Cost, Energy Efficiency, and Performance

Publish date: 2024-05-04

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Portable air conditioners are growing in popularity as a more convenient alternative to oversized, clunky, window-hogging window air conditioners. However, in many instances, people are shelling out the extra moolah for a portable unit when a window AC offers better performance for a cheaper price. I've tested dozens of portable and traditional ACs, and the best air conditioner for most people is a solid window unit.

If you're unsure of which unit is best for your home and cooling needs, read on for a comparison of the two devices. We look at the most important factors and make an overall recommendation for your cooling needs. You can also check out our guides to the best window AC and best portable air conditioner for specific recommendations.

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Installation and convenience

I reinstalled the LG LP1419IVSM Portable Air Conditioner in about a minute for this photo. Pro tip: The shorter you can make the exhaust hose, the less heat will leak back into the room. James Brains/Insider

Winner: Portable air conditioners

Installing a window air conditioner is a pain. You will likely need a screwdriver, level, pencil, and drill. You'll need to lift the heavy AC, position it correctly in your window, and ensure it's secure. I've tested 13 air conditioners, and on average, they take 25 to 35 minutes to install.

Window air conditioners only fit specific windows: single- and double-hung windows. If your window is narrower than 22 inches wide, most window ACs won't work. You also need a vertical clearance of at least 14 inches. Once the unit is installed, you can't open and close your window.

On the other hand, setting up and removing a portable air conditioner is easy. The initial installation takes 10 to 15 minutes on average. You just remove the AC from the box; roll it where you want it; attach the hose and window slider, adjusted to fit your window; and you're ready to plug it in and start cooling. If you want to move the portable AC, it only takes a minute or two to uninstall and reinstall it in another room. Window units take much longer.

To vent a portable AC's hot air, you only need an opening as wide as the exhaust hose, about 4 or 5 inches. Consequently, portable ACs fit a wide range of window styles and sizes. Since they're easy to uninstall, you can effortlessly open and close your window.

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Performance

Window AC units are the most effective and energy efficient at cooling rooms. James Brains/Insider

Winner: Window air conditioners

We test portable ACs by running them in a 550-square-foot room for two hours to see how much they lower the room's temperature. We run window ACs in a 650-square-foot space for just an hour. 

We test portable ACs in a smaller room because they are generally rated to cool smaller areas, and the room's windows don't support window units. We test portable units longer because we noticed they take longer to reach a plateau where they no longer decrease the room's temperature.

Since the portable ACs run for longer in a smaller room, you'd expect a more significant temp drop. This is not the case. On average, the portable units decreased the room temp by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit over two hours. The window units dropped the temp 2.6 degrees in one hour.

The difference in performance can be attributed to how the hot air is removed. Window air conditioners are mostly situated outside, and the hot air is sucked directly out of the room. Portable units rely on an exhaust hose to get the hot air from the AC to the outdoors. Much of the heat escapes from the poorly insulated hose back into the room before it can make it outside.

Window air conditioners were also quieter than portable air units on average, though the difference was only two decibels.

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Energy efficiency

We track air conditioner power consumption using a smart plug with app connectivity. Erin Brains/Insider

Winner: Window air conditioners

We used smart plugs to measure how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity the ACs consumed during testing. On average, window units used 0.43 kWh. Portable ACs used more than twice as much, 0.88 kWh, in the same period.

As mentioned above, portable units are inherently less efficient since much of the heat they remove from the room ends up back in the room as it escapes from the poorly insulated exhaust hose before it makes it outside. Window ACs don't have this problem since the hot air is released directly outside.

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Cost

The GE AHY08LZ Window Air Conditioner is our best budget air conditioner pick. It costs less and uses less power than any portable air conditioners we tested. James Brains/Insider

Winner: Window air conditioners

First, let's consider the long-term energy costs. As mentioned in the previous section, window ACs use half as much energy as portable units. Based on government estimates (13 cents per kWh, 8 hours of use per day, and 3 months of use) and our testing, a portable AC will cost you about $42 more to run each season than a window AC.

Window ACs also have a cheaper upfront cost. The median price of our portable AC pick is $407.50. Yet, only one of our window AC picks costs more than that.

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Overall

Winner: Window air conditioners

When comparing products, it's rare to have such a cut-and-dry answer, but window air conditioners are superior to portable units in every area except installation and convenience. Get a window air conditioner if you have a single- or double-hung window. It will cost you less in energy costs and will do a better job of cooling.

Still, a portable AC is a satisfactory alternative if you don't want to deal with installing and uninstalling a window AC every year or if you don't have a window that will support a window unit.

James Brains/Insider

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What are the best portable and window air conditioners?

We tested 12 of the best portable air conditioners for our guide, and the LG LP1419IVSM Smart Wi-Fi Portable Air Conditioner came out on top. Check out our guide to the best portable air conditioner for our other picks.

For our window air conditioner guide, we tested 13 models, and the Friedrich CCF08A10A Chill Premier Smart Window Air Conditioner was the best. Visit our best air conditioner guide for our other picks.

James Brains

Senior Reporter, Insider Reviews

James is a Senior Reporter for Insider Reviews, specializing in sleep, HVAC, vacuums, and kitchen appliances. He has tested more than 70 mattresses from startups like Casper and legacy brands like Tempur-Pedic, using his background in experimental psychology to develop objective tests and evaluate comfort, support, motion transfer, and more. He authors our guide to the best mattressesIn addition to being Insider Reviews' mattress expert, James has extensively covered vacuums, air conditioners, air purifiers, and more within the HVAC space. He's tested more than 40 vacuums from brands like iRobot and Dyson and is no stranger to keeping his house at a chilly 60 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks on end, all in the name of testing air conditioners.He's a multifaceted writer who has covered everything from health and fitness to consumer technology. His mission is to help people get the most value for their money by guiding them in making informed buying decisions.James lives in Lansing, Michigan, with his wife, two kids, a tabby cat, and a rambunctious rat terrier. When James isn't testing products and writing for Insider, he helps run a popular local Facebook group, Lansing Foodies, and plans the Olive Burger Festival.See below for some of his work:Contact info: jbrains@businessinsider.comLearn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test kitchen products. Read more Read less

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