Best portable air conditioners, tried and tested

At-home cooling tech is increasingly becoming a must-have. The best portable air conditioners can help keep your home cool and your sanity intact. But how do they work? While the best fans simply move air around and air coolers chill it using evaporation, an air conditioner actively lowers the temperature of a room by running air through a refrigerating unit and fanning it back out, expelling unwanted heat through a window.

They’re fairly pricey, costing between £135 and £800 (and have higher running costs than fans and coolers), but a portable AC unit is more convenient than installing a built-in air conditioner.

The running costs of around 25 to 35p per hour will prove good value for money when the temperatures rise, and most have a Class A energy rating. Below you’ll find reviews of the portable units we recommended, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:

The best portable air conditioners: At a glance

How to choose the best portable air conditioner

Portable air conditioners come in a range of different sizes, designed for spaces from bedrooms to large offices. Their cooling power is rated in British Thermal Units (BTUs). A higher number means it’s suitable for a larger space, but can also equate to a bigger, pricier and in some cases less eco-friendly device. Equally, too low a BTU rating for the room size, won’t cool efficiently.

To work out which BTU rate is right for you, find the floor area of your space in square feet or square metres and consult the chart below, provided by Appliances Direct. The height of the room, its insulation and any heat-emitting electrical devices can all make a difference, but this should be a good guide: