Before you consider price and features, start by determining how powerful an air conditioner you need. The bigger the room, the more power is required, as expressed in British thermal units (Btu).
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To calculate the square footage of your room, multiply the length of the room by the width.
A small bedroom or office of 100 to 250 square feet probably needs a window unit between 5,000 and 6,500 Btu. A larger bedroom or playroom that’s between 250 and 350 square feet probably requires an AC of between 7,000 to 8,500 Btu. A living room, family room, or open plan space of between 350 to 550 feet would be best served with a unit of between 9,800 and 12,500 Btu.
The window air conditioners in CR’s tests have cooling capacities ranging from 5,000 to 12,500 Btu.
But don’t buy by Btu alone. Energy Star recommends that you make allowances for other considerations—such as the height of your ceiling, where the unit will be placed, and the size of your windows and doorways. In addition:
Energy efficiency: New Energy Star certified room air conditioners come with better insulating materials and clearer instructions to help ensure that you get a good seal around the unit, minimizing leaks.
U-shaped units: Most window unit air conditioners are boxes that perch on your windowsill. But in the past couple of years, several manufacturers have introduced U-shaped and inverted U-shaped models. U-shaped models sit on the sill, but the window sash slides down into a slot in the top of the air conditioner. That allows you to open the window when the unit is not in use. And just as importantly, it recruits your window to better insulate your room from noise and heat outside. Inverted U-shaped models drape over the windowsill. That configuration offers some advantages in insulation from noise and heat, but the biggest advantage is that these air conditioners block less light. These units have performed well in our tests, but they’re a bit more expensive, and they can be trickier to install. They may not work with all windows, especially those in older homes.
Inverter-powered units: Increasingly, higher-end air conditioners are being powered by a type of compressor known as an inverter. A conventional compressor regulates temperature by running full blast until the desired temperature is reached and then turning off (though the fan continues to run). An inverter turns down and back up without turning off during normal use. There are several advantages to this technology. It’s more energy-efficient. It can be better at maintaining a constant temperature in your room. And finally, inverter units can run more quietly, which is especially important at night when a unit kicking on can often wake you up.
Noise levels: Models that earn high ratings in our noise tests are so quiet that the only sound you might hear is the fan running. Air conditioners that receive lower scores for noise could disturb light sleepers when set on low and are distracting to pretty much everyone when set on high.
Airflow direction: Window air conditioners often do a better job blowing air in one direction than in others. That can be a problem if your window isn’t centered on the wall. To uniformly cool a room, you’ll need to direct air to its center, so check to see whether your AC needs to blow air to the right or to the left to aim toward the center of the room and away from the wall. Some models have fan arms that swivel.
Intelligent cooling: Some air conditioners have gotten smarter, allowing you to control and adjust them from a app, so they can turn on or up just before you arrive home instead of staying on all day. You may even be able to interconnect them with other cooling units in your home.
Length of warranty: Some air conditioners have longer warranties than others. When you’re buying a new unit, check the manufacturer’s website for information, and ask the retailer about the warranty for the brand and model you’re considering.
Install your air conditioner correctly: To get the most value and performance from your window air conditioner, it must be properly installed. Most units are intended for double-hung windows. If you have casement windows, consider buying a through-the-wall air conditioner.
Make sure your window unit is level so that it drains correctly and that you use all the brackets and other hardware to keep your unit secure, as well as to reduce noise and vibrations. Move any heat-generating devices, such as a TV or lamp, away from the unit and use foam and weather stripping to help keep the cool air in your room and the hot air outside. U-shaped units often need special brackets and may not fit on all windows. For more information, read our AC installation tips. Do you live in an apartment? You may have to take some extra steps, such as getting permission from your landlord, before you install an AC in your apartment.
Check the filter location when shopping: To keep your unit running at peak efficiency, AC filters need to be cleaned quite frequently: as often as once a week during peak cooling times, and maybe once a month when the unit isn’t used as much. When selecting a model, make sure you can easily access the filter for cleaning or replacement when the unit is installed. The easier it is, the more likely you are to do it.
After testing dozens of models over the years and speaking with countless people about their own summer cooling experiences, we’ve found that most people are looking for the same basic qualities in a decent air conditioner:
In general: The less you have to think about it, the better.
Federal regulations also require all modern air conditioners to perform roughly the same according to their listed specs (as long as they’re sized correctly for the room). The difference between how quickly it takes two models to cool a room, or how much energy they use to do it, is for the most part negligible. Using this guidance, we searched for models that offered an optimal combination of efficiency and performance power, preferring air conditioners that could demonstrate improved energy consumption without sacrificing cooling performance.
When it came time for testing, we measured each air conditioner for a number of objective criteria, including:
We also took subjective notes on things such as:
In this guide, we’ve largely focused on 8,000 Btu models. This is one of the most commonly available AC sizes, and it works for rooms up to 350 square feet. If you need to cool a larger or smaller room, most of our picks are available in sizes ranging from 6,000 Btu to 12,000 Btu. An oversize AC with a traditional compressor can end up wasting a lot of energy, or leave your room feeling clammy. While this is less of an issue with variable speed inverter units — which includes most of our picks — you should try to size your AC properly whenever possible.
This U-shaped Midea air conditioner is the quietest model we’ve ever tested, and it’s designed in a way that still allows you to open your window. But the installation process isn’t fun.
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Editor's note: Midea has issued a recall on the Midea U and is offering a new fix to reduce the risk of mold. We plan on testing this new solution soon. In the meantime, we recommend the Frigidaire Gallery GHWW085TE1 or the Midea MAW08HV1CWT, a similar model from the same company with a more traditional design.
There are plenty of products out there that promise to “reinvent” their category — but the U-shaped Midea U MAW08V1QWT is the rare one that actually delivers. We were skeptical when it first arrived in the spring of , but it quickly won us over with its impressively quiet and energy-efficient performance. After living with the same 8,000 Btu unit for several summers, we can say with confidence that it is genuinely the best window air conditioner we’ve tested for a full year and beyond — even if the installation process is less than ideal. Additional Wirecutter staffers have reported similar experiences with this AC in other sizes, too, including one who leaves a pair of 12,000 Btu models in their windows all year round.
The Midea U is impressively powerful, without using a lot of energy. Unlike standard air conditioners, which typically only cycle on and off, the Midea U has an inverter compressor that runs at varying speeds. This means it can modulate its electrical consumption as needed, rarely running full throttle. This translates to an energy efficiency ratio of 15, compared with an EER of 11 or 12 for a non-inverter model, so the Midea U uses about half as much energy as an AC that only hits the EPA’s minimum efficiency standards. In our tests, on hot days we’ve watched this model fluctuate between 100 and 300 watts over the course of several hours, even though it’s rated to run at up to 710 watts. Once the room hits a target temperature, the Midea U can maintain those conditions with very little energy.
It’s one of the absolute quietest ACs we’ve ever tested. One nice perk of the Midea’s U-shaped design is that all the louder hardware gets moved to the other side of the window. So while the inverter compressor already helps to temper the volume, the glass serves as an extra buffer to mute the sound even more. In our tests, it was actually difficult to get an accurate volume reading from the Midea U — it just blended in with the empty room tone, between 35 and 40 decibels. There was a slight high-pitched boost when the compressor was running on high, but even that was barely noticeable.
The Midea U’s unique design means that you can keep using your window, too. Most air conditioners require you to pull the window down against their tops to help keep them in place. But the Midea U boasts a curious U shape, with a “canyon” in the center that you pull the window down into, separating the fan on the inside from all the heavy hardware on the outside. It also has extendable side bars that lock it into place with the window frame — so you can open the window without worrying that the AC will fall out. It even has a pair of built-in locks to prevent anyone from trying to force the window open from the outside.
It’s reasonably priced as well even before you factor in the free bracket. The average cost for an 8,000 Btu Midea U is typically between $350 and $400. That’s about what you’d pay for a similarly sized AC with a standard compressor, and less than most other inverter-style units we’ve seen (even the ones without smart-home controls). And thanks to its unique design, the Midea U also comes with its own window bracket, which would otherwise cost you another $50 or so.
Some users have complained that it attracts more mold. Grit, dust, and sometimes fungal spores can be a problem with any air conditioner. But it may be more difficult to deal with, or at least more noticeable, due to the Midea's easy-to-see but hard-to-access front fan assembly. We’ve been following these allegations since , and doing our best to help readers mitigate the problem. In summer , the company issued a recall on its u-shaped air conditioners, providing a new fix to help address the issue and offering a refund to other customers.
Anecdotally, we’ve found that the mold problem particularly common with oversized units, which may extract more humidity from the air than the typical fan cycle can handle. Even with the company’s new fix in place, we still recommend running this AC on the “auto” setting, which makes the fan run every 10 minutes to aid with moisture evaporation; this is true even in humid locations that also attract algae and other growths. Alternatively, you can run the fan manually for a few hours after the AC has finished cooling the room, which should have the same effect.
The installation process can be annoying. Installing any air conditioner in your window, quite frankly, sucks. But the Midea U’s quirky design makes the process particularly frustrating.
I’ve learned, though, that if you treat this model as you would a normal AC, it’s actually pretty easy to install. (In other words, don’t overthink it.) By year three, I’d become a master of the quick installation process. There’s hope for you yet, young Padawan.
Otherwise, YouTube is always your friend.
A newer version of our long-running top pick, the Plus has improved efficiency and some minor feature upgrades. A redesigned bracket improves the installation process (slightly).
Editor's note: Midea has issued a recall on the Midea U Plus and is offering a new fix to reduce the risk of mold. We plan on testing this new solution soon. In the meantime, we recommend the Frigidaire Gallery GHWW085TE1 or the Midea MAW08HV1CWT, a similar model from the same company with a more traditional design.
The Midea U Plus MAW08U1QWT is a newer variant of our top pick that offers all the same perks plus a few thoughtful improvements, including a nicer bracket and a Flash Cool setting that offers more icy bluster than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance in Batman and Robin. This model is still pretty new, however, so we don’t know how it holds up through an entire summer. We’re also not convinced that the updated features are exciting enough to set it apart from the standard Midea U, and certainly not to the point that anyone should actively seek this model out instead. We have more faith in the classic Midea U right now, but either one is an excellent choice.
The Midea U Plus is the single most efficient window AC on the market. Most inverter-style window air conditioners max out at an energy efficiency rating of 15.0. That includes the standard Midea U we recommend as a top pick. But the Midea U Plus is the first to achieve a 16.0 efficiency rating. This won’t likely translate to any significant utility bill savings; on a day-to-day basis, you might not even notice any major performance difference. But it’s still an impressive feat.
It’s shockingly quiet. We can’t say for certain if the improved efficiency of the Midea U Plus suppresses the sound any more than it does on the standard model — but that’s because both ACs were so faint that it was difficult to get accurate decibel readings over the regular tone of the room, though the volume of the U Plus jumps up a bit on the Flash Cool mode.
This model is Matter certified for better smart-home compatibility. While the standard Midea U has always worked with Alexa and Google Home, the updated version can communicate with pretty much any major smart-home system, thanks to the universal(-ish) Matter connectivity protocol. This makes for a much smoother smart-home setup process and means you don’t have to download any annoying or unfamiliar new apps if you don’t want to. There are some downsides, though: You can only connect the Midea U Plus to one smart-home system at a time, and the controls can be limited outside of the main Midea Smart Home app (which is surprisingly more robust than most other AC apps).
The Midea U Plus comes with a redesigned bracket that makes it slightly less annoying to install. The installation process can still make for a perilous balancing act before the AC is fully locked in place. But there are a few new changes on the bracket that improve the overall experience, including a spring mechanism on the joint between the platform and legs that makes it easier to lock the angled feet against the side of your arm. The push pins that hold the sidebars in place have also been replaced with a new pull lock that’s easier to operate. Most of the other changes we noticed on the new bracket were purely aesthetic, which are still welcome.
The “Flash Cool” feature provides an impressively icy blast. We’ve found that it’s typically more comfortable and less energy intensive to just leave an inverter AC on at a higher temperature during the day, instead of turning it off completely every time you leave the house. But if that’s not an option, the Midea U Plus comes with a FlashCool mode that cranks the power for a faster chill. This feature eschews the standard inverter compressor settings, so the air conditioner runs at maximum power with the fan on full blast for a short period of time. The company claims that this can cool a room 35% faster than “traditional ACs.” We’re not exactly sure how they arrived at that number, but it definitely delivers a powerfully cold blast of air when you need it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the AC does run a little louder on this setting, though we think that’s a fair trade-off for cranking the coolness to 11.
This impressively quiet air conditioner has built-in air quality monitoring and the option to turn it into a functional air purifier with an upgraded filter.
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The Frigidaire Gallery GHWW085TE1 might look more like a standard air conditioner, but when it comes to quietness and efficiency, this air conditioner is on a par with our top pick from Midea. It also comes with a built-in air quality monitor, as well as the option to add one of Frigidaire’s proprietary MERV-14 air filters — which means this AC can potentially do the job of a dedicated air purifier, too.
The Frigidaire Gallery comes with a built-in air quality monitor, plus the option to add a purifying air filter. The LED indicator light on the front of the AC automatically glows in a range from green to red as a simple visual reminder of the air quality in your home. You can also view more details on the air quality in the Frigidaire app. This is a nice touch, even if it doesn’t actually improve your air. For that, you’ll need to buy a separate PureAir RAC-8 Premium Air Filter, which is specially designed to fit inside of the Frigidaire Gallery and provide MERV-14-level air filtration. That means this is the rare window air conditioner that can also pull double duty as an air purifier (even if it does cost a little extra).
It’s also quieter than any other non-U-shaped window AC we’ve ever tested. Like our top pick, the Frigidaire Gallery uses a variable speed inverter compressor, which is already typically quieter than what you’d encounter with more traditional window air conditioners. In our tests, we measured the average noise output from this AC at around 42 decibels — just 2 decibels louder on average than the Midea, and quieter than any other window unit we’ve tried by at least 5 decibels.
The Frigidaire Gallery is just as efficient as our top pick, too. Like most other inverter models we’ve tested, the Frigidaire Gallery has an energy efficiency rating of 15.0 — which, until , was the highest number possible for any window air conditioner. In our tests, it typically used between 100 and 300 watts of electricity at any given moment — less than half of its potential maximum energy use and about the same, on average, as our top pick.
The smart-home features are somewhat limited. The Frigidaire app offers very little beyond the basic remote controls: power on and off, mode settings, and scheduling options. This could be a blessing in disguise for some true Luddites, but it’s slightly disappointing compared with the robust AI-powered features in the Midea Smart Home. It also doesn’t work with Apple’s HomeKit, let alone the Matter protocol, though you can still voice control the basics through Alexa or Google Home.
You’ll still need to give up a window for the summer. Every god demands a sacrifice, and the deities of air-conditioned pleasure are sadly no exception.
This Windmill model was easier to install than any other AC we’ve tested. It has an inverter compressor and other thoughtful details that make it pleasant to live with overall.
If you want an inverter air conditioner that’s also simple to install, easy to live with, and looks nice in your room (or at least blends better into the background), the Windmill AC with WhisperTech is the way to go.
The installation process is shockingly straightforward. After watching me install, uninstall, and reinstall dozens of air conditioners over the years for testing, my wife took one look at the Windmill 3.0 and said, “I would just buy that one.” Whereas most air conditioners require you to install a set of expandable side panels — and tenuously balance the unit on the sill as you pull down the window to try to secure it in place — the Windmill arrives in a nicely designed box with a built-in frame that handles all of the hard work for you. The well-designed instruction booklet will walk you through the rest. It’s a little more involved than simply sticking the Windmill into your window frame and closing the window — but honestly, not much.
The Windmill is easily one of the most attractive ACs out there, too. The aesthetic options for window air conditioners have historically been limited. But the Windmill offers another way. The front of the unit is sleek and simple, with the buttons and indicator carefully tucked away behind the sleek, rounded edges. The company also sells a variety of color panels, in case you want something that pops more than that muted plastic white (you can swap them out, too). Even the rear of the AC — the part that sticks out the back of your window — looks better, with a rounded white cover to protect your fingers from sharp metal exhaust fins.
This AC is just as powerful and efficient as our top pick, with great smart features. Like the Midea U, the Windmill uses an inverter compressor, which helps it achieve an impressive energy efficiency rating of 15.0. (The company also sells a version with a standard compressor, called the Windmill Air, which we previously recommended.) The app also includes a speedometer-like energy meter, which lets you track just how much that inverter compressor is working.
Windmill offers top-notch customer service, as well. Or, at least, it’s personable and helpful enough to stand out from any other AC support lines we’ve called, which are typically fine at best. The Windmill’s app and website both included direct links to TaskRabbit and other local service gig apps, in the unlikely event that you need another pair of hands to help with installation, or even same-day delivery.
It’s quiet, if not the quietest. In our tests, we measured the Windmill’s WhisperTech fan at between 40 and 50 decibels, with an average noise of around 46 decibels. So it’s slightly louder than our other inverter picks, but it’s still significantly quieter than most other ACs out there. The compressor emits a low-ish rumble (it spikes at 2,000 hertz and 8,000 hertz) that sounds similar to a refrigerator, and it’s particularly noticeable when both the compressor and fan are running at lower speeds.
You can’t control the direction of the fan. The Windmill’s design puts the fan output at the top and the upper sides of the unit. This is a nice touch if the AC is right next to your bed or couch and you don’t want that direct blast of cold air right on your face. Unfortunately, it also means you can’t aim the cold air somewhere — it all just sort of shoots up into the air and then settles across the room. This worked well enough in our tests, though it might not be ideal for everyone in every room.
Designed for rooms of up to 450 square feet, the GE Profile ClearView PHNT10CC is both larger and more powerful than our other picks. It also preserves even more window access than you get with the Midea U, thanks to a unique design that straddles the windowsill and then hangs downward.
The GE Profile lets you use (almost) your entire window. The GE Profile is sort of the inverse of the Midea U — shaped like a lower-case “n,” with a 4-inch-tall bridge that carries the cooled air from the outside compressor to the indoor fan, which spreads it around the room. That bridge is the only thing that sits on your windowsill, so you can pull your window all the way down (less those 4 inches) and open it up again whenever you want.
Its inverter compressor will help you save on energy in a larger room. With a certified energy efficiency rating of 14.7, the GE Profile is a fraction of a point less efficient than our other inverter air conditioner picks. At 10,000 Btu, it’s also more robust than our other picks. So in a smaller room (less than 350 square feet), it might not save you as much on energy (but it will save you some!). In a larger room, though, you’ll notice the difference.
It’s incredibly quiet. Like our top pick, the GE Profile moves all of the noisy hardware, like the compressor, to the outside of your room, so your window acts as an extra buffer to keep things even quieter. That compressor can still make some low rumbling sounds, particularly when it’s first revving up or if it vibrates against the house or window frame.
You’ll probably need two people to install it. For the most part, the installation process is easy — you just place the AC so that it straddles the window and tighten a few things so it stays put. As a result of this unique design, however, the GE Profile has to be extra long in order to fit around the window frame. This makes it a little cumbersome, like balancing an air conditioner on a barbell.
The controls on the GE Profile can be annoying. The basic controls are all haptic touch buttons — yet there’s very little feedback, so you’re not always sure if you’re touching the right spot. More often than not, I found myself instinctively tapping the LED indicator lights instead. And speaking of those indicators: They shut off automatically after a few seconds of non-use. Which is great! Except then you can’t tell if the AC is actually on. And it runs so quietly that you can’t always hear it, either.
It takes up more room inside your home. The GE sticks out about 9 inches into the room and hangs down another 7 inches from the windowsill. This isn’t great if you’re hoping to install it behind a couch, or you want to use any of that wall space underneath the window (such as for a side table). Consider it a trade-off for retaining use of your window.
This standard AC unit gets the job done at a reasonable price — although the sound can be a little grating, especially at lower fan speeds. You can also upgrade the air filter.
The Frigidaire FHWW084TE1 is the latest in a line of traditional window air conditioners that we’ve been recommending (on and off, under various model names) since . Each iteration of this AC provides the same consistently reliable performance at an affordable price. It’s not quite as efficient as an inverter AC, and it is slightly louder than our other picks. But it’s affordable and widely available. The model is also compatible with Frigidaire’s MERV-14 air purifier filters, which was enough to persuade us to reincorporate it as a budget pick.
This Frigidaire has the highest efficiency rating of a non-inverter air conditioner. With an EER of 12.0, the Frigidaire FHWW084TE1 is simply the best standard AC you can find. It’s not as powerful — or as quiet — as our other picks. But it will get the job done and likely do it better than the older air conditioners you might be used to. (Energy Star updated its efficiency standards in so that this model is no longer technically certified, but it’s still the most efficient option you can find below that level.)
You can also use this model as an air purifier. In addition to the standard dust filter that you find on every window air conditioner, the Frigidaire FHWW084TE1 also has a slot that can fit one of the company’s PureAir RAC10 Premium air filters, which provide MERV-14 air filtration. That means this AC can do the job of a good, dedicated air purifier, cleansing your air of particles and pathogens as it cools you down. You’ll have to buy these filters separately though, which means an additional cost. Keep in mind: This AC uses a different size filter than our other Frigidaire pick, but they both provide the same level of air purification.
The Frigidaire is lighter and easier to install than our other picks. No AC is easy to install, but the Frigidaire FHWW084TE1 is one of the least bad to deal with. It has a slightly smaller chassis and a more-centered weight distribution than our top pick, and it weighs about 10 pounds less, too. Also, instead of screwing in, its side curtains slide in, which can save you a few minutes of work and a whole lot of frustration.
It comes with all of the smart features you need, if you want them. The Frigidaire app is generally reliable, and the smart-home integration offers simple, natural language voice commands (which is something that’s surprisingly hard to come by). The built-in Wi-Fi is easy to set up, too, and we haven’t encountered any notable connectivity problems over the years. If you don’t care for the smart integrations, the Frigidaire FHWC083TC1 is essentially the same unit but without the Wi-Fi, and it usually costs even less.
It sounds more like a standard air conditioner. In our tests, when it kicked on audibly, it still measured below “normal” conversation levels; on its loudest setting, with the compressor and fan running on high, it put out only about 55 decibels of noise, including a low, mechanical growl. While this makes it louder in comparison with our inverter AC picks, it’s still quieter and less annoying than any of the other standard ACs we’ve tested.
The Frigidaire FHWW084TE1 is without a doubt the best low-cost window air conditioner available. But if you’re looking to save even more money — and possibly help the environment as well — a secondhand air conditioner can work just as well, provided it’s no more than about 10 years old.
If you live somewhere with moderate winters: The new Midea MAW08HV1CWT doesn’t have the same window-friendly U shape as our top pick from Midea, but it does come with a built-in heat pump that works down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re willing to give up half a window for the whole year, it could be a good option. We plan to continue testing this model into the autumn.
If the Midea picks aren’t available: The Frigidaire GHWQ105WD1 is eerily similar to our top pick, from its U-shaped chassis all the way down to its compressor, which is manufactured by a Midea subsidiary. Like the other Frigidaire models we recommend, this one comes with a built-in LED air quality indicator and works with the company’s MERV-14 filters for improved air quality—which could be a nice perk, since this model could suffer from the same potential mold problems as the Midea ACs. It does cost an extra $100 however, in addition to the price of the filter itself.
If you want a basic U-shaped smart model: The Hisense HLAWTW offers another variation on the U-shaped design, this time with an even smaller interior panel that looks more like a miniature mini-split (although the exterior part still blocks the same amount of window). This model is also Matter-certified — which is good, because the onboard controls are incredibly limited. Otherwise, it’s just as quiet and efficient as the other U-shaped models we tested.
If you want an AC that’s incredibly easy to install: The July is another similar, aesthetic-forward model that’s frankly even easier to install than the Windmill model we recommend. It isn’t as efficient, however, and the stock tends to be more limited, but it could be a fine choice if you’re really drawn to the white-glove AC treatment (or as close to “white glove” as ACs ever get).
Portable air conditioners are so popular now that we’ve given them their own guide. They’re also big, ugly, and expensive, and they can never cool a room as efficiently or effectively as a window or wall AC. But if you want something that you can wheel from room to room, or if your windows don’t support any other option, we have some recommendations in that guide.
Picking the right through-the-wall air conditioner can be a little tricky, but getting a universal-fit, rear-breathing AC is the path of least resistance. Also known as true wall air conditioners or wall-sleeve air conditioners, these units work with nearly any existing wall sleeve (the technical term for the metal box that juts out through the wall). We haven’t tested any of these models, but the LG LTCER looks like a reasonable bet. It’s more affordable than its chief competitor, a Frigidaire model that costs anywhere from $70 to $120 more but offers no obvious advantages (at least on paper). Kenmore sells a wall AC, but it’s just a rebadged version of the Frigidaire. You might be able to find a cheap wall-sleeve AC made by Midea and sold under various brand names (including Arctic King, Comfort Aire, and Westpointe), but they’re generally not available through major retailers.
Also: No, you should not put a regular window AC unit through your wall, unless the documentation specifically says that the machine is suitable for a wall installation. The vents on a typical window unit aren’t positioned to breathe properly in a standard wall sleeve, so a window unit installed that way can’t work as effectively or efficiently and will burn out its compressor much sooner than it should.
This style of air conditioner installs into a horizontal-sliding window or a crank-out window. Such models are more expensive than typical double-hung-window units, but they cost about as much as a good portable air conditioner and work more efficiently. The Frigidaire FFRSSE is one of the few widely available models we consistently see. It comes with everything you need for installation in a sliding window, though if you’re installing it in a crank window, you’ll probably need to buy (and cut) a piece of plexiglass.
Unfortunately, casement-window ACs don’t actually fit into all slider or casement windows. The model we recommend needs an opening of about 15 inches across, 21 inches tall, and 24 inches deep. So if your windows are narrow or don’t crank all the way open, you might have to go with a portable AC anyway; a portable AC needs an opening of only about 6 inches across, 12 inches tall, and maybe 2 inches deep, so it’s a lot more flexible.
Central air conditioning systems are complicated, permanent installations that are too unique to each individual house for us to cover comprehensively. However, if your home already has a central AC system installed, we do have a guide to furnace and air conditioner filters to help you find the most effective way to remove particulates from the air in your home; we generally recommend the Nordic Pure MERV 12. If you’re shopping for a new system, please see our advice on buying a heat pump.
A ductless mini-split air-conditioning system typically consists of one or more wall-mounted indoor units that connect to an outdoor compressor. They also require renovations to your home, but they’re much easier (and cheaper) to retrofit into existing construction than a fully ducted central-air system. Mini-split systems are more powerful and more efficient than a collection of window units, and they will ultimately leave your home with much less clutter (and more usable window space). However, they can be expensive, with installation costs upwards of five figures (though some local utility companies offer rebates to offset those costs). If you’re intrigued by the idea of a ductless mini-split AC, we have some advice to help you figure out what will work best for your specific home.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.
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