BTUs
The main factor you’ll want to consider when shopping for an air conditioner—be it a portable/standing option or an in-window unit—is the BTU, which measures the cooling capacity. “BTU” stands for “British Thermal Units.” That’s the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water by 1°F. Basically, it tells you how powerful the A/C unit is. Depending on how many square feet you want to cool, BTU ranges can vary. But, higher is not always better.
Your first instinct might be to go for the highest BTU available, but you may end up using more energy than needed (and we all know you don’t need a higher energy bill). So be sure to look at how many square feet a model will cool down within an hour and how it compares to the area of the room you’re shopping for.
Portability
Most decent portable air conditioners are truly portable, relying on built-in casters to move them freely from room to room. All of the models we recommended have casters.
Smart Home Features
Most budget to midrange portable ACs are “dumb” models with basic control panels and remotes. Modern premium models (typically north of $500) usually offer built-in smart home features, so they integrate seamlessly with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and other smart home systems. This allows you to program and control the unit from virtually anywhere, via a smartphone app or voice control.
Accessories
Some portable ACs include minor accessories or features like cord storage, a remote control, or smartphone-enabled app compatibility.
Price
Prices of portable air conditioners vary widely. Evaporative coolers (like the Honeywell 120 CFM Portable Evaporative Cooler above) are available for between $100-$150, although these aren’t true air conditioners. Decent standing ACs typically start at $300 or more, with the best models topping $500. They aren’t cheap, but in our experience, this is one home appliance where you get what you pay for.
Read more: Best Smart Home Devices
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