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We’ve added the EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner as a new pick for people who need a more flexible heating/cooling option that’s actually fully portable.
If you don’t have central air, if a window AC won’t work in your situation, and if a ductless mini-split or heat pump system would be too complex or costly for you, a portable air conditioner is your next best option.
The Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL is quieter, more powerful, and more efficient than any other portable AC we’ve tested. It’s expensive, like most portable ACs, but it also functions as a heater, and that rare ability makes it a valuable all-season climate controller.
This portable AC’s powerful inverter compressor and its secondary role as a heater help it dial in a precise comfort level quietly, effectively, and efficiently for most of the year.
May be out of stock
The Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL delivers better cooling performance than other portable ACs while using less energy and making less noise, thanks in part to its variable-speed inverter compressor and its hose-in-hose design. In our tests, it was good at distributing the cooled air, never leaving more than a 1-degree temperature difference across the room.
The Duo MAP14HS1TBL offers all of the standard smart-home capabilities, as well, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support, and the smartphone app and the included remote offer even greater options for custom control.
Its built-in heat pump shifts from cooling to heating to maintain equilibrium at whatever temperature you’ve set, so you can use it for climate control in your home year-round instead of just during the summer.
Runner-up Midea Duo MAP12S1TBLSimilar cooling, less power, no heat Just as quiet as our top pick, this version costs less, has a little less cooling power, and does not include a heater.Buying Options$529 from Amazon $599 from Lowe's
Just as quiet as our top pick, this version costs less, has a little less cooling power, and does not include a heater.
The Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL is a slightly smaller version of our top pick that offers all the same amenities, minus the heat pump. It’s technically less efficient than our top pick because of the way that portable AC efficiency is calculated, but it has the same inverter compressor and dual-hose setup, and it performs nearly as well.
This cooling and heating AC is not an inverter model, but it’s just as powerful as our top pick, and it spreads the air more evenly around the room.
The Frigidaire FHPH142AC1 impressed us not only with its ability to maintain a steady chill throughout the room within one-half of a degree but also with its surprisingly low-volume performance.
Although it doesn’t have the same efficiency as an inverter model, this single-hose Frigidaire AC is just as powerful and nearly as quiet.
This Frigidaire model also offers heating capabilities for the cooler months. The window-panel kit isn’t quite as robust as those of competitors, however, and that made the installation process a little more frustrating in our tests.
This portable AC has an efficient variable-speed compressor, a built-in hose for easier setup, and a convenient storage pocket—but it lacks a heating mode.
If the Midea Duo models are unavailable, the single-hose LG LP1419IVSM is another option for a portable AC with an efficient variable-speed, inverter-powered compressor.
Like our runner-up, it has an impressively simple setup process and lacks heating capabilities, but it’s also slightly more powerful than our runner-up.
This LG model is also the most self-contained portable air conditioner we’ve tested, with a built-in hose and storage compartments for the window panels and remote that make it easy to pack up and roll away for the winter.
This popular model matches our other picks in cooling performance but feels cheaper—it has chintzy buttons and lacks conveniences such as cord storage.
The popular, affordable Black+Decker BPACT14WT delivers where it counts—in cooling performance—better than anything else in its price range. But it’s a little rough around the edges compared with our other picks: Its operation is louder, its controls are clunkier, and it lacks the nice details we like about some other models.
Even so, it gets the job done, and it’s a fine choice if you need a portable AC at something closer to a window-AC price.
This battery-powered portable AC offers a variety of charging options so you can stay comfortable in any situation, though it isn’t as powerful as our other picks.
The EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner is the rare portable AC that’s truly portable, with a built-in battery that can provide up to 8 hours of heating or cooling (plus you can run it on fan mode for even longer). It doesn’t need to be vented out the window either, making it a great option for tents, RVs, and semi-enclosed spaces like a seasonal patio. The EcoFlow isn’t quite as powerful as our other picks, so it won’t make the entire room comfortable—but if you aim at a few individual people, it can work wonders.
This portable AC’s powerful inverter compressor and its secondary role as a heater help it dial in a precise comfort level quietly, effectively, and efficiently for most of the year.
May be out of stock
Just as quiet as our top pick, this version costs less, has a little less cooling power, and does not include a heater.
This cooling and heating AC is not an inverter model, but it’s just as powerful as our top pick, and it spreads the air more evenly around the room.
This portable AC has an efficient variable-speed compressor, a built-in hose for easier setup, and a convenient storage pocket—but it lacks a heating mode.
This popular model matches our other picks in cooling performance but feels cheaper—it has chintzy buttons and lacks conveniences such as cord storage.
This battery-powered portable AC offers a variety of charging options so you can stay comfortable in any situation, though it isn’t as powerful as our other picks.
We’ve been considering and testing air conditioners in general since 2013 and evaluating portable units in particular since 2016. In that time, we’ve put over 150 hours into researching and testing the full field, spending dozens of hours focused on portables specifically. We’ve considered more than 200 portable models and performed hands-on trials with nearly three dozen of the best options available. We’ve met with manufacturers at trade shows and events, corresponded with sources over years of interviews, and combed through volumes of Department of Energy material about AC efficiency standards.
Staff writer Thom Dunn has written Wirecutter guides to window air conditioners, room fans, space heaters, and more. He has also published articles for The Huffington Post, Upworthy, Vice, The Weather Channel, and other outlets, and in 2019 he was commissioned by Cornell University to create a full-length play about community responses to climate change. He is particularly good at being cool.
This guide builds on earlier work by writer Liam McCabe.
Most people look for the same thing from a portable air conditioner as they expect of any home cooling system:
Historically, this has been a pretty big ask for a portable air conditioner. In recent years, however, the Department of Energy finalized new standards for measuring the seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) and combined energy-efficiency ratio (CEER) of portable ACs. These new metrics are much more comprehensive and helpful—although the way that certain machines are labeled can still be a bit confusing. (When in doubt, consult the EnergyGuide label on the box.)
For this guide, we limited our search to portable air conditioners that met a minimum SACC threshold of 8,000 British thermal units (Btu) per hour, according to these new standards. We prioritized models with a CEER of at least 7.0, as well.
All portable air conditioners have at least one large exhaust hose that must vent out through your window, and some have two. In most situations, the number of hoses doesn’t have a huge impact on performance, so we didn’t factor it into our decision making; any efficiency lost or gained by an extra or missing hose should be factored into the SACC rating, anyway. The one major exception, however, is if you plan on setting up your portable AC in a room with a furnace or water heater or anything else that uses combustion. We’ve added more details about that below.
With our performance needs met, we set up our finalists in a roughly 250-square-foot space and tested for measurable objective criteria, including:
That data was secondary to our subjective note taking on the overall user experience of living with these things—you learn a lot about these units as you set them up, roll them around, and fiddle with their vent-hose attachments in the window. We focused on details such as:
This portable AC’s powerful inverter compressor and its secondary role as a heater help it dial in a precise comfort level quietly, effectively, and efficiently for most of the year.
May be out of stock
With its inverter compressor and its unique dual-hose design, the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL is more powerful, more efficient, and quieter than any other portable air conditioner we’ve tested. It’s also easier to set up and generally more pleasant to live with than similar ACs. Plus, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL comes with a built-in heating mechanism, so you may be able to use it for year-round climate control, depending on where you live.
It delivers more powerful cooling than other portable ACs. With an SACC of 12,000 Btu under the new Department of Energy standards or 14,000 Btu according to the older ASHRAE standards, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL is simply one of the most powerful portable air conditioners you can find. It also has the smallest gap we’ve seen between those two measurements—which, without getting too in the weeds, is a good indicator of a high-quality design.
It’s impressively quiet. In our tests, we measured the Duo MAP14HS1TBL running at an average volume of 48 decibels. Though that’s about 2 decibels more than the volume of our also-great pick from LG, this Midea model is still much quieter than most portable air conditioners, and its noise is still significantly below the generally accepted “normal conversation” volume of 60 decibels. Even the compressor was hardly noticeable when it first kicked on, adding about 2 decibels of low rumble to the fan volume on average.
It’s remarkably efficient. The Duo MAP14HS1TBL has a CEER rating, under the current standards, of 10.8, which is the highest efficiency rating we’ve seen on any portable air conditioner. Even our runner-up pick, also from Midea, has an efficiency rating of only 8.9. (Most models we looked at had a CEER rating between 6.8 and 7.3.) Thanks to the inverter compressor on this model, it can gradually fluctuate its power usage, as well. Whereas most similarly sized portable ACs with standard compressors tend to run at 1,300 watts, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL never used more than 970 watts during our tests, and typically it used even less.
It spreads cool air consistently around the room. The Duo MAP14HS1TBL has a rotating cylinder fan on the top that sort of tosses the cooled air up and out in an arc. In our tests, this mechanism worked surprisingly well: This portable AC was able to drop the temperature by 10 degrees in under an hour while maintaining a roughly 1-degree temperature fluctuation across the room. In that regard, it was more consistent than any other AC we tested, with the exception of our also-great pick from Frigidaire. Even the Danby model we tested, which was identical to this Midea AC in nearly every way except for the fan, couldn’t match its uniform cooling prowess.
The dual-hose design makes it easier to wrangle. Portable ACs with two hoses typically have a slight efficiency advantage over single-hose models; unfortunately, they also tend to be more cumbersome, which sort of offsets any benefit. But the Duo MAP14HS1TBL stands out with an unusual design that combines the intake and exhaust hoses into a single tube that’s built directly into the unit—giving you all the advantages of dual hoses without the frustration of having to wrestle with a pair of annoying plastic snakes that keep detaching from your air conditioner.
The installation process is surprisingly simple. Along with that built-in hose-in-hose design, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL comes with a comprehensive window-installation kit that makes it easily adaptable for a variety of homes. The kit accompanying our unit included so many hardware options that we weren’t even sure what kinds of windows they all worked for; suffice to say, there should be a way to make this AC work for almost any setup you might have. The dual hose snaps right into place on the window panels, too—though you might want to cover the cracks with some insulation tape, anyway.
It comes with a comprehensive remote control and all of the smart-home features you might need, which is especially great for accessibility. We found the built-in user interface to be particularly clear and easy to use; by contrast, the Danby model we tested had the exact same button layout with different markings, and it managed to confuse us every time. Even the Alexa voice commands for the Duo MAP14HS1TBL felt natural.
Thanks to its heating mode, this AC can handle climate control year-round. Though this guide is largely focused on portable units’ cooling capacity, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Duo MAP14HS1TBL also has a built-in 12,000 Btu heat pump. That’s more than enough power for it to provide some efficient electrical heating in the cooler months.
It’s one of the more attractive portable ACs we’ve seen. To be fair, that’s kind of like saying that R2-D2 is better looking than R5-D4—sure, one is a little more sleek-looking, but at the end of the day, they all resemble trash cans on wheels.1
At 77 pounds, the Duo MAP14HS1TBL is one of the heavier portable ACs. It’s about 10 pounds heavier than our budget pick and more than 15 pounds heavier than the convertible GE dual-hose model we tested. Carrying any portable AC up and down stairs is a challenge, but this model’s added heft amplifies the problem. Fortunately, its caster wheels and handles make it easy enough to move around on flat, hard surfaces.
Just as quiet as our top pick, this version costs less, has a little less cooling power, and does not include a heater.
If you don’t mind trading some cooling (and heating) power for a bit of cost savings, the Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL is a smaller, stripped-down version of our top pick that works nearly as well.
It has the same inverter compressor and dual-hose design as our top pick. Those are two of the most important factors for energy-efficient performance—and they’re the things that set Midea’s portable air conditioners apart from the rest of the pack. The MAP12S1TBL has all the same smart-home features, too, and it’s just as quiet and consistent at spreading cooled air around the room. Put another way, this Midea model works just as well as the other one, which is also better than almost any other portable AC you’ll find.
It’s about $100 cheaper than our top pick on average. Portable air conditioners tend to cost more in general than their window-mounted counterparts, and overall AC prices fluctuate throughout the season. That said, this model tends to cost around $560, while our top pick from Midea averages about $660.
This Midea AC isn’t quite as powerful, or as efficient, as our top pick. With an SACC of 10,000 Btu by the current DOE standards (or 12,000 Btu according to the older ASHRAE standards), this Midea model is still more powerful than most other portable ACs out there. Its combined energy-efficiency ratio (CEER) of 8.9 is similarly smaller than what you get from our top pick, but it still represents an improvement on almost any other option.
It doesn’t have a heating mechanism, as our top pick does. For some people, this could be a fair trade-off, especially considering the cost savings.
This cooling and heating AC is not an inverter model, but it’s just as powerful as our top pick, and it spreads the air more evenly around the room.
Although the single-hose Frigidaire FHPH142AC1 is not an inverter-style portable AC, in our tests it provided even more consistent cooling than our other picks, and it was almost as quiet, too. Like the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL, this Frigidaire AC includes a heating supplement, as well as a remote control and convenient smart-home features. It also adds a few unusual perks such as improved filtration and air ionization.
It’s just as powerful as our top pick, and it spreads the cooled air more evenly around the room. With a 10,000 Btu SACC rating under the current Department of Energy standards, the FHPH142AC1 boasts the same cooling prowess as the Duo MAP14HS1TBL. In our tests, it actually did a slightly better job of dropping the temperature in the first half hour, though the two models ultimately worked about the same over the course of two hours. This Frigidaire portable AC was also better at maintaining a consistent temperature, with our monitors measuring less than a half-degree difference between them.
Like our top pick, it also offers a heating option. This Frigidaire model’s built-in heat pump can provide up to 11,000 Btu of warmth during the cooler months—slightly less than the power output from the Duo MAP14HS1TBL but still more than enough for efficient electric heating.
It also has several features that could potentially improve your air quality. While the FHPH142AC1 comes with its own standard air filter by default, you also get the option to upgrade to one of Frigidaire’s MERV-14 PureAir RAC-6 filters, which surpass the COVID-19 filtration levels recommended by both ASHRAE and the CDC. Meanwhile, even if you don’t want to pay the extra cost for an air ionizer, this Frigidaire AC still comes with one built in. We’re skeptical of the health claims of such ionizers, but the ionizer’s presence shouldn’t hurt, either, and it might bring you some more comfort.
It’s a little louder than our other picks but still quieter than most portables. We measured the FHPH142AC1 at an average volume of around 54 decibels, with a louder, low-end rumble from the compressor and a fan that made a slight hissing sound. None of this noise was particularly annoying; even at its worst, it sounded like a gentle white noise machine. Overall, the sound of the FHPH142AC1 is still easier to live with (read: ignore) than the noise from any other standard-compressor portable AC we’ve tested.
It uses more energy than inverter models. The FHPH142AC1 has a combined energy-efficiency ratio (CEER) of 7.8—better than the ratings we’ve seen for most portable ACs out there, but nowhere near as good as the rating for our top pick and its inverter compressor. Running on full blast in our tests, this AC pulled about 1,250 watts of power, regardless of whether it was in cooling or heating mode. Its energy consumption does drop significantly once it reaches its target temperature, but otherwise the range of fluctuation is limited—it’s all or nothing.
It’s a little more frustrating to set up. Like most portable air conditioners, this Frigidaire model requires you to twist the plastic accordion hose onto the back of the machine and then feed that exhaust tube into a plastic panel that fits into your window—a cumbersome process on both ends. Though the end of the hose snapped firmly into place on the window panels, we found that the rest of the extension panels didn’t quite fit the width of the window that we used for testing. As a result, we had to cut some of the plastic pieces in half with a saw. Although the FHPH142AC1 is much less modular and adaptable than some of the other portable ACs we tested, there should still be a way to make it work for your window, even if you need a saw.
This portable AC has an efficient variable-speed compressor, a built-in hose for easier setup, and a convenient storage pocket—but it lacks a heating mode.
The LG LP1419IVSM was our top pick from 2019 to 2021, and it’s still one of the most powerful and efficient portable ACs available. It’s also one of the few portable models that actually feel portable, as it has lots of thoughtful design details that make it easier to store away during the warmer months (which you’ll need to do, since it lacks heating capabilities).
It’s one of the most powerful and efficient portable ACs you can find. Its seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) of 10,000 Btu matches that of our top pick. It also has an inverter compressor like our top pick, though it has a lower CEER of 7.9. With those numbers, the LP1419IVSM is better than every standard-compressor single-hose portable out there, though it’s still a bit more energy intensive than our top pick. Still, with its average noise output of around 45 decibels, you’ll barely notice this AC even when the compressor is working its hardest.
Its self-contained design makes it easier to live with. The LP1419IVSM comes with a remote control, as well as Wi-Fi capabilities so that you can set up all the standard smart-home features, which all work decently well. But the most convenient thing about it is the way it handles all the other, extraneous hardware. In addition to a built-in exhaust hose, which promotes easier setup and transportation, the LP1419IVSM has dedicated storage compartments for the aforementioned remote control, plus all of its window installation panels. It even has a spot to stash the manual, if you want. It’s the only portable AC we’ve ever tested that doesn’t leave you with a pile of plastic parts and nowhere to put them. You can store everything right there on the AC itself, which means you can just roll it away at the end of the summer without having to worry about losing track of the window panels or the remote control.
This battery-powered portable AC offers a variety of charging options so you can stay comfortable in any situation, though it isn’t as powerful as our other picks.
With a rechargeable battery and a variety of charging options, the EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner is one of the only portable air conditioners we’ve found that’s actually portable. It’s a great choice for windowless rooms and semi-enclosed outdoor spaces such as seasonal porches, but it’s an even better option for people who need flexibility, or want something to take on the road for camping trips or off-grid living. It doesn’t even need to be hooked up to a window (although the exhaust air still needs to go somewhere).
The EcoFlow is more portable than other portable ACs. Unlike other portable ACs, the EcoFlow doesn’t need to go plugged into a wall unless you’re actively charging it. That leaves you with a lot more flexibility on location. The removable battery can last about 4-6 hours of constant heating or cooling; but if you switch it to fan mode once you’ve reached your target temperature, it should run for the rest of the day without a problem. It pulls about 750 watts of energy while charging, too, which is still less energy than it takes to run a non-inverter portable AC. Plus, the battery comes with USB charging ports, in case you need them as well. Still, it’s not a bad idea to keep a second battery as a backup, just in case.
It’s ideal for tents and RVs, and can run on solar panels, or a separate generator. In addition to the removable and rechargeable batteries, the EcoFlow can also work in conjunction with one of the company’s portable power stations like the Delta Max 2000, which in turn can run off of a car charger, generator, or set of solar panels. After testing it, we’re in agreement with EcoFlow’s marketing that it’s a good option for RVs or car camping, so you can make sure there’s some air conditioning anywhere you go.
You don’t need to vent the EcoFlow out the window, either. The EcoFlow comes with a variety of hose connections that you can hookup to any of the air intakes or exhausts. This gives you a little more flexibility on where you vent your air, and where you get it from. For example, you could leave the EcoFlow outside your tent, then pump fresh conditioned air inside that stuffy space while you’re sleeping. You can also use it outdoors or in a semi-enclosed space like a screened-in patio and just direct the exhaust air away from you.
To be clear: there will still be exhaust air (the opposite of the air that you’re conditioning), and it will still need to vented away from you somehow. But instead of being forced to hook your air conditioner up to a window, the EcoFlow gives you more opportunity, like directing it towards the ceiling. If you do that indoors, that exhaust will eventually remix with the conditioned air—thanks, thermodynamics!—but at least you’ll still get some reprieve from the heat or cold.
It’s surprisingly quiet, too. In our tests, the EcoFlow at about 50 decibels with the fan running on high, or 37 decibels on low. That makes it quieter than any of our other portable AC picks, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about it destroying the serenity of your wilderness slumber (or whatever you choose to do with it).
But the EcoFlow isn’t nearly as powerful as other portable ACs. With a cooling capacity of about 5100 BTUs along with 6100 BTUs of heating, the EcoFlow has less than half the power output of our other picks. This means the EcoFlow isn’t so good for broadly heating or cooling down all the ambient air in a room. What it can do instead is make people more comfortable. Aim the EcoFlow at a couple on a couch, or a few folks inside a tent or other small space, and you can focus the air conditioning on those individual people, instead of heating or cooling the entire space. It’s a subtle difference. But in the kind of situations that the EcoFlow was designed for, it can make a major difference.
It’s also a lot more expensive. At around $1300, the EcoFlow costs roughly twice as much as our other picks—all while, yes, having a much weaker power output. (The bulk of that cost comes from the battery, which is $900 on its own.) However, those other ACs aren’t nearly as convenient or portable. If you have the floor and window space for a normal portable unit, then you should absolutely get one. But if you need something that offers more flexibility in how and where it keeps you comfortable, then we think the EcoFlow is worth the markup.
This popular model matches our other picks in cooling performance but feels cheaper—it has chintzy buttons and lacks conveniences such as cord storage.
The Black+Decker BPACT14WT is loud and clumsy—and it’s your best bet for a cheapish portable air conditioner that will actually do its job. It isn’t great, but it is the most affordable option that meets our minimum standards. (Plenty of more expensive models failed to even reach our threshold for power and efficiency.)
It’s surprisingly powerful for its price tag. It offers a seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) of 8,400 Btu and an overall ASHRAE-rated output of 14,000 Btu. Our other portable AC picks are all rated at a minimum SACC of 10,000 Btu under the current standards—but every other lesser AC we considered at the same size as this Black+Decker model was at least $150 more. If you actually want to save money, this Black+Decker AC delivers the best compromise for the cost.
It’s easy enough to set up and maintain. However, you will need a screwdriver to install the window panel or remove the filters. This process isn’t terrible, but it’s also not as easy to deal with as the installation for our other picks. Otherwise, setup of the BPACT14WT involves all the same standard hose-wrangling frustrations as with any other portable AC.
Black+Decker offers a five year warranty on the compressor. It covers the other parts of the BPACT14WT for only one year, the same amount of coverage as on our other picks. But you should be able to sleep easier knowing that you’ll at least have some protection in the event that, well, you can’t sleep because the AC’s compressor broke down. That counts for something.
It’s pretty loud and inefficient, especially compared with our other picks. In our tests, the BPACT14WT ran nearly 10 decibels louder than the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL on its highest setting—a volume level that could start to encroach on normal conversation levels in some rooms. The sound of it also reminded us of an amateur White Stripes cover band with a snake on lead vocals, which might not be ideal for everyone. Still, there are worse ways to try to cool down, especially when you’re desperate.
The Coolzy Pro is similar to the EcoFlow in that it’s a smaller portable AC designed for cooling individual people in less conventional spaces. It has an even lower cooling capacity, however, and still needs to be plugged into a wall outlet.
The Danby DPA100B9IWDB-6 looks surprisingly similar to our runner-up pick, just with a slightly different fan on top. It functions basically the same—all the way down to the fact that it allows you to use your Midea login for the app. Midea wouldn’t comment on that, but the Danby model is a fine alternative overall.
The dual-hose Honeywell HW4CEDAWW0 was so terribly frustrating to assemble that we gave up entirely. It’s supposed to be just as powerful as our top pick, though, and nearly as efficient, even without an inverter compressor.
Similarly, the Honeywell MN4HFS9 has an SACC of 9,000 Btu, as well as a built-in heat pump, and it performed well enough in our tests. It was louder than we would have liked, however, and we’re confident that you can find a more efficient model at a better price.
The Honeywell MO0CESWK7 could have been a potential budget-pick competitor if it had a higher SACC rating. It could still be a decent choice for a smaller room.
The Lowe’s-exclusive GE APWD07JASG works as both a single-hose model and a dual-hose model, with the help of an $80 conversion kit. The conversion process is simple, and we tested the machine in both configurations, both of which proved to be the epitome of “fine.”
The dual-hose Whynter Elite ARC-122DS used to be our top pick; it’s less efficient than our current picks but still a good choice overall. The Whynter Elite ARC-122DHP is essentially the same thing with the addition of a built-in heater.
The most important thing to do to make a portable AC perform at its best is to insulate the gaps between the window, the window frame, and the panel holding the AC vent. Foam strips work, and 10 feet of the stuff typically costs a few dollars. The tape helps to prevent warm air from slipping in through the cracks as easily.
When you’re using a portable AC, keep it as close to the window as you can, with as many of the accordion ribs collapsed as possible, so that the hose is as short and straight as you can make it. Clean the filter at least once a month.
Starting in 2019, we began comparing dual- and single-hose models according to the same criteria, and we didn’t dismiss any models based on their hose count. Our research, however, ultimately steered us toward single-hose portable models—in part because so many newer models use this design. In fact, we found no compelling new double-hose models from major manufacturers in 2019 or 2020, although a few new ones cropped up in 2021, including our new top pick.
Owner reviews indicate that most people prefer single-hose models, too, since they’re easier to set up and don’t look quite as much like a giant octopus trash sculpture. Although our testing has shown that dual-hose models tend to outperform some single-hose units in extremely hot or muggy weather, the difference is usually minimal, and we don’t think it outweighs the convenience of a single hose.
The one major exception, however, is if you plan on setting up your portable AC in a room with a furnace or water heater or anything else that uses combustion. When a single-hose AC model forces air out through its exhaust hose, it can create negative pressure in the room. This produces a slight vacuum effect, which pulls in “infiltration air” from anywhere it can in order to equalize the pressure. In the presence of a gas-powered device such as a furnace, that negative pressure creates a backdraft or downdraft, which can cause the machine to malfunction—or worse, fill the room with gas fumes and carbon monoxide.
We don’t think that most people plan to use their portable AC in such a room, but if your home is set up in such a way that you’re concerned about ventilation, skip the rest of our recommendations in this guide and go straight for our top pick, the Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL, or our runner-up, the Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL. Or choose another dual-hose model, such as the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS or Whynter Elite ARC-122DHP.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.
Daniel Giamatta, senior account executive, LG-One US, email interview, March 18, 2019
Tom Kelly, product senior manager, Haier AC/GE Appliances, email interview, March 13, 2019
Rachel Lee, sales manager, Whynter, email interview, March 12, 2019
Gary Woodruff, residential manager, Hurley & David Home HVAC Services, email interview, March 19, 2019
Zach Claxton, Introducing New Portable AC BTU Guidelines, Sylvane, February 22, 2018
Test Procedure for Portable Air Conditioners (PDF), US Department of Energy, May 5, 2014
Technical Support Document: Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment: Portable Air Conditioners, US Department of Energy, December 27, 2016
David Morrison, How Do Portable Air Conditioners Work?, Home Air Guides, March 18, 2019
Thom Dunn is an associate staff writer at Wirecutter reporting on HVAC and other home improvement topics. Sometimes his curiosity gets the best of him, such as when he plugged a space heater and a Marshall guitar amp into the same power strip. Pro tip: Don’t do that.
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Vertical Multi-Stage Booster Pump Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).