How to pick the best Portable Cooling Unit?

Air conditioners are one of the most complex innovations. They’ve been here since as long as the study of thermodynamics. And I don’t see them being taken over by anything soon. I myself have had my experience with portable cooling unit. And that’s the main reason why I wrote this article. If you aren’t clever enough to avoid fraudulent sellers, then the world will take the best of you. For me, whenever I buy an AC unit, I always look for a few things.

The first thing I want to see is power and vigor. After that, the warranty and pricing come second. And then I check the overall quality and smart features. Below, I have listed the top 4 cooling units that I had great experiences with. These were the ones that made me have faith in the cooling industry.

Our Pick 

Shinco

Cools up to 350 square feet

Self-Evaporative Technology

Low noise and high comfort

High visibility LED display

Runner-up

LG

Cools up to 150 square feet

Easy maintenance and cleaning

Auto-evaporative

Produces a lot of noise

 

See for yourself and decide your favorite unit.

Shinco SPF2-08C portable cooling unitOur Pick

I chose the Shinco as the first product on my list. That mostly has to do with the indulging design and unique build. Shinco’s air conditioners are always packed to the brim with features and delicacies. This specific model is an 8,000 BTU portable cooling unit. The immense power allows it to cool down up to 350 square feet. It’s the perfect choice for your cabin, home, office, clinic, or workplace. Switching to speed level one will reduce the noise significantly. Not only that, but the Shinco also has a 60-pint dehumidifying capacity.

shinco compact portable air conditioner

Key Features:

  • Simple and elegant design.
  • Cools up to 350 square feet.
  • Rust free internal components.
  • Self-evaporating technology.
  • Low noise and high comfort.
  • High visibility LED display.

Rust and Corrosion Free:

How many times has your portable cooling unit jammed up? Corrosion is a big issue, and it can lead to problems later on. This is why Shinco believes that durability is critical to satisfaction. All the internal components of the Shinco Air Conditioner are made from stainless steel. Some special parts have a nickel coating.

The best part is that the Shinco comes with its own exhaust hose and window kit. This makes installation and functioning a whole lot easier. I would recommend the Shinco for its immense durability and resilience.

Self-Evaporative Technology:

This small indoor air conditioner also features a self-evaporative cooling system. This means that the condenser coils will be cooled down significantly by just using water from the atmosphere. One of the merits of using self-evaporative technology is increased efficiency. Another benefit is that you won’t have to empty the water tank every now and then.

Low Noise and High Comfort:

The Shinco small indoor air conditioner has very low noise production. The internal components work smoothly and efficiency to give you the best cooling experience. Switch it over to the first speed level for instant noise reduction. It will produce as little as 52 decibels of noise, giving you a quiet peaceful sleep.

Pros:

  • Has a power capacity of 8,000 BTUs.
  • Extremely efficient and user-friendly.
  • Quickly cools down rooms of sizes up to 350 square feet.
  • Perfect portable cooling unit for your home, office, cabin, or camper.
  • Works great with RVs and trailers.
  • Built with a self-evaporating system that increases efficiency and lowers need for maintenance.
  • Can be installed within 10 minutes. No extra tools required.
  • It has a beautiful LED display, along with four caster wheels that make usability easier.

Cons:

  • After reaching the desired temperature only the compressor shuts down and not the fan.

LG LP0917WSR

LG is one of the few brands that are the most beloved when it comes to air conditioning. Almost everyone loves a good LG AC. And I do too. This portable cooling unit from LG is packed with tons of features. It has an 8,000 BTU power output, along with an auto-evaporative system.

It can cool rooms of sizes up to 150 square feet. The dehumidification is 1.8 pints every hour. It even features a full water indicator that’ll make maintenance a whole lot easier. What I found is that the LG air conditioner is the best choice for larger rooms.

lg compact portable air conditioner

Key Features:

  • 8,000 BTU power output.
  • Cools up to 150 square feet.
  • Easy maintenance and cleaning.
  • Auto-evaporative
  • A full water indicator.

Cools Small Rooms:

The LG air conditioner is the best choice for cooling up small rooms. Specifically, it can cool rooms of sizes up to 150 square feet.

But that doesn’t mean that you need more space. The LG small indoor air conditioner takes up a very short amount of space, owing to the portable design. This means that the unit will cheerily sit in a corner while you enjoy the cooling.

Easy Maintenance:

With the LG portable cooling unit, maintenance has never been easier. This AC unit comes with anti-corrosion internal parts. This means that the product is much more reliable.  But just in case it does tend to jam, LG has got your back.

Opening the unit is extremely easy. And cleaning out the interior is even easier. Servicing the unit won’t require more than a few tools. And you’ll likely be done with the job in no time.

Auto Evaporation System:

Just like other air conditioners, the LG AC too has a self-evaporative technology. What this technology does is that it cools down the condenser coils using vapors in the air. This makes cooling much more efficient and fluid. I like this small indoor air conditioner since it uses a minimal amount of electricity. So not only is it efficient but also energy efficient.

Pros:

  • Gives a power output of 8,000 BTUs. Perfect for small rooms and cabins.
  • Can cool down spaces with maximum size of 150 square feet.
  • It includes its own exhaust hose and water indicator.
  • Includes an inclines air discharge that lowers the frequency of hot spots.
  • Energy efficient and budget-friendly.

Cons:

  • Produces a lot of noise. May inhibit sleep at night.

Midea Air Conditioner

Midea is another portable cooling unit that I came across recently. While buying the Midea, I was sure to check out all of the features. And I am glad that I did! The Midea air conditioner is a 10,000 BTU unit that lets you change the fan speed, sleeps settings and even the temperature. The Midea AC comes with its very own LED remote control along with all the necessary tools and accessories.

midea compact portable air conditioner

Key Features:

  • LED display remote control for better customization.
  • Extremely customizable.
  • One year warranty on all parts.
  • 10,000 BTUs unit for up to 450 square feet.
  • Shipped with all necessary tools and batteries included.

Customizability:

The Midea small indoor air conditioner is one of the most personalized cooling units out there. With the Midea, you have full control over a number of features. You can change the fan speed or set a timer. This will help shut off the unit whenever you want. There is even a sleep setting designed just for the night.

That’s not all. . . You can also change the mode from cooling to dehumidification. This gives you a diversity of options to choose from. It even comes with its own LED remote control for better accessibility.

One Year Warranty Policy:

The Midea is an air conditioner that comes with some of the best warranty offers. Although I found that 1 year isn’t enough, I also found that most other brands don’t even offer a warranty. So the Midea is the best you can get. The warranty covers most parts as well as labor.

Getting a good warranty plan, especially when it comes to portable cooling units is crucial. Warranty is the only way to secure your purchase and to make sure that you’re getting everything you paid for.

Extra Power for larger rooms:

This air conditioning unit was made for those with larger rooms. Unlike other products, this unit has a 10,000 BTU energy output. This means that it can cool down larger rooms. The maximum area that it is recommended for is 450 square feet.

This means that the portable cooling unit is suited for larger rooms, offices, RVs, campers, and hospitals. It’s best for waiting areas or for large laboratories. I also recommend it for use in computer rooms which require the temperature to be reduced significantly.

Pros:

  • Small indoor air conditioner for use in houses, workplaces, and service stations.
  • Features sleeping and fan mode, along with dehumidification.
  • One year warranty on all parts.
  • LED remote with batteries included.

Cons:

  • Extremely loud. May hinder sleep.

Honeywell Air Conditioner

Honeywell is the leading brand when it comes to developing a portable cooling unit or other home appliances. The reason why I have added this product on the list is its portability and lightweight. The engineers at Honeywell have outdone themselves with this small indoor air conditioner. They have produced a marvelous product which can be easily transported.

honeywell compact portable air conditioner

Features:

  • Very easy to maintain and store.
  • The control panel is front facing and feather touch with LED backlighting.
  • The device makes almost no noise when it is in operation.
  • It provides an easy to clean dust filter so you can wash it up without much problem.
  • Save a lot of energy with this compact portable ac unit; up to 40% on your bill can be reduced.
  • It can cool rooms of average to large sizes.

Control panel:

The engineers at Honeywell really thought the control panel though. They have provided a front facing and well-lit control panel with this small indoor air conditioner. The control panel is easy to use and is feather touch. Why it is important? It is easy to use and does not require you to be tech savvy in order to use it.

The best feature is that it uses LED lighting to light up the controls on the panel so you can see them even in the dark.

Quiet Operation:

Most ACs has a habit of making a lot of noise when in operation. While this is not a major inconvenience for several people, it can be of vital importance for people, especially if you have trouble sleeping at night or are a light sleeper.  I love the Honeywell because of the low noise production. The Honeywell portable cooling unit produces sounds up to 50 decibels at the highest setting. This makes it extremely quiet even at high usage.

Easy To Clean Dust Filters:

One of the best features of this product is the washable dust filters and filtration system. The filters are easy to wash, whether they are plagued with dust, pet dander or dust bunnies. This makes servicing the compact portable ac an easy job that even you can do. This will save your money on servicemen.

Pros:

  • A continuous drain system can be set up in minutes making the exhaust system easy to set up.
  • You don’t have to worry much about the regulated checkups on this machine.
  • The company ships easy to clean dust filters with this product. This makes it easy to service the compact portable ac unit.
  • At the highest setting as well, the Honeywell portable cooling unit produces relatively low noise.
  • It is considerably lightweight and can be easily transported from one location to another.

Cons:

  • A pungent odor may be rampant in the first few days of usage. This may inhibit your sleep.

Energy Survey

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 60% of U.S. households only used central air-conditioning systems in 2015, while 23% only used individual air-conditioning units and just slightly less than 5% of households used both equipment types. Central systems are very common in new single-family homes, but many older homes have also been retrofitted in recent years. For example, the 1980 and 1993 RECS found that about 50% of homes built in the 1970s had central air-conditioning equipment, but by 2015 that share had increased to 67%.portable cooling unit survey chart

Households that used central systems spent about twice as much for air conditioning in 2015 as households with individual units, with average costs of $299 compared with $156. However, because the homes using central systems were often larger, the cost per square foot of using an individual air-conditioning unit was about twice as much as using a central system, at $0.31 per square foot compared with $0.15 per square foot.

portable cooling unit chart 2 survey

Final Thoughts

As a final thought, I’d recommend that you go over all of my favorite products and choose the most suitable one. As the saying goes, whatever floats your boat? But keep in mind that all of them aren’t the same, and verily some are better than the others.

Out of the four that I reviewed today, I felt that Shinco was one of the best. It has the most features and the least cons. The only other that came close to the Shinco was the LG. Still, I believe that all of them are the best small portable air conditioners.

So now, make the choice for yourself. Choose whichever one you like. And don’t forget to get a good warranty plan with your cooling unit. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to be scammed.

And stay cool!

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