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Home Air Conditioners

Best Portable Air Conditioners Under $300

Updated June 2024
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
SereneLife SLPAC805W.5 Portable Air Conditioner
SereneLife
SLPAC805W.5 Portable Air Conditioner
Portable Power

This small AC unit easily mounts on your window and works with smart devices, and includes a remote.

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Portable Power
Bottom Line

This small AC unit easily mounts on your window and works with smart devices, and includes a remote.

Pros

Cools rooms up to 300 square feet. It's an AC, a dehumidifier, and a fan in 1 portable device. You can control it 3 different ways. A built-in-timer keeps it running for pets and a cool home to arrive to.

Cons

It's too small for some people's needs.

Rosewill RHPA - 18001 Portable Air Conditioner
Rosewill
RHPA - 18001 Portable Air Conditioner
Bargain Pick

At 51.8 pounds, this is a lightweight machine with excellent cooling power.

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Bargain Pick
Bottom Line

At 51.8 pounds, this is a lightweight machine with excellent cooling power.

Pros

The 8,000-Btu cooling power works well for small apartments or cooling a single room. Comparable power to more expensive models. Self-evaporative and lightweight.

Cons

Some reports of leaks.

Black+Decker Portable Air Conditioner
Black+Decker
Portable Air Conditioner
Small but Powerful

This 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner is excellent for small-to-medium-sized homes

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Small but Powerful
Bottom Line

This 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner is excellent for small-to-medium-sized homes

Pros

This air conditioner can cool enclosed areas of up to 550 square feet and offers three additional functions: dehumidifier, fan and heater. It has a top-mounted control panel with an LED screen and a remote control. It features a slide-out washable filter and a 24-hour timer.

Cons

It's a loud unit, and when the compressor is on, it occasionally makes a high-pitched noise.

Ginost Portable Air Conditioner
Ginost
Portable Air Conditioner
Best for Small Households

An excellent BTU 10,000 portable air conditioner for apartments and small houses.

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Best for Small Households
Bottom Line

An excellent BTU 10,000 portable air conditioner for apartments and small houses.

Pros

With an advanced air compressor, this air conditioner works quickly to cool rooms up to 450 square feet in size. It's a multifunctional unit that offers fan and dehumidifier modes and operates at just 54 decibels. Plus, it has a 24-hour timer and a sleep mode.

Cons

The power cord is only 6 feet long and the remote feels cheaply made.

AireMax 10000 BTU 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner
AireMax
10000 BTU 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner
Most Versatile

At 10,000 Btu, this is the most powerful model we considered.

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Most Versatile
Bottom Line

At 10,000 Btu, this is the most powerful model we considered.

Pros

The impressive cooling power is more than sufficient for rooms up to 300 square feet. Reasonably lightweight at 56.2 pounds. The self-evaporative function works well.

Cons

Fairly loud. Some customers reported a drop off in cooling capability over time.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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First Reviewed
September 16, 2021
30
Models
considered
8
Hours
researched
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Ade Hennis
Written by Ade Hennis

Updated June 2024

When summer arrives and the temperature is hot, almost everyone turns to ACs to help get them through the heat. But not everyone can afford central air and window AC units aren’t great if you want to move about in different rooms in your home. A portable air conditioner might be the best option in this case. They usually come on wheels and only need a window to vent out of to function (and some don’t even need that). Most air conditioners are rated by BTUs (British thermal units) and the higher the BTUs the more powerful the AC. Most portable ACs are somewhere between 3000 and 8000 BTUs. For the average room, 6000 BTUs is great.

Our Top Picks
SereneLife
Best of the Best
SereneLife
SLPAC805W.5 Portable Air Conditioner
Bottom Line
This small AC unit easily mounts on your window and works with smart devices, and includes a remote.
Shop Now
Rosewill
Best Bang for the Buck
Rosewill
RHPA - 18001 Portable Air Conditioner
Bottom Line
At 51.8 pounds, this is a lightweight machine with excellent cooling power.
Shop Now
Black+Decker
Top Pick
Black+Decker
Portable Air Conditioner
Bottom Line
This 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner is excellent for small-to-medium-sized homes
Shop Now
Ginost
Top Pick
Ginost
Portable Air Conditioner
Bottom Line
An excellent BTU 10,000 portable air conditioner for apartments and small houses.
Shop Now
AireMax
Top Pick
AireMax
10000 BTU 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner
Bottom Line
At 10,000 Btu, this is the most powerful model we considered.
Shop Now
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