SUFFERING from the hot weather and looking for ways to cool down?
We've tested a range of devices – from smaller budget buys to bigger luxe designs – to find the best air conditioners that will help chill your home quickly.
Air conditioners don't have to be big or bulky though – there are many portable models out there that don't require any complicated installation.
They still tend to be larger and more expensive than the best tower fans – but they are also more effective at lowering the temperature in a room.
Some can reduce the humidity in the air, making the room feel even cooler.
When it comes to choosing a device, make sure you think about the power and noise level.
Also check the coverage the model can provide, and whether it's powerful enough for the room you want to cool.
And in terms of budget, top-of-the-range models will typically set you back over £500.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, check out portable evaporative air coolers, which use water and ice cubes to work as a humidifier and mini air con.
Best air conditioners at a glance:
- Best all-around air conditioner: De'Longhi Pinguino PACN90 Eco
- Fastest cooling: AEG Comfort 6000
- Best for small rooms: Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner
- Best budget air conditioner: Devola Master 1000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
- Best plug and play air conditioner: Midea Comfee 9000
Best all-rounder: De'Longhi Pinguino PACN90 Eco air conditioner
- De'Longhi Pinguino PACN90 Eco, £579.99 from Airconcentre – buy here
Rating: 5/5
Pros: Easy set-up, quiet and effective, good temperature control, works as an air conditioner and dehumidifier
Cons: Heavy and difficult to take upstairs, not ideal for all window types
De'Longhi's Pinguino PACN90 portable air conditioning unit gets an A rating for energy efficiency and has received plenty of five-star reviews, so we were keen to put it to the test.
It measures 44.9 x 39.5 x 75cm, and is pretty bulky and very heavy so be aware of this when planning where it's going to go in your home.
It moves around easily on wheels, but you might need assistance to carry it upstairs.
The device was very easy to set up – you only need to connect the adaptors to the air hose and to the back of the unit and you're good to go. The air hose then needs to be positioned so the hot air blows out of a window.
The digital control is really clear and easy to use, with three modes – air conditioning, fan and dehumidifier. You can select the fan speed and choose to have maximum or medium power or to make the unit silent.
It's also possible to control the temperature, and use the timer to programme the unit to switch on and off at certain times to maximise its efficiency.
We tried the De'Longhi Pinguino out in a hot loft bedroom and it was very effective at keeping the room cool and comfortable in a sweltering summer heatwave.
We used the unit to cool down the room during the evening and turned it off overnight, but you could leave it on as it's fairly quiet (maximum of 64 decibels) and shouldn't disturb your sleep.
The only issue was that it was challenging to use with a skylight window as we had to raise the hose to reach the window, whilst keeping it on a flat surface as recommended for safety. Plus, we needed to block the window gap at the bottom to prevent the hot air from flowing back into the room.
For most windows, this wouldn't be such a problem and the unit should work effectively. However, the ideal solution would be to install the unit permanently with a hole through a wall and the instruction manual talks you through how to do this.
Overall, we were very satisfied with how well the De'Longhi Pinguino was able to cool a large space, and we found it to be unobtrusive and quiet.
We also liked that the unit provided a clear and constant update of the room temperature and that you're able to set a timer and change the settings easily from the unit or with the remote control.
Weight: 30kg Power: 2.4KW Noise level: 64dB Dimensions: 17.7 x 15.6 x 29.5cm Warranty: Limited
Best Smart Air Conditioner: Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner
(At the time of writing, this exact model is out of stock, but a similar version is available at Airconcentre here)
- Honeywell 12000 BTU WiFi Compatible Portable Air Conditioner With Voice Control, £479.95 from Airconcentre – buy here
Rating: 4/5
Pros: Sleek look, smart features, multiple modes
Cons: Setting up smart features is a bit of a faff, odd smell when you first turn it on, heavy
The Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner certainly makes a good first impression.
It's sleek, unassuming and extremely easy to set up; you simply slide it out of the box, plug it in and you're ready to use its most basic features. If you want to move it upstairs, you might need a partner, though: it's not dainty, at 71.5cm tall and 30kg.
To get it set up as a fully-fledged air conditioner you obviously need to plug in the air hose, but Honeywell provides easy-to-follow instructions to get that sorted. Like most air conditioners, it's best suited for sliding windows; if you don't have them, you can just stick the hose out of your casement window, though.
The selling point of this air conditioner is its smart features: it can connect to an app, allowing you to turn it on and off when you're out of the house, or just feeling too lazy to get out of bed. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Google Home.
We had a bit of a struggle getting the whole thing set up (the app didn't want to detect the unit, for some reason), but once you do get it sorted, it's undoubtedly convenient having the ability to control the device from anywhere. If you can't be bothered with the app setup, that's fine; there's a remote control too.
Like many of the units in this list, this is an air conditioner that doubles up as a fan and a dehumidifier, which is extremely useful for drying laundry, and means that you can still stay cool without having an ugly hose sticking out of the window (we did notice a bit of a fishy smell when we first used the fan setting, but it quickly dissipated).
Weight: 30kg Power: 1.3KW Noise Level: 65db Dimensions: 36 x 71.5 x 44 cm
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