Best Portable Air Conditioner Review
Finding the best portable air conditioner. We search and review popular portable home air conditioners such as NewAir, Whirlpool, Danby, Amana, Delonghi, GE, and select the best for home or room air conditioning.
What is the portable air conditioner?
Room
portable air conditioner is a small and mobile unit that is
designed as the free standing type that doesn't require permanent
installation. Portable AC is used for home or room air conditioning,
cooling mainly, and it works using the same law of physics as
residential and commercial type AC.
The best portable air conditioner unit is 28" to 34" tall and
has
caster wheels for easy mobility. This room unit is making the
surrounding air cooler while expel the heat through the exhaust hose.
They are making you feel comfortable inside your room or home no matter
of the outside temperature.
Condensate water, which generates during the process of air
conditioning is removed by the evaporation process and further through
the hose or by emptying the bucket/tray.
Either buying a top model from Delonghi,
Whirlpool, Amana,
NewAir or Ge
your portable air conditioner will cool, heat, dehumidify or simply
blow the air for your comfort.
They are a good option for spot cooling, supplemental cooling or as the replacement to window air conditioners. Portable AC has to be positioned somewhere close to the outside window or wall so the unit can vent out the heated air.
The best portable air conditioner
Many brands are available for you to buy: Delonghi, Amana, GE..., all of them with pros and cons. I have selected several brands, which are the best rated on websites such as the Walmart, Sears, Amazon.com, consumersearch, buzzillions.com and other AC related websites. Let's see how they compare?
EdgeStar Koldfront
EdgeStar Koldfront
EdgeStar Koldfront 8,000
BTU is the Ultra-compact unit chosen as the best
portable air
conditioner, among small size ACs.
With a capacity of 8,000 BTUs, Koldfront is capable of cooling
a room
size up to 225 sq. ft. It works as the AC, as the fan with three speeds
and dehumidifier with a low noise level, less than 55 dB.
Digital thermostat and 24 timer allow you to get the most from
this
unit when needed and save on energy costs. An automatic water exhaust
system or self-evaporate system is a convenient feature so you don't
have to deal with emptying any water.
With over 180 reviews it was rated 3.9, from buzzillions.com review site. Reviewers like the most its controls, easy installation and efficiency while they complain about the noise and uneven cooling. EdgeStar Koldfront 8,000 sells from $240.
NewAir AC-12000H
NewAir AC-12000H
NewAir AC-12000H is
the best portable air conditioner and top seller on Amazon.com and
"Editor's Pick" from the specialized website "air-conditioner-home.com".
NewAir AC-12000H has built-in heat-pump so it is not only an
air
conditioner but a heater, fan and dehumidifier. Its advanced features
such as the R-410A refrigerant and Self-Evaporative technology are
making this Eco-friendly machine very efficient and perfect for rooms
up to 350 sq. ft.
It is rated 4 out of 5 based on over 60 user review, plus it was chosen by the professionals as the top model. NewAir AC-12000H sells for approximately $400.
EdgeStar Extreme Cool
EdgeStar Extreme Cool
EdgeStar
Extreme Cool 14,000 BTU portable AC is the best portable
air
conditioner and top pick from buzzillions.com reviewers and
portableairshop.com specialized store for larger rooms.
With the 14,000 BTUs, EdgeStar Extreme Cool is an ideal choice
for
cooling rooms with the size from 400 sq. ft to 525 sq. ft. As the
previous model, it features auto-evaporative system, which eliminates
the need for emptying the accumulated condensate.
Equipped with the Cool Boost technology and with the Dual Hose
design,
this portable AC works more efficiently, which reduces the energy
consumption and your costs. It also works as fan and dehumidifier.
EdgeStar Extreme Cool 14,000 BTU is rated high. Both websites,
above
mentioned, have collected many positive reviews for this unit, which is
on average over 4.3 stars out of 5 max., based on over 140 reviews. You
can buy this unit from $360.
Portable AC Advantages
The best portable air conditioner works on the simple principle; the air from inside the room or outside is drawn in, it runs through the evaporator coils which make the air cooler which is blown out through the front of the unit. This way AC reduces the room temperature and humidifies the air. In today's world, especially in southern areas, you cannot live without the air conditioner.
Venting
With the single hose ACs, one hose is used to exhaust the warm
air out
while it draws the surrounding air in.
In a case of the double hose portable ac units, there are two hoses; one to expel the warm air out and the other to draw the fresh air from outside in. These units are usually designed with a higher cooling BTU to provide more cooling power.
Simple installation
The main advantage of the portable AC is the simplicity in installation, mobility and the compact size. You can use this cooling machine where needed, you can move it from one room to another. No need to cool the whole house if you don't have to, just the room you want. These small cooling units can also be used as the supplement to the large whole-house, window or wall air conditioners or and there are no other options. Due to all these reasons, portable air conditioning might be a good solution for you as the cost-effective alternative to central or window AC types.
Versatility
They are versatile units that
can be used not only during the summer
but year round; they blow cold air, they use a fan, AC dehumidifies the
air, and they heat with the built-in heaters. The best portable air
conditioner is 4-in-1 or 3-in-1 type, found also as AC with a heat
pump, and equipped with the advance air filters, such as carbon, which
significantly improves the quality of the air.
Portable AC usually doesn't require a complicate and permanent installation, it needs only a hose for removing the generated heat. If not through the outside wall, special venting kit for windows is available.
Summary
In the article above, I have selected several models, which are top rated, so you can, based on the specs, features and reviews choose the best portable air conditioner for your home.
These portable air conditioner reviews are coming from different sites, and they contain many user and professional reviews. Either model or brand you choose, your new portable home air conditioner will help you take a control of the home room temperature for better comfort. They are a great solution if permanent or window installation is not a viable option, as the supplement cooling or for one or two rooms only. They are very easy to move around, install and use. In short, portable AC is a good choice for efficient cooling of smaller areas.
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