How Many Affordable Units at One Blue Slip
Why you should trust us
Since 2012, we've put in about 150 total hours of research and more than 100 hours of real-world testing on window air conditioners, along with more than 1,000 hours of being cooled off by the models we've recommended. Our expert sources include a former representative of the Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the Energy Star program; an HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) engineer who formerly worked as a staff senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; product managers from Midea and other manufacturers; and several members of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, which was established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers in March 2020 to offer guidance on ventilation and air quality during epidemics.
Which air conditioner is right for you?
Don't fall into the trap of buying a significantly under- or overpowered air conditioner.
First measure the square footage of the room you need to cool and then look at this Energy Star chart to find the appropriate cooling capacity, as measured in British thermal units (Btu). Sun exposure, ceiling height, appliance heat, and the number of people who will usually be in the room can affect the AC capacity you need, but floor size is the most important factor. Note that you won't always be able to find an AC with the perfect Btu rating, so you might have to round up: For example, almost nobody makes a 9,000 Btu window AC, so a 10,000 Btu window AC is the next-best option in that case.
An underpowered AC will run constantly, trying and failing to get the room down to the target temperature and a comfortable humidity. If, on the other hand, you choose a unit that's too big, it can leave your room feeling clammy because it will reduce the temperature faster than it removes moisture from the air. Need to cool multiple rooms? Getting several smaller air conditioners and putting one in each room will be more effective than buying one big unit.
How we picked
The best window air conditioner is the one that makes you the most comfortable in your home. For most people, that means picking a quiet AC—no jarring whines, whooshes, or whirs—that offers as much control over climate settings and air direction as possible. Ideally, the best air conditioner will pass the bedroom test: If it's good enough to sleep near, it's good enough for any other room in your house.
Everything else is much less important. Installation and maintenance should be (relatively) easy, but those tasks don't vary much from model to model, and you have to deal with them only a couple of times per year. With a few rare exceptions, the cooling power and energy efficiency are so very similar for window ACs at a given Btu rating that they're barely worth worrying about, and most of those exceptions use newer technology like inverter compressors. For the most part, however, the difference in reaching a target temperature is never more than a few minutes, and the difference in the annual cost to operate is rarely more than a few dollars—again, unless you're dealing with Energy Star–rated inverter models (which, until recently, were hard to find and pricey).
For this guide, we focus on 8,000 Btu window air conditioners. Typically suited for spaces around 350 square feet, 8,000 Btu is the most popular AC size for residential use. If you need to cool a larger or smaller room, note that most of our picks are available in several different sizes between 6,000 Btu and 12,000 Btu.
We've tested at least a dozen AC finalists over the years, generally looking for three types: reliable standard units, quieter models suited for bedrooms, and smart models with connectivity features.
How we tested
Among the finalists, we focus on noise as the primary distinguishing factor. As much as air conditioner technology has improved over the years, window units can still be pretty damn loud. According to this Energy Star memo (PDF), manufacturers claim that this volume creep is a side effect of stricter efficiency standards—increasing the fan speed is one of the lowest-cost ways for manufacturers to improve the units' efficiency. We favor air conditioners with a lower operating volume and a smoother frequency response.
In order to test noise output, we use an audio-spectrum analyzer app to measure each unit's volume at its low, medium, and high fan settings, with and without the compressor running, from the same position in a room (about 6 feet away). We make note of any frequency spikes, such as the kind of high-pitched whining that irritates some people or the midrange whooshing that can give some people a headache before they even realize it's happening (or, at least, that's our experience). We put the sound through some subjective tests, too—basically just letting the ACs run for a while and noting whether they annoy us.
We also judge our finalists on the level (and quality) of user control they allow. One important area where window ACs can differ is in their fan vents, which control the direction of airflow. If you sleep near your AC, typically you'll want to be able to point the cold air away from your body, or at least away from your head. But some models have inconsistent zones, spots where airflow either never reaches or always reaches. For each model we consider the number of fan speeds, any extra cooling modes, and the depth of remote control, as well, including any smart, Wi-Fi–controlled features.
Our pick: Midea U MAW08V1QWT
Our pick
The U-shaped Midea U MAW08V1QWT represents a surprising departure from the standard box-style air conditioner in that it's specifically designed with a notch in the center that allows you to open and close your window without uninstalling (or destabilizing) your air conditioner. This feature alone is a pretty great perk, especially for those who have limited window space in their home, who might want to get some circulation going for health reasons, or who just want to enjoy the occasional gust of fresh summer air. It also means that most of the louder hardware sits in the rear part of the unit—on the other side of the window, outside your home. As a result of this design choice, the Midea U is the absolute quietest window air conditioner we've ever tested: In our tests, even with the fan on high and the compressor running, it was still quieter than any of our previous top picks. It's also cheaper than any other inverter-style AC we've seen, with reliable smart-home capabilities and a custom safety bracket. When the Midea U went on sale in the spring of 2020, we initially rolled our eyes at its ambitious promise to "reinvent" the air conditioner. But after living with it for several summers, we can say with confidence that it is genuinely the best window air conditioner we've ever tested—with the absolute worst AC installation process we've ever suffered through thrice (we'll get to that).
Most window air conditioners are loud and annoying, and we've even considered some of our previous top picks to be merely the least worst when it comes to volume and grating sound. But that's not the case with the Midea U. In fact, during our tests of the Midea U, it was difficult for us to take exact volume measurements that we could replicate without also picking up the white noise in the background inside and outside the home. At best, we measured the lowest, fan-only setting on the Midea U at 35 decibels—which is basically unnoticeable, especially if you live in a densely populated area. The compressor added only about 3 decibels of volume to the sound of the fan alone. This result initially surprised us, but it makes sense, as the compressor is housed outside the window, so the glass serves as a buffer to help muffle the sound. Even the audio frequencies remained mostly the same between the fan-only and compressor modes. We heard none of those awful midrange drones or high-pitched whines that are often associated with window ACs; instead, the compressor just added a slight boost around 13,000 Hz, which is toward the very top of the human hearing range anyway. Most of the frequency spikes that we measured from the fan alone were even higher-pitched than that, so we barely even noticed them. More than once, we'd often find ourselves forgetting that the AC was on at all.
The only downside to the Midea U's unique setup is that, when the compressor does start up, it initially honks like a sputtering goose. As far as we can tell, this sound comes from the pressure or vibrations of the unit rubbing up against the glass of the window. We might be wrong, but either way, the noise is brief, and it disappears quickly.
Speaking of the compressor: Unlike most air conditioners, the Midea U has an inverter or variable-speed compressor. Whereas most AC compressors have two settings—on or off—the Midea U can essentially rev its compressor's "engine" up and down as necessary to maximize efficiency. Put another way: The Midea U has an energy-efficiency ratio of 15, as listed by the EPA, while the other, non-inverter models we tested all maxed out between 11 and 12. As a result, it uses nearly 40% less energy than the US federal standard for window air conditioners, according to the EPA. By comparison, our traditional-AC pick from GE uses about 5% less energy than the federal standard, and our basic pick from Frigidaire uses about 10% less (and those models still rank among the best available).
On one particularly hot day, we put the Midea's energy efficiency to the test and tracked its energy use with a wattage meter. Even with the compressor running and the fan on high, it still used only 100 to 300 watts for most of the day (although it crept up to nearly 500 watts at one point). The standard ACs we tested, however, all went to the maximum wattage rating (typically around 670) whenever the compressor was on. Once the room hit the target temperature, and the compressor turned off, the wattage would drop to 0 watts; but after the room warmed up again, and the AC turned back on, the unit would immediately start pulling that maximum wattage once more. By contrast, the Midea U was constantly using at least some energy, but in such low and variable amounts that it ended up consuming much less energy overall.
Because of its unique design, the Midea U also comes with its own window bracket to help secure the unit. This bracket is similar to our top-pick window bracket, the Top Shelf TSB-2438, as it has some customized grooves that allow the U-shaped AC to rest precisely on it. Considering that the Top Shelf bracket usually goes for about $100, this included accessory adds a bit of value to the Midea U package (although you can find other brackets for as low as $30). The Midea U also comes with a number of security features, including a pair of extendable latches to prevent anyone from opening your window from the outside. (Guide co-author Thom Dunn broke one of the latches by accident, but even only one of them made it impossible for him to break into his own house—which is good!)
The Midea U is also smart-home compatible, with one of the more robust smartphone apps we've seen. In addition to creating a recurring schedule, you can set up a Sleep Curve, which adjusts the temperature with precision over an eight-hour period (presumably when you're sleeping and don't want to wake up in a room as cold as the one you passed out in). It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, too, and the language is impressively natural—you can say "Turn on Midea" or "Set Midea to 62 degrees," for example, and it actually works (which in our experience is frustratingly uncommon for this product category).
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Some personal perspective from guide co-author Thom Dunn: Installing an air conditioner in your window quite frankly sucks. I say this as a 6-foot-tall, 200-pound man; there are many people who are smaller or less able-bodied than me for whom it sucks even more. I state this truism because when I describe my multiple installation experiences with the Midea U as "mid- to moderately hellish," I want you to understand that they are uniquely so—they're outliers in a field already known for its frustrations.
Even if you've installed a standard air conditioner before, the Midea U's unique shape is intimidating, and the lack of clarity across multiple manuals does not inspire confidence. The Midea U comes with four—yes, four—separate instruction booklets, and none of them provide any useful guidance for how to install the thing. Case in point: In the main installation guide, Step 2, "Secure The Unit on the Bracket," tells you to set the AC down on the bracket and then says that "You must install the Open Window Brackets." It's not really clear what that means or how to do that, and the tiny close-up illustration accompanying those words makes them even more confusing.
In our initial tests, we got so frustrated with the Midea U's useless documentation that we gave up reading and just tried to muscle it into place. By doing this, we realized that it's actually pretty easy to install if you just treat it like a normal air conditioner. Luckily, taking it out of the window was simple. But when it came time to reinstall it the following year, I made the mistake of confidently assuming that I knew what I was doing that go-round; within minutes, I had invented a colorful menagerie of new profanity. After installing this thing nearly a dozen times, I still have no idea what that "Open Window Brackets" line is referring to (although I assume I must have installed them at one point).
By year three of testing, however, I finally mastered the quick installation process. So there's hope for you yet, young Padawan.
Generally speaking, YouTube is your friend. But here are a few tricks I've learned: Every window is a little different, and the Midea U comes with enough hardware, padding, and other options that you can probably make it work in your specific home as long as you assess the situation correctly. The AC's real stability hinges on the extendable metal bars at the bottom of the window-accommodating "canyon" in the unit. These bars are meant to slide into the window tracks to keep the air conditioner in place. Supposedly, the bracket is designed to have all of this lined up right, but it might not work on every window (like mine). If you're having trouble, loosely position the bracket so it's stable-ish, without locking the pins on the outside legs—you may need some help with this—and then place the AC on top of the bracket until you feel it settle snugly into place. Only then, extend those metal bars into the window tracks. Make sure the window fits into the canyon, and then you can finally lock the front and back braces of the bracket into place. Secure everything as necessary for your specific window using the included hardware. Finally, slap some installation padding everywhere you can. You should be good to go—until next year, anyway.
You might also be one of the lucky people who have a perfectly sized sill and sash for locking the Midea bracket into place, plopping the AC on top, and having it all line up without a problem. This is known to happen (the AC is designed to some sort of standard, after all). But I've personally had awful installation experiences in two very different homes, and anecdotally, I know of plenty of other people who have dealt with similar frustrations. May the odds be ever in your favor.
The Midea U's documentation doesn't disappoint only on the installation instructions. The manuals also give no real explanation of the Sleep Curve and Express Modes features in the app. But at least the UI of the app itself is smooth and clear enough to give you the gist and guide you through the setup process.
Like many window air conditioners, the Midea U lacks a drainage plug, so the condensation that collects in the heat-removal process just kind of sits in the back of the unit. In the first few days of noticing this, we kept thinking there were sun showers outside that hit only our patio furniture; eventually, we realized that the fan was flicking the water out of the condensate pan and all over everything else. This might be a problem unique to the test location, or it may be an issue that's genuinely worse than for other ACs because of the Midea U's unique design. Either way, it's not that big of a deal. But it is occasionally annoying.
Also great: GE PHC08LY
Also great
If you're looking for an attractive, relatively quiet, yet traditional air conditioner, we recommend the stylish GE PHC08LY. It's the quietest AC we've ever tested besides the Midea U—and that's before we even factor in its dedicated Quiet Mode (which is really just a very low-speed fan). It's also one of the best-looking ACs around, with a sleek curved control panel, gentle white LED indicator lights, and capacitive (touch-sensitive) buttons that feel delightfully retro-futuristic—especially if you aspire to full-on spaceship-aesthetic living. The smart-home features and voice commands are similar to what you get with the Midea U, with the addition of location services and Apple HomeKit compatibility (a rarity in the AC field). This model usually costs about the same as the Midea U, as well, and although it doesn't come with its own bracket, this GE AC is a lot easier to install. The only real downside is that it's not quite as energy efficient as the Midea U, even though it is still Energy Star certified with a combined energy-efficiency ratio of 11.4. (In 2022, the company released a larger, 10,000 Btu version with an inverter compressor and an impressive efficiency rating of 15.7; this unit is larger than most people need, but the option is available.)
At its lowest settings (fan only, on Quiet Mode), we measured the GE PHC08LY at around 37 decibels—about the same noise level as the Midea U (which is to say, basically unnoticeable to the average person). The compressor adds about 10 decibels, but even then this AC is quieter than any of our previous picks; at its absolute loudest with the compressor running and the fan on high, this GE model was about as loud as our discontinued upgrade pick, the Frigidaire Cool Connect FGRC084WA1, on the same setting, and it was still quieter than the average conversation.
When we first tested the GE PHC08LY in summer 2020, we had an especially frustrating experience with the Wi-Fi setup and general use of the app. We encountered the same Wi-Fi problems when we began to test ACs in 2021—but at that point, we reached out to GE's customer support line, and a representative helpfully walked us through the reset process and made sure that everything worked as it was meant to. We haven't had any trouble since then, and in fact we feel even better about recommending this GE model now that we know that the customer support team will actually take good care of you. The company has made tremendous strides in its smart-home integration since 2020, too, with a clean app interface and much more natural voice commands. (Previously, you had to go through the cumbersome ordeal of telling Alexa to use the Geneva app to turn on your air conditioner; now, you can just say "Alexa, turn on air conditioner," which is as it should be.)
Also great: Frigidaire FHWW083WBE
Also great
The Frigidaire FHWW083WBE is the latest in a line of Frigidaire ACs that we've been recommending since 2014. Though each year's model has had a slightly different name, they have all provided the same consistently reliable performance plus decent features and the highest possible energy-efficiency rating for a non-inverter AC, all at an affordable price. However, this Frigidaire AC is slightly louder than our other picks and tends to emit a low mechanical growl that's less pleasant on the ears than the sounds of the Midea U or the GE PHC08LY. Even so, it is still quieter and less annoying than most other ACs, and the sound is a fair trade-off if you want to save some money. If you want an even cheaper option, the Frigidaire FFRE083WAE is essentially the same minus Wi-Fi connectivity, and you can often find that model for around $50 to $100 less. Both models are Energy Star certified.
We measured the FHWW083WBE at 50 decibels from 6 feet away on the lowest, fan-only setting and 55 decibels on the max setting with the compressor. Those results make this model about 3 to 8 decibels louder than the Midea U at its absolute highest volume, or about the same as the GE PHC08LY when it runs the compressor with its fan on medium or high. That being said, this Frigidaire is still quieter than the average conversation (which is about 60 decibels), as well as most other ACs we've looked at. Even our previous top pick, the LG LW8017ERSM, was only about 3 decibels quieter than the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE at the top of its volume range and about the same on the quieter end. This Frigidaire model does emit some more noticeable and higher-pitched whines, however, including peaks at 7,000 Hz, 9,000 Hz, and 16,500 Hz, as well as a low-end mechanical growl around 3,700 Hz. The faster the fan moves, the more these noise spikes tend to disappear and blend into the blur of white noise. That white noise is still busier overall (at least to human ears) than the white noise from the Midea U or the GE PHC08LY.
The disc-shaped fan blades on the FHWW083WBE permanently blow at least some air toward the right side of the unit, even if you direct most of it to the left. That can be annoying if you have the unit near your bed, blowing cold air on your neck all night. Also, the Frigidaire doesn't have a drain, so in very humid conditions it can start to make an obnoxious flickering, bubbling noise as the fan passes through the pool of condensed water amassing in the baseplate. If that happens to your unit, you'll need to manually tilt the AC to drain it and make the noise stop.
In its favor, though, the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE is nearly 10 pounds lighter than the Midea U, with a slightly smaller chassis and a more centered weight distribution, both of which make it easier to install. Also, its side curtains slide in rather than screw in, saving you a few minutes of work and frustration.
The FHWW083WBE also has Wi-Fi connectivity, including smart-home capabilities. This means you can control the AC from the Frigidaire app on your phone, so you don't even have to leave the bed or couch to change the temperature. The Frigidaire app offers scheduling opportunities for repeated air conditions, although it's less helpful if you want to program a one-time or temporary cooling scenario, such as if you want to set it to run for just two hours on a particularly hot day. Frigidaire is one of the first companies we've encountered in our AC testing to figure out the trick to more natural voice-command integration through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant—simply say "Alexa, turn on air conditioner" (or whatever you choose to name it), for example, and you should be good to go.
If the FHWW083WBE is not available, the FFRE083WAE is nearly identical, lacking only Wi-Fi connectivity. That model remains a good, reliable choice for a decent, affordable air conditioner.
As for the price, the FHWW083WBE can jump all over the place from day to day, but it tends to range from $200 to the mid-$300s (while the non-smart FFRE083WAE typically saves you about $50). Keep your eyes peeled for deals.
Also great: Windmill Air
Also great
Windmill Air
Attractive and easy to install
The Windmill Air is the easiest air conditioner we've ever installed, and it boasts plenty of other nice and thoughtful details that make it pleasant to live with overall.
If you just want an air conditioner that is easy to live with and does the job well while it blends into the background, get the Windmill Air. Along with the July, the Windmill is also the absolute easiest window AC to install among the many competitors we've tested firsthand. The Windmill comes with all the smart-home features you might expect, as well as some thoughtful subtle details—things like highly personal customer service and a cover for those razor-sharp fins on the back—that make it stand out from the average window air conditioner. It isn't the absolute quietest or most energy-efficient AC we've ever tested, but it is certainly one of the most pleasant models you can find overall.
Let's start with the installation. Most window ACs (except the Midea U) require you to install a pair of brackets that screw into the top and bottom and then stretch out from the sides, so you can expand the plastic accordion-screen side panels designed to block out the rest of the window and keep the cool air in. The process isn't difficult, but it typically involves a screwdriver and can occasionally be frustrating, even with higher-end machines. Right out of the box, the Windmill stands out because it arrives with all these pieces already assembled and attached to the air conditioning unit. In addition to taking some work off your hands, these attached pieces create a frame around the air conditioner that serves as a guideline for you to fit it right into your window. You take the thing out of the box, slip the bottom edge into the sill, and then pull the window down so that it sits behind the top edge. Then all you have to do is extend the side panels so that they fill the width of the window sill. Windmill even makes that last part easier—the box includes some foam pieces, marked with cutting guidelines, that snap right into these side panels, keeping them fully outstretched and airtight while also providing some extra insulation.
Guide co-author Thom Dunn's wife, who watched him install, uninstall, and reinstall a dozen air conditioners for testing, saw how easy it was to install the Windmill and said, "I would just buy that one." If you do run into any trouble—or you either can't or don't want to install the Windmill by yourself—the instruction manual includes a direct link to TaskRabbit, where you can plug in your zip code and find some help. We didn't try this feature ourselves, but it's a nice option to have.
Performance-wise, the Windmill is about the same as our basic also-great pick from Frigidaire, with an average volume of 54.5 decibels and an energy-efficiency rating of 11.9. Although that means it isn't as quiet or powerful as our other picks (and it falls just short of achieving Energy Star status), it still outperforms almost every other AC available. And that's pretty good! The company also participates in a carbon-offset program that aims to make up for production emissions by investing in trees. (The actual impact of these programs is debatable, however.)
We've seen reviews that compare the Windmill Air's design to that of Apple products, and though we wouldn't go so far as to agree with Forbes's claim that it's the "iPhone of air conditioners," it is definitely nicer looking than most other models, with clean, simple lines and rounded edges. It has plenty of other thoughtful details and touches that set it apart, too, such as the stylish plastic cover over the razor-sharp exhaust fins on the back of the unit that could save you from slicing your finger open. This cover also makes your AC look much more attractive from the outside—or, if you live in an apartment building, it will at least stand out among the sea of industrial metal sticking out of everyone else's window. The buttons on the unit are small and tucked away on a ledge so the indicator lights don't bother you. And even the main LED display that shows the temperature turns off automatically after about 30 seconds. The unit also comes with an activated carbon filter, instead of just a standard washable screen like most ACs. Based on the testing we've done with similar filters (including for our air purifier guide), we wouldn't expect this filter to have a huge impact on your air quality, but it is a nice touch and certainly isn't doing any harm. If you don't want to keep paying to replace that filter every few months, you can instead use the standard washable filter that is also included with the Windmill Air.
Our only real complaint about the Windmill Air's design is that you can't control the direction of the fan. Although it does expel the cool air up and out into the room, there are some situations where you may want to give it a push in a certain direction. You may want a fan for that.
Also great: Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1
Also great
The Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is a newer inverter-style air conditioner that's just as impressively quiet and efficient as the Midea U. With an Energy Star–rated EER of 15, this Frigidaire model ties with the Midea as the most energy-efficient window AC we've ever tested, as it uses 37% less energy than the US federal standard for ACs. Though in our measurements it proved to be slightly louder than the Midea—averaging about 48 decibels, as opposed to nearly 40—this Frigidaire was still essentially imperceptible over the basic tone of the room in which we were testing. The GHWQ083WC1 also maintained a slightly more consistent temperature throughout the room during our tests: It typically kept the air within one-half of a degree when measured from 3 feet directly in front of the AC and 6 feet away on a diagonal, compared with a difference of roughly one degree with the Midea.
The GHWQ083WC1 is a fantastic AC overall, but it has a few drawbacks. The LED temperature display on the control panel, for example, automatically turns off a few seconds after you stop pressing buttons. In theory, this is great, especially for sleeping; in practice, however, it can be a little frustrating, because the AC is so quiet that you sometimes can't tell whether it's on unless you fuss with the controls again. As an alternative, you could use your phone to check the temperature or setting, since the GHWQ083WC1 offers all the standard smart-home connectivity we've come to expect. But that also requires you to interact with Frigidaire's smart-home app, which is frequently glitchy and tends to disconnect from the AC at random. When this happens, the problem typically resolves itself pretty quickly, but it's still annoying.
The GHWQ083WC1 also lacks an "auto" mode like that of the Midea U or this model's portable Frigidaire Gallery counterpart. Such a setting allows those ACs to keep the air circulating constantly, even if the compressor turns off or on; by contrast, when this Frigidaire model reaches the temperature you want, it shuts both the fan and compressor off completely, which can cease air circulation and leave the room feeling stale. During a relentlessly humid summer where each day alternates wildly between 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 degrees with flash flooding, we've come to rely on these "auto" settings to keep the air in our test home feeling cool, circulated, and dehumidified depending on the rapidly changing weather. This isn't a feature we've typically factored into our AC reviews, but its omission in the GHWQ083WC1 stood out to us when we were comparing this model with others during a particularly turbulent period of weather.
One last thing to note: When we shipped out our test GHWQ083WC1 to another Wirecutter staffer for long-term testing, it ended up getting damaged in transit. Despite the cracks and dents on the outside of the unit, this blemished air conditioner still works like new. It's just as quiet and energy efficient as it was when we first tested it; even the Wi-Fi still works the same (including the occasional glitches, as we mentioned above). Ultimately, this little shipping accident ended up reinforcing our recommendation of this Frigidaire AC by showing us just how durable it is. This is a well-made piece of hardware, which means it should last you for a good long time, even if it does get a little beat up. If you run into any shipping trouble, though, you should still contact the seller for a replacement.
Budget pick: Any secondhand air conditioner
Budget pick
After testing dozens of air conditioners over the years, we've found that a lot of the models we end up dismissing are about the same level of "just fine" as they are frustrating. Compared with our picks, these ACs tend to be loud, less efficient, less intuitive, and occasionally glitchy (especially if they have Wi-Fi support or other smart features). At the end of a hot day, though, they also get the job done—and sometimes, that's all you need. Rather than recommending a budget pick that's also moderately terrible, we've concluded that you're better off just getting whatever used air conditioner is available when you need it. Given the choice between spending $300 on a brand-new 8,000 Btu window air conditioner that's loud, inefficient, and frustrating, or buying one for $50 from an old roommate or from Facebook Marketplace that's also loud, inefficient, and frustrating, you may as well save the money and keep an older air conditioner out of the trash.
For example, consider the GE AHEK08AC, which we almost recommended as a budget pick in 2021. It's a perfectly fine air conditioner—a little louder than our other picks, but not by much, and it hits the bare-minimum efficiency standard that we look for, too. But the average cost is around $310, which isn't quite cheap enough for us to call it a bargain. You can get one of our Frigidaire also-greats for about the same price or spend an extra $50 or so on our top pick. If you can find a used AHEK08AC, however—or any of its near-identical cousins, such as the AHD08LZ or AHY08LZ—we'd say it's worth it.
In general, we recommend looking for secondhand air conditioners that are no more than 10 years old. The US Department of Energy passed in 2011 an updated set of AC regulations that established a minimum combined energy-efficiency ratio of 11.0 for most 8,000 Btu air conditioners. By comparison, our top pick from Midea has a rating of 15.0. Although that is a significant difference, it's likely to save you only about $15 to $20 in electricity costs per year compared with an AC that merely meets the minimum standards (which in turn are about 11% more efficient than the previous standards, put in place in 2000).
This is all to say that you should stay away from that moldy '90s AC in your relative's basement and try to find a used one that's no older than 2014 or so. It's also a good reminder that AC disposal is an environmental issue, and that while climate change means more people need air conditioning, more air conditioning also contributes to climate change. So there's plenty of reason to reuse older models instead of putting more ACs into circulation.
To be clear: If you actually want an air conditioner that isn't annoying to live with, you should spend the money on one of our other picks. As someone who lugged around a loud, obnoxious hand-me-down AC for nearly a decade, guide co-author Thom Dunn can tell you from personal experience that the investment is worth it. (New models' refrigerants are less bad for the environment, too.) But if you just want something that keeps you cool without breaking the bank, go for the secondhand option.
The competition
In 2022, we tested the Soleus Saddle Air Conditioner and the GE Profile ClearView AHTT08BC, two new "saddle-style" models that promise to preserve even more window access than the Midea U. Unlike the Midea, these ACs straddle the window sill, with the hardware (including the control panels) hanging downward. It's an interesting idea, but we found ourselves frustrated with the fact that they each stuck out between 7 and 9 inches into the room, making it hard for us to have any furniture underneath the window. Although they're ultimately not much heavier than other ACs, their expanded length and awkward weight distribution make them cumbersome to install, as well. They also won't fit window sills wider than about 1 foot. Otherwise, both models are fine, but neither one is quite as efficient or quiet as our picks. We also had some trouble setting up the Soleus smart-home app—which was ultimately okay with us, because we had some concerns about the company's privacy policy and the annoying mobile-game ads that littered the app interface. If you want the option to keep using your window, you're better off just sticking with the Midea U.
In our 2022 round, we also tested the July, which, like our also-great pick from Windmill, emphasizes aesthetics and easy installation. And in both of those regards, it's genuinely fantastic, all the way down to the sleekly designed box that opens in such a way that it actually aids in the installation process, guiding you step by step just through the packaging. Once you've installed it, the standard all-white July looks nicer than most other air conditioners, too (inasmuch as an air conditioner can look nice). But the company also offers the option of several design upgrades, including covers that come in hues such as rose, sky blue, and forest green, or different materials like ash wood and linen. The July is slightly louder than we'd like, emitting a low wooshing sound around 3 kHz that we found a little grating in our tests, and it achieves only the bare-minimum energy-efficiency rating of 11.0. But it's still a decent choice overall, especially if you don't mind trading a little function for a lot of fashion. Note that the stock tends to be limited; at this writing, there's a two-month waitlist to get one, and they're available only directly from the company.
The GE Profile AHTR10AC is a newer and larger version of our also-great pick from GE. It's also the single most efficient window AC available, according to Energy Star ratings, with a combined energy-efficiency rating of 15.7. Although this model wouldn't save you that much money in energy costs compared with our top pick, that's still an impressive feat. At 10,000 Btu, this GE model is overkill for most homes, but if you happen to have a 450-square-foot space that needs cooling, it's truly the best option available. We hope GE applies this same efficient inverter technology to its smaller Profile ACs.
We also tested the Dreo DR-HAC002 Inverter Window AC in 2022, and we were genuinely surprised to see an inverter model coming from a newer company in the AC space. In our tests, it was just as efficient as our top pick and almost as quiet, too. However, it has some confusing controls, including a remote that failed to sync up with the machine in our tests, and it lacks Wi-Fi support and smart-home features—all while costing more than our top pick. Just go with the Midea.
The LG LW8017ERSM was our top pick for several years running, and we still think it's pretty good overall. During that time, however, it also suffered from inconsistent stock issues. Several readers complained about the grating sound, as well; although it used to be one of the quieter ACs available (despite its timbre), it can't hold up against any of our current picks. If you can find it in stock for $300 or less, it's a fine option.
In spring 2021, we tested the Frigidaire FHWH082WA1, a new model that's similar to our long-standing Frigidaire also-great pick but has an added 3,500 Btu heating element (and a lower energy-efficiency rating as a result) and omits the smart-home capabilities. Depending on where you live and what kind of window setup and storage you have, the $560 FHWH082WA1 could be an ideal option—an air conditioner that you leave in the window for year-round temperature control, kind of like a ductless mini-split system. Of course, that also means giving up half of a window 100% of the time, including during those spring and autumn months when you mostly don't need heating or cooling (and might actually want to open a window on occasion). If you're willing to sacrifice a window, however, that could be a fair trade-off for not having to deal with reinstalling and uninstalling a cumbersome AC every year. This notion is even more appealing in the case of the FHWH082WA1, which is an absolute behemoth. At 80 pounds, it's nearly twice as heavy as the equivalent Frigidaire model that offers only cooling capabilities. It's about 50% longer, too, which means it juts out of a window even further. In other words: The experience of installing this model is even worse than installing a normal air conditioner, so you likely wouldn't want to deal with moving it ever again. It does have a removable control panel, though, for what the company calls "easy installation." Easy for Sisyphus, perhaps. Alternate plan: Get a Frigidaire FFRE083WA1, invest about $60 more on a space heater, and keep your window operable between cooling and heating seasons.
For three summers in a row, we tested the 9,500 Btu LG LW1019IVSM, which uses LG's unique Dual Inverter technology to make the air conditioner quieter and more efficient. And it impressed us every time. Unfortunately, that model was never widely available, and after several years of the company telling us that it was planning on increasing distribution, we're just not confident that's ever going to happen. And now you can find other, more affordable ACs with the same inverter perks, such as our top pick from Midea.
Other types of air conditioners
Portable air conditioners
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.
Through-the-wall air conditioners
Picking the right through-the-wall air conditioner can be a little tricky, but the path of least resistance is to get a universal-fit, rear-breathing AC. Also known as true wall air conditioners or wall-sleeve air conditioners, these units work with almost 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 LT0816CER looks like a reasonable bet. It appears to be a modified version of our previous LG window-unit pick, and 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. It's not a safety hazard or anything, just an unwise thing to do.
Casement air conditioners for sliding and crank-open windows
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 FFRS0822SE 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 and mini-split ductless systems
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.
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 (although 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.
U-shaped or saddle-style air conditioners
Around 2021, we began to notice a trend in newly announced AC units that—like our top pick from Midea—promised full utility of your window all summer long. Unlike the Midea U, which sits on top of the sill, these new models straddle the sill, so the hardware hangs below the window. In theory, this means they should be even less intrusive. That was not our experience when we tested the GE Profile ClearView AHTT08BC and the Soleus Saddle Air Conditioner, however. The control panels for these ACs stuck out up to 9 inches into the room, which meant that we had to move any end table, couch, or bed that may have been positioned underneath the window. (In contrast, most window ACs don't extend much past the sill itself.) This might be tolerable for you, depending on your home setup; you may even decide that rearranging the furniture a little is worth doing if it means retaining full access to your window. The saddle design is definitely an interesting approach to window air conditioning, and we plan to keep an eye out as more of saddle-style ACs come out and improve on what came before. For now, though, we think you're better off with the Midea U.
Care and maintenance
For starters, follow the installation instructions—the idea is to keep the AC secure in the window frame, with the back of the unit angled slightly toward the ground so that condensed water can drain out. Brace the machine on air conditioner brackets, not on a stack of old magazines. Beyond posing safety concerns, rickety installations can amplify noise; make sure your AC is braced tightly against the window opening to minimize rattling.
After you turn on the AC for the first time, if you hear any obvious high-pitched whining for more than a few minutes, you might have gotten a dud. Wait 24 hours to give the refrigerant a chance to settle and then try again. If the noise doesn't improve, exchange the unit. ACs aren't supposed to sound like that.
Every air conditioner has a filter to block dust from getting into the important parts of the system; it's sort of like the lint filter on a clothes dryer. It usually slides out from the front of the unit. You should clean this filter every month to keep air flowing properly. Most modern units (including all the models we tested) have a light to remind you to do this after every 250 hours of use.
At the end of every cooling season, remove your window AC units and drain the condensed water on the ground or in a bucket or bathtub—or, if you tend to leave your AC in for the whole year, try to empty it out on a seasonal basis. Mildew can grow inside a wet AC, especially if it's shoved into a dark closet over the winter.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-conditioner/
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