It doesn’t sound especially dramatic, which is perhaps why Game of Thrones went in a different direction, but summer is coming. It’s already unseasonably warm in some locales, and if you’re feeling uncomfortable, it might be time to do something about it. After all, if you wait too long, the best window air conditioners tend to go out of stock and you might end up sweltering while you pick over the few models that are available for purchase.
And even though you have other options like portable air conditioners, a window-mounted AC unit is still the best choice for most people. Here’s why: Window air conditioners have a built-in way to exhaust hot air and expel moisture directly out your window. A portable AC unit, on the other hand, entails running a hose out the window and emptying a water tank every few hours.
Window air conditioners come in a variety of sizes, from small-room models that boast as few as 4,000 British Thermal Units (BTU) to monster coolers with 18,000 BTUs or more. The larger the BTU rating, the more square footage your AC unit can cool. But remember that more BTUs cost more upfront and cost more to operate, so you’ll want to match the air conditioner to the room size for the best economy. And ACs with an Energy Star rating are less expensive to operate as well.
You might also want an air conditioner with a remote control or to go all the way to a smart device with Wi-Fi that you can operate from your smartphone. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. We’ve rounded up nine of the best window-mounted air conditioners to get you though this year’s summer season and beyond.
- Best Window Air Conditioner For Most People: Koldfront WAC18001W
- Best Small Window Air Conditioner: Soleus Air Over The Window Sill Air Conditioner
- Best 12,000 BTU Air Conditioner: Whirlpool Energy Star Air Conditioner
- Best-Looking Window Air Conditioner: Frigidaire FGRC1044T1 Cool Connect Smart Window Air Conditioner
- Best 8,000 BTU Air Conditioner: Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner
- Best 10,000 BTU Air Conditioner For Large Rooms: Frigidaire 10,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Temperature Sensing Remote Control
- Best 5,000 BTU Air Conditioner For Small Rooms: TCL 5WR1-A Window Air Conditioner
- Best Window Air Conditioner with Heat: LG Window Air Conditioner with Cool and Heat
- Best Budget-Priced Window Air Conditioner: Midea MAW05M1BWT Window Air Conditioner
Best Window Air Conditioner For Most People
Koldfront WAC18001W
The Koldfront WAC18001 is a formidable choice for cooling your home; its 18,000 BTU rating means it can cool down a space of up to 1,000 square feet with ease. That makes it one of the most powerful window-mounted air conditioners you can buy.
In addition to cooling, the device also features a three-speed fan and dehumidifier, as well as the ability to warm a room with 16,000 BTUs of heating power, making it a solid choice for year-round temperature control. The device features weather seals in the box, so you can keep the outdoor air out, and works with window sizes from 31 to 42 inches—pretty much the gamut of anything you’ll encounter in most homes. It also has a remote control for operation across a large room and a 6-hour auto-off sleep timer.
Best Small Window Air Conditioner
Soleus Air Over The Window Sill Air Conditioner
A lot of people approach window-mounted AC installs with dread—they can be hard to install, and there’s always the fear of catastrophe. If you do it wrong, there’s a chance it’ll fall out of the window and come crashing down to the sidewalk below. Soleus takes a completely different approach, and it’s refreshingly simple. The brand’s Over The Window Sill Air Conditioner slips over the window sill like a horse saddle, making installation crazy-simple and extremely safe. An added bonus: You don’t lose the use of the window, because the AC unit hangs down below.
There are two models available, both able to cool about 275 square feet thanks to 6,000 BTUs, though the slightly pricier model also has Wi-Fi and can be remotely operated using a mobile app on your phone. It’ll fit any window from 24 to 48 inches, and thanks to the fact that the compressor is outdoors and behind the outer wall, it’s about 30% quieter than the average air conditioner.
Best 12,000 BTU Air Conditioner
Whirlpool Energy Star Air Conditioner
Whirlpool’s Energy Star Air Conditioner prioritizes cooling down your room while making a concerted effort to limit its impact on the environment. The air conditioner features a 12.1 EER (energy efficiency ratio), making it an exceptionally highly energy efficient choice. The unit’s 12,000 BTU compressor can cool rooms up to 550 square feet, and the built-in dehumidifier can extract up to 2.6 pints of moisture per hour.
One thing to watch out for, though, is that the somewhat smaller footprint of this unit means it might not fit in larger windows—it has a width of 26 inches to 36 inches and a maximum window height of 16 inches. Otherwise, the air conditioner is well-equipped with three cooling speeds, an eco mode and sleep mode, plus a 24-hour timer to automatically shut the ACV unit off for you unattended.
Best-Looking Window Air Conditioner
Frigidaire FGRC1044T1 Cool Connect Smart Window Air Conditioner
Aesthetics are always a matter of opinion to be sure, but there’s no denying that most AC manufacturers just don’t try very hard. Virtually all window air conditioners present an ugly industrial grille of vents. Not Frigidaire’s Cool Connect Smart Window Air Conditioner, which has a muted front grille that hides the traditional slats. If that’s not enough, a softly glowing digital display indicates the selected temperature.
Of course, it’s all just good looks. The Frigidaire pumps out 10,000 BTU for 450 square feet of coverage with three fan speeds and and the ability to dehumidify the room at a rate of 3 pints per hour. The AC can be controlled via a mobile app on your phone thanks to Wi-Fi support, so you can turn it on and off remotely and schedule it from anywhere. It also comes with a small remote if you’d rather use that.
Best 8,000 BTU Air Conditioner
Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner
One of the most common complaints that people have with their air conditioner is that they can be loud. Want to listen to music or watch TV? It often comes down to a choice of staying cool or being entertained. But the Midea U Inverter is designed to keep things quiet. In fact, Midea says that it is nine times quieter than the average air conditioner. The unit’s novel U-shape blocks noise from the compressor and allows it to be no more than about 42 decibels—that’s about the same sound level as a library and significantly quieter than typical conversations at homes. The U-design has another advantage as well; you can actually open your window without any risk that the air conditioner will come loose or be unstable.
The U Inverter design comes in several versions, ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 BTUs. This model—the 8,000 BTU version—cools up to about 550 square feet. It’s Wi-Fi equipped and can be controlled with the included remote, a mobile app or by voice with Alexa or Google Assistant.
Best 10,000 BTU Air Conditioner For Large Rooms
Frigidaire 10,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner
This 10,000 BTU Frigidaire model covers about 450 square feet, and there’s an 18,000 BTU upgrade as well that can handle spaces over 1,000 square feet—but pricewise, the 10,000 BTU model is the sweet spot and the one we’d recommend for cooling, perhaps for all but an entire open-plan studio apartment from a single window. The dehumidifier feature can extract three pints of moisture from the space per hour as well.
This air conditioner doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles; it comes with a remote control and mounting kit, but don’t look for remarkable aesthetics, smart device features or especially quiet operation. That said, it is efficient at cooling large spaces quickly, which is its own reward.
Best 5,000 BTU Air Conditioner For Small Rooms
TCL 5WR1-A Window Air Conditioner
You might not associate TCL with air conditioners—the brand is better known for televisions these days—but TCL has a successful AC product line as well. This 5,000 BTU model is modest in both physical dimensions and cooling power.
It works in windows from 23-36 inches wide with the included mounting kit and stands 14.5 inches high in the window, allowing it to cool rooms up to 150 square feet. That’s not a lot, but comes with a great sub-$200 price tag if your cooling needs are relatively small. The unit is controlled with a pair of mechanical dials on the front panel—there’s no digital display or remote control—but you do get two fan speeds and a pair of four-way steerable cooling vents.
Best Window Air Conditioner with Heat
LG Window Air Conditioner with Cool and Heat
It’s relatively uncommon to find window air conditioners that also deliver heat. In this roundup, for example, only one other model (the Koldfront WAC18001W) can do double duty. This one is a monster, packing 18,000 BTU of cooling power and able to chill spaces up to 1,000 square feet. Likewise, it can heat the same space with 12,000 BTU.
The air conditioner fits window openings from 29 to 41 inches and needs 18 inches of height. There’s a modern set of digital controls on front and it comes with a remote control for operation across the room. And while it’s very versatile with an integrated dehumidifier, dual speed fans in both cooling and heating modes, and a 24-hour auto-off self-timer, it’s a little on the loud side at 61 decibels.
Best Budget-Priced Window Air Conditioner
Midea MAW05M1BWT Window Air Conditioner
Not all air conditioners need to have Wi-Fi or be packed with enough BTUs to cool half your home. The Midea MAW05M1BWT checks all the important boxes and is an excellent performer for the price, which is among the least expensive true air conditioners you can buy. (You can find less expensive evaporative coolers—also known as swamp coolers—but they won’t perform nearly as well, especially in more humid climates.)
This model can cool about 150 square feet with seven temperature settings and a pair of fan settings, and you can keep it clean and efficient with a washable filter. It fits windows from 23 to 36 inches and sits a mere 13 inches high, with all mounting hardware included. You don’t get a remote control, but that’s probably not really needed if you’re planning to use it in a smaller space.
