The 10 Best Portable Air Conditioners of 2023

When the temperatures start to climb, air conditioners become a summer must-have. But if you don’t have central air conditioning, your choices are limited. Portable air conditioners are a great option because of their versatility, flexibility, and ease of installation. They’re also easy to store away once the summer months are behind you.

Portable air conditioners are ideal for “customers looking for an easy and convenient way to increase airflow in a single room compared to the overall home,” says Austyn Hoelter, merchant of home comfort for The Home Depot. Hoelter adds that portable air conditioners are able to be moved from room to room, can help reduce energy bills, and are easy to install.

We’ve rounded up the best portable air conditioners to keep your space cool, from units that you can take with you on camping trips to truly portable models that don’t require a hose.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

LG Electronics Portable Air Conditioner at Home Depot

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Best Budget:

Shinco Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best Splurge:

DeLonghi Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best Small:

SereneLife Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best for Car:

Evapolar Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best Air Conditioner and Heater Combo:

Black+Decker Portable Air Conditioner and Heater at Amazon

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Best for Apartments:

Midea Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best for Camping:

Zero Breeze Mark 2 AC at Zerobreeze.com

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Best without Hose:

Honeywell Indoor Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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Best Dual Hose:

Whynter Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner at Amazon

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4.7

The Home Depot

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Why You Should Get It: It’s ultra-quiet at 44 decibels.

Keep in Mind: With 14,000 BTU it is best for a large room of up to 500 square feet.

The LG Portable Air Conditioner is our pick for best portable air conditioner overall because it is a three-in-one product that is energy efficient and easy to use and store. This portable air conditioner has three modes of operation: cool mode, fan mode, and dry mode.

Cool mode can be used for cooling and dehumidifying, fan mode just circulates the air in your room, and dry mode helps remove moisture from the air on humid days. This unit has 14,000 BTU, with an estimated cooling area of 500 square feet, or a room size that is 20 feet by 25 feet. BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and it is a measurement of the energy your air conditioner uses to remove heat from the air.

In addition, the LG Portable Air Conditioner has multiple fan speeds, so you can customize according to your preferences, as well as a sleep mode that keeps noise down and automatically turns off on a timer. There is also a 24 hour on and off timer, which can be set to turn your unit on or off automatically.

You can control your air conditioner with the touch of a button using the LG ThinQ app, which is compatible with your smartphone, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home.

While some portable air conditioners can be noisy—and therefore not ideal for use while you’re sleeping—the LG Portable Air Conditioner operates at sound levels as low as 44 decibels when in sleep mode. The LG Portable Air Conditioner is also energy efficient thanks to its dual inverter compressor.

When it comes to portable air conditioners, it’s important to consider where you’ll store it after you are finished using it. We love that this unit is designed with function in mind, as there is space on the back so that you can store the hose on the unit, and a spot to keep the installation kit when you’re packing it up for the colder months.

Keep in mind that, with 14,000 BTUs, this portable air conditioner is ideal for larger rooms up to 500 square feet. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t get a portable air conditioner that has too few or too many BTUs, as it will affect the unit’s efficiency. Too much, and it can cause your room to become humid, rather than cool.

Price at time of publish: $698

Shinco 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: It’s affordable and can cool and dehumidify your space.

Keep in Mind: It’s ideal for cooling small spaces of up to 200 square feet.

The Shinco Portable Air Conditioner is the best portable air conditioner for those looking to stay cool while also staying on a budget. This unit is extremely affordable, and still has the ability to both cool and dehumidify your space.

This portable air conditioner has three operating modes: cool, fan, and dry. It also has two fan speeds, and a temperature range of 60°F to 86°F, all of which you can control via remote control.

The sleep function allows you to set your air conditioner to turn off after a certain amount of time without having to get up and do so yourself. Additionally, this portable air conditioner is easy to install, but it must be vented through a window in order to ensure that it functions properly.

This unit has a maximum noise level of 55 decibels, and at its lowest setting it has a noise level of 52 decibels, which means it’s not a whisper-quiet unit, but is the average for portable air conditioners.

Keep in mind that, with 8,000 BTUs, this Shinco air conditioner is ideal for small rooms up to 200 square feet. If you use it in a larger room, you will find that it does not run as efficiently, as it will be working overtime to keep your space cool.

Price at time of publish: $274

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: It uses smart sensing technology to keep your space comfortable.

Keep in Mind: The timer requires manual setting.

The DeLonghi Pinguino 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner is our pick for the best portable air conditioner to splurge on because of its smart sensing remote and quiet motor.

This portable air conditioner has 14,000 BTUs and can cool rooms up to 700 square feet large. It monitors the temperature and humidity in your space, plus your position in the room, and then automatically adjusts the unit to keep your room cool.

This feature sets this model apart from the rest because most of the others on our list need to be programmed by the user, rather than anticipating your needs. As a dehumidifier, it holds up to 170 pints of water collected from the air.

Typically, with an air conditioner putting out so much energy, the motors tend to be loud, but not this unit. It has an output of 52 decibels, but it has technology called Arctic Whisper Extreme that can reduce noise by up to 3 decibels.

Keep in mind that you do need to manually set timers on this air conditioner, should you want it to turn on or off when you are not around.

Price at time of publish: $700

SereneLife SLPAC8 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: This air conditioner may be small, but it effectively cools rooms up to 215 square feet and it is lighter than other units.

Keep in Mind: This unit can be noisy, with noise output of 57 decibels.

The SereneLife Compact Portable Air Conditioner is our choice for best small portable air conditioner because, at only 14.6 x 13.8 x 27.2 inches, it still has many of the features and benefits of a larger-sized unit, while saving you some space. Because it is compact, it is also lightweight at just 53 pounds (other units can weigh as much as 83 pounds) making it extremely portable and easy to move from room to room.

Putting out 8,000 BTUs, this portable air conditioner is able to cool rooms up to 215 square feet in size with the use of two fan settings. It has three operational modes: AC cooling, dehumidifier, and fan.

The SereneLife Compact Portable Air Conditioner removes 1.2 liters of moisture per hour, which is pretty impressive considering its size. It also has features like auto-swing, which helps distribute the air throughout the room, as well as a 24-hour timer so that you can set your air conditioner to turn on and off on your schedule. All of this can be controlled with the use of a remote control.

Keep in mind, this unit has a noise output of up to 57 decibels, which is about as loud as your average conversation, so if you’re a light sleeper, that may pose a problem for you.

Price at time of publish: $320

Evapolar evaCHILL Small Portable Air Conditioner

Target

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Why You Should Get It: This unit can be charged using an USB charger, and it only weighs 1.65 pounds.

Keep in Mind: It’s an evaporative cooler, so it uses water and not a hose.

Though compact, the Evapolar evaChill Portable Air Conditioner packs a punch, with the promise of decreasing the space’s temperature up to 19 degrees. We would like to point out that, while it is portable, this is technically an evaporative cooler, which means that it does not vent from a hose, but rather uses water to cool the air. It is ideal for dry and hot climates.

The evaChill cools and humidifies while also catching dust particles in the air, and it has a filter cartridge that is made of basalt, which is safe to breathe, hygienic, and does not require cleaning.

This model is the best portable air conditioner for your car because it is powered by USB, and so it is simple to connect it. This air conditioner has a cooling area of 26 square feet, so it provides perfect coverage for a small space like your car. It’s also quiet, at only 25 decibels, so you won’t have to turn your music up or shout over it while it's on.

The evaChill comes in three colorways: opaque white, ocean blue, and urban gray, so you can decide which color scheme works best for your car. Plus, at just 1.65 pounds, it is lightweight, so you won’t mind carrying it with you when the time comes to use it.

In order to function properly, it has to be placed on a horizontal surface, so you might have to figure out a solution in your car that keeps it in working order.

Price at time of publish: $100

4.6

Black+Decker Portable Air Conditioner and Heater

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: In addition to heating and cooling, it also comes with a fan and dehumidifier.

Keep in Mind: You can only get this air conditioner with heat when you choose the 14,000 BTU or 12,000 BTU models.

The Black + Decker Portable Air Conditioner is our pick for the best portable air conditioner and heater combo because it is relatively affordable while still providing air and heat to a space up to 700 square feet.

A heater and air conditioner combo could be useful for someone who doesn’t have central heating or air, but would rather not deal with the hassle of installing an air conditioner in the summer months, only to uninstall it and then install a heater in the winter months. This unit is versatile since it also functions as a fan and a dehumidifier.

In cool and dehumidifying modes, this air conditioner has a temperature range of 64 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In heat mode, it can heat from 50 to 77 degrees. We also love that it is a relatively compact unit, at only 17.1 x 13.8 x 28.1 inches, but it still manages to cool a room that is up to 700 square feet, and heats rooms that are 550 square feet.

It does all of this and remains average in terms of noise output at 54 decibels, which is around the same amount of noise as a conversation. There is also a timer function, as well as a sleep mode that adjusts the fan speed automatically. A self-evaporating operation that means you don’t have to drain any moisture from the air conditioner when it is in cool mode.

Though the air conditioner-only version of this unit is available in models with 8,000,10,000, 12,000, and 14,000 BTUs, the option for adding heat is only available in 12,000 or 14,000 BTUs.

Price at time of publish: $599

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: It can be controlled via your smartphone or Amazon Alexa.

Keep in Mind: It has a noise output of 54 decibels, so it’s not the quietest unit.

If you have a small space and are looking for an efficient way to keep it cool, our pick for the best portable air conditioner for apartments is the Midea Portable Air Conditioner.

We love that it can be controlled with your smartphone or Amazon Alexa, so you can adjust the unit with a simple voice command. With this function, you can set a schedule for your unit, which makes it easy to have a cool space whenever you need it. This also allows you to save energy (and money) when you don’t need your space cooled.

This unit has a cooling power of 10,000 BTUs, which is ideal for spaces up to 200 square feet. There are options if your apartment is smaller or larger, with models that have 6,000, 12,000, and 14,000 BTUs.

It is a three-in-one model that functions as a dehumidifier as well as a fan. It’s effective at its job, cooling a room to a temperature between 62 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This portable air conditioner has a filter that can be washed, and it is effective at keeping dust and pet hair at bay.

However, it does have a noise output of 54 decibels, so it’s not the quietest unit on our list.

Price at time of publish: $399

Zero Breeze

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Why You Should Get It: It’s a truly portable air conditioner that doesn’t require a generator.

Keep in Mind: It’s the most expensive unit on our list.

While its price tag may give you sticker shock, the Zero BreezeMark 2 AC is our pick for best portable air conditioner for camping. That’s because it is truly portable—no need to find an outlet or place to hook it up in order to get relief from the heat.

Many portable air conditioners used when camping are actually evaporative coolers that use water and ice, but not this one. If you aren’t using this outdoors, you will need a window to vent this unit.

This unit, which only weighs 16.5 pounds, can be plugged in, but it can also be run off of a 24 volt battery or with Zero Breeze’s battery, which holds three to five hours of portable usage. The battery can also be charged by a solar panel.

You don’t have to worry about hooking it up to your car and draining the battery, either. It has a car mode that automatically stops working when the power supply is lower than 18.6 volts.

This portable air conditioner functions using a dual hose system, so it draws in fresh air and exhausts hot air through another hose. The benefit of a dual hose portable air conditioner is that they are typically more efficient at cooling—this unit only takes 10 minutes to cool down a space 30 degrees.

At 2,300 BTU, this air conditioner can cool down spaces of 25 to 40 square feet. This portable air conditioner is expensive, which means that if you’re planning on investing in it, you might want to be sure that you’ll get enough use out of it. In other words, camping enthusiasts might be able to justify the cost, whereas novice campers might not.

Price at time of publish: $1,699

Honeywell CL25AE Portable Evaporative Cooler

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: This unit has a compartment for ice to give it extra cooling power.

Keep in Mind: This is an evaporative cooler, so it will not cool as efficiently as an air conditioner.

The Honeywell Indoor Portable Air Conditioner is our pick for best portable air conditioner without a hose. Unlike a traditional portable air conditioner, the Honeywell model doesn't rely on outside air to cool a space. This device works by using cool water and ice in order to create a cool breeze.

It evaporates the water and ice, to aid in creating a cooler environment. This model has a top-loading ice compartment as well as a 6.6. gallon water tank, so you don’t need to constantly refill while in use. Should you run low, there is a low water alarm to notify you.

This unit is weather resistant, so if you need to keep an outdoor space cool, you can roll it out and start cooling off. It is recommended for use in areas 300 square feet or less. It also functions solely as a fan, and has four speed settings for a customizable cool.

We love that this unit has an adjustable humidification knob, as well as an ice compartment for faster cooling. Evaporative coolers are best for dry climates where the humidity is lower than 60 percent, because they pull double duty by humidifying the room and keeping it from becoming too dry.

This evaporative cooler has a washable filter made of active carbon, which helps keep your air clean while preventing pollutants, dust, and odor.

Price at time of publish: $330

Product Details: Dimensions: 18.11 x 18.5 x 31.1 inches | Type: Evaporative cooler | Cooling Area: 300 square feet | Filter Type: Carbon dust | Noise Level: 60 decibels

Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner

Amazon

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Why You Should Get It: It efficiently cools down spaces up to 500 square feet.

Keep in Mind: You’ll need to make sure you have space to install two hoses.

Our pick for best dual hose air conditioner is the Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner because it is efficient and eco friendly, making it worth the extra installation space.

Dual hose air conditioners use two separate hoses to take in air from outside to cool, while expelling interior air simultaneously. As a result, they typically cool down a room quicker than a single hose unit.

This unit has an adjustable digital thermostat and a temperature range of 61 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a programmable timer so that you can set a schedule for your air conditioning. The Whynter ARC-14S is also a dehumidifier, and it has an impressive dehumidifying capacity of up to 71 pints of moisture per day.

Additionally, it uses auto drain technology in order to use and recycle moisture that is collected during the cooling process. This is much more convenient than having to empty out a compartment by hand.

The Whynter ARC-14S has a carbon air filter and a washable pre-filter that keeps the air in your space free from pollutants, dust, and more.

This model has a cooling power of 14,000 BTU, which means that it is best suited for a room up to 500 square feet. It also has a noise level that stays before 56 decibels, which isn’t necessarily quiet, but about average for a unit with this cooling power.

As a bonus, the air conditioner comes with a storage bag to keep the unit in when it is stowed away or not in use so it does not get dusty or dirty.

Price at time of publish: $600

The Bottom Line

Overall, when looking for the best portable air conditioner, you should consider how much space you need to cool, where you are planning on installing it, and how much noise it is going to make.

We’ve chosen the LG Portable Air Conditioner because, while at a moderate price point, this unit can cool up to 500 square feet of space, is energy efficient, and can be controlled by your smartphone. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly model, we love the Shinco Portable Air Conditioner.

What to Know About Portable Air Conditioners Before Shopping

Type

There are two types of portable air conditioner: single-hose or double-hose models. Those without a hose are actually evaporative coolers—like the Honeywell Indoor Portable Air Conditioner—but they possess a lot of similarities to portable air conditioners.

Single-hose models are the most popular because they tend to take up less space than their dual-hose counterparts, and they also tend to be cheaper. Dual hose models are more efficient than single-hose portable air conditioners because they have two hoses that work together to both intake fresh air and exhaust hot air.

Single-hose portable air conditioners pull air in from the outside of your home via the window or a vent in your wall, so it doesn’t expel the hot air simultaneously. Single-house models are great for cooling off smaller spaces, while dual-hose models are more powerful and efficient at cooling larger spaces.

Evaporative coolers are very similar to portable air conditioners, but instead of using a hose that needs to be installed into your window or wall, it uses a water tank and evaporative cooling to cool down a space. “They also add moisture and humidity to the air, and are efficient in dry climates, but less effective in humid areas,” says Hoelter.

Noise Level

The sound that portable air conditioners use while in use are measured in decibels. For context, 60 decibels is around the volume of a normal conversation, and many units come close to this in terms of the sounds they are emitting while in use.

That means that if you’re a light sleeper, you might find yourself struggling to get some shut eye with some models. If that’s you, look for a model that has a lower operating noise, some units register as low as 44-52 decibels — like our best overall pick, The LG Portable Air Conditioner.

Filter Type

There are a few different types of filters used with portable air conditioners. Almost all portable air conditioners have pre-filters, and these are able to be washed and cleaned by hand as they usually catch dust and hair.

If you have allergies and asthma, or just have pets who shed, you should look for a portable air conditioner with more advanced filters. Silver ion filters are made to remove dust, pollen, pet dander, and even bacteria from the air.

Antimicrobial air filters are able to capture dust, pollen, pet dander, as well as mold, mildew and even filter smoke. 3M filters work similarly to antimicrobial filters, while activated carbon filters are great for people who have pets, smoke, or want to filter the air of smells as well as things like dust and pollen.

BTU

An air conditioner’s ability to cool your space is measured in BTUs, which is an acronym for British Thermal Units. The number of BTUs your portable air conditioner needs will depend on the size of your room.

As a rule of thumb from the Department of Energy, you can calculate the number of BTUs needed by multiplying the square footage of your space by 20. Don’t skimp on doing the math—it might make all the difference to finding the best portable air conditioner for you.

Having an air conditioner with a BTU range that is too high can cause your room to become humid, rather than cool, and result in wasted energy. In fact, it’s preferred to have a smaller unit so that it can properly dehumidify while cooling. Even if you have to run your smaller unit for a longer amount of time, it is still more energy efficient than having a high BTU.

Keep in mind that if you have high ceilings, multiple people living in your space, or are going to be using your portable air conditioner in a part of your home that is typically warm (like the kitchen, or a space with tons of light coming in) you’ll want to size up in BTUs.

Cooling Area

When you’re thinking about which is the best portable air conditioner for your space, you need to take into account the amount of space the unit will be able to cool efficiently and effectively.

You can do this by measuring the square footage of your room—multiply the length of the room by its width and then multiply that number by 20 to determine how many BTUs you need. For example, if you are cooling a space that is 250 square feet, look for a unit that produces 5,000 BTUs.

Your Questions, Answered

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

Not all portable air conditioners need to be vented out of a window—it depends on the type and specific model. Many models, like the Shinco Portable Air Conditioner, require a window because they use air from outside the house.

However, other portable air conditioners don't require a window, like the Evapolar evaChill Portable Air Conditioner, which uses a water tank instead of outside air to create a cooler environment.

Where can you buy a portable air conditioner?

You can buy a portable air conditioner online, whether directly through the manufacturer, or on sites like Amazon, The Home Depot, or Lowes. Before buying one online, make sure to measure your space to ensure you are purchasing a portable air conditioner with the appropriate BTU for your area.

Are portable air conditioners worth it?

Whether or not portable air conditioners are worth it depends on your lifestyle and your needs. Window units are popular because they make less noise and take up less floor space.

They do however, tend to be heavy, more difficult to install, and are confined to one space (where they have to stay year round, unless you’re willing to uninstall them). Portable air conditioners, on the other hand, are simple to set up and offer users the flexibility of being able to move it from room to room as needed and store it away when finished.

Portable air conditioners do take up more floor space than a window unit, and they tend to make more noise, but if you are someone who moves a lot or likes the ease of being able to roll your unit from place to place, it’s worth it to invest in a portable air conditioner.

Who We Are

Andrea Wurzburger is a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. For this story, she spent several hours researching the best portable air conditioners by comparing various products. She also spoke with Austyn Hoelter, Merchant of Home Comfort, Air Quality and Floorcare for The Home Depot.