Best Air Conditioners For Every budget [Reviews And Buying Guide]

When a heatwave hits, the best air conditioners will quickly lower the temperature of your entire room. Keeping your home cool and comfortable is a breeze with one of these high-tech gadgets at your disposal. There are numerous top models on the market, and we’ve compiled a list of the best, ranging from low-cost to high-end options.  

It should come as no surprise that air conditioners are larger and more expensive than fans, but this is because they are more effective at lowering room temperature and, in some cases, humidity. When selecting a device, consider the noise level and the size of the room you need it for compared to the model’s coverage. 

How Air Conditioning Works 

High heat and humidity make you uncomfortable because they inhibit your body’s ability to release heat into the environment, causing you to sweat. And the more sweat that builds up on your skin and is absorbed by your clothing, the more uncomfortable you will feel. Reduce heat and humidity in the air (cooling and drying it) and increase air circulation, making you more likely to experience comfort. 

Factors to consider when choosing the best air conditioner 

We gathered various units to help you choose the best window or portable air conditioner. We ran them in a hot room while measuring the temperature of their discharge air and the room’s ambient temperature. In addition, we surveyed a few untested appliances for innovative features, soundproofing, efficiency, and cooling capacity. We indicate in the review if we have not utilized the product. 

In addition to our test results, there are five factors to consider when buying an air conditioner. Note that the selection criteria for an air conditioner are interdependent. In other words, it is unlikely that the cheapest air conditioner will be the most robust and capable of cooling a large room. Using these considerations and the appliance’s features, choose a suitable device. 

Price 

The cooling capacity and construction of an air conditioner have the most significant impact on its price. Physically larger air conditioners with greater cooling capacity are inherently more expensive than smaller air conditioners with less cooling capacity. Adding sound-dampening materials to an air conditioner will increase its price, as will using more robust motors and a better-constructed compressor. Typically, adding features to an air conditioner increases its cost. 

Cooling capability 

The more cooling capacity you need, the larger the space you need to cool or the more intense the heat in it (such as through large windows facing south or west). This is expressed in BTUs (British Thermal Units, a description of thermal energy). A window or portable air conditioner is more potent if it can remove more BTUs from a given space per unit of time. To determine the BTU of the air conditioner you require, multiply the floor area (length multiplied by width) by twenty. 

Features 

Some people prefer analog controls such as knobs and buttons, while others desire the ability to control an air conditioner with a remote or a mobile device. Most modern air conditioners offer a fan-only mode without the cooling provided by the refrigerant-filled coil. However, a few models also include heater and dehumidifier functions and settings that give you greater control over the appliance’s nighttime operation (while you sleep). Multiple fan speeds and cooling settings allow you to rapidly reduce a room’s temperature or fine-tune the air conditioner’s operation to achieve the desired level of indoor comfort. In many instances, this fine-tuning can also lower your electric bill. In regions of the country where the cooling season is lengthy (May to October), this can be a significant factor. 

Energy efficient 

In general, appliances with greater energy efficiency are more expensive. Their cost premium is more likely to be recouped if they reside in a region with a long cooling season (May to October). 

Purchase an air conditioner with the highest possible combined energy efficiency ratio (CEER). CEER is the applicable efficiency rating for window air conditioners. (Note that this is not SEER, which applies to heat pumps and central air conditioning systems.) CEER expresses the ratio of cooling capacity measured in BTUs to the amount of electricity the appliance uses to perform its function; it includes the appliance’s efficiency when the compressor is energized and running and when the compressor is not running, in standby mode. A higher CEER score is preferable. Several air conditioners still feature the older (but still valid) EER rating. The same principle applies: a higher EER is preferable to a lower one. 

Compared to portable 

There are more similarities between window-mounted and freestanding air conditioners on wheels than differences. All air conditioners cool by cycling between the gaseous and liquid states of compressed gas refrigerant. This gas circulates within a coil. The refrigerant is gaseous at one end of the coil, absorbing heat from the air. The refrigerant is compressed to a hot liquid at the opposite end of the coil. On the cold end of the coil, air passing over the coil is cooled and expelled from the room. At the hot end of the coil, air passing over the coil is heated and expelled outside. Between the hot and cold end, water vapor condenses from the air and drains out the bottom of the appliance to the outdoors, or a fan throws it against the hot end of the coil, where it evaporates and is expelled to the outdoors. 

Air conditioners for windows are heavy, weighing between 50 and 80 pounds, and are typically best installed by two people lifting and fastening them. Once installed, they obstruct approximately half of the view from the window. Additionally, they must be meticulously installed to ensure that they remain securely in place, do not fall out of the window, or allow easy access to intruders. A window bracket is an effective means of ensuring a secure installation. Fall is the optimal time to remove an air conditioner, clean it, and store it indoors. 

Portable air conditioners only need their discharge hose (or hoses) to be directed outside. These hoses attach to a window bracket, making their installation easier than window air conditioners and obstructing the view less. Alternatively, emptying the condensation they produce may or may not be necessary.  

In some instances, condensation may evaporate out of the pan and into the room or be expelled from the appliance along with the discharge air stream. In other cases, the drain pan may need to be manually emptied, or the condensation drain hose must be routed to a floor drain. Others utilize a condensate pump to discharge water through a small plastic tube. 

By reading on, find the ideal air conditioner for you, whether it mounts in a window or remains in the room. The right appliance will keep you cool and comfortable throughout the summer, day and night.