If you’ve ever tried to survive a record-breaking UK heatwave with just a desk fan and an open window, you’ll know there’s a point at which you’re basically just shuffling hot air around. I’ve been testing cooling kits for almost a decade, and when it’s properly sweltering, I know that a portable air conditioner is the only thing that actually brings the temperature down.
Unlike fans, most portable ACs remove heat from the air and push it outside, which is why venting matters. The majority of models in my guide use a hose that sits outside a window, usually secured with a plastic or fabric window kit to prevent warm air from creeping back in. There are exceptions, such as the Morphy Richards S1 pro, which uses a ductless design, but these are designed to cool a person or small area, rather than a whole room.
When choosing a new portable AC, pay attention to the BTU (British Thermal Units), which indicates how powerful the unit is. From my experience, going too low is a false economy. As a guide, a 7,000 BTU portable air conditioner is perfect for a small room of around 18 to 20 square metres. If you’re trying to cool a larger room, you’ll want more power as the unit will struggle and end up at higher settings for longer, costing you more money in the long run.
Noise is also worth thinking about, especially if you’re planning to use the unit in a bedroom at night. Most portable ACs aren’t exactly silent, and in my testing, some were too loud to sleep with comfortably. That said, a good sleep mode can make a real difference. Both electriQ models in this guide are among the quietest I tested, and far more suited to hot, stuffy evenings. With summer on the way, now’s the time to get ahead. These are the models I’d recommend.
Read more: Best air coolers that will get you through the summer heatwave
The best portable air conditioner units for 2026 are:
- Best overall and quiet portable air conditioner – ElectriQ ecoplus 10000 BTU smart portable AC with heater: £339,97, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
- Best small unit – VonHaus 7000BTU portable air conditioner: £209.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for big spaces – ElectriQ ecosilent 14000 BTU smart portable air conditioner: £469.98, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
- Best for powerful cooling – Honeywell HX series 9000BTU portable air conditioner: £339.99, Airconcentre.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Blyss A018I-09C 9000BTU portable air conditioner: £289.99, Screwfix.com
- Best for easy setup – Meaco meacocool MC series pro 8000 BTU portable air conditioner: £359.99, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: Best fans to keep cool during a heatwave, tested by experts
ElectriQ ecoplus 10000 BTU smart portable AC with heater
Best: overall and quietest portable air conditioner
Why we love it
- Exceptionally low energy use
- Works all year with heating, cooling and dehumidifying
- Quiet sleep mode is genuinely bedroom-friendly
Take note
- No window kit included
- Bulky and not the easiest to move
This electriQ ecoplus model is one of the most versatile units I have used – and easily the best portable air conditioner. It’s genuinely effective at cooling a room quickly and the swing panel allows the air to waft gently around, ensuring there are no icy spots, just ambient comfort in sticky weather. It’s impressively quiet, too. In sleep mode, it drops to a near-whisper of 30dB, making it one of the best options in my guide for hot and stuffy bedrooms.
The HEPA and carbon filters are a nice bonus – helping to clean the air in whatever mode you happen to be in – something you won’t get with most rivals in this price bracket. You don’t have to install them, but I found they made a marked difference to the amount of tiny 0.3 microns (that’s dust mite allergens and fumes, for example) in my indoor air, cutting them by 27 per cent in as little as 15 minutes. Meanwhile, 2.5-micron particles (pollen and mould spores) were reduced by 50 per cent in the same period, according to the readings on my air particle counter.
It’s also a great option for when the weather turns cold. The built-in heat pump makes it useful, and the extra dehumidifier mode (up to 24l per day) also helps tackle damp in winter. I found it reduced the humidity in my room from 66 per cent to just 53 per cent in an hour of continuous use (I determined this with a humidity meter).
What also really stood out in my testing was just how energy-efficient this unit is. At just 38.4W at its highest setting, it’s one of the lowest-energy models in this guide, making it a smart choice if you’re conscious of running costs but still want proper climate control.
Smart features are another win. The app connectivity is super useful for scheduling and remote control, and the front panel features a colour-coded strip that makes it easy to see what mode you’re in at a glance.
If there is a drawback, it’s that the electriQ ecosilent doesn’t include a window kit, although you can pick up one for around £10.
Key specifications:
Buy now £399.97, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
VonHaus 7000BTU portable air conditioner
Best: small portable air conditioner
Why we love it
- Looks good
- Easy hose and window kit setup
- Good value upfront
Take note
- High running costs
- Less powerful airflow
If you’re looking for a small, stylish and affordable portable AC, I’d recommend this VonHaus model. It’s one of the least intrusive portable air conditioners I tested and is noticeably more compact than most, which makes a real difference if you’re squeezing it into a bedroom or smaller living space.
Setup is refreshingly easy. The hose clicks into place with little effort, and like the Devola, you get two window kits, so you’re not stuck trying to bodge a fit depending on your window type. Once up and running, it cools effectively, although it has a lower 7,000 BTU rating, so I’d recommend this for small rooms. You’ll still feel the difference in a larger room; it just takes a little longer to get there.
There are a couple of trade-offs. Despite the lower BTU, it actually draws a lot of energy on its highest setting, so running costs are higher than you might expect for a budget unit. It’s also fairly basic in functionality, with no smart features or fancy extras. But if you want a straightforward, compact air conditioner that does the job without dominating your room, this is a stylish option.
Key specifications:
Buy now £209.99, Amazon.co.uk
ElectriQ ecosilent 14000 BTU smart portable air conditioner
Best: for big spaces
Why we love it
- Powerful cooling for larger spaces
- Excellent, genuinely quiet sleep mode
- Smart features and intuitive controls
Take note
- No window kit included
- Airflow is less direct than front-vented models
If you’re dealing with a bigger space, this electriQ model is one of the more powerful units I tested, and it shows. With 14,000 BTU behind it, it’s noticeably quicker at pulling the temperature down than the 9,000 BTU models, making it a better fit for larger living rooms or open-plan areas.
It’s also one of the smarter options here. The app and voice control work well, and I particularly liked the ‘smart cool’ feature, which ramps things up quickly before easing off once you hit your target temperature. It’s a nice touch that helps avoid a constant blast of cold air.
Where it really stands out is efficiency. At just 71W on its highest setting, it was one of the more energy-efficient models in this guide, making it a strong option if you’re conscious of running costs as well as performance.
It also excels at night. Sleep mode drops noise to around 35dB from a metre away, making it one of the quietest I tested (other than its stablemate, the ecoplus 10,000) and genuinely suitable for bedrooms, which isn’t something you can say about most portable air conditioners.
There are a couple of downsides. It doesn’t come with a window kit, which feels like a miss at this price, and at nearly 29kg, it’s not easy to move around. But if you want powerful cooling, genuinely quiet night-time performance and low running costs, this is one of the strongest all-rounders in the line-up.
Key specifications:
Buy now £469.98, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
Devola 9000BTU portable air conditioner with wifi
Best: for convenience
Why we love it
- App and voice control at a reasonable price
- Two window kits included for flexibility
- Sleek, unobtrusive design
Take note
- Hose setup is fiddlier than some rivals
- Too noisy for light sleepers
If you like the idea of controlling your air con from the sofa (or, in my case, bed), this Devola model is one of the more affordable ways to do it. It connects to an app and works with voice assistants, making it convenient to change the temperature or set schedules. That said, I couldn't work out how to change the temperature settings from Fahrenheit to Celsius, which was a touch frustrating.
The cooling performance is pretty solid for the price. In my testing, it made a noticeable difference within minutes and the adjustable front vents are a nice touch for directing airflow exactly where you want it. It also looks surprisingly sleek for a portable unit, blending in better than bulkier rivals.
Noise levels are about what you’d expect for this type of unit, too; fine during the day, but still noticeable at night, which is worth considering if you’re planning to have it on while you sleep.
The setup was a bit more hit-and-miss. While you get two window kits (one fabric, one sturdier plastic), attaching the hose connector to the exhaust hose felt fiddlier than the Honeywell.
Having said that, if you don’t want to spend £300, but want effective cooling, smart controls and flexible installation options, the Devola 9,000 is a good contender.
Key specifications:
Buy now £288.99, Amazon.co.uk
Morphy Richards S1 pro ductless personal air conditioner
Best: portable AC without a hose
Why we love it
- No hose or window setup required
- Lightweight and easy to move
- Effective personal cooling
Take note
- Doesn’t cool a whole room like traditional AC
- No temperature control and short timer window
- Expensive for what it offers
The Morphy Richards S1 pro is the best option if you’re looking for a portable air conditioner that doesn’t require a hose; it uses water to help manage heat internally. The lack of vent means it acts more like a powerful, targeted cooling system than a true room-cooling air conditioner (so it’s only just squeezed its way into my guide). But if the faff of setup is putting you off investing in an AC unit, I loved not having to wrestle with a window kit for once, and it does deliver a powerful stream of chilled air straight towards you within a roughly 2m radius.
It’s also lighter and easier to move around than most traditional units, with a design that feels a bit more considered than the usual boxy AC suspects.
However, it’s not without compromises. Because there’s no vent, overall cooling power is more limited, especially compared with the Honeywell or Devola models, plus it costs around twice as much as those models to run. You also don’t get a proper temperature setting (instead, you have to choose between low, high or super), which feels like a missed opportunity at this price.
For me, the S1 sits somewhere between a high-end air cooler and a portable air conditioner. If you want flexible, hose-free cooling for personal use, it’s an interesting, if expensive, alternative.
Key specifications:
Buy now £699.99, Amazon.co.uk
Meaco meacocool MC series pro 8000 BTU portable air conditioner
Best: portable air conditioner for easy setup
Why we love it
- Excellent, flexible window kit
- Longer hose makes positioning easier
- Strong initial cooling performance
Take note
- Louvres limit airflow direction
- Too loud for overnight use
If you’ve struggled with awkward window setups in the past, this MeacoCool model is one of the easiest I tested to get up and running. The window kit is particularly well thought-out. It has extra-long plastic panels that make it far more adaptable than most, regardless of your windows.
The longer 1.8m hose also gives you a bit more flexibility in where you position the unit. It’s also a fairly attractive by air conditioner standards, with a slightly more considered design than some of the bulkier, boxier options here.
During testing, it brought the temperature down quickly, and the airflow is strong, although I did find the limited louvre (slats) design tends to reduce how widely that cool air is distributed around the room. The downside is noise. It’s one of the louder models I tested, and while the sleep mode helps a little, I didn’t find it comfortable to run overnight. Instead, it works best when used proactively; I found it far more effective to run it for a couple of hours before bed to cool down a bedroom, then switch it off.
Key specifications:
Buy now £359.99, Amazon.co.uk
Honeywell HX series 9000BTU portable air conditioner
Best: portable air conditioner for powerful cooling
Why we love it
- Powerful, fast cooling
- Easy to set up with sturdy window kit
- Simple, no-fuss controls
Take note
- Too noisy for comfortable sleep (even on night mode)
- Hose is bulky compared to the unit design
If you want a portable air conditioner that’s powerful and gets the job done, I’d recommend this Honeywell model. In use, it’s properly punchy. The airflow is strong enough to turn a hot, stuffy room into something genuinely comfortable within minutes, and it feels more powerful than some similarly priced rivals I tested.
The controls are simple, either via the top LED panel or the remote, and there’s no overcomplicated app to wrestle with. That said, the Honeywell isn’t the quietest – I found it too noisy to sleep with, so I’d not recommend it for use in a bedroom. The hose is also fairly chunky compared with the slimline body, which makes the setup a bit more visually intrusive. Still, if you’re after reliable, no-nonsense cooling from a well-known brand and can live with a bit of background noise, this is a strong all-rounder.
Key specifications:
Buy now £339.99, Airconcentre.co.uk
Blyss A018I-09C 9000BTU portable air conditioner
Best: budget buy
Why we love it
- Includes window kit and permanent wall fixture
- Even airflow thanks to auto-swing vent
- Energy-efficient
Take note
- Short 1.5m hose limits positioning
- Top display is tricky to read
If you want a straightforward, no-fuss air conditioner that still gives you a bit of flexibility, this Blyss model is a solid option. It covers the basics well, with cooling, fan and dehumidifier modes, plus three fan speeds and a 24-hour timer to fine-tune things depending on how you’re using it – and it’s good value.
What sets it apart slightly is the installation. Alongside a standard window kit, you also get a permanent wall fixture and cap, which is pretty unusual at this price and gives you more long-term setup options if you don’t want to keep wrestling with a window hose.
In use, it cools effectively and the auto-swing vent does a good job of distributing air evenly around the room. I also liked the front-facing display, which shows temperature and timer settings clearly from across the room, although the top-mounted LED panel itself is quite hard to read.
It’s also impressively efficient. At around 55W on its highest setting, it’s one of the more energy-conscious options I tested, which makes a real difference if you’re planning to run it regularly through a heatwave. But, while it’s not as loud as some air cons, it’s not the quietest model here either, clocking in at 45dB on its highest setting.
Key specifications:
Buy now £289.99, Screwfix.com
Hisense APC09QC air conditioner
Best: for a user-friendly design
Why we love it
- Includes grill for window vent
- Good airflow
- Energy-efficient
Take note
- Short 1.5m hose
- Heavy and bulky
If you want something that takes the guesswork out of staying cool, the Hisense APC09QC portable AC is one of the more user-friendly units I tested. The smart mode is genuinely handy, automatically adjusting settings based on the room temperature so you’re not constantly tweaking things throughout the day.
The cooling performance is strong for a 9,000 BTU unit. The super cool function pushes out a powerful burst of cold air, and paired with the auto-swing vents, it does a good job of circulating that air evenly rather than leaving you with one icy corner and the rest of the room still stuffy.
One detail I really liked was the grill that comes with the window vent kit. It’s a small yet genuinely useful feature, helping to keep rodents, debris and curious pets from getting too close to the hose opening, while also giving the setup a slightly neater, more finished look from outside. The antibacterial filter is a nice extra too, especially if you’re using it regularly in a bedroom or living space.
Key specifications:
Buy now £399, Ao.com
Your questions about the best portable air conditioners answered
What is the best portable air conditioner?
The best portable air conditioner (and the quietest) is electriQ EcoPlus 10000 BTU smart portable AC with heater, thanks to its ultra-low running costs, sleep mode and genuine all-year usefulness. For bigger spaces, the electriQ EcoSilent 14000 BTU smart portable air conditioner stands out, delivering powerful cooling with impressively low energy use and excellent smart features.
How much do air conditioners cost to run?
Given the reactive nature of how we use air conditioners, it’s hard to put a weekly, monthly or annual cost on running one in your home. And in my day-to-day use, I found most models didn’t run at full power constantly anyway, especially when using auto or sleep modes, which helps keep running costs down.
Having said that, based on some of the wattages I recorded during testing, we can make some informed guesses on how much you’re likely to pay during one of those sticky heatwaves we’re getting more frequently in the UK.
During a week of stiflingly hot weather, with oven-baked homes and hot, sticky nights, you’re likely to be running your air con 24-7, so based on that, most of these portable air conditioners would cost about £6 a week to run non-stop during a heatwave, with the electriQ EcoSilent the cheapest at less than £2 a week. But even then, that figure is likely to be higher than what you would pay in real life, as portable air conditioners usually cycle down once they hit the target temperature.
And it’s worth pointing out that cheap running costs aren’t much use if the air con takes forever to cool the room. In practice, the most efficient models were the ones that brought the temperature down quickly, so I could turn them down or off sooner, rather than leaving them running for hours.
How I tested portable air conditioners
I tested each portable air conditioner at home in my living room during warm weather, using the same setup each time, to keep things as consistent as possible. This isn’t a lab test (sadly, I don’t have a climate-controlled chamber knocking about at home), so while I aimed for fair comparisons, real-world conditions such as changing weather and ambient heat inevitably varied slightly between tests.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Joanne Lewsley is an expert product reviewer with particular expertise in air purification and humidity, having found the best dehumidifiers and best air purifiers for IndyBest. Alongside this, she has put other household essentials to the test, including the best cordless vacuum cleaners, best car vacuum cleaners and best wet and dry vacuum cleaners, so Joanne knows what to look for when buying an appliance for your home.
Want more warm-weather essentials? Check out the best fans