Other models we tested

Photography: Martín Cizmar

TCL Q-Series Air Conditioner (10,000 BTU) for $369: Chinese electronics company TCL has been making air conditioners for only five years, but it’s approaching the category like it did with televisions—that is, quickly gaining ground with excellent value. I tested the 10,000 BTU version of the Q Series window air conditioner in a 120-square-foot upstairs bedroom that receives very little flow from my home’s central air conditioning. It took me three hours to lower the temperature by 10 degrees from a sweltering 78, but since it ran at a fairly quiet 60 decibels, I didn’t care. Installation was very simple thanks to the included frame. The TCL has Matter connectivity, but I couldn’t connect it to my Apple Home app, apparently a common problem. There is a remote control that has all the controls from the unit itself. The thermostat is accurate to within one degree and the unit turns on and off reliably to keep the room temperature at its mark. The CEER rating hits an impressive 15.0, matching WIRED’s pick of the Midea, and the TCL costs $100 less with the same power output. But while it’s quiet compared to many other models, this TCL is still louder than the Midea and doesn’t offer the superior isolation of the U-shaped device. The easy installation may be a selling point over the U-shaped model. —Martin Cizmar

Dreo 740S Portable Air Conditioner (10,000 BTU) for $700: Look, I love the new generation of portable air conditioners, but not because they are portable. The fact is that, wheels aside, they are quite large and heavy, and the thick hoses make them bulky in a room. But they are easy to install without lifting them from a window frame – a real help for lonely residents. And since the only thing that needs to be mounted on a window is a hose holder, these air conditioners can be used on virtually any shape of window – a boon, especially for those in older buildings. The Dreo has all of these virtues, plus a respectable CEER 12 rating, courtesy of dual hoses and a smart inverter. (In general, avoid portable units without dual hoses, as this can cause a depressurization effect that reduces efficiency.) I’ve been using this laptop in the hard-to-reach window of my 150-square-foot office and its effects are basically instantaneous. The evaporative cooling technology also means I don’t have to drain the water. But our top-choice Zafro offers a lower price and a slightly better CEER efficiency rating with a similar operating noise level of around 60 to 65 decibels with high-speed fans. Still, this is a great portable air conditioning unit. If you see a deal, take advantage of it.

GE AWAS05BBA Window Air Conditioner Unit (5000 BTU) for $231: This 5,000 BTU unit is less powerful than our favorite pick for GE budget window air conditioners. There’s no app or remote, and airflow options are limited: You can’t direct air up and down, only left and right. But it’s the cheapest model we recommend, relatively easy to install and much quieter than you’d expect for the price. It will cool a small 150 square foot space quickly and with virtually no friction. But we haven’t tested it for as long as our biggest budget pick.

LG Window Air Conditioner Unit (12,000 BTU) for $379: The LG 12,000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner offers efficient cooling for large rooms at a surprisingly low price. It weighs 90 pounds and requires professional installation with a bracket. Its 60-decibel operation puts it squarely in the middle of the pack when it comes to noise. That said, WIRED reviewer Lisa Wood Shapiro found that it blends well into a room with its white-on-white design and that the filter replacement indicator light is helpful. The app was laggy and difficult to use during Wood Shapiro’s testing, but there is a remote control.

Friedrich Kuhl air conditioning for $1,228: This Friedrich unit is among the most expensive we’ve tested and one of the heaviest, in part due to a metal chassis designed to provide easy access for maintenance and deter first-floor theft. This model allows you to add a custom Friedrich FreshAire MERV 13 filter to clean the air as it cools. The screen is easy to read and the device comes with a remote control. An app allows you to schedule the unit’s use throughout the week, but note that connecting with the smart app was a bit tricky and only paired with 2.4GHz signals.

EcoFlow Wave 2 for $1,299 (but usually on sale for much less): Wood Shapiro tested the newer model, but older EcoFlow models are often available at deep discounts. After happily testing the EcoFlow Wave 1 for more than a year in his wife’s office, WIRED senior editor Julian Chokkattu far preferred the EcoFlow Wave 2 (8/10, WIRED recommends) because it’s lighter and more economical, with a higher rating of 5,100 BTUs (compared to 4,000). A 6100 BTU heating mode means you can still use it in winter to keep warm. The company says it’s best for rooms up to 107 square feet. You should place it near a window so that one of the included ducts is connected to the vent to draw hot exhaust from the back of the unit out of the room. What makes this unit versatile is its alternative power sources. You can use a standard AC outlet, but you can also purchase an extra battery to keep it running when you don’t have access to electricity or connect it to solar panels.

Zero Breeze Mark II for $999: At 2,300 BTUs, the Zero Breeze (7/10, WIRED Review) won’t have the same cooling power as the EcoFlow Wave, but it’s much lighter at 17 pounds. This package includes a battery that makes the whole thing weigh around 30 pounds, but you’ll get four hours of use without needing to be near an outlet. Like the EcoFlow, it has some vent pipes to divert exhaust and direct cold air to a specific area, but unlike the EcoFlow, you can’t charge the battery and use the air conditioning at the same time.

Zero Breeze Mark III for $1,399: As WIRED reviewer Chris Null points out, the Mark III (7/10, WIRED review) is larger than the Mark II and a bit heavier, now weighing 22 pounds. Add the 1,022 Wh battery and you gain another 14 pounds, although that will save you from having to be near a power outlet. What’s new about the Mark III is the fact that the batteries can now be stacked and charged in sequence, each daisy-chained to the next (although at over $600 per battery, this can get expensive quickly). Each Mark III battery also has additional outputs that can be used for other devices: a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and a 12-volt DC jack. However, the Mark II battery had all of the above plus a second USB-A port. It is unknown why this was removed. However, the new version is a larger, more powerful unit by most standards and a worthwhile purchase for outdoor enthusiasts.

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