We Found the Best Portable Air Conditioners So You Can Beat the Heat

If you don’t have central air conditioning or your setup just won’t work with a window AC unit, don’t lose hope and succumb to the sweltering heat just yet! A portable air conditioner can be your saving grace this summer. Compared to their window-mounted counterparts, portable air conditioners can be placed virtually anywhere in your home. They offer a much easier installation and are much more capable at cooling a room than a fan can.

The name “portable air conditioner” is a bit of a misnomer, and they’re not as portable as one would think. Although they are on wheels, portable AC units still take up a significant amount of floor space and need to be placed away from the walls, so airflow isn’t restricted. Another drawback is that they require a venting hose to extract your room’s warm air. The hoses are thick, like a dryer-vent duct, and unfortunately need to be fed through a nearby window.

Portable air conditioners are a great option for renters who aren’t allowed to install window units. They’re also a smart choice for folks who want to move their AC unit from room to room or store it in the off-season. We’ve researched and evaluated more than a dozen different models. We compared their portability and setup, BTU capacity, energy efficiency, noise, and performance, to find the best ones worth shopping for.

We also scoured the internet reading reviews from authoritative publications, including our sister sites Good Housekeeping and Popular Mechanics — who tested the appliances in-house — and also read several customer reviews on sites like Amazon, Home Depot, and Best Buy. Here are our favorite picks to keep you cool and comfortable in your home.