The Best, Most Convenient...

With record breaking temps already sweeping the country, many are shopping for portable air conditioners. Whether you’re going camping and need cool air to get you through the night, or need the extra A/C to get you through summer, period, portable air conditioners are typically a way more affordable (and energy efficient) option when it comes to additional or replacement A/C. Depending on how much you want to spend, we’ve got options for travel-friendly conditioners, as well as portable units that can cool down an entire office or bedroom. Don’t worry, it’ll be fall before you know it, and then you’ll find yourself shopping for outdoor patio heaters.

Traditional air conditioners use chemical refrigerant and function thanks to a complex process of coils, compressors, and condensers. It essentially creates cold and hot air at the same time, and pushes the hot air out so you’re left with the cold. Some portable air conditioners, like the Black and Decker version (see below), work this way, and use a hose you connect to your window to expel the hot air.

Many portable air conditioners, however, are actually evaporative air coolers. They work the same way your body does when you sweat; they produce a fine mist and blow it on you. The moving air pushes away the heat around you, and the cool water brings down the air temp. For bonus cooling, many of these portable air conditioners allow you to add ice to the water to really chilly down. However, if you live in a very humid environment, they won’t function optimally. For best results, you need a dry heat.

Whatever your reason you’re looking, there’s probably a portable air conditioner out there to fit your needs. Here’s the lowdown on all the best options.

Black And Decker Portable Air Conditioner

The Black & Decker portable A/C is clearly leading the pack in quality, durability, and style. This size (they offer many) is 5,500BTUs, meaning it can quickly cool any room of 150 square feet all the way down to 65 degrees, if you want. That means it can work for dorms, offices, cabins, and of course your average bedroom.

$424.26ROLLICOOL Smart Portable Air Conditioner

Calling all techies! I found your new portable A/C. The Rollibot A/C has smart cooling features. It’s bluetooth compatible, so you can program it to raise or lower the temperature with the click of a button. Or, if you’d rather go hands-free, this portable A/C has Alexa-enabled voice commands so you can simply yell about how hot you are and your house magically adjusts the temp for you. (That’s how smart homes work, right?)

$449.99Midea 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner

Here’s another traditional air conditioner that’s just gone portable. It vents out the hot air through a movable duct to keep you chilled out. Also,a pro tip courtesy of Diana: “I’ve learned that it runs MUCH COLDER, LONGER when the filter is cleaned once a week. I literally spray it off (out) with my kitchen sink hose and it’s quick and easy.”

$306.57Ontel Arctic Air Pure Chill Evaporative Cooler

We’ll now move into the evaporative air cooler section of our list. Remember: these aren’t technically air conditioners, as this reviewer points out, along with a great explanation of how the Ontel Arctic Air performs perfectly. It won’t cool down a whole room or perfectly replace an air conditioner, but it does make you cooler and more comfortable. Other reviewers suggest adding ice cubes to the tank and/or putting the filter in the freezer just before you use it for maximum chill.

$39.88IcyBreeze V2 PRO

The IcyBreeze v2 Pro still uses the same ice cooling technology as other options here, but it’s also a cooler! It holds 30 pounds of ice, 49 standard soda cans, or whatever combination of the two you’d like. Plus, the fan blows at a whopping 25mph, so it’s sure to keep you cool. As far as power goes, you have four different power source options: car adapter, wall plug, or two different battery pack sizes.

Winique Portable Air Conditioner

Looking to take a portable air conditioner with you when you go camping? You’ll need something battery powered! This one can hold a charge for nine hours, meaning it can keep you cool all night long before needing a boost. This version also has an internal oscillating fan that covers 120°, so both you and a friend can feel the breeze.

$61.99LaoTzi Portable Air Conditioner

This small but mighty air conditioner only weighs a little over a pound when not filled with water! It also only uses the same amount of energy as a single lightbulb, so the energy savings (and therefore cost savings) can be dramatic compared to a traditional air conditioner. Reviewer Dan also notes that the sound this machine produces is very slight, especially compared to his central air conditioning system.

$42.99ELETOL Personal Air Conditioner and Humidifying Misting Fan

This air cooler doubles as a humidifier, and only weighs two pounds! It can hold 2½ cups of water (or ice cubes) at a time, and this reviewer says that’s enough to bring the temp around his immediate area down by 15-20 degrees!

$46.99COMFYHOME Bladeless 2-in-1 Air Cooler

Lastly, I wanted to note one evaporative cooler that seems quite different from the rest in both style and power. The COMFYHOME version just looks plain cool, combining bladeless fan technology and a cooling element. It is slightly larger (and more expensive) than the others, but it’s also more powerful. It also uses two provided ice packs to bring down the water temp, as opposed to only adding ice chips like many air coolers. This reviewer RAVES about hers, noting that it brought her electric bill down, can run for eight hours straight, and can easily cool down a 250 square foot room (or RV!).

$209.99

SHOP THE STORY

Black And Decker Portable Air Conditioner

The Black & Decker portable A/C is clearly leading the pack in quality, durability, and style. This size (they offer many) is 5,500BTUs, meaning it can quickly cool any room of 150 square feet all the way down to 65 degrees, if you want. That means it can work for dorms, offices, cabins, and of course your average bedroom.

$424.26ROLLICOOL Smart Portable Air Conditioner

Calling all techies! I found your new portable A/C. The Rollibot A/C has smart cooling features. It’s bluetooth compatible, so you can program it to raise or lower the temperature with the click of a button. Or, if you’d rather go hands-free, this portable A/C has Alexa-enabled voice commands so you can simply yell about how hot you are and your house magically adjusts the temp for you. (That’s how smart homes work, right?)

$449.99Midea 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner

Here’s another traditional air conditioner that’s just gone portable. It vents out the hot air through a movable duct to keep you chilled out. Also,a pro tip courtesy of Diana: “I’ve learned that it runs MUCH COLDER, LONGER when the filter is cleaned once a week. I literally spray it off (out) with my kitchen sink hose and it’s quick and easy.”

$306.57Ontel Arctic Air Pure Chill Evaporative Cooler

We’ll now move into the evaporative air cooler section of our list. Remember: these aren’t technically air conditioners, as this reviewer points out, along with a great explanation of how the Ontel Arctic Air performs perfectly. It won’t cool down a whole room or perfectly replace an air conditioner, but it does make you cooler and more comfortable. Other reviewers suggest adding ice cubes to the tank and/or putting the filter in the freezer just before you use it for maximum chill.

$39.88Vivibyan Personal Air CoolerWinique Portable Air Conditioner

Looking to take a portable air conditioner with you when you go camping? You’ll need something battery powered! This one can hold a charge for nine hours, meaning it can keep you cool all night long before needing a boost. This version also has an internal oscillating fan that covers 120°, so both you and a friend can feel the breeze.

$61.99LaoTzi Portable Air Conditioner

This small but mighty air conditioner only weighs a little over a pound when not filled with water! It also only uses the same amount of energy as a single lightbulb, so the energy savings (and therefore cost savings) can be dramatic compared to a traditional air conditioner. Reviewer Dan also notes that the sound this machine produces is very slight, especially compared to his central air conditioning system.

$42.99ELETOL Personal Air Conditioner and Humidifying Misting Fan

This air cooler doubles as a humidifier, and only weighs two pounds! It can hold 2½ cups of water (or ice cubes) at a time, and this reviewer says that’s enough to bring the temp around his immediate area down by 15-20 degrees!

$46.99COMFYHOME Bladeless 2-in-1 Air Cooler

Lastly, I wanted to note one evaporative cooler that seems quite different from the rest in both style and power. The COMFYHOME version just looks plain cool, combining bladeless fan technology and a cooling element. It is slightly larger (and more expensive) than the others, but it’s also more powerful. It also uses two provided ice packs to bring down the water temp, as opposed to only adding ice chips like many air coolers. This reviewer RAVES about hers, noting that it brought her electric bill down, can run for eight hours straight, and can easily cool down a 250 square foot room (or RV!).

$209.99IcyBreeze V2 PRO

The IcyBreeze v2 Pro still uses the same ice cooling technology as other options here, but it’s also a cooler! It holds 30 pounds of ice, 49 standard soda cans, or whatever combination of the two you’d like. Plus, the fan blows at a whopping 25mph, so it’s sure to keep you cool. As far as power goes, you have four different power source options: car adapter, wall plug, or two different battery pack sizes.