Best portable air conditioners 2025, tried and tested to cool your home

When the heat is stifling, there’s only so much a fan can do. As The Independent’s senior tech critic, who happens to live in a very toasty flat, I’ve done extensive research and testing of cooling appliances. What I’ve found is that the best portable air conditioner will be more effective at keeping you comfortable.

An air conditioner unit works by extracting the hot air from your room and replacing it with a refreshing cool blast. Wall-mountable models are available, but it’s unlikely that you’ll use one enough throughout the year to justify the installation costs, making portable air conditioners a better investment.

There are a few things I’d recommend you consider when buying a portable air conditioner. Firstly, they are vented via a duct through a window or wall so hot air can escape. While most of them come with window kits to make them as energy-efficient as possible, they’ll really only work with sliding or sash windows, so you’ll most likely have your window wide open. Secondly, they are also chunky and heavy, but most have wheels to make manoeuvring a little easier.

Air conditioners are measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs) – the higher the BTU, the more powerful it is. A portable AC with 7,000 BTUs should cool a small room of around 18-20 square metres. A unit with too low a BTU for the space won’t cool it effectively.

How I tested

I’ve been working as a consumer journalist for more than a decade. But perhaps more importantly, I run warm, so I’ve tested everything from handheld fans to air coolers and, of course, portable air conditioners in a bid to stay cool as a cucumber during the heat. This means I’m well-versed in assessing and separating effective cooling gear from duds. I know how to cut through the noise of product specification and marketing, and try to determine what makes one product stand out from the next.

As with all IndyBest content, I’ve had hands-on experience with all of the air conditioners in this review, and performed real-world testing using the following criteria.

• Cooling abilities: First and foremost, a good air conditioner has to cool a room at speed. Using the smart thermostat within my home to measure the temperature of a room before and after turning on the unit. I favoured the models that were quick and efficient at cooling my home.
• Ease of set up: I considered whether the instructions were user-friendly and how easy it was to find space for and set up the appliance, including positioning the hose correctly.
• Ease of use and timer: I assessed how straightforward it was to navigate through different functions while using the remote controls, control panels, and available smart apps. I favoured those with a timer function and assessed how easy these were to set.
• Speed settings: I noted how many speed settings were available for each appliance and how powerful each was, timing how long each setting took to cool different spaces of my home.
• Noise level: I acknowledged the actual noise level of each appliance in dBA, but also made sure to cycle through all of the functions and settings to assess how loud they seemed. I also considered whether they would be quiet enough to run while I was sleeping.
• Energy efficiency: It’s no secret that portable air conditioners aren’t as energy-efficient as a fan, but the gold standard was an energy-efficiency rating of A. Features like timers and sleep mode also improved energy efficiency, which I noted too.
• British Thermal Units: A 5,000 BTU portable air conditioner is typically the smallest and will cool a small room; a 7,000 BTU air conditioner is rated to cool an 18 square-meter room. Medium-sized rooms and bedrooms roughly 24 square meters in size will need something between 8,000 BTUs and 10,000 BTUs to run efficiently, and larger rooms will need something with 12,000 BTUs and above.
• Smart features: I also looked for specific features that make it more efficient and smarter to run. An in-built fan, dehumidification mode, a timer and smart controls are all useful features to have. 

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

All products are tested in everyday settings to replicate how you will be using them. Products are rated on several criteria, and while these can vary depending on the type of product being tested, we take into consideration everything from performance and value to design and usability. For this round-up, our expert tester was The Independent’s senior tech critic, Alex Lee. Alex is well-versed in turning a critical eye on the latest household appliances, having written reviews for IndyBest since 2021.

The best portable air conditioner units for 2025 are:

• Best overall – MeacoCool MC pro series 9000 portable air conditioner: £400, Argos.co.uk
• Best with wifi connectivity – Black+Decker 5000 BXAC40023GB air conditioner: £349.99, Amazon.co.uk