conditioner is to cool indoor air. They work by extracting heat from the air inside a room and expelling it outside via an exhaust house, thus lowering the indoor temperature.

When pitting an air conditioner vs a fan, AC units typically emerge victorious from cooling ability alone because of their ability to actively cool a room, as opposed to the function of a fan which just cools a person.

'Air conditioners provide immediate and effective cooling, essential for comfort during hot weather,' says Nathan Paul, air appliance expert at Appliances Direct. 'Air conditioners are ideal for use in hot weather to cool down a living space to a comfortable temperature.'

As well as portable versions, you could opt for a more permanent solution. But there will be a significant compromise you'll need to make if you want built-in air con.

How does a dehumidifier work?

'Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, are designed to remove excess moisture from the air. By reducing humidity levels, they help create a more comfortable environment, particularly in damp or humid conditions,' explains Nathan.

If you've ever found yourself scrambling to get rid of damp (especially during the colder and wetter seasons), then a dehumidifier's function should be no stranger to you. Not only are dehumidifiers great for drying out damp walls, but dehumidifiers also help to dry clothes quickly. As such, it can be difficult to see how their functionality comes into play for cooling a home during the summer months.

While a dehumidifier doesn't cool a room exactly, Joshua Warren, AO's air treatment expert notes that 'the temperature in a room may feel slightly cooler because of the lower humidity, even though the actual air temperature hasn't changed significantly.'

Not only that, but they also prevent mould growth, reduce dust mites, and help alleviate allergy symptoms.

Air conditioner vs dehumidifier: which one is right for you?

If you're researching these appliances intending to figure out which is best for keeping a bedroom cool, for example, the answer is simple as only one of the two offers cooling functions: an air conditioner.

However, if you've got problem areas in your home to tend to such as damp or are accounting for additional needs like wanting to dry clothes fast indoors and get more use out of your investment throughout the entirety of the year, a dehumidifier may be your best bet.

Therefore, knowing which one is right for your home will vary greatly because of these factors.

Since the British weather often brings humidity without scorching temperatures, Andrai Carcu, appliance installation expert at London Electricians 247 says, 'A dehumidifier might be a more cost-effective solution for most of the year, as it tackles dampness and improves comfort without a drastic temperature drop.'

However, as we know, summers in the UK have been getting pretty brutal with heatwaves increasingly becoming more commonplace, rendering even the best fans insufficient when temperatures rise above the average. In this case, an air conditioner could be the right addition to your home's arsenal of appliances.

Better yet, a majority of air conditioners even include dehumidifying functions, making them even more efficient at cooling as they can simultaneously lower humidity and indoor temperature. This is a similar effect to using a dehumidifier and fan in tandem, which results in an even greater cooling effect. So, perhaps the solution is investing in an appliance that covers all bases in this respect for a happy medium.

FAQs

Can my air conditioner be used as a dehumidifier?

'The majority of air conditioning units, including all the ones we sell do the job of a dehumidifier too. This means they are even more efficient at cooling,' says Nathan Paul at Appliances Direct.

'Some units also come with additional features like air purification and smart controls. If you live in an area with high summer temperatures, investing in an air conditioner is worthwhile.'

Are dehumidifiers an alternative to air conditioning?

Dehumidifiers are not an alternative to air conditioning by means of actively lowering the temperature inside a room. However, although dehumidifiers do not cool the air, by removing excess humidity, they can make the air feel cooler and less clammy.

Does air conditioning remove moisture?

Since air conditioners work by extracting hot air out of a room to lower indoor temperature, this results in a dehumidifying effect as excess humidity is also removed.

Air conditioner vs dehumidifier: the verdict

Both an air conditioner and dehumidifier can improve indoor air quality by reducing allergens and preventing mould growth. However, what differentiates the two is that an air conditioner also cools the air, making it the most beneficial during hot weather.

'In a hot and humid climate, an air conditioner is a better investment by providing cool air and reducing humidity. In cooler, damp climates, a dehumidifier might be sufficient to maintain comfort by controlling moisture levels,' says Joshua.

Ultimately (and you hate to hear it), the right choice for your home will depend on your specific needs. 'Consider how often you battle high temperatures versus damp issues,' advises Andrai. 'Remember, both appliances can be energy-efficient these days, so factor in how often you'll use each one.'

'In some cases, using both appliances in tandem might provide the best solution for creating a comfortable home environment. Assess your climate, budget, and specific comfort requirements to make the best choice,' concludes Nathan.

As temperatures begin to soar, getting your hands on a cooling appliance of any description is a tried and tested solution for beating the heat this summer. And if you're pondering whether to invest in a top-quality fan vs an air conditioner, we're here to help.

Although air conditioning is the standard in other parts of the world, this is unfortunately not the case in the UK. However, as summers keep getting hotter, many of us find that even the best fans just don't cut it anymore. Instead, we're favouring the use of the best portable air conditioners to combat the heat.

Of course, whichever of the two you prefer will vary greatly from person to person. Similar to tossing up air conditioners vs coolers, there are a handful of factors to consider, including cooling power, affordability, and running costs. I weigh up the pros and cons of each, with the help of air quality experts, so you can decide which one you should invest in.

Fan vs air conditioner: which one should you choose?

It's probably safe to assume you've already got a fan lying around (albeit a pretty old one), so chances are you're either looking to upgrade to a more powerful model (because believe us, some modern fans are pretty fancy) or switch sides completely and go for a portable AC unit.

Below, we've compiled all the must-knows of both fans and air conditioners to help you decide which is the right option for cooling your home and keeping a bedroom cool this summer.

How does a fan work?

The biggest thing to know about a fan is that its main purpose is to move the air within a room and keep it circulating. Although it doesn't cool a room in any way, the breeze from a fan will cool your skin and can relieve you from hot and humid conditions.

And what's the difference between tower fans and pedestal fans? Well, a tower fan is a slim, vertical unit that pulls air through its base and pushes it out in a steady stream across a wider area, making it ideal for a larger room. While a pedestal fan uses large rotating blades to create a more concentrated breeze that can be directed exactly where you need it.

'Classic fans are ideal if you just can't escape the heat. They can help you stay cool whether you're struggling to sleep at night or want something to keep you cool throughout the day,' explains Joshua Warren, AO.com's air treatment expert. So, in short, it's more about cooling the person rather than the room.

However, since fans can only circulate the air already present in a space, if it is particularly hot and humid, it can often feel like a fan isn't doing anything at all and just blowing hot air around. When you're all out of options, it's better than nothing, but it certainly can be frustrating, especially if you just want to sleep comfortably on a hot summer night.

'A fan circulates air around a room and has no cooling capacity, so if temperature control is what you're looking for, I would opt for air conditioning,' says Oliver O'Hare, air conditioning expert at HiiLIFE.

How does an air conditioner work?

Unlike a fan, air conditioners work to actively lower the temperature in a room rather than just cooling the person. 'Instead of just circulating cool air, they lower the room temperature by removing heat from the air,' explains Joshua.

This is because hot air is vented out of an open window via an exhaust hose, removing heat from the air completely and instead replacing it with cool air.

As such, Oliver notes that with an air conditioner, you'd have complete climate control within your desired room (or even entire living space). 'For parents with young children, this technology also offers peace of mind knowing children will be comfortable regardless.'

However, it's worth noting that opting for a portable air conditioner would be far more of an investment and commitment because you'd need more space (and an open window to accommodate it).

Fan vs air conditioner: cooling power

As we mentioned above, fans cool the person and don't actually do anything to lower the temperature of a room. So, if you're after true cooling power, then going for an air conditioner is your best bet.

Hamid Salimi, residential product manager at Daikin, assures that by installing an air conditioning unit which carefully balances the temperature, heating, humidity levels, and air purity, you can create the most comfortable climate for your home.

However, Matthew Ferris, HVAC expert and founder of Ferris Plumbing, notes that if you have a smaller bedroom that is well-insulated, sticking with a high-quality fan can be pretty effective nonetheless.

Fan vs air conditioner: affordability

Although there are some pretty high-end fans on the market going for a pretty penny (we're looking at you, Dyson fans), for the most part getting your hands on a decent fan is far more accessible and realistic than an air conditioner, which is always going to set you back a couple hundred pounds.

Meanwhile, you can get fans for significantly cheaper to give you even that slight bit of relief. One of the Ideal Home team's heatwave must-haves is actually the John Lewis handheld fan, which will only set you back £12 and works pretty well to keep on your desk or bedside table while you're working or relaxing.

Of course, larger and more powerful fans will set you back more, but they're generally more affordable than an AC unit.

Fan vs air conditioner: running costs

On top of the initial expense of buying the appliance, you'll then need to factor in running costs. As you would imagine, the cost of running an air conditioner is more expensive than the cost of running a fan due to the nature of how each device works to keep you cool.

Following the new April energy price cap, running a portable air conditioner which uses 1000W of electricity would cost you 25p an hour to run. On the other hand, a bladed floor fan using 110W at full speed would cost you less than 3p an hour to run.

As you can see, this is a pretty big jump and adds up with frequent use, especially considering you'll want to keep your cooling appliances running for the majority of the day during particularly hot stints of weather.

'Fans are a great choice as they use a lot less electricity than running an air conditioning unit, but they do vary in size, impact and wattage, and they may only work efficiently if you position them in the right place,' says Becky Lane, energy efficiency and CEO of Furbnow.

That said, while there are also ways to keep running costs down for cooling appliances, such as placing a portable air conditioner in the correct location, opting for a fan will still cost you far less. So, if one of your main concerns in keeping cool this summer is how much it'll cost you, opting for a fan is your absolute best bet for saving energy at home.

Fan vs air conditioner: portability

Although many of us dream of air conditioning during heat waves, the reality is that it's not just affordability holding us back, but also a lack of space in our homes.

'Fans are often more practical for smaller rooms, while air conditioners provide more effective cooling for larger areas,' explains Joshua. As such, if you have a small bedroom, then a slim fan will likely be your most favourable option.

Unlike fans (tower fans especially), which are often lighter and slimmer in design to be easily slotted in corners of your home, AC units – even portable ones – are far heftier than a standard household fan.

Not to mention, for a portable air conditioner to work optimally, it must be vented through a window. This will ultimately limit where you can place it in a room, as you've got to ensure that you're close to a window and the exhaust hose is long enough to account for it.

Since it's also recommended to fully seal the window from which an AC unit is being vented, we don't imagine you'll want to continually keep moving the unit and resealing your windows through the process.

Therefore, if portability is a concern and you're looking to bring your appliance from room to room, a fan is the most suitable option.

Fan vs air conditioner: noise levels

Often during a heatwave, the biggest issue that arises is feeling cool and comfortable enough to get a good night's sleep and get as close to the ideal bedroom temperature as possible.

Just as considering noise levels when looking into the best air purifier or best dehumidifier for your bedroom is super important, it'll also pay to be aware of the noise levels between a fan and air conditioner to see which is the best option for an undisturbed slumber.

Among the fans we've tested, the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan really lives up to its name of being the quietest fan we've tested, coming in at just 13-50dB. Compared to our top-rated portable air conditioner, the MeacoCool MC Series Portable Air Conditioner, which measures in at 51-53dB, it is quite the jump.

However, rest assured that from our experience, this quiet buzz that comes with many household appliances has never proven itself to be a dealbreaker (even for our team of reviewers who are lighter sleepers).

Shop the best fans

Shop the best air conditioners

The verdict

If your main reason for looking into the great fan vs air conditioner debate is to figure out which appliance is the best and most effective choice for beating the heat, then we'd objectively have to crown an air conditioner as the winner.

Seeing as an air conditioner is the only option out of the two that actually cools and lowers the temperature of the room, it will be your best choice for ensuring comfort inside your home this summer.

However, if the other factors we discussed, such as affordability, running costs, portability, and noise levels, are just as important, then the answer to this toss-up may differ completely.

For example, if you live in a smaller home with limited floor space, are a very light sleeper, and are particularly conscious of your energy bill outgoings, then purchasing a fan will be the most suitable route to go down.

Therefore, to ultimately decide which cooling device is the right option for your home, you'll have to consider which of these factors is the most important to you and your household. But, rest assured that whichever appliance you opt for is better than simply withstanding the heat without any help, so you're already one step closer to emerging victorious from the hot summer heat.

For a more permanent solution, you could have air conditioning installed, but there's one significant compromise you'll need to make with this option.

The luxury of owning an air conditioner is something not many people get to experience, especially if you live in the UK where it's simply not necessary for 90% of the year. However, in recent years where British summers have become unbearably hot, we're seeing more people than ever caving into purchasing an AC unit to curb the discomfort.

But, it's not enough to simply put your air conditioner just anywhere in your home as there are a handful of places you should avoid putting an air conditioner that could limit its performance and even put your household at risk.

So, before you bring out your best portable air conditioner from where it's been stored away all winter long in an attempt to keep a bedroom cool, we've asked appliance experts for their advice on where not to put an air conditioner to ensure it runs at maximum efficiency for years to come.

The worst places to put an air conditioner

'As the warmer months approach, many homeowners will be looking at various methods to help keep internal temperatures down, with air conditioning systems being one of them,' begins James Longley, managing director at Utility Bidder. In many cases, it's the desired method to keep cool compared to using one of the best fans, for example.

'When temperatures are high during the summer months, air conditioning units can provide some much-needed relief from the heat, but it's important to understand where these units should be placed in order to get the maximum potential from them.'

Here are 5 places in your home where you should avoid putting an air conditioner.

1. In direct sunlight

First and foremost, you must keep air conditioners away from direct sunlight. In fact, Joshua Warren, AO's air conditioner expert, even says that this is something you should avoid at all costs.

'Keeping your air conditioner in sunlight can force the appliance to work harder, leading to increased energy consumption and potential overheating of the unit,' continues Joshua. Overheating an air conditioner can lead to mechanical problems, damaging the unit and potentially causing a fire risk in your home.

Instead, David Rees, appliance expert from HomeSupply advises placing your air conditioner near shaded windows to keep it out of direct sunlight. 'By being placed out of direct light, the air conditioner will not use as much electricity to cool a room,' he assures.

2. Near heat sources

Similar to the first point of keeping air conditioners away from direct sunlight, AC units should also never be put near heat sources as it could run up the cost of running an air conditioner.

'Heat sources like stoves, ovens, and radiators can hinder your air conditioner's efficiency. Keeping your appliance near these can interfere with its ability to cool effectively and may also cause damage to the unit,' warns Joshua.

David explains that this is because 'your air conditioner may mistakenly think that the temperature is higher and may run unnecessarily to try and compensate for this, thereby wasting energy.' This is a common theme we've seen in the likes of the worst places to put an air fryer, too.

3. In a poorly insulated area

When considering where to put an air conditioner, many people often forget about insulation. Similar to ensuring you keep your air conditioner away from heat sources as it has to compensate further to work well, the same goes for poorly insulated areas.

'Putting your AC in poorly insulated areas like the attic or garage means it has to work extra hard to keep things cool, which could hike up your energy bill,' warns Ian Palmer-Smith, resident appliance repair expert at Domestic & General. 'So do try to pick a spot with good insulation to help your AC run more efficiently.'

4. Moist or damp areas

This should go without saying, but you should never put an air conditioner in damp areas like a bathroom and even a kitchen in some cases.

'Any area prone to moisture and dampness can damage your air conditioner and clean lead to mould or mildew growth,' cautions Joshua.

5. Closed spaces

Lastly, you must keep your air conditioner away from extremely closed and tight spaces with little ventilation. Joshua explains that this is because doing so can lead to 'poor air circulation and reduced cooling efficiency' – none of which are desirable.

'For both wall-mounted and freestanding units, you want to make sure they’re in an open space and away from furniture. If items of furniture are close to the unit, they can block the flow of air which can result in the unit being unable to cool the whole room correctly,' explains James.

If the summer is anything like last year then we're expecting that it'll be difficult to find air conditioners in stock again. So, if you've decided to opt for an air conditioner over an air cooler this summer, we suggest making your purchase sooner rather than later.

To get you started, here are the top three we've reviewed and rated highly at Ideal Home.

FAQs

Where is the best place to put an air conditioner?

As a general rule of thumb, aim for the middle of your home when considering air conditioner placement. Not only does this keep your air conditioner running well and thus protect your investment, but it'll also help you save energy at home as it covers more ground in your household.

'Putting your air conditioner in a central spot like the living room or hallway helps spread the cool air evenly throughout your house,' says Ian.

Alternatively, Colin Swift, head of product line at AEG suggests prioritising placing a portable air conditioner near a window to vent warm air outside effectively – so long as you keep it away from direct sunlight.

Now you know where not to put an air conditioner, this should hopefully inform how you choose to position your AC unit to ensure maximum efficiency come those hot summer days. You'll be glad you did.

As we all know it's been a rather damp dreary year on the whole so far, but it's time to start finding the best portable air conditioner for your home as expert are predicting 2024 to have the 'hottest summer yet'.

Even though it seems far off, summer really is just on the horizon, so getting sorted soon is your best bet in keeping your family cool and sleeping comfortably through the heat to come. Last year, Meaco, a brand leader in air conditioning units officially sold out by 14th June, so we can expect a similar run on devices ahead of us.

'Consumers bought in record quantities before the hot weather arrived when there was no immediate need for the air conditioner', explains Chris Michael, managing director for Meaco. 'Consumers have clearly remembered how hot it got last year and during previous consecutive summers and are worried about being caught out without a cooling solution.'

So to help you get sorted ahead of the rush, we've found a great deal worth snapping up this weekend

Best-selling Amazon air conditioner

While we haven't reviewed this machine ourselves, we've done a deep dive on the stats to see if it's a good choice for you and your family.

The Amazon's Choice air conditioning unit has a cooling power of 9000 British Thermal Units (BTU), which is the measure of the cooling power of these machines. Typically machines can range from 7000-14,000 BTU, and the number affects how large a room it's suitable for. At 9000 BTU, this option should work for a 25 sq m space, so could sit neatly in a bedroom or home office. The BTU also contributes to the cost to run an air conditioner, so always take a look at this info before you commit to a device.

At 27kg this is a relatively light machine, meaning you won't be committing to which room you want to keep cool, as you'll be able to move it with relative ease especially as it's handily based on wheels.

The machine also includes a handy sleep mode, which dulls the noise levels and turns the power lights off to stop you being disturbed. Similarly, the controls allow for a timer that you can use to set start and stop times in advance.

It's also a better bet than an air cooler, even if it is a more pricy option even while this discount lasts. If you're unsure of the difference, never fear as we've explained air conditioners vs air coolers to help you find the right type of device for you.

With over 1,000 bought in the last month alone, this unit has hundreds of positive reviews, gaining it a solid 4.5 stars.

The main drawbacks appear to be the weight, for those who need to lift it in order to reach the hose out the window, and the noise.

'I am very happy with the product as a whole, but have 2 minor drawbacks,' says one reviewer. 'Firstly it is heavy, as the exhaust hose isn't massively long it does not reach a lot of my windows. For that reason I have had to put the aircon unit on a chair or box in order for the hose to reach out the window.'

That said, even those flagging these issues rated the air conditioner well, and the positive reviews well outweigh these niggles.

'The only downside, is that it is a bit noisy, but I got the house cool enough yesterday, in about 4 hours, to enjoy a perfectly acceptable night temperature,' explains another reviewer. 'I always had to use my old ones overnight and almost all day in very hot weather, so think I shall be able to get a better result with less use of electricity with this model.'

'It works perfectly well; the value outweighs its price; and it ranks higher than most portable air conditioners. It chills the room very quickly and makes a little adaptable low noise. The space it occupies is not much. The rolling castors underneath it make it very easy to move around the house. Its an excellent product . Highly recommended'

So if you're hoping to get ahead of the curve and be prepared for whatever weather's o come, this best-selling Amazon air conditioner might be a great choice for you. If not, here are a few of our top-rated machines to check out.

Alternative air conditioners

Our Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner review puts the brand's smallest and most 'affordable' mobile air conditioning unit to the test. 

Duux is a Dutch brand that has been making air treatment appliances – most notably fans, dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners and heaters – for over twenty years. 

The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is the brand's entry-level model of mobile air con units. However, compared to other options we've reviewed in Ideal Home's guide to the best portable air conditioners, it's still a significant investment by most standards. For comparison, the North 9K retails at nearly twice the price of our current best buy, the MeacoCool MC Series Air Conditioner. 

But, the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is one of the few portable air conditioners to offer Smart functionality via the Duux smart app, compatible with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa. 

It's also more stylish than most, offers 3-in-1 functionality that allows you to switch between air conditioner, heater, or dehumidifer modes, and it promises to be quiet – a hard feature to find in a portable air conditioner which are reknowned for being noisy. 

I tested the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan this summer and was amazed by its virtually silent operation. In fact, it's quietness meant I rated it as one of the best fans you can buy. However, although a fan is great for cooling down a person when you're sat in its breeze, if you want to actively and significantly lower the temperature in a room when outside temperatures are soaring, then you need an air conditioner. So, I was eager to find out if the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner could deliver similar best-in-class performance.

I tested the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner in my own home over several summer weeks to assess its performance, noise levels, ease of setup, and ease of use. Read on to find out how it performed. 

Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner review

Specifications

• Cooling capacity (British Thermal Units): 9000BTU
• Recommended room size: 27m²
• Power consumption: 100-1000W
• Noise levels: 40dB – 50dB
• Dimensions: H88.5 x W36 x D44cm
• Weight: 27kg
• Speed settings: 3
• Modes: air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier
• Timer: yes, 0 – 24 hours
• Remote control: yes
• Refrigerant: R290
• Wheels: yes
• Window kit included: 1 x flexible window kit plus drainage hose

How I tested

Unboxing

The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is delivered in a large outer box measuring  H90 x W48 x D50cm, and, as this portable air conditioner weighs in at 27kg, that box is heavy. 

I just about managed to get the box over the doorstep and into the hallway by myself, but it's definitely worth having two strong people around on delivery day if you want to move the box more than a few feet without struggling.

That said, weight is an issue with pretty much all portable air con units of this size. The MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is the lightest we've tested, and that still weighs in at 20.5kg. 

However, what the MeacoCool doesn't have is the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner's Smart technology, its heater functionality, or its stylish good looks. So perhaps the Duux unit's weight would be a compromise worth making? I got on with unpacking to find out.

After removing the outer brown cardboard box, inside is another box with the Duux branding.

Open this, and on the top of the box is a polystyrene insert where all of the accessories are housed, including the window kit, exhaust hose, drainage hose, remote control and instruction manual. 

Lift this insert out, and because you've cut the plastic ties that surround the branded box this packaging box can then simply be lifted up to unsheath the air con unit. The air conditioning unit itself remains standing on the polysterene base, which avoids any more heavy lifting (for the time being at least).

Assembly and set-up

Once unboxed, thankfully, there's very little to assemble on the actual air conditioning unit itself. 

However, as with all portable air conditioner units you will need to install a window kit in the window that you plan to vent the air conditioner out of. 

This is because an air conditioner is designed to draw hot air from the room into the body of the unit, cool it via refrigerant and then blow the cooled air back into the room. But it needs somewhere to vent the extracted heat so it isn't released back into the room. 

A static air conditioning unit (like those we're probably all more familiar with from visiting hotels) uses a duct in the building to exhaust the air, but with a portable or mobile air conditioner that's done via a flexible exhaust hose that you vent out of a window. 

Because you don't want hot air to get back in through the window when it's open, a window kit is designed to seal the window. This way you can open the window enough for the hose to fit through, but the room will still remain air tight.

The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner comes with a flexible window kit included, so my next step was to figure out how to install it.

As well as the general instruction manual, there's a separate booklet detailing how to install the window kit, although – as with most window kit installation explainers I've come across – the instructions leave a lot to be desired.

The Duux window sealing kit is comprised of sticky velcro-style strips that you attach to the window frame and casement, and a piece of polyester with a zip running the length of it. Once installed, you unzip the zipper far enough to push the exhaust hose through it out to the outside world.

How neatly the window kit fits will be determined by your window size, and I'd highly recommend installing the sealing kit before there's a heatwave and you're likely to be a bit hot and bothered, as it's a faff.  

Not all portable air conditioners include a window kit, so it's good that Duux does include one in the box. However, considering the price of this air conditioning unit, it would have been nice to see a more premium-feeling 'sliding plate' window kit included too. 

The likelihood is that those velcro strips will leave residue if you come to remove them, and although different sizes and shapes of windows can dictate which type of window kit you're able to use, other air con units – like the more affordable MeacoCool MC Series Air Conditioner – provide both types of sealing kits as standard.

The last assembly step was to fit the exhaust hose and housing adaptor. Thankfully, this step was more-or-less self-explanatory (if you have some prior knowledge of portable air conditioning units that is, which of course isn't guaranteed). It's fairly obvious when you spin the air con unit round that the hose needs to be mounted on the back of the unit. And that's a good job, as for this step I couldn't find any instructions at all.

A little trial and error helped me figure out which of the fairly identical white plastic rings was the housing adaptor and which was the window connector, and some twisting enabled me to see how the housing adaptor slotted into place on the back of the unit. However, I did then realise I needed to remove it again to fit the exhaust hose into the housing adaptor first. 

A little faffing and it was done, but all-in-all the assembly and set up instructions so far had been a bit of a let down for what should be a premium product. Not only were vital assembly steps not mentioned, but those that do exist were poorly written and printed in a very small font in pale brown ink – tricky to read even for those with 20/20 vision, let alone anyone with any kind of visual impairment.

I crossed my fingers and hoped that the instructions for use would be better than those for set up. Because once assembled, there's no denying the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner does look the part.

Design

Unlike most portable air conditioners that tend to be white, boxy, and visually pretty unappealing, one of the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner's big plus points is that it doesn't scrimp on style. 

The curved grey front looks sleek, and although it's still fairly sizeable – measuring H88.5 x W36 x D44cm – all those curved edges help it to feel a lot visually slimmer, meaning it feels less bulky and more inobtrusive in a room.

As well as the remote control, there's a touchscreen built into the top of the air conditioning unit that powers the unit on and off, and allows you to adjust its settings. This again looks smart and is unobtrusive. 

In fact, when the unit is powered off it's hard to see where the air is going to flow out of the unit as the whole build is so streamlined, with no ugly front vents like some.

Ease of use

The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner can be operated either via the unobtrusive touchscreen on the top of the air con unit, or via the remote control that comes included in the box. 

The air conditioner also offers WiFi compatibility, so you can download the Duux App and operate the unit via your phone or make the most of its compatibility with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa. 

If you're operating the unit via the built-in touchscreen then the controls are all easy to navigate and very responsive to touch. There's an on/off power button, a fan speed button that allows you to choose from 3 fan speeds, + and - buttons to toggle your desired temperature up or down, a timer and night mode button, and the mode button that allows you to choose between cooling (air con), heating or dehumidifying modes.

There's also an easy-to-read digital display that shows ambient room temperature and the desired room temperature that you've set the air con unit the mission to achieve. 

You can only operate the 'swing' function, which rotates the louver where the air comes out, via the remote control, which seems a bit strange. However other than that, all the controls are fairly self-explanatory and don't take long to master. 

And, thankfully, the instructional manual is also far more helpful in terms of operation than it is during the assembly stage.

Cooling powers

The Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner offers 9000BTU, which means it can draw in 9000 British Thermal Units of heat from the air per hour, and discharge it outside to cool your home. 

The brand recommends the 9K for room sizes of 27m² and under, but if you have a larger space to cool then the Duux North 14K Smart Air Conditioner (best for areas 32–51m²) and Duux North 18K Smart Air Conditioner (41–65m²) are also available.

In practice, especially considering the price point of the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner, I have to admit I was a little disappointed by its cooling performance.

There's no doubt it does dish out cooler-than-room-temperature air, but in my experience it wasn't as powerful as other 9000 BTU models I've tested, like the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner that really knocks your socks off with the voulme of cool air that gushes out of the appliance. In comparison, the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner felt a little underpowered. 

That said, the Duux model does use a lot less energy, which is perhaps why this 1000W machine felt a little slower to do its thing compared to the 3000W AEG model. More on that below. 

The Duux North is also slightly more compact and a little lighter in weight than the AEG model. So, if portability is an important factor in your purchase, then you might find the Duux option is a little easier to manouevre, which could make up for it's slightly less impressive cooling performance.

I left the Duux North running for 10 minutes and initially it struggled a little to lower the temperature. However, after 20 minutes run time the room temperature had dropped a degree, and it continued to slowly bring the room temperature down – just not as quickly as the AEG unit.

Energy use

Duux states that the North 9K Smart Air Conditioner uses 100-1000W of power whilst it's running. It doesn't state which modes use what power, but using its highest wattage measurement of 1000W, that means it would cost 30p an hour to run this air conditioning unit at current energy costs of 30p per kilowatt hour of electricity.

It's not an insignificant amount, especially as I found I needed to leave this machine on for a while to reduce the temperature. 

For comparison, the more powerful AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner cooled down rooms quicker, but uses 3400W of energy, so can cost up to £1.02 per hour to run. 

The most energy efficient air conditioner we've tested, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner uses just 780W of power, which means a cost of 23p per hour, and similarly takes longer to have an effect on temperature.

Noise levels

Pretty much all portable air conditioners are noisy. It's one of the biggest bugbears owners report with the appliances, across the board. So it was refreshing to see that Duux measures the North Smart's noise levels as 40dB – 50dB, quite a bit lower than the 60dB average of many portable air con units.

However, as I've discovered in the past few years testing appliances for a living; there's noise, and then there's noise. 

Whilst an appliance may measure low in decibels, how irritating that noise becomes in practical terms is far more to do with the type of noise the appliance emits, and whether it's a steady and constant noise (easier to tune out after a while) or an intermittent and varied one (an attention-suck that continually distracts and thereby causes annoyance).

As mentioned, I had really high hopes for the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner on the noise-front, because the brand's Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan was the quietest fan I've tested, by far. The only noise it emitted being a gently gush of air, like a breeze blowing through the tree leaves.

Sadly, the stellar genuinely whisper-quiet operation of the Duux Whisper Fan was not to be repeated in the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner.

I've yet to find a portable air con unit that's silent, but there are models, like the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner, where the noise they create is easily enough ignored in exchange for that cool, fresh air. In the case of the AEG Comfort 6000, the sound emitted is that of steadily gushing air – a sort of 'white noise' that once you've adjusted to is easily enough ignored. 

This is what I was expecting from the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner too, however, what I got was a mechanical juddering and whirring that drowned out any sense of flowing air. 

Even on its lowest speed setting I could hear the unit operating when I was on a different floor of the house, and there was no chance of my sleeping with it on. 

This can be solved by turning the unit on before you plan to use a room, and then turning it off when you want to watch TV or go to sleep. But, if you're sensitive to noise, this unit may just prove a little too noisy. 

I for one, would definitely sacrifice the chill the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner produces for the warmer, yet oh-so-quiet air the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan circulates, especially in the bedroom. Or opt for the white noise and fridge-like coolness of the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner. Sorry, Duux.

Portability

Weighing in at 27kg, there's no denying the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is heavy. However, it's actually relatively lightweight compared to some, such as the 31.5kg AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner. 

It's portability refers to the fact that it can be 'easily' moved from room to room. However, how 'easy' this is in practice is going to be determined by your level of strength and ability. 

The built-in wheels on the base of the unit definitely make manouevring the unit across wooden, tiled or laminate floors that are all on one level easy. Although pushing the unit on carpet requires much more effort, and ideally would be done by two able-bodied people. 

Lifting the unit to take it upstairs is another matter entirely, and one that it's important to factor in if you want to use this unit on the second floor. There's no way I would have been able to lift this air conditioner up stairs by myself, and I would have struggled with another (average strength) person. I had to enlist two people with 'proper' muscles to do that heavy lifting. 

The recessed handles either side are a useful feature and do help when manouevring the appliance, as does its slightly taller and slimmer-than-most build, but it still requires some brute strength to move it from room to room.

If you need a lighter air conditioner, then the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is one of the lightest we've tested that still performs brilliantly. This smaller unit weighs in at 20.5kg. 

If that 20kg+ weight still sounds too heavy to move, then it may be best to consider an air cooler instead of an air conditioner, or even one of the best fans on the market. These appliances won't actively lower the temperature in the room in the same way an air conditioning unit can, but they still help a person to feel a lot cooler, as long as you're within the 'breeze' zone. 

You can read up on pros and cons of the two cooling devices in our air conditioner vs. air cooler article, and find the best fans on the market in our dedicated buying guide.

Verdict

Although the assembly instructions left a little to be desired, on unboxing I was really impressed by the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner.

Its build looks sleek and modern, and it seemed clear a lot of thought had been put into its visual design, which immeditately went some way to justify its higher price point. 

However, from that point onwards, sadly I was left a little disappointed by the unit's performance when it came to testing. Especially when you consider this unit is nearly  double the investment of the most affordable air conditoner we've tested (the MeacoCool MC Series).

The Duux North does cool down a room, and fairly quickly, but it didn't deliver the same kind of powerful performance as other portable air conditioners I've tested, like the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner, and it didn't offer the quiet operation I'd come to expect from Duux. Far from it in fact.

That said, the Duux North does use less energy than its more powerful competitor, using 1000W of energy compared to the AEG comfort's 3400W. So running costs are somewhat less with this option.

The North also offers some good added extras, like a remote control, WiFi connectivity, and a window kit included with your purchase. But considering it comes in nearly twice the price of more affordable options, such as the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner, I was just left a little underwhelmed by what it offered for the extra money.

However, when a heatwave hits, portable air con units tend to sell out fast. So if stocks are low and the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner is available, it does do the job. It will lower temperatures and make a living space a lot more bearable in hot weather, and it will look good whilst it does it, as long as you don't mind the noise it produces in doing so. 

In my opinion, it's just whether your willing to part with that much cash – primarily for its looks – or whether you'd rather sacrifice some style for a more affordable or more powerful performer. 

Our AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner review puts the brand's most affordable mobile air conditioning unit to the test.

AEG is a German brand that specialises in large household appliances – most notably washing machines, ovens, and dishwashers – as well as air treatment products such as air purifiers and portable air conditioning units.

The brand states the 9000BTU AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner will effectively cool a room of 13-18m², making it a good option for lowering the temperature in a smaller home or apartment during the hottest months of the year. 

However, it is on the upper end of the price spectrum compared to majority of the best portable air conditioners Ideal Home has tested so far, so we were eager to see how this AEG model would perform against more affordable options.

As such, I tested the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner in my own home over several summer weeks to assess its performance, noise levels, ease of setup, and ease of use. Read on to find out how it performed.

AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner review

Specifications

• Cooling capacity (British Thermal Units): 9000BTU
• Recommended room size: 13-18m²
• Power consumption: 3400W
• Noise levels: 64dB (max)
• Dimensions: H70.5 x W47 x D38cm
• Weight: 31.5kg
• Speed settings: 3
• Modes: air conditioner, dehumidifier, fan
• Timer: yes
• Remote control: no
• Refrigerant: R290
• Wheels: yes
• Window kit included: no

How I tested

Unboxing

Weighing in 31.5kg, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is heavy. In fact, it's one of the heaviest portable air conditioners we've tested at this level of BTU, just pipping the 31kg 11000BTU Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner and 27kg 9000BTU GoodHome Malay 9000BTU Air Conditioner to the post as the heaviest-weight unit we've reviewed.

I just about managed to get the box over the doorstep and into the hallway by myself, but it's definitely worth having two able-bodied people around on delivery day if you want to move the box more than a few feet without struggling.

Pretty much all portable air conditioners are heavy due to the compressor and refrigerant they house, but if you're looking for one of the lightest options available then the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is still our best buy at 20.5kg. The equivalent BTU MeacoCool MC Series 9000BTU Portable Air Conditioner also weighs in less, at 23.5kg.

However, once over the doorstep and into the house, unboxing is made easier thanks to a separate base to the packaging box. This means that once the sturdy packaging ties are cut, the cardboard box can be lifted straight up, leaving the air con unit sat on the polystyrene base – so there's no need to lift that 31.5kg weight straight up into the air to release it from the packaging.

That said, if, like me, you want to use the air conditioner in an upstairs room (rooms above ground level tend to get the warmest in hot weather) then you will still need to negotiate carrying it up the stairs. 

There are recessed handles either side of the unit, and built-in wheels on the base so you can roll the unit when you reach flat flooring, but the unit is still very bulky and heavy, so definitely requires two people with a good amount of strength to lift it safely.

Assembly and set-up

Thankfully, once you've negotiated getting the unit into the room of your choice, there isn't much assembly to be done on the air con unit itself.

Inside the box, along with the air conditioning unit, you get a drainage tube, adaptor ring and exhaust hose.

The exhaust hose must be attached when operating the air con function, and at the back of the air conditioning unit there is a round hole where the adaptor ring screws into place.

You just need to attach the the adaptor to the end of the exhaust hose, and then attach the adaptor to the air conditioning unit.

After that, it's 'just' installing a window kit into the window you want to vent the air con unit exhaust hose out of. This is always the most fiddly part of getting any portable air conditioning unit set up, so make sure to factor in some time for this part of the process.

A little annoyingly considering its price point, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner doesn't come with a window kit included, so you'll need to make an additional purchase to get the best results from the unit. Potentially, you may be able to use it without a window kit by just sticking the exhaust hose out of the window, but this will mean you're letting hot outside air back inside the room, so the air conditioner will be working very hard to cool the room; not energy efficient or economical. 

A window kit aims to prevent this situation by forming a seal around the opened window that you can poke the exhaust hose through. The air conditioner can then draw hot air from the room into the body of the unit, cool it via refrigerant, blow the cooled air back into the room, and vent the extracted heat out to the outside world.

There's a wide variety of window sealing kits available. Finding the right one for you will be dictated by the type of window you're venting the exhaust hose from. There's a wide selection of Air Conditioner Window Seal Kits on Amazon, including plastic or metal 'sliding plate' designs, and fabric kits that attach via sticky Velcro strips to your window frame and casement. The type that's best for you will be determined by your window's size, opening mechanism, and hinging placement, so make sure to read the fine print before you press 'buy'. 

Design

Appearance-wise, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner looks sleek and minimal once unboxed. 

It's not exactly stylish, but its glossy white finish and matt black top along with its curved sides do make it much easier on the eye than many. The build quality also feels good, with all components robust and seemingly well made.

Despite its size, its H70.5 x W47 x D38cm build is also made to feel smaller due to those cleverly rounded edges and the gloss exterior that reflects the light to make it feel less bulky and more unobtrusive in a room.

On the top of the unit is a similarly unobtrusive control panel, with touchscreen buttons that allow you to turn the unit on and off, and alter the settings.

Ease of use

Turn the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner on via the controls at the top of the unit and the touchscreen springs to life, lighting up to help you see what to press. 

A little disappointingly for its price point, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner doesn't come with a remote control, but, there is the option to install the AEG app and operate the unit via phone or tablet instead (which potentially may be better than having an additional remote to lose!). 

This remote-operation is a big plus point if you're using the unit at night and want to be able to operate it without getting out of bed. The App is also useful for turning the unit on if you're downstairs finishing up your evening and want to get started on cooling the top floor, or a separate part of your home, before bed.

However, if you're using the touch control panel, then the whole screen feels intuitive to use and nicely laid out. There's one row of slightly embossed control buttons, and above them a set of lights that show you which settings are currently activated.

You soon get to grips with what does what, and there aren't so many controls that you feel overwhelmed by options. The buttons are also easy to press and very responsive, and the whole panel feels nicely designed.

I would just have liked the symbols and text on the control panel to be a little bit bigger to make things easier for anyone who's eyesight isn't the best. And, although each button is very slightly raised, a little more differentiation between them and the control panel would be a big help to anyone who is visually impaired.

Press the power button and the front half of the top of the unit lifts up to reveal the louver fan grill. 

The Mode button allows you to switch between Auto, Cool, Fan and Dry modes. Higher specced models also offer a Heat function, but the entry level AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner does not. 

You can easily adjust the desired temperature you want by pressing the + and - buttons to toggle up and down. In Cool mode the desired temperature is shown on the digital display, and in Fan mode the display shows the current ambient room temperature.

There are also three fan speeds to choose between – Min, Mid, and Max – as well as Auto mode which in Cool mode powers up the Max fan speed to get the room down to your desired temperature, and then automatically shifts the fan speed down to Min to maintain said temperature making operation more economical (and quieter). Sleep mode, which has its own button, operates similarly. 

There's also the option to set the louver to swing up and down to circulate the cool air around the room a little more and a timer function that can be used to set either the start or end of the unit's operation.

Beyond this there's a light to show if you're connected to the WiFi, a light that comes on if the air filter needs cleaning (AEG says this will occur after 250 hours of operation), a reset button for when you've cleaned the air filter, and a 'calendar' icon that shows a scheduled event from the App is running.

Handily, you can also turn on a child lock to deactivate the controls by pressing the “MODE” button for 5 seconds, until the display shows “LC.” To turn off child lock, you press the “MODE” button again for 5 seconds. Great for peace of mind.

Cooling powers

When it comes to cooling, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner really comes into its own. 

Switch the unit on and into Cool mode, set your desired temperature – you can choose any temperature between 16°C and 32°C – and the unit immediately springs into action, sending deliciousy refreshing cool air gushing into the room. 

It very easy to notice the difference in the temperature of the air if you switch between Fan mode – which still does a great job of circulating the air to create a cooling breeze on your skin – and Cool mode which switches on the compressor and runs the air over cooling refrigerant to actively extract the heat and vent that heat out through the exhaust hose. 

Stand in front of the unit for few minutes on Cool mode and you'll soon start to feel positively chilly so quick is it to dispense the fridge-cold air.

It only took 10 minutes of operation for the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner to have significantly cooled the rooms I tested it in, and it then did a great job of maintaining that temperature. Impressive stuff. And a very welcome relief if you're struggling to keep your home cool in a heatwave.

As with all air con units, how well it cools, and how economically, will depend on how well sealed and insulated your home is, which is why that window sealing kit is so important. However, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is still one of the most powerful portable air conditioners I've tested, sending a strong and steady flow of air gushing into the room whether it's on Min or Max. 

The AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner offers 9000BTU, which means it can draw in 9000 British Thermal Units of heat from the air per hour, and discharge it outside to cool your home. It's important to make sure you've chosen the right BTU air conditioner unit for your room size so that the unit isn't working harder than it has to. The brand recommends this unit for room sizes of 13-18m². However, if you have a larger space to cool then AEG also offers a 12000BTU model that can cool spaces of 24-36m².

Overall, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner's cooling powers are very impressive, performing in line with the best mobile air conditioners Ideal Home has tested as a team, and definitely excelling itself compared to the other portable air conditioners I've personally tested.

Energy use

Energy use is where you pay the price for the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner's powerful cooling performance. This unit uses 3400W to run – a big increase on the most energy efficient portable air conditioner we've tested, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner which uses just 780W of power.

This high power consumption enables the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner to make quick work of reducing temperatures, however, it comes at a cost; both in terms of energy usage and cold hard cash. 

AEG doesn't state the differences in power consumption of the different fan speeds, but using 3400W as a guide that means the unit would use 3.4 kilowatts per hour, so at current energy costs of 30p per kilowatt hour of electricity that means fairly hefty running costs of £1.02 per hour. 

A little confusingly, AEG works out the kilowatt usage per hour as 1.3kWh, which would mean a cost of 39p per hour. Either way, that's a fairly hefty sum. 

On the plus side, I found I didn't need the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner running long to cool down a room. Its powerful performance meant an hour was plenty to reduce the temperature down from unbearably hot to cool and refreshing.

However, I have a fairly small home and small rooms that are relatively well insulated in comparison to many buildings. If you have a bigger area to cool, or poorer insulation that means you need to leave the air conditioner running for longer, then it's going to cost more.

Noise levels

Even on its lowest fan speed, there's no denying that the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner makes noise, and that noise increases with each jump up from Min through Mid to Max fan speed, whereby AEG states the unit will max out at a volume of 64dB.

This is a common problem with all portable air conditioners. However, there is noise and then there is noise. 

I've tested several portable air conditoners where the noise they emitted resembled the sound of a train engine chugging – a noisy, mechanical whirring noise that chopped and changed and soon drove me to distraction, making me want to switch off the unit off as soon as I possibly could. Not so with the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner.

If I was in the room with the air con unit, then I definitely found the Min fan speed the most pleasant to be around volume-wise. But, that said, the noise the air conditioning unit makes is purely that of a steady stream of gushing air exiting the appliance. Once you get accustomed to it, it's actually pretty easy to ignore. Because the noise is steady and never changing, I found it very much like having white noise playing in the background whilst you work or sleep. 

It was easier to block out in fact than some of the best fans, such as the popular (and admittedly way more affordable) Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan with its headache-inducing drone that I couldn't wait to turn off, despite the heat. Plus, in the case of the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner, the payoff for some noise is properly icy cold relief from the heat. 

To me it was a similar volume to the background noise you get in the cabin when you're travelling on an aircraft (minus the chatter of people and crying babies thankfully!) – not something I'd choose to listen to, but something easily enough ignored in small doses.  

As with all air conditioning units, I think the best bet is to switch it on in a room – particularly if it's a bedroom – before you plan to use the room. Let the air conditioner bring the temperature down, either on Min speed or Max if you want to cool it quicker, and then turn the air con unit off when you want to watch TV or go to sleep. However, this is one of the few air conditioners I could manage to get to sleep with whilst it was on – and I'm a pretty light sleeper, so that's high praise indeed.

Portability

As already mentioned, and as is the case with pretty much all portable air conditioners, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is heavy. And at 31.5kg, this model is very slightly heavier than most, with 27kg being around the average.

It's portability refers to the fact that it can be 'easily' moved from room to room. However, how 'easy' this is in practice is going to be determined by your level of strength and ability. 

The built-in wheels on the base of the unit definitely make manouevring the unit across wooden, tiled or laminate floors that are all on one level easy. Although pushing the unit on carpet requires much more effort, and ideally would be done by two able-bodied people. 

Lifting the unit to take it upstairs is another matter entirely, and one that it's important to factor in if you want to use this unit on the second floor. There's no way I would have been able to lift this air conditioner up stairs by myself, and I would have struggled with another (average strength) person. I had to enlist two people with 'proper' muscles to do that heavy lifting. 

The recessed handles are a good feature and do help to lift the appliance, but it still requires some brute strength, especially as the unit isn't just heavy but bulky as well. 

If you need a lighter air conditioner, then as previously mentioned, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is one of the lightest we've tested that still performs brilliantly. This smaller unit weighs in at 20.5kg. 

If that 20kg+ weight still sounds too heavy to move, then it may be best to consider an air cooler instead of an air conditioner, or even one of the best fans on the market. These appliances won't actively lower the temperature in the room in the same way an air conditioning unit can, but they still help a person to feel a lot cooler, as long as you're within the 'breeze' zone. 

You can read up on pros and cons of the two cooling devices in our air conditioner vs. air cooler article, and find the best fans on the market in our dedicated buying guide.

Verdict

In an ideal world, all of our homes would be better insulated and able to remain cool in the summer and stay warm in the winter, without the additional energy use or expense of an air conditioner. 

However, for many of us this isn't the reality, and if you struggle to keep your home at a bearable temperature during the summer months, then the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner makes quick work of cooling rooms down fast. 

It's also that Holy Grail of portable air con units – one that isn't headache-inducingly noisy to operate. It's not silent in any way, shape, or form, but the noise of the (gloriously cool) air gushing out from the unit is the type of white noise that I at least found easy to forgive, and ignore. 

The downside to this mobile air con unit is that the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is relatively expensive to buy upfront. Especially compared to similarly well-performing – and more affordable – portable air conditioners, like the MeacoCool MC Series. Thanks to that powerful performance, running costs are also high, with this unit guzzling up 3400W of energy. 

Plus, it doesn't include a window kit or a remote control as standard. Although you can connect it to WiFi and use your phone as a remote device. 

Beyond that there's also the weight of this unit to consider. It's one of the heaviest portable air conditioners we've tested, so if you need to get it upstairs then you'll need a couple of strong pairs of arms to lift it. But, on the flipside, its robustness is a definite positive. The build quality feels good, and it's also relatively stylish and unobtrusive within a room

However, where the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner really comes into its own is its ease of use and cooling performance. 

The touch control panel is well designed and very intuitive to use, and the option to download the AEG app to operate it is a big plus point.  

The air con unit also offers a good range of functionality, including Cool, Fan and Dry modes. This entry-level AEG model just doesn't offer a Heat mode. That may be worth paying a little more for if you want to be able to use the appliance all year round to control your home's temperature. After all, if you're going to have an appliance of this size in your home, you want to get as much use out of it as possible.

Plus, if you do have a smaller home, then this 9000BTU model is a good size; able to cool 13-18m². AEG also offers a range of units with a larger 12000BTU cooling capacity if you need more power.

And, most importantly, once you turn on Cooling mode, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner can reduce temperature dramatically in a short space of time – perfect for making the next heatwave more bearable. In fact, with this unit turned on, you might not even realise there is a heatwave happening outdoors until you open the door.

Overall, if you want a solidly built, quiet(ish), easy-to-use portable air conditioner that can cool rooms down fast, then I think the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner performs extremely well compared to most. It's not cheap, but it will prove itself a good investment when the mercury soars and you're otherwise struggling to beat the heat.

If you’re keen to keep cool in the heat then you may be wondering what the difference is between an air conditioner vs air cooler.

Both indoor appliances claim to cool you down fast, but there are some key distinctions between the two, including how they work and the results they achieve.

I've put a number of the best portable air conditioners through their paces to find those that are cream of the crop and also tested out some bestselling air coolers to compare performance.

Using this practical hands-on experience combined with insight from the experts, I’ve broken down the difference between air conditioners vs air coolers to help you make the right decision for you and your home, including how they compare in terms of ease of use, performance, and, of course, cost.

Air conditioner vs. air cooler

What is a portable air conditioner and how does it work?

A portable air conditioner is a type of cooling device that's freestanding and able to be moved around the home to cool down a room. They're usually fairly large and require access to a power socket, plus they need to be positioned near a window so that the heat they've extracted from the air inside the room can be vented outside via a hose.

A portable air conditioner works by using a fan to pull air into the unit and across condenser coils filled with refrigerant that cool the air. It then blows the cooled air back into the room, whilst the heat is vented outside through a window.

Nick Kandola of the AirConCentre, an air conditioner buyer with fifteen years of experience in the world of indoor cooling, explains further, ‘Portable air conditioners are powerful units that can be used to cool a room or space in the home.'

'Unlike traditional split air conditioning units which are permanently installed fixtures, portable air conditioners are self-contained, freestanding units that can easily be moved between rooms without any type of permanent installation required,' explains Nick. 'You’ll just need to use a ducting hose, which is often supplied with the unit, to vent the unwanted hot air out of a window'.

Air conditioner pros

‘In addition to portability, what makes portable air conditioners so popular is that they are incredibly effective at cooling when compared to other options such as fans or air coolers,' says air conditioner expert Nick. 'That's because they're the only option to draw in warm air and use refrigerant to cool it.’

In my experience testing air conditioners, such as the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner and MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner, a portable air conditioner is very impressive at reducing the temperature in the room. Both the units I tested were able to bring the ambient room temperature down by approximately two degrees Celsius in a super speedy ten minutes.

Air conditioner cons

That said, there are downsides that come hand-in-hand with a portable air conditioner's impressive performance.

Firstly, a portable air conditioner is usually expensive, with most models of decent power costing between £300 and £1000. They're also not quite as portable as their name might suggest, with most options capable of cooling an average-sized room weighing in around 20kg, and often far more. And, they can be noisy, with most units operating at above 50dB of noise, so if you're a light sleeper then a portable air conditioner may not be the best way to cool down a bedroom.

You'll also need to factor in somewhere to vent all the hot air that the unit is extracting. A portable air conditioner needs a ducting hose to vent the hot air out of the window, as well as a window kit to seal the window so hot air can't get back in. This might be provided with the unit you buy, or need to be bought separately.

There is a good selection of portable air conditioner window venting kits on Amazon, but it's an additional expense to factor in, plus fitting the window kit can be fiddly. Once the kit is on, it can stay in place for as long as you want to use it, but moving the portable air conditioner from one room to another will mean the window kit needs to be moved too. And, as our GoodHome Malay 9000BTU air conditioner review revealed, often window kits aren't one-size-fits-all.

If you don't want a portable version, you could consider a permanent solution instead. But there is a compromise you'll need to make with an air conditioner like this.

What is an air cooler and how does it work?

In contrast, an air cooler is a smaller appliance that is somewhat of a cross between an air conditioner and a fan. An air cooler utilises evaporative cooling to reduce the temperature and is generally comprised of three main components: a water tank, an absorbent sheet or filter, and a fan.

The air cooler pulls in hot air with the fan and draws it over the absorbent sheet or wet filter which is kept hydrated by a water reservoir inside the unit. It then expels this cooler, moisture-laden air back into the room once more. Technically, an air cooler works in a similar way to placing a bowl of cold water or ice in front of one of the best fans.

Chris Michael, Managing Director of air quality appliance manufacturer Meaco, explains, ‘Air coolers are regularly mentioned alongside portable air conditioners, but they are very different machines, built for different environments. An air cooler has a water tank to soak a filter material. Air is passed over the filter and then cooler humid air is pushed into the room.’

'Air coolers draw water from a reservoir stored within them,' adds Nick from the AirConCentre. 'The hot air is drawn in and passes over the water, the water evaporates into the air to lower the temperature. The principle is the same as how your skin cools after stepping out of the shower'.

Air cooler pros

The main pro of an air cooler is that they're generally a far more affordable choice than a portable air conditioner, ranging from around £50 to £200. They're also generally much more compact, and therefore far more portable.

An air cooler is also quick and easy to set up and use. You don’t have to spend time attaching exhaust ducts and window kits as you do with a portable air conditioner, instead, most air coolers just need to be filled with water and turned on.

‘Air coolers are typically cheaper (usually under £100) and don’t require a duct to push hot air out of the window,' agrees Chris from Meaco.

Air cooler cons

There had to be a downside though right? And sadly that downside is cooling power.

'An air cooler has a water tank which soaks a filter material,' explains Chris from Meaco. 'Air is sucked in and passed over the filter, then cooler humid air is pushed into the room. As such, these machines work best in arid countries but are not very effective in Britain, where we have humid summers.'

'Whilst an air cooler typically costs less money than a portable air conditioner, they are much less effective than portable air conditioners at cooling a space and require regular refilling of their reservoirs,' agrees Nick from the AirConCentre. 'For most people, the best way to stay cool in the home is usually with the convenience and power of a portable air conditioner.’

Which cools a room down quicker, an air conditioner or an air cooler?

It's probably becoming clear by now, but if you're looking for the best cooling performance, then a portable air conditioner will generally beat an air cooler hands down.

However, it does depend on what type of cooling you're looking for. In my tests, I found that an air cooler was effective at delivering a cool blast of air in a more localised place, e.g. if you had it pointed directly at you whilst you were sat a desk. Whereas an air conditioner is far more effective at lowering the temperature of a whole room.

If your house has turned into a sauna during a heatwave, it's only a portable air conditioner that is going to be able to extract that heat and reduce the temperature down to a chilly 'fridge' like feel.

'A properly sized air conditioner can effectively cool down a room within 30 minutes, reducing the temperature by several degrees,' says Nick from the AirConCentre. 'However, if you require a more significant and rapid cooling effect, it may take a few hours to achieve the desired result'.

'Air coolers will only really cool a room down by 2–3 degrees within a couple of hours if used correctly (i.e. the room is not too humid and windows/doors are kept open for a flow of air), they are more designed to cool a person down rather than a space, with an air cooler creating a cool sea breeze effect on your skin.’

Which is more affordable to buy, an air conditioner or an air cooler?

‘The price range for portable air conditioners is £300—£1,000, while air coolers range from £100—£400 per unit,' explains Nick from the AirConCentre.

So an air cooler is the cheaper upfront investment, however, Nick goes on to say, 'It's important to note that air coolers will have limited cooling capacity, don’t work effectively in humid environments, and may not be suitable for larger rooms.'

'In such cases, air coolers can be used as ‘spot coolers’ or multiple units may be required, which could incur higher costs compared to a single portable air conditioner.’

Jake Crossley from Appliances Direct agrees. ‘Air coolers tend to always be the most affordable, mainly because they are not as powerful as an air conditioning unit and do not have the same capabilities.'

There are also gadgets you can buy to turn your existing fan into an air cooler, of sorts, if you're looking for an even more budget-friendly cooling solution.

Which is cheaper to run, an air conditioner or an air cooler?

‘Air coolers are the more cost-effective option when it comes to running expenses,' advises Nick from the AirConCentre.

'For portable air conditioners, let’s say we are going to use a 9000 BTU unit (a typical mid-size unit), 6 hours daily for a month. Such a unit typically consumes 1000 watts (W), equivalent to 1 kilowatt (kW). This means your unit will consume 6 kW per day. Based on current energy prices, this would cost £1.80 per day, amounting to £54.00 per month'.

'Now for air coolers, let's take a typical 10L air cooler as an example, with the same usage of 6 hours daily for a month,' continues Nick. 'The power consumption would be 120 watts (W), or 0.12 kilowatts (kW). Daily usage would amount to 0.72 kW, costing you 22p per day and £6.60 per month'.

'It is important to note that even though both units were used for the same 6-hour duration, the results are vastly different. As mentioned earlier, while air coolers are more economical, they do not provide the same level of cooling as air conditioners.’

Which is the quietest, an air conditioner or an air cooler?

My experience of testing air conditioners vs air coolers was that air coolers were quieter. Whilst my children objected to having an air conditioner in their room because of the noise, both loved an air cooler for delivering localised cooling quietly!

AirConCentre’s Nick Kandola explains why this is. ‘Typically, air coolers are quieter compared to air conditioners due to the absence of a compressor, which is the main source of noise,' he says.

'Air coolers usually produce a noise level of around 40–48 decibels (dB). On the other hand, portable air conditioners tend to generate a noise level ranging from 54–65 decibels (dB), which is equivalent to the sound produced by a microwave.’

Which is more portable, an air conditioner or an air cooler?

Usually, both portable air conditioners and air coolers come with castors on their base to make them easier to move around the home. However, overall I found an air cooler to be far more portable, as they're generally smaller, lighter, and you aren't as limited in placement.

A portable air conditioner also needs to be placed close to a window so that you can vent the hot air hose outside to extract the heat, whereas an air cooler doesn't have this requirement, instead venting the air back into the room.

‘Portability all depends on the size and power of the unit, some air coolers can be larger than some more portable air con units, but more likely than not, an air cooler is more portable, as air con units are usually heavier and come with the ducting pipe kit,' notes Appliances Direct’s Jake.

Air conditioner vs. air cooler – which should you buy? 

The final verdict

So which is the winner in the portable air conditioner vs. air cooler debate?

Well, if you're looking for optimum cooling performance – and most of us are weighing up the difference between an air conditioner vs. air cooler because we want to get cool, fast – then in our minds, there's a clear winner. A portable air conditioner is going to cool your home down the quickest and most effectively.

A portable air conditioner is worth it because it's the only option that uses refrigerant to actively reduce the temperature in a room and that can then maintain your desired house temperature. All other options, whether that's a fan or an air cooler, work by creating a cooling sensation when directed at a person, rather than creating a cooler climate in the house as a whole.

However, make sure you choose the right size portable air con for your home to ensure it works optimally, and bear in mind that opting for a portable air conditioner will mean investing a significant sum upfront and factoring in more expensive running costs. A portable air conditioner is also bigger, bulkier, heavier, harder to move, and more awkward to store than an air cooler, plus you're limited in positioning as you'll need a window kit to seal a window and vent the extraction hose through it.

In general, a portable air conditioner is also noisier than an air cooler because of its compressor unit which aids the refrigerant in cooling the room.

And, bear in mind that you might also want to consider the pros and cons of fitted versus portable air conditioners.

However, if you're happy to settle for more localised cooling, and just want a refreshingly cool blast of air directed towards you when you’re lying in bed at night or working at a desk, then an air cooler can do the job and costs far less, both upfront and in terms of running costs. An air cooler is also more portable, more compact, and easier to store, and generally quieter to operate.

Ultimately, whether you opt for the expense but superior cooling powers of a portable air conditioner, or the ease of use and affordability that an air cooler offers, both will help you to keep your cool in a heatwave. It just depends on how much heat you can handle.

When the summer heat turns your home into a sauna, a portable air conditioner can feel like a lifesaver, creating a refreshing breeze that keeps you from melting into your sofa. But as you bask in the cool air – or indeed, before you even make your purchase – it's worth knowing how much it costs to run a portable air conditioner?

The best portable air conditioners are an investment, but a wise one. It's pretty tough to keep working – or even awake – when it's hot, and most UK homes just aren't built for the heat, which seems to rise every year. Having gadgets that will keep you cool is increasingly essential, and if you're torn between the best fan and an AC, knowing how much it costs run each will help make the decision.

'Portable air conditioners pull in air from a room and move it across a cold surface, which cools and removes any excess moisture from the air,' says Chris Michael, Managing Director, Meaco. 'Heat that is removed from the air is blown out of the room – along with the excess moisture – via a duct (normally out of a room window) and the cool, dry air is blown into the room.'

So now you know how they work, but how much does a portable air conditioner cost to run exactly? With the latest energy price cap figures in hand, we set about finding out.

How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner?

How much your portable air conditioner will largely depend on how much power it uses and how much you pay for your electricity.

How much electricity do portable air conditioners use?

How much electricity a portable air con unit uses varies, but it's typically within the region of 1000 to 1300 watts (W). In kilowatts, this is 1 to 1.3 kWh - which is the unit needed to work out how much it costs to run a portable air conditioner.

Unlike most other electrical appliances, like the best kettles, portable air conditioners are measured with British Thermal Units (BTU), which is a measure of air con's cooling power. The higher the BTU, the more cooling the air con will be.

'1kW is the equivalent to 3412BTU, so a 3kW portable air conditioner would be called a 10,000BTU model (10,236BTU),' explains Chris.

For example, the Russell Hobbs Portable Air Conditioner, £499.99 at Amazon, has a cooling power of 11,000BTU, and a wattage of 12,000.

Calculating running costs

Once you know the average range of electricity generated by portable air conditioners, it's fairly easy to work out the answer to how much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner - it's just like working out how much does it cost to run a tumble dryer.

If you don't know how much you pay per unit of electricity, you can use the energy price cap, which as of July 2026, is 26.11p per kWh. We've worked out how much it costs to run a portable air conditioner based on this price.

A portable air conditioner which uses 1000W (1kW) of electricity, will cost you 26.11p per hour to run.

Remember, the higher the wattage - or the BTU - of a portable air conditioner, the more it'll cost to run. For example, a 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner will use 3.5kW per hour, and so will cost around 91p per hour to run.

You can use our calculator to work out how much your specific portable air conditioner costs to run. All you need is it's hourly energy consumption, which you should be able to find in the instruction manual or online.

Which are cheaper to run: fans or portable air conditioners?

In general, fans are cheaper to run than portable air conditioners, so they're a better route to go down if your focused on saving energy. But, fans aren't as effective at keeping a bedroom cool, or any room for that matter. That's because fans circulate the air in a room, which produces a pleasant cooling sensation.

'Whereas portable air conditioners expel hot air outside', Chris explains. 'This increases the number of air exchanges within a space and stops the air within the room from becoming stale.'

The power of portable air conditioners is why they're more expensive to buy and run than fans. If you are investing in a portable air con unit - something you'll definitely be glad you did when the next heatwave comes around - there is a way you can help keep running costs down.

'When it comes to using portable air conditioners, our advice would be to try and avoid using rapid cooling intermittently to quickly combat high temperatures,' says Colin Swift, Product Manager Consumables & Accessories, AEG. 'This requires more energy as the appliance will be working harder to reach your determined temperature.'

You'll probably also find that portable air conditioners can quickly make a room feel much cooler, so you won't need to keep it switched on for as long as a fan.

Now you know the answer to how much it costs to run a portable air conditioner, will you be investing in one?

FAQs

Do portable air conditioners use a lot of electricity?

Generally speaking, portable air conditioners do use a lot of electricity when running. This is mainly due to their power and size. They typically use around 1 to 1.3kWh (unit of electricity per hour of use).

You may prefer to opt for a fan if your main concern is keeping your energy bills down and saving money at home. That being said, fans aren't as efficient at cooling a room as portable air conditioners, so you'll likely have it switched on for longer.

'Although portable air conditioners are bulkier and noisier than a fan, due to their power and the nature of the machine, the cooling impact on a room is far more noticeable,' says Chris from Meaco. 'This does mean though that they are generally more expensive to buy and run.'

As mentioned earlier, portable air conditioners do range in how much electricity they use. Units that use between 9000 and 10000BTUs use less electricity than those with higher figures, so keep this in mind when shopping.

Is it cheaper to leave portable AC on all day?

'In general, with a portable air conditioner, if you set your desired temperature and leave the appliance in ‘Auto mode’ the machine will use less energy and therefore cost less to run due to it not starting from scratch every time,' says Colin from AEG.

With portable air conditioners using a fair bit of power, turning them on and off intermittently throughout the day doesn't make them cheaper to run. It will require more energy to get them back to their most cooling level.

If you're leaving it switched off for a significant amount of time, this will save money though. Just don't be tempted to switch it off for an hour if you're going to turn it straight back on again.

Now you've got all the information to hand, you can avoid getting hot and bothered about not knowing the cost of running the AC when you want to keep cool.

It's going to be a long, hot summer - the heat shows no signs of slowing down so you might be considering an air conditioner as your next home investment. But you'll want to be quick, as they're selling out earlier than expected. 

Meaco, a brand leader in air conditioner units, officially sold out for the summer yesterday - only weeks after temperatures have begun to soar. Their best portable air conditioners are some of the best on the market, with a variety of cooling powers to choose from, so it's not surprising that they've been so popular. 

'Consumers bought in record quantities before the hot weather arrived when there was no immediate need for the air conditioner', says Chris Michael, Managing Director for Meaco. 

'That’s not the buying behavior trait we’ve seen with portable air conditioners in Britain during the last 20 years. Consumers have clearly remembered how hot it got last year and during previous consecutive summers and are worried about being caught out without a cooling solution.' 

No matter how many tips you follow for how to keep a bedroom cool, sometimes sweltering nights are unavoidable. This is why we've rounded up the best places to buy air conditioners from this year, so you can make your home fresh and airy as soon as possible. 

Where can you find air conditioning units in stock?

• Robert Dyas: Save £68 on the Zephyrus 7000BTU portable air conditioner and score this portable air conditioner for under £50

• Argos: Take the opportunity to purchase one of Meaco's last air conditioners in stock for under £500

• Amazon: Get this Black + Decker portable air conditioner for £306.64 and this SereneLife air conditioner with built-in dehumidifier for £242

• Curry's: Get this Beldray portable air conditioner for £73.99

• AirConCentre: Save over £100 on this Midea portable air conditioner

• B&Q: Get the Igenix smart air conditioner for £159.99

Hot weather isn't something we're always used to in the UK, so it can be tricky to know what to look for when shopping for an air conditioner. Whether you have a stuffy attic bedroom that needs more airflow, or you work from home in a south-facing office, it's useful to have one on hand for when temperatures surge. 

'When shopping for an air conditioning unit, our top tip would be to check your space', says Colin Swift, Product Manager, Consumables & Accessories at AEG.

'You need to make sure you are buying an air conditioning unit that can cool the desired room size - if the room is too large, the appliance will not be able to cool the environment effectively. Our most powerful Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is capable of cooling spaces between 24-36m², so check before you make the purchase.'

The Ideal Home team has also put several portable air conditioners to the test in our own homes, with our Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review rating this powerful 11000BTU unit 5 out of 5 stars, the compact and lightweight MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars, and the GoodHome Malay 9000BTU air conditioner getting a solid 4 out of 4 stars.

When are portable air conditioners coming back in stock?

Due to unprecedented demand, Meaco's entire range of portable air conditioners is been sold out at the start of the summer months. 

'Incredibly, our data tells us that we could have sold three times as much stock of portable air conditioners as we have, but the level of interest in Meaco’s portable air conditioners is not something we could have predicted last Autumn. We have learned lessons for next year as unfortunately due to long manufacturing lead times, new stock ordered from the factory now would not arrive in time for summer.' 

Holly Male, Brand Manager at Duux, echoes 'everyone has their preference when it comes to an ideal temperature, with this in mind look into temperature range and power when considering what model works well for you. For ease of use opt for a tech-enabled device which allows you to adjust the temperature from your phone.'

'If you’re considering moving the aircon from room to room, a model which is compact and easily portable works best.'

The bad news is that you'll have to wait until next summer, but the good news is that many other air conditioners are guaranteed to keep your house cool, so you can enjoy the sun instead of struggling through it. 

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner is the brand's most powerful portable air con unit offering 11000 BTU. That means it can suck 11000 British Thermal Units of heat from the air per hour and discharge it outside, and is capable of cooling a room measuring 13-21m2.

Generally speaking, portable air con units begin at around 7000 BTU, and not surprisingly the price increases with additional performance power. The most powerful portable air conditioners tend to be around 16000 BTU, so on paper this 11000 BTU option, whilst not cheap, is a good price for its mid-range capabilities. 

In addition to cooling a room, the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner can also be used in a variety of different modes including a fan, dehumidifier, and heat setting, making it a versatile unit that can offer functionality all year round, whatever the weather. 

I’ve reviewed a number of portable air conditioner units in a family home setting, so I’ve learned what makes for a more user-friendly and effective cooling experience. As such I was eager to put the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner to the test to see how it performed against the competition. I tested the unit over four weeks, assessing its performance, noise levels, ease of setup, and ease of use. Read on to find out how it performed compared to the best portable air conditioners on the market.

Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review

Specifications

• Cooling capacity (British Thermal Units):  11000 BTU 
• Recommended room size:  13-21m2
• Noise levels:  65dB (this is what the manufacturer states, however on some settings we found it much quieter than this) 
• Dimensions:  H71.5 x W44 x D35.5cm 
• Weight:  31kg 
• Speed settings: 4
• Modes: Cool, Heat, Fan, Dry, Oscillating, and Night mode
• Timer: yes
• Remote control: yes
• Wheels: yes
• Window kit included:  1 x window sealing kit supplied. (It’s worth noting that this is suitable for use on UPVC windows that open internally or externally either 3 sides, or 4 sides. It says it’s NOT suitable for middle-opening windows such as skylights or wooden frames, however, some of our double-glazed windows are wooden-framed and it worked fine on them during testing). 

How we tested the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner

Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner: unboxing

When the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner was delivered I soon discovered the box was too heavy and bulky for me to lift into the house on my own. Fortunately, my husband managed it single-handedly but it’s worth bearing that in mind when you arrange delivery, as, like most air conditioners, this unit is heavy, weighing in at 31kg. 

I previously reviewed the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner, and at just 20.5kgs that unit suddenly felt extremely lightweight in comparison to Russell Hobbs' more powerful offering.

However, once inside, the unboxing process itself was a delight. Once the two strips of plastic strapping were cut, the cardboard box could be easily slid upwards to leave the air conditioning unit standing on a polystyrene base, meaning there was no awkward lifting it out of its packaging.

The rest of the unboxing process simply required the removal of the plastic wrapping around the unit and sliding away the polystyrene base and top. There was no wasteful inner layer of cardboard, so the box could be recycled, and just two small pieces of polystyrene that couldn’t.

Once unboxed, my first impressions of the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner were good. The design is sleek and minimalist, and despite its size, the unit moves smoothly and easily on its built-in wheels.

Apart from the Russell Hobbs logo, the front is plain white, and because of that it fits pretty unobtrusively into any room.

There's a small sunken control panel on the top of the appliance which can be used to control the device, but in addition to this, there is also a small remote control which handily sits neatly within this space when it's not in use. The unit looks and feels good quality and well-made.

Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner: assembly

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner unit itself doesn't need any assembly, however, if you’re using it to exhaust hot air either on Cool mode (the air conditioning function) or Dry mode (its dehumidifying functionality) then you need to attach the exhaust hose to the unit.

Everything you need to do this is included in the accessory pack, and the process for fitting the exhaust hose is clearly explained in the information booklet and takes just a few minutes.

The fitting process involves extending either side of the hose and then screwing the plastic hose inlet to one end, and the plastic hose outlet to the other end. Then, the hose inlet can be clicked into place on the unit. No tools are required to do any of this.

A window kit is included however the assembly and installation of this is slightly more involved and fiddly, so make sure you allow time for this.

If I’m honest I had to re-read the instructions for this window kit a few times to get my head around it, and also looked up some images online but once I got started it was more straightforward than I thought.

First, you need to apply the Velcro tape supplied on both the outside frame of the window opening and inside the frame of the window. Then you use the Velcro to attach the long side of the seal kit to the outside frame, and the short side to the inside window. Open the window to check it’s sealed properly and the zip is accessible.

After that, you just thread the hose through the unzipped opening and close the zip around it.

One of the windows I tried it installing it in was particularly large, at over 145cm tall, however, there was still more than enough Velcro and the window kit was big enough to do an even bigger window as there was excess left over at either end.

The manual says that it’s suitable for UPVC windows that open internally or externally with either 3 sides, or 4 sides, and that it’s not suitable for middle-opening windows such as skylights or wooden frames. Our windows, however, are wooden-framed double-glazing and it worked fine on them. 

It’s worth bearing in mind that the maximum opening dimension of the kit is 400cm, so if you’ve got an overly large window/opening then this could be an issue.

Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner: performance

Next, I put the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner through its paces on all of its different modes and settings to test its portability, cooling powers, noise levels, and ease of use.

Portability

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner weighs 31kg, which isn’t a problem when you’re wheeling it around on a flat surface thanks to its built-in castor wheels. However, the likelihood is you will want to use this in a bedroom, which if your house is two-storey will mean hefting it upstairs.

It can be hard to imagine what 30+kg of weight equates to in real terms, but to give you a gauge, that’s heavier than my 10-year-old child and felt even more so when trying to manoeuvre it up our steep, narrow staircase! 

Again, I couldn’t do this on my own so if you’re as strong, (or weak) as me, it’s definitely a two-person job.

Cooling powers

Obviously, the reason that most of us invest in an air conditioning unit is in order to stay cool, and I couldn’t fault the cooling power of the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner when operated in 'Cool mode' its air conditioning function.

The unit has a cooling capacity of 11000 BTU meaning it can suck 11000 British Thermal Units of heat from a room 13-21m2 in an hour. Most air conditioning units start at around 7000BTU and can go up to around 16000BTU, so this mid-range air conditioner is a good size and power option for most homes, balancing performance with price. (The higher the BTU the more expensive the air conditioning unit will be).

For the most effective results in this mode, you need to make sure that the doors to the room you're using it in are closed and the hose is positioned out of the window using the window kit supplied. Whilst this is a bit of a faff to install the first time, once it’s up you can leave it in situ ready to use next time you want to switch it on.

When positioned in a 4.5m by 4.5m room (approx. 15ft square) with higher than normal ceilings, the air con unit reduced the temperature by approximately two degrees Celsius in just ten minutes, making an almost immediate and noticeable impact. Of course, this temperature decrease became more significant with the unit running over a longer period of time.

In one of our larger rooms which has higher ceilings it took longer to get the temperature down, but once it was down the air conditioner maintained the cooler temperature well.

Noise levels

The biggest bug-bear with most portable air conditioning units is their noise. 

When I first turned on the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner my kids moaned that they couldn’t hear the TV with it on and turned the TV up quite a few notches in order to hear it over it.

Officially the unit is described as having a 65dB volume, which to be honest didn’t really mean anything to me initially. In practical terms in some modes it sounded quieter than a vacuum cleaner but louder than the ‘fridge’ that one person described it as in an online review.

I tested it using a sounded-measuring app I downloaded on my phone and when I was sitting one metre away the sound registered less than 50dB in all modes and fan speeds. If you’ve got it on during the daytime you get used to it, however, it would prove problematic if you were trying to take a call or listen to the TV or radio with it close by.

However, if the noise level is an issue for you then the great thing about the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner is its Night mode function. Ingeniously, this feature not only reduces the brightness of the display screen so that it doesn’t light up the bedroom at night, but it also means the unit works more quietly and keeps the fan speed low so that it doesn’t disturb your sleep.

Ease of use

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner can be operated either via the controls on the top of the unit, or its handy remote control that works up to 7m away. Helpfully, the remote control comes with batteries already in it so it’s ready to use.

Whichever controls you opt for, the unit is very easy to use and it's simple to select which mode and fan strength you want.

The unit features an illuminated display on the front of the unit itself, so once you’ve chosen a mode/fan speed you can easily see which setting is selected.

One of the USPs of this unit is its 4-in-1 multiple functions, so I made sure to test each one out to see how well it performed and how user-friendly each was to operate. 

I've already described the unit's expert cooling powers in the Cool air conditioning mode, so next it was onto the unit's Fan mode which was just as easy to operate. In this mode, the unit doesn't require the exhaust hose to be fitted, so it can be positioned anywhere in the room so long as it’s close to an electric socket. It may not have quite the functionality of some of the best fans on the market, but it certainly provides an instant blast of air which does have a cooling effect.

Dry mode is the unit's dehumidifying function. The set-up for this is the same as Cool mode in that you need to make sure the exhaust hose is positioned out of the window so that the moisture can be dispelled. Although the brand does say that you can also use it without (see below). The dh symbol appears when it’s in this mode and it’s worth noting that you can’t select the fan speed in this mode as the appliance selects it automatically. Whilst it’s hard to precisely measure how effectively it worked, we tried it when we had an airer of damp washing in the room and just like when using one of the best dehumidifiers, the atmosphere felt far less damp with the unit running.

Last up, there's HEAT mode, the functionality that sets this unit apart from many cheaper alternatives and ensures the investment offers year-round use. Although it’s probably not the primary reason you would buy an air conditioner, when switched into this setting it did a good job at warming up the room in a matter of minutes. In fact, in just ten minutes it warmed the room from 16 degrees Celsius to approximately seventeen, and the room felt noticeably warmer. You don’t need the air-conditioner hose for this mode, which makes it easier to position in any part of the room, as long as you’re by a plug socket.

The unit also offers the brilliant Night mode that reduces the brightness of the display screen so that it doesn’t light up the room, and makes the unit work more quietly. The fan speed stays on low during this mode so that the noise is reduced and there's less to disturb your sleep. 

When the unit is in Cool mode and you select the Night mode function then the selected temperature will increase by 1 degree Celsius per hour over two hours. The new temperature will then be maintained for the next six hours after which it will turn itself off.

There’s also the option of the Timer function which allows you to schedule a specific time to start or turn off the appliance. Like all of the settings, this is straightforward to use and programme.

Maintenance

When there’s too much water condensation in the unit then it will stop running and ‘Ft’ for Full Tank, will come up on the display to alert you to the fact that you need to drain the water. 

This didn’t happen during the time I was testing the unit, however, judging by the instructions in the manual, draining is a simple operation and just involves unplugging the unit and removing the lower drain plug at the back of the unit and letting the water drain into a tub or pan.

You can clean the unit itself by wiping it over with a damp cloth, just avoid using water to wash it as it's an electrical appliance.

The instructions state that you should clean the air filters every week in order to remove dust and fibres which can impact the effectiveness of the unit. It was easy to remove the filters from the rear of the unit to vacuum them. If it’s very dirty the advice is to wash it in warm water and leave to dry fully before attaching.

When it comes to storing the Russell Hobbs 11000BU Portable Air Conditioner when its's not in use, it takes up roughly the same amount of space as a small bedside cabinet. 

It fitted neatly in ours and our children’s bedrooms and could be easily wheeled into a cupboard when not in use. There are two handy hooks on the back to wind the power cable up when not in use too, and the hose can be quickly and easily unscrewed and concertinas down to approximately 40cm long for easy storage.

How does the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner rate online? 

On Amazon, the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner has an average 4.2 star rating out of 210 reviews. Out of these, 59% of the ratings are 5 star.

A lot of the reviews credit it for successfully reducing the temperature in a room, and one comments on how efficient it is: ‘This is very efficient, it says it draws 1.2kw, but I've measured it at most to be 900w... very ideal if you're like me and are limited to power consumption.’

A couple of reviews mention the air con unit's noise, with one reviewer saying they needed to turn the TV volume to hear over it. Another says: ‘It sounds more like a loud fridge, so if you can sleep hearing that you shouldn't have any issues.’

A different reviewer focuses on the dehumidifier function of the unit, saying: ‘The instructions for the dehumidifier function was limited to a few sentences in the manual, so after calling Russell Hobbs, I realised that in order to use the dehumidifier, you still need to vent the massive tube out of an open window every time (not practical for daily use). There’s no actual compartment to empty the condensed water, this is done via a hose which needs to then lead to an outside drain (this really needs to be made clear on the description). The dehumidifier function is very complicated and inconvenient.’

However, I queried this point with the manufacturer and was told that in 'Dry' dehumidifier mode it is optional for the drainage tube to be attached to the unit because the unit has an in-built (non-removeable) water tank that will collect the condensed water when the drain is plugged. Upon reaching the tank's full capacity “FT” will display and the unit will stop. It can then be drained using the drainage hose provided.

How does the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner compare to similar models?

This unit is slightly larger than other brands and models I've tested, however, at 11000BTU it is significantly more powerful, so for the increased size – and price – you're getting a lot more heat-eliminating power.

Noise-wise, according to the specs in the user manual the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner should be louder than alternatives like the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner I tested. However, when I positioned both units a metre away from me and tested them one after another, the Russell Hobbs option 'felt' the quieter of the two. I then used a sound-measuring app on my phone to compare them properly (disclaimer; I can’t vouch for the reliability of the app) and the Russell Hobbs unit read approximately five decibels quieter on Fan mode (both at low and high speed) and its Cool air conditioning mode. 

Russell Hobbs also offers a smaller 7000BTU air conditioner that has 3-in-1 functionality, allowing you to switch between air conditioner, dehumidifier, and fan. This could be a cheaper alternative for smaller rooms – it's recommended for spaces measuring 8m² - 14m² as opposed to the 11000BTU's 13-21m2 capacity – with a roughly £100 saving in cost. However, the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner also includes a heater function that could come in very useful during winter time, making it a versatile year-round investment.

Verdict

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner did a fantastic job at cooling a room quickly during my testing. 

It was easy to use and fast to get working, and whilst you can find cheaper portable air conditioners out there, its 11000BTU performance is powerful stuff making it a solid performer in smaller rooms, and able to cope with cooling larger areas too.

The unit is sleek, well designed, and feels good quality – from the unit itself to the handy remote control. It’s easy to manoeuvre thanks to its built-in wheels which make life much easier, you'll just need to factor in its weight, but this is part and parcel of most air con units. 

Noise-wise, both I, my boys, and my sound-monitoring app agreed that it was the quietest portable air con unit we’ve tested so far. Although you’ll still need to turn the TV up whilst it's on, it's not deafening. The Night mode which reduces the noise and brightness of the display for bedtime use is also a great benefit for light-sleepers or people with children.

In addition, as well as the dehumidifying and fan functions, this unit also includes a heater function. You may not want anything to do with that during a heatwave, but it means your investment isn't just for summer use, and allows the unit to earn its keep all year round. 

The MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is the brand's smallest and most affordable air con unit. It's also affordable in general, coming in cheaper than most other comparable portable air conditioners from a recognised brand name. 

Its compact and lightweight size also makes it a great option for small homes – Meaco recommends it for use in rooms between 12-22m² – whereby it can suck 7000 British Thermal Units of heat from the air per hour and discharge it outside.

Whilst it's not the most powerful air con unit the brand offers – there are 8000BTU, 9000BTU, 10000BTU, 12000BTU, and 14000BTU options if you want an air conditioner that has more power or need a unit that can cool a larger room – its smaller size and lighter build is a real bonus for anyone who might struggle to heft a larger unit into position. Plus, this lower BTU machine means lower energy consumption, with the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner's 780W power usage making running costs lower than most mobile air con units.

And, in addition to cooling a room, it can also be used as both a fan and dehumidifier.

I’ve reviewed a number of portable air conditioner units in a family home setting, so I’ve learned what makes for a more user-friendly and effective cooling experience. As such I was eager to put the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner to the test to see how it performed against the competition. I tested the unit over four weeks, assessing its performance, noise levels, ease of setup, and ease of use. Read on to find out how it performed compared to the best portable air conditioners on the market.

MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner review

Specifications

• Cooling capacity (British Thermal Units): 7000BTU
• Recommended room size: 12-22m²
• Power consumption: 780W
• Noise levels: 51-53dB
• Dimensions: H70 x W35 x D35cm
• Weight: 20.5 kgs
• Speed settings: 2
• Modes: cool, fan, dry, sleep
• Timer: yes
• Remote control: yes
• Refrigerant: R290
• Wheels: yes
• Window kit included: 1 x standard window kit and 1 x flexible window kit

How I tested

Unboxing

My very first impression of the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner was that the box was much easier to lift than most of the other portable air conditioning units I've tested, a testament to how lightweight this unit is. 

In fact, at approximately 25kg gross weight and just 20kgs net weight (approximately the weight of two large watermelons or four bowling balls!) it was possible for me to lift it alone which made for much easier unboxing than I was used to.

As well as the air conditioning unit, you also get the exhaust hose and two window sealing kits included in the box. That makes this unit even more of a good buy as some air conditioners don't provide a window kit as standard.

The unit also comes with a remote control and batteries supplied. The remote may not be the most exciting to look at, but the included batteries are always a bonus, and a remote control is a great addition to aid ease of use. It's also a good size, which may be a bonus for anyone who struggles with smaller controls.

Assembly and set-up

The MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner unit comes fully assembled. Like most air con units, you just need to attach the exhaust duct to expel the hot air.

This is very straightforward to do, and just involves attaching the two ends to the duct and then sliding them into place at the rear of the unit.

Unlike some portable air conditioner units, a big plus point for this model is that it comes with two different types of window kits. The first is what they describe as ‘window kit plates'. These are plastic strips that are suited to sliding windows and doors. The second is the flexible window kit which comprises a large piece of white fabric and a roll of adhesive Velcro which you can use on all other types of windows/doors.

If you haven’t fitted one of the fabric window kits before, then at first glance this step could look tricky. However, although it’s a bit fiddly the first time, it’s actually quite straightforward and just involves applying the roll of adhesive tape around your window frame and then the window that you’ll be opening, and then attaching the fabric part of the window kit to both to act as a sort of tent between the two.

Open the window to check it’s sealed properly and the zip is accessible and then you thread the hose through the unzipped opening and close the zip around it.

One of our windows that I tried it on was particularly large, at over 145cm tall, however, there was still more than enough Velcro and the window kit was big enough to do an even bigger window as there was excess left over at either end.

We don’t have a sliding door or window for me to try the fixed window plates on, however, this method also looks very straightforward. It just involves sliding the pieces together to fit the size of your sliding door or window and then securing them with the screws provided. Then feed the hose through before closing the sliding door/window to secure it in place.

Installing the window kit for the first time takes a little time and effort, but once this is done it can be kept in situ for the whole summer.

Other than that, putting the batteries in the remote control is the only real additional set-up the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner requires. Unless you want to use the unit in Dry mode, whereby it transforms into a dehumidifier. For this, the supplied drainage hose needs to be attached to the back of the unit to provide continuous drainage.

Again, attaching the drainage hose is extremely straightforward to do, but you do need to supply your own bowl/bucket to collect the condensed water.

Design

Design-wise, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner looks pretty good when assembled, although it does have a bit more going on visually than other models we tested and I wouldn't say style was one of the key elements of its design

The large black button display unit at the top and the vents across the front aren’t exactly offensive, but they do make the unit look a little less unobtrusive and dare we say... cheaper... than some alternative plainer air conditioning units. But of course, it is cheaper, and the MeacoCool MC Series' affordability is one of its big plus points.

As mentioned, this unit is also very lightweight compared to most portable air con units we've tested. The flipside of that is that the build quality does feels slightly flimsier than some alternative units I've tested.

However, mobile air conditioners aren't exactly an aesthetic purchase, so this was hardly a dealbreaker if it could cool down our home in the midst of a heatwave. 

Next, I put the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner through its paces on all of its different modes and settings to test its portability, cooling powers, noise levels, and ease of use.

Ease of use

The MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is really easy to use, both in terms of setup and getting the hang of its controls.

All the controls are clear, nicely laid out, and easy to operate. Its four different modes and two different fan speeds can easily be selected on the unit itself or by using the remote control, and if you want to use the timer button this is easy to set using the Timer button and then pressing the up and down arrows to set the number of hours in which you want the unit to turn off.

Like all air con units, when in Cool Mode the air duct needs to be positioned out of the window so you’ll just need to make sure it’s positioned close enough to a window to do this. 

In Fan Mode the unit doesn’t need the air duct to be positioned out of a window so it offers more freedom with room position, and is also suitable for spaces without a window. In this mode, the unit circulates the air around the room rather than actively cooling it but it does this effectively and the direction of airflow can be changed using the black lever on the front of the vent. Whilst it doesn't offer quite as much versatility in this mode of one of the best fans on the market, such as Meaco's own MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, this is still a great added feature for the price and very simple to use.

In Dry Mode, which is the dehumidifying option, the drainage hose just needs to be attached to the back of the unit for continuous drainage, however, the air duct doesn't need to be vented out of a window. Again, it may not rival the functionality of one of the best dehumidifiers on the market, but its 3-in-1 performance offers a big saving if you were considering buying both appliances.

The fact that one of the drainage hose outlets was positioned midway down the rear of the unit made it much easier to drain than alternative models I've tested in which the outlet is much lower down. I put the Dry Mode to use on a very muggy rainy day and noticed an almost immediate improvement in the moisture levels in the room.

And lastly, there's the unit's Sleep Mode. This is only available using the remote control and when the air conditioner is in Cool Mode. Not only does the LED display monitor dim when in this mode, but it also automatically switches to Low Fan Speed (which of course makes it slightly quieter). When in Sleep Mode, after 1 hour in Cool Mode the pre-set temperature will increase by 1 degree Celsius, and after another hour it will increase by another 1 degree Celsius. The temperature is kept constant for ten hours.

Cooling powers

Meaco recommends the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner for use in rooms between 12-22m² whereby it can suck 7000 British Thermal Units of heat from the air per hour and discharge it outside.

To test out its cooling powers, I positioned the unit in a 4.5m by 4.5m room (approx. 15ft square) with higher than normal ceilings.

In Cool Mode, which is the unit's air conditioning setting, your desired temperature can be set between 16 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius. Once you've chosen your desired temperature the unit will run until this temperature is achieved and then automatically switch off which is a great energy saving feature. If the temperature rises above the set temperature again the air conditioner will automatically come back on.

When in Cool Mode on High setting, and with the temperature set as 16, it brought the temperature down by approximately two degree Celsius in a super speedy ten minutes. (This was with the thermometer positioned at the side of the room close to the unit). A really immediate and noticeable impact.

My children moaned about how noisy this unit was, and they had to turn the TV up considerably in order to hear over it.

I used a sound-monitoring app on my phone to record how loud the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner was (NB I can’t vouch for the reliability of the app - I just downloaded it on my phone!). When positioned one metre away from the unit on Cool Mode Low Speed it registered approximately 52dB.

This increased by approximately five decibels when the fan speed was increased to High speed.

Energy use

It's always going to be cheaper to find natural ways to cool your home if possible, like using black out blinds to keep out the sun and opening windows during the cooler parts of the day to create ventilation. 

However, when a heatwave strikes, outside is often hotter than inside, so for some the extra running costs and energy consumption of a portable air conditioner will be worth the added expense for short periods of the year. 

The good news on this front is that the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner has the lowest power consumption of any of the mobile air conditioners we've tested, running on just 780W. 

That means that at current energy costs of 30p per kilowatt hour of electricity the unit costs 23p per hour to run, a lot lower than several more powerful machines in our round-up that use 3400W of electricity so can cost up to £1.02 per hour to operate.

Noise levels

Like most air conditioning units, running the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner does mean you'll have to put up with some background noise. 

My children moaned about how noisy this unit was, and they had to turn the TV up considerably in order to hear over it.

I used a sound-monitoring app on my phone to record how loud the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner was, and whilst I can't vouch for the reliability of the app, when positioned one metre away from the unit I measured  52dB noise levels whilst operating the unit in Cool Mode on the Low speed setting. This increased by approximately five decibels when the fan speed was increased to High speed which is in line with Meaco's own guidance of the unit producing 51-53dB levels.

That said, you don't have to have the unit running whilst you're in the room. At night time you can set the air conditioner to run before going to bed and then turn it off once the room is cooled. This is made easier thanks to the unit's built-in timer function.

Portability

At just 20.5kgs in weight, this is one of the lighter air conditioning units I've tested which makes it much easier to transport around the house. 

Its compact size also makes it a great option to pack into the car if you're going away for the weekend or on holiday and means it's a particularly good caravan option.

Moving the unit around on flat surfaces is made even easier thanks to its handy built-in wheels.

Overall its lightweight build and compact size make it a great option for smaller homes, and for anyone who lives alone and might struggle to move a larger unit by themselves.

Its slimline design is also perfect for those who are tight on storage space, as it can easily squeeze into a cupboard, under a worktop, or behind some furniture when it's not in use.

And, although the accessories aren’t stored on board, there is a great little fixing at the back to hold the plug in place when it’s not in use. The air duct also concertinas down to approximately 30cm so doesn’t take up much storage room.

Maintenance

According to the manual, the air filters must be cleaned once every two weeks because otherwise dust will collect on them and restrict the airflow which could affect the efficiency of the unit. 

You do this by removing the two filters at the rear of the unit and then using a hoover to clean both sides. Alternatively they can be cleaned with warm water. 

After two weeks our filters barely contained any dust or fibres, however, removing the filters was extremely easy and the whole process took just a couple of minutes.

The supplied instruction manual also recommends draining any collected water away using the drainage hose supplied before moving or storing the unit. This is easily done by removing the sealing bung and attaching the drainage hose. Once this is released the water will flow out so it’s worth making sure you’re doing it somewhere that’s ok to get wet (outside for example!).

Customer reviews

On Amazon the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner has 4.2 stars out of five, with 153 ratings in total. A little lower than the Ideal Home team's rating of 4.5 out of five stars.

One reviewer says: ‘It’s noisy but does the job - at this price point I was satisfied it wasn’t going to be the quietest on the market... Set up easy... I have standard top opening bedroom upvc windows - had to fashion my own fitting to get it to vent out of the window - why do my manufacturers never provide suitable fixings for this. No big deal - I’m diy handy! It was such a relief to be able to get cold and sleep comfortably during the heatwave so well worth it every penny ! It’s comparatively compact so is easy to store (once vent tube taken off) glad I have it-  even if it’s only for a few days/ nights a year.’

Like this reviewer says, we also found it did a very effective job at cooling. We didn’t find it any noiser than other air con units on the market, and the fact that two different types of window kits were supplied was a really bonus.

Another review says: ‘Does the job, it is very loud. All sleep mode does is switch the brightness of the display down. It’s a bit heavy so not ideal for going up and down stairs but has wheels to be able to move around.’

Quite the contrast, we found this model significantly lighter than others and as such it was a very portable option.

A third reviewer commented on the ease of assembly and effectiveness of the cooling and value: ‘Easy instructions - window and door kit included - easy to put together - decently quiet to run on full blast (no louder than the large fan we have running). No complaints at all - even after 2 hours running you can feel the difference in the next rooms as well. Great unit for the price.’

We agree that the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner offers great value for money, and is very effective at cooling considering its price.

I also tested the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner Unit at the same time as the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner and while both are effective units, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is best suited to those seeking a compact and lightweight unit that's easy to move around the house or transport. 

It's also a very affordable option compared to other models. It's not the most powerful option out there in terms of BTU, but Meaco offers plenty of alternative models, ranging from this the smallest 7000BTU through to a 14000BTU model.

Noise-wise, I found the Meaco Portable Air Conditioner slightly louder than the Russell Hobbs one, but only marginally so, and a little extra noise kind of comes as part of the deal if you're running an air con unit, and is well offset by the relief of that icy air during a heatwave!

Verdict

Thanks to its lightweight and compact design, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is a great option for a smaller home, as well as for anyone that wants a portable air con unit that's actually portable!

Unlike most cooling units this model can be moved alone if you live by yourself, is easy to reposition thanks to its castor wheels, and is a great slimline option to stow away in the car and take to the caravan or a holiday let to keep cool in the summer heat.

I would recommend it to anyone looking to cool down a small bedroom, home office, nursery, or similar over the summer. It doesn’t take up too much space to store either and is very easy to set up and use. 

It’s also – relative to most air conditioning units – a very affordable option, and delivers reliable cooling performance. 

It's not the most powerful option out there in terms of BTU, but Meaco offers plenty of alternative models, ranging from this the smallest 7000BTU through to a 14000BTU model.

Noise-wise, we found the Meaco Portable Air Conditioner slightly louder than the more powerful (and more expensive) AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner and Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner, but only marginally so, and it could well be worth putting up with a little more volume in return for the cheaper investment.

Overall, I think the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner offers great value for money, especially considering it also offers a fan and dehumidifying function that lends it extra versatility for its price.

In the UK we saw record-breaking temperatures last summer, and these extreme weather events are predicted to become more common due to climate change. If you struggle to stay cool when the mercury rises then investing in one of the best portable air conditioners can offer a temporary solution that you can wheel out on those really uncomfortably warm days, and nights.

At £299, the GoodHome Malay 9000BTU Air Conditioner doesn't come cheap, although some of the fancier cooling fans (ahem, Dyson) are far more expensive than this. So, in comparison to other options on the market, its price point isn't too bad. The compromise is having a bulky white box in your living space, but that might be a sacrifice worth making if it means being able to sleep on a hot and humid night.

I tried the GoodHome air conditioner in my home in spring. So while I can’t attest to its efficiency in the height of summer, I certainly experienced its cooling effects on some warm spring days, plus I tried out the dehumidifier and fan functions. It’s got a handy remote control for when you’re too hot to move, and I enjoyed the cool fresh air. However, it’s not perfect. 

Read on to find out where this portable air conditioner excels and where it falls down in our GoodHome Malay 9000BTU Air Conditioner review.

GoodHome Malay 9000BTU air conditioner: technical specifications

Functions: air conditioner, fan, dehumidifier

Fan speeds: 3

Temperature range: 15 - 31°C

Dimensions: H71 x 33.5 x 44cm

Cable length: 1.7m

Room size: maximum 20m2

Weight: 27kg

Exhaust duct length: 1.5m

Accessories included: remote control, drain hose, exhaust hose, window kit 

 Unboxing and setting up

The GoodHome Malay 9000BTU air conditioner arrived in one box, and I cannot emphasise this enough, moving the box even a little is a two-person job for most people. 

It was far bigger and heavier than I expected. I ended up unboxing it right by the front door and since it’s on wheels it was then easier to wheel through the house. I did manage to get it up the eight stairs to my bedroom by myself, but it was a struggle despite me being a regular gym goer. And if I’m honest with myself I probably should have waited until someone was here to help me. 

This is the case with most air conditioning units, but definitely something to be aware of before you order.

There are some big chunks of polystyrene in the box, and although this is one of my pet hates, I can appreciate that it’s difficult to offer enough protection to such a heavy appliance using cardboard packaging alone.

The good news is that once the air con unit is in position, there isn’t too much assembly to do.

The big concertina plastic exhaust tube that takes the warm air out of the window needs a plastic attachment screwing onto either end. And this is a fiddly, annoying job that took me several attempts (and a few swear words) to get right.

Fortunately, the remote control comes with a battery installed. There’s also a drain tube that doesn’t need to be attached for day-to-day use. It’s for draining water that’s collected inside, or for when using it as a dehumidifier for a prolonged period.

The other main part in the box is the window kit, this adjustable-length rectangular piece of plastic allows you to vent the exhaust pipe out of a window whilst blocking air from coming back in. But it’s quite a generic bit of kit and will only really work on certain shapes and sizes of windows. It does have an extending section, which is useful to make it longer and provides flexibility with regard to the size of the opening, but it’s neither long enough to cover a full-height door nor short enough for smaller windows.  It wasn’t suitable for my windows, so in the end, I decided to poke the pipe out of the window and close the window as much as I could. 

Once upstairs, the wheels didn’t glide as well on the carpet as they did on the hard floor, so pushing it around was tough. The unit needs to be located so that the pipe can get out of an open window or door, plus it’ll either need to be near a power socket or you’ll have to run an extension lead to it.

 First impressions

Frustratingly the multilingual instruction manual isn’t divided up by language, so I had to keep flicking through the sections to find all the info, which is peppered throughout the booklet. And while it does include all the basic information, it can be vague in places.

Thankfully the touch control panel on top of the unit is pretty intuitive to use, it just takes a second to figure out what each of the symbols mean. There’s a display screen that indicates the current room temperature, below it you set the desired temperature using the plus and minus buttons. The desired temperature flashes on the screen for a short time, then it flicks back to the current temperature.

Other settings include the choice of three fan speeds, the option to engage or switch off the fan swing, and sleep mode. The home button allows you to cycle through the functions, which are cool, dehumidify, fan, or auto. In auto mode, it’ll cycle on and off to maintain a set temperature.

There’s a timer button and if you set it when the machine is on, you’re telling it to switch off after a certain number of hours. Whereas if you set it when the machine is on standby, you’re telling it to switch on after a certain number of hours. It’s handy if you’re going out, but want it to start cooling a room in advance of you getting home.

The remote control pretty much has all the same buttons, but it doesn’t have a screen.

There is an additional display on the front of the appliance that you can see from further away if you’re setting the temperature. However, I struggled to see it at all in bright, sunny rooms.

General use

Although I was testing this air conditioner in spring as opposed to the height of summer, its cooling effect is undeniable. On a particularly warm morning after having the windows closed all night, I switched it on in my bedroom and vented it out into the hallway – I didn’t want to open the window and let any of the cool morning air in, since this would add to the cooling effect and that didn’t seem like a fair test. 

After just 10 minutes, I could feel the temperature dropping in the room and surprisingly the air felt fresher and lighter just in that short time. Every time I walked back in there was a noticeable difference in air temperature to the rest of the house. What’s more, the dry air was helping to remove the condensation from the windows – an added bonus. 

After about an hour's use, I noticed a wet patch on the carpet and realised the lower bung had clearly become dislodged at some point when I was moving it around. So I replaced it and after this I checked each time that it was in position before starting the air conditioner and I didn’t have the issue again – it’s the kind of thing you only do once.

It doesn’t take long to drop a medium size room by one or two degrees. My bedroom is about 4.4 x 4.8m and it’s in the eaves so the ceiling is low at the sides but super high in the middle, making it a tricky room to keep at a regular temperature, but this air conditioner coped well.

I also tried it in my open-plan living room and dining room. The dining room has a partially glazed south-facing roof so it can get very warm when the sun’s out. The space is much bigger than the 20m2 air conditioner states that it can manage, but despite this, it still had a welcome cooling effect. But unsurprisingly, since it’s not designed to cool such big rooms, I could feel it most in the dining room where it was plugged in and less so in the living room. 

Dehumidifier function

The instructions on using it as a dehumidifier are pretty vague, just that when it’s in this mode the fan runs at a low speed and you can’t adjust the temperature. It also says to connect the hose if dehumidifying for a long time. So to avoid any more soggy carpets, I connected the hose when dehumidifying. But the drain plug is so low that it struggled to drain. I put the other end of the hose in a very shallow baking tray but the water just sat in the pipe – it’s certainly a design feature that could be improved upon.

It can be difficult to quantify how well even the best dehumidifiers are working because it's very much affected by the temperature and humidity in the room. But when I set it up near my airer full of wet laundry, after four hours some of the laundry was completely dry, while thicker items like jeans were about 50% dry. This is definitely faster than drying without the dehumidifier in the room. But unlike my dedicated dehumidifier, you can’t select a humidity level.

 Sleep mode 

Myself and my husband quite like sleeping with the noise of a fan during summer, I think it’s to do with the white noise. So I didn’t anticipate any issues sleeping with this air conditioner on, especially with the sleep mode activated. But it proved me wrong. 

The sleep mode simply reduces the fan to the slowest speed and increases the set temperature by 1°C after one hour then 2°C after two hours, switching it off altogether after six hours. The problem is the compressor still kicks in periodically to keep the room cool and this part is really noisy. I think most people would struggle to sleep with this cycling on and off.

For very hot nights, I’d opt for having it on for a few hours to cool the room completely before going to bed. Then either switch to the lowest fan mode at bedtime or switch it off altogether, since even the lowest fan setting is loud enough to disturb light sleepers.

Noise

In air conditioner mode it gets louder every time the compressor kicks in, and when you’re trying to cool a hot room, the compressor will be permanently on. Regardless of whether it was on the low, medium, or high fan setting, when the compressor was running it hit around 65dB on my noise meter, which is pretty loud. I you had it in the living room, you’d have to turn up the volume on the TV a few notches to hear it over the air conditioner. In dehumidifier mode, the noise level is the same but the compressor cycles on and off so there are quieter moments.

Admittedly on the first couple of uses, I thought it was loud, but you do get used to the continual hum and I think on a really hot day, it’s a small annoyance that’ll pale in comparison to the cooling benefit.

When the compressor is off, it’s quieter. So in fan-only mode on the lowest fan speed it’s around 55dB, this increases to 60dB on the highest fan speed. It’s certainly not the quietest or best fan I’ve come across, but it doesn’t creak or squeak like my cheap, old, oscillating fan.

Energy efficiency 

At the time of writing, electricity costs around 34p per kWh and I know we’re all keeping a keen eye on our bills and consumption, so I plugged the air conditioner into an electric meter to give you an idea of the running costs.

In air conditioning mode with the fan set to its slowest available speed, it used 0.765kWh of electricity in 60 minutes. That works out at around 26p per hour. Increasing the fan speed to the highest setting didn’t make a huge difference and it used 0.81kWh or around 27.5p in an hour. 

But I should caveat this by saying that when I used it on low fan speed on a hotter day – it was 24°C in my dining room – it cost 30p per hour, so I believe the energy consumption will fluctuate depending on the room temperature and how hard it’s having to work. Meaning there’s every possibility that it could cost more at times.

In dehumidifier mode, it costs around 17p per hour to run. Meanwhile, if you’re simply using it as a fan, it’ll cost 1.6p to run for a whole hour on the slow speed, rising to 2.2p an hour on the highest speed. So as you’d expect, the fan-only mode is much cheaper than the air conditioning mode, which is certainly something to think about. But having said that, if you only want a fan, you wouldn’t choose to invest in a bulky and expensive air conditioning unit.

 Cleaning and maintenance

Thankfully there’s not too much maintenance required with this air con unit. On the back, there’s a simple filter grill with a mesh screen that just needs to be removed and cleaned of dust after every 100 hours of use, or when it looks visibly dusty. It can be cleaned using a dry brush or washed if necessary, as long as it is dry when it’s reinstalled.

The unit can hold a certain amount of water inside and this is recycled between the condenser and the water plate, but when the water full indicator illuminates it needs to be drained using the hose. This bit can be tricky since the drain plug is low and the hose also needs to be kept low so it’ll drain. I used a flat baking tray to collect the water, but getting the hose on in the first place is fiddly – especially with water trying to gush out at the same time – so keep a towel close by.

Should you buy the GoodHome Malay 9000BTU Air Conditioner? 

If you’re looking for an air conditioner that’s portable enough to move around the house, you’ll probably find this one too heavy and bulky. It’s best suited to a home where it’ll stay in the same place for the summer – unless you live on one level, then you can wheel it from room to room fairly easily. And, if you’re hoping to cool your room as you sleep, I think it’s too noisy. 

These issues aside, for general cooling, it’ll get the job done. It’s easy to use and will certainly make life more comfortable on those extra-hot days. There are some fiddly aspects to setting up the exhaust hose, but once that’s done, you can shove the pipe out of a window and enjoy the fresh, cool air, while all your friends complain about the heat!

About this review, and the reviewer

After completing a Home Economics degree, Helen went on to work for the Good Housekeeping Institute and has been reviewing home appliances ever since. She lives in a small village in Buckinghamshire in the UK and was allowed to keep this GoodHome air conditioner after the review.

Helen used this air conditioner in her own home during spring. She tried out all the settings and used gadgets like a noise meter and energy meter to gather some stats to back up her own anecdotal thoughts and feelings about how well it works.

Over the last few years, the UK has experienced some of the hottest summers on record, and this year the heatwaves feel like they've come earlier than ever. Hitting in May, June and July, these heatwaves have cleared out the stock of the best portable air conditioners we've tested.

If you are desperate to get your hands on a portable air conditioner right now, we've outlined below where you can still find some in stock, although this is more likely to be sporadic rather than a full restock. However, if you can bear to wait, industry insiders have told us that some models will be fully restocked in September/October, while others may not return until 2027. It's a good idea to sign up with retailers such as Argos and AO.com to get a notification when your chosen model is back in stock.

Depending on your budget and cooling needs, it might also be worth weighing up portable vs fitted air conditioning to see which best suits your needs.

To help you choose the AC you want to wait for, I've ranked the best portable air conditioners our in-house product testers have used, based on things like price, effectiveness, ease of use, noise and their value for money.

Where to find in-stock portable air conditioners

The heatwave means all of our top-rated portable ACs are currently sold out. However, I've highlighted below where I've found some units still in stock, as well as a couple of alternatives worth considering.

• Appliances Direct has multiple portable air conditioners in stock
• AO may have sold out of portable air conditioners, but you can sign up for alerts to be notified when they are back in stock.
• Amazon does still have some portable air conditioners in stock, but they are selling fast, may be more expensive due to demand, and have longer lead times than usual. I also spotted the 12,000 BTU version of the Dreo portable air conditioner I recently tested, available too.
• If air conditioning is definitely what you want, you could also consider a fitted unit. I had mine fitted through BOXT.

I have also added some in-stock alternatives based on spec or price (rather than our first hand testing experience) below.

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 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, but that's not to say you can't find something more budget friendly that is still effective. This Vonhaus portable air conditioner can be used as a fan, air conditioner and a dehumidifier and has an RRP of a very reasonable £259.99.

While our tester Natasha found it a little tricky to set up, she felt it was very easy to use and found it very effective at quickly cooling down her son's bedroom, and appreciated that the window kit was included, which isn't the case with all of the portable air conditioners on this list.

But while it's affordable and effective, it does lack some finesse that you may well get with a more premium appliance. For example, it doesn't offer any smart functionality, is on the noisier side, and doesn't have a water tank that Natasha thought was missing when used in dehumidifier mode.

However, if you want to use it primarily for cooling, and don't want to spend a fortune, this unit will get the job done.

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 value portable air conditioner

Despite it's relatively compact proportions, the Dreo 318S definitely delivers on cooling power, lowering the temperature in my home office by 4°C in just 20 minutes during testing. And it's relatively quiet about it too. While it doesn't run silently like some fans, it's definitely not as noisy as other portable air con units, and I found I could easily have this running while I was working (or dropping off to sleep when in my bedroom) without too much distraction.

While all portable air conditioners are bulky to a certain extent, the Dreo 318S is smaller than others I've tested, which means it doesn't feel too cumbersome when used in a smaller room.

In terms of controls, I found this easy to use especially once I'd changed the default temperature setting from Fahrenheit to Celcius. I liked that I could use the on-board controls, remote control or the free Dreo app to control it, especially if I was looking to cool down a space before I got to it.

It also offers a fan and dehumidifier mode, but for me, these are secondary functions (and arguably not as good as alternative stand alone appliances). The cooling really is the stand out function.

My main gripe is that the exhaust hose wasn't quite long enough, which made setting it up to vent out the window a little frustrating, although not impossible.

Read my full Dreo 318S Portable Air Conditioner review for more details.

Quietest portable air conditioner

While this DeLonghi portable air conditioner is definitely an investment buy, it's packed with loads of handy features.

Our tester Zoë loved how easy it was to use (she preferred the app, but you can also control it via the smart remote, the on-board controls or via a voice assistant) and while there are multiple settings to choose from, she didn't find the options intimidating or overly complex. A particular feature that got a big thumbs up from Zoë was the ability to schedule the unit to pre-cool a room, which was very helpful when it came to getting her son's room a comfortable temperature before bed.

It also comes with a smart sensing function that monitors the temperature and humidity of the air around the remote constantly, and adapts how it's working to make the environment comfortable. That means if you keep the remote by you, you can ensure your personal comfort without having to keep getting up and going over to the unit, or find yourself constantly faffing with the controls to find a comfortable setting.

Moreover, according to Zoë's own decibel meter readings, this portable AC emits the lowest noise, even in cooling mode. Zoë even found that she didn't need to adjust the volume of the television when using the AC in her living room. For those sensitive to noise, or who want to use a portable air conditioner overnight, this feature will be highly sought after.

Read the full Delonghi Pinguino Care4Me EL112 air conditioner review for more details.

Best portable air conditioners compared

Find out the running costs of any portable air conditioner using our calculator below. All you need to know is the wattage.

When should you buy a portable air conditioner?

It's best not to wait until a heatwave hits to think about getting a portable air conditioner, as over the last few years, we've seen stock availability struggle with high demand. Waiting until you're desperate could mean you end up with a model that is less suitable for your home and budget.

They're also not cheap to buy, so it's best to treat them as a considered rather than impulse purchase.

Buying one before a heatwave hits means you have it ready to go when you need it. Getting one ahead of time means that you have time to get to grips with how it works and get prepped so that when temperatures do rise, you don't have to waste time faffing around and instead you can just embrace the cooling benefits.

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 to choose the right portable air conditioner

First and foremost, you'll need to choose a portable air conditioner with suitable cooling power for the room you want too cool. This is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU) and the higher number the more powerful the cooling capacity.

Choose a too-high BTU rating for your room and you'll pay more for the unit itself and use more energy than you need to, which'll mean higher energy bills. However, opt for a too-low BTU rating, and it won't cool the space effectively.

So what BTU rating do you need? To work out the amount of cooling you need, you'll need to take into account the size of the room you want to cool, how many windows and which way they face, and the heat emitters in the space.

Meaco suggests doing the following as a guide:

• Measure the length and width in metres of the room you want to cool, and do the following calculation: Length (m) x width (m) x 337. The answer will give you the room area BTU you need.
• If there are windows in the room, measure their length and width in metres and note their orientation. Then do the following calculation: Length (m) x width (m) x 870 (for south facing windows) or 165 (for north facing windows). If there are no blinds on the windows, multiply the answer by 1.5. That will give you the windows BTU you need.
• Next you need to think about how many people are usually in the room. Multiply the number of people by 400. That will give you the occupant BTU.
• Then you need to think about any devices in the room that may be emitting heat that your portable air conditioner will need to accommodate for. Take the wattage for each item (you will be able to find this on the device itself, in the instruction manual or online), add the wattages together and multiply the answer by 3.5. This will give you the equipment BTU.
• Lastly, you need to add up the wattage for all the lighting in the room and multiply that by 4.25. That will give you the lighting BTU.
• As a final step, do the following calculation to see what size portable air conditioner you need. Room area BTU + windows BTU + occupant BTU + equipment BTU + lighting BTU = Total amount of cooling your portable air con will need to provide.

You should also look at things like whether a window kit is included (portable ACs need to be vented out of a window) and how long the hose is, how noisy it is, whether it can double as a dehumidifier or purifier as well as any energy saving features, like an eco mode, that it might have.

How we test portable air conditioners

When it comes to how we test fans and portable air conditioners here at Ideal Home, we test everything from how it is to unbox, set up and use, how effective it is, as well as how much it costs and whether we think it offers good value for money.

Our team of reviewers test a host of bestselling portable air conditioners in their own homes so we have the best idea of how they will perform in yours. We test each model in a suitably sized room for at least two weeks to see how it fits into everyday life. 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.

While we compare the specification of each portable air conditioner, we also collect our own data, from how quickly the room reaches a comfortable temperature to how noisy the air conditioner is when in cooling mode.