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We plan on testing several new ACs this summer, including some saddle-style models that don’t obstruct your window. We’ve added the details to our What to look forward to section.
The perfect air conditioner is one that slides gracefully in and out of your window, cooling you quickly and efficiently with nary a peep, and it’s also consistently available at an affordable price. In other words, it doesn’t exist. But the U-shaped Midea U MAW08V1QWT is the closest thing we’ve found to that ideal. We’ve been researching, testing, and recommending window ACs since 2012, and this Midea model is quieter and more energy-efficient than any other window AC we’ve ever tested—and as a bonus, it lets you keep using your window through the summer.
This U-shaped Midea air conditioner is the quietest model we’ve ever tested, and it’s designed in a way that still lets you open your window. But the installation process isn’t fun.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $359.
The Midea U MAW08V1QWT is simply the quietest air conditioner we’ve ever tested, but that isn’t the only reason it stands out from the crowd. It also has an inverter compressor, which means it uses almost half as much energy as non-inverter ACs. And unlike traditional air conditioners, which typically lock your whole window in a closed position as long as they’re installed, the Midea U has a unique U-shaped design that allows you to continue opening and closing your window as normal (if you want to get better circulation going, for example). As part of this design, Midea also moves most of the louder hardware to the back of this unit so that it sits outside the window, using the glass as an additional buffer layer to further mute the sound. In addition, it comes with its own bracket—about a $100 value—which locks firmly into the sliding tracks of your hung window. The AC is Energy Star certified and Wi-Fi–enabled, too, with easy and convenient smart-home integration. But there is one catch: the installation process. Though the process is easier than it looks, it’s still more involved than installing your typical AC, and you won’t get much helpful advice by reading any of the four instruction manuals that come with the Midea U.
The quietest non-inverter AC we’ve ever tested, this GE model is an attractive alternative, with capacitive controls, gentle LED indicator lights, and easy smart-home integration.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $353.
If you’re looking for a more traditional window AC, the GE PHC08LY is the quietest one available, and it’s also better-looking than most. In its dedicated Quiet Mode, it’s comparable to the Midea U in volume; even with the compressor running and the fan high, it’s still quieter than the average conversation or any other AC that we’ve tested. The touch-sensitive controls and soft LED lights give it a classy, futuristic feel, and GE’s recently updated smart-home integration allows for seamless, natural voice commands. It’s also one of the few models we’ve seen with Apple HomeKit integration, as well as location services, which you can use to automatically turn the AC off when you’re not home (or on when you are). This model is not quite as energy efficient as the Midea U (though it is Energy Star certified), nor does it come with its own safety bracket, but it’s also much, much easier to set up than our top pick, and it’s just as pleasant to live with.
This Frigidaire unit is easy to install and cools a room about as well as our top pick for a slightly lower price. However, the sound is a little more grating, especially at lower fan speeds.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $360.
We like to think of the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE as the Old Faithful of window air conditioners. We’ve been recommending it (or its nearly identical predecessors) since 2014, and it has consistently proven to be a reliable and affordable option. It’s a little louder than our other picks (though still quieter than most ACs), with a less-pleasant mechanical growl that’s more pronounced when you run it at lower settings. But it still cools the room quickly and efficiently, and it typically costs less than our other picks while offering comparable performance and smart-home capabilities. If you want to save even more money, the Frigidaire FFRE083WAE is essentially the same unit minus the smart-home capabilities.
The Windmill Air is the easiest air conditioner we’ve ever installed, and it boasts plenty of other nice and thoughtful details that make it pleasant to live with overall.
The Windmill Air might not be as quiet or efficient as our top pick, but it’s much, much simpler to install, and it offers plenty of other thoughtful features that make it easy to live with. It’s one of the nicer looking ACs we’ve ever tested, too, with rounded corners and subtle indicator lights that won’t keep you up at night. There’s even a plastic cover over the back of the unit, so you don’t cut your hands on those razor-sharp exhaust fins, and a shortcut in the app that helps you find installation help from TaskRabbit. Overall, it’s a great AC if you just want something that blends into the background and does the job without a fuss.
The inverter-style Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is one of the most energy-efficient ACs we’ve ever tested, with lights and sounds that basically blend into the background.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $390.
The inverter-style Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is as efficient as our top pick, using nearly 40% less energy than the federal standard for air conditioners, with all the same smart-home features. It’s almost as quiet as the Midea, too, with an average volume of about 48 decibels, making it essentially unnoticeable in the room unless the fan is on high. In our tests, the Frigidaire maintained an even more impressive cooling consistency across the room, keeping the air temperature within one-half of a degree when measured from 3 feet in front of the AC, and from 6 feet away on a diagonal. The LED display on the control panel also shuts off automatically after a few seconds so as not to illuminate the room (although this can be occasionally annoying, too, like if you want to check the settings). The smart-home app can be a little glitchy at times, but in spite of those flaws, it’s up there among the best ACs available.
This guide also includes our current thoughts on “smart,” Wi-Fi–controllable air conditioners (and a smart AC accessory), plus recommendations for other kinds of air conditioners, namely through-the-wall units and casement-window models. We have our portable air conditioner recommendations in a separate guide.
This U-shaped Midea air conditioner is the quietest model we’ve ever tested, and it’s designed in a way that still lets you open your window. But the installation process isn’t fun.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $359.
The quietest non-inverter AC we’ve ever tested, this GE model is an attractive alternative, with capacitive controls, gentle LED indicator lights, and easy smart-home integration.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $353.
This Frigidaire unit is easy to install and cools a room about as well as our top pick for a slightly lower price. However, the sound is a little more grating, especially at lower fan speeds.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $360.
The Windmill Air is the easiest air conditioner we’ve ever installed, and it boasts plenty of other nice and thoughtful details that make it pleasant to live with overall.
The inverter-style Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is one of the most energy-efficient ACs we’ve ever tested, with lights and sounds that basically blend into the background.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $390.
Since 2012, we’ve put in about 130 total hours of research and more than 90 hours of real-world testing on window air conditioners, along with more than 1,000 hours of being cooled off by the models we’ve recommended. Our expert sources include a former representative for the Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the Energy Star program; an HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) engineer who formerly worked as a staff senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; product managers from Midea and other manufacturers; and several members of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, which was established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Don’t fall into the trap of buying a significantly under- or overpowered air conditioner.
First measure the square footage of the room you need to cool and then look at this Energy Star chart to find the appropriate cooling capacity, as measured in British thermal units (Btu). Sun exposure, ceiling height, appliance heat, and the number of people who will usually be in the room can affect the AC capacity you need, but floor size is the most important factor. Note that you won’t always be able to find an AC with the perfect Btu rating, so you might have to round up: For example, almost nobody makes a 9,000 Btu window AC, so a 10,000 Btu window AC is the next-best option in that case.
An underpowered AC will run constantly, trying and failing to get the room down to the target temperature and a comfortable humidity. If, on the other hand, you choose a unit that’s too big, it can leave your room feeling clammy because it will reduce the temperature faster than it removes moisture from the air. Need to cool multiple rooms? Getting several smaller air conditioners and putting one in each room will be more effective than buying one big unit.
The best window air conditioner is the one that makes you the most comfortable in your home. For most people, that means picking a quiet AC—no jarring whines, whooshes, or whirs—that offers as much control over climate settings and air direction as possible. Ideally, the best air conditioner will pass the bedroom test: If it’s good enough to sleep near, it’s good enough for any other room in your house.
Everything else is much less important. Installation and maintenance should be (relatively) easy, but those tasks don’t vary too much from model to model, and you have to deal with them only a couple of times per year. With a few rare exceptions, the cooling power and energy efficiency are so very similar for window ACs at a given Btu rating that they’re barely worth worrying about. When you’re comparing these models, the difference in reaching a target temperature is never more than a few minutes, and the difference in the annual cost to operate is never more than a few dollars. (Some newer models employ genuinely different technologies, such as dual inverter rotors, that improve on the efficiency of other standards. But so far these units have been hard to find, pricey, and often oversized for average rooms.)
For this guide, we focused on 8,000 Btu window air conditioners. Typically suited for spaces around 350 square feet, 8,000 Btu is the most popular AC size for residential use. If you need to cool a larger or smaller room, note that most of our picks are available in several different sizes between 6,000 and 12,000 Btu.
Cooling power and energy efficiency are so very similar for window ACs at a given Btu rating that they’re barely worth worrying about.
We’ve tested at least a dozen AC finalists over the years, generally looking for three types: reliable standard units, quieter models suited for bedrooms, and smart models with connectivity features.
Among the finalists, we focused on noise as the primary distinguishing factor. As much as air conditioner technology has improved over the years, window units can still be pretty damn loud. According to this Energy Star memo (PDF), manufacturers claim that this volume creep is a side effect of stricter efficiency standards—increasing the fan speed is one of the lowest-cost ways for manufacturers to improve the units’ efficiency. We favored air conditioners with a lower operating volume and a smoother frequency response.
In order to test noise output, we used an audio-spectrum analyzer app to measure each unit’s volume at its low, medium, and high fan settings, with and without the compressor running, from the same position in a room (about 6 feet away). We made note of any frequency spikes, such as the kind of high-pitched whining that irritates some people or the midrange whooshing that can give some people a headache before they even realize it’s happening (or at least, that’s our experience).
As much as air conditioner technology has improved over the years, window units can still be pretty damn loud.
We also judged our finalists on the level (and quality) of user control they allowed. One important area where window ACs can differ is in their fan vents, which control the direction of airflow. If you sleep near your AC, you’ll typically want to be able to point the cold air away from your body, or at least away from your head. But some models have inconsistent zones, where airflow either never reaches or always reaches. We considered the number of fan speeds, any extra cooling modes, and the depth of remote control, as well, including any smart, Wi-Fi–controlled features.
This U-shaped Midea air conditioner is the quietest model we’ve ever tested, and it’s designed in a way that still lets you open your window. But the installation process isn’t fun.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $359.
The U-shaped Midea U MAW08V1QWT represents a surprising departure from the standard box-style air conditioner in that it’s specifically designed with a notch in the center that allows you to open and close your window without uninstalling (or destabilizing) your air conditioner. This feature alone is a pretty great perk, especially for those who have limited window space in their home, who might want to get some circulation going for health reasons, or who just want to enjoy the occasional gust of fresh summer air. It also means that most of the louder hardware sits in the rear part of the unit—on the other side of the window, outside your home. As a result of this design choice, the Midea U is the absolute quietest window air conditioner we’ve ever tested: In our tests, even with the fan on high and the compressor running, it was still quieter than any of our previous top picks. It’s also cheaper than any other inverter-style AC we’ve seen, with reliable smart-home capabilities and a custom safety bracket. When the Midea U went on sale in the spring of 2020, we initially rolled our eyes at its ambitious promise to “reinvent” the air conditioner. But after living with it for an entire summer, we can say with confidence that it is genuinely the best window air conditioner we’ve ever tested—with the absolute worst AC installation process we’ve ever suffered through thrice (we’ll get to that).
Most window air conditioners are loud and annoying, and we’ve even considered some of our top picks to be merely the least worst when it comes to volume and grating sound. But that’s not the case with the Midea U. In fact, during our tests of the Midea U, it was difficult for us to take exact volume measurements that we could replicate without also picking up the white noise in the background inside and outside the home. At best, we measured the lowest, fan-only setting on the Midea U at 35 decibels—which is basically unnoticeable, especially if you live in a densely populated area. The compressor added only about 3 decibels of volume to the sound of the fan alone. This result initially surprised us, but it makes sense, as the compressor is housed outside the window, so the glass serves as an extra buffer to help muffle the sound. Even the audio frequencies remained mostly the same between the fan-only and compressor modes. We heard none of those awful midrange drones or high-pitched whines that are often associated with window ACs; instead, the compressor just added a slight boost around 13,000 Hz, which is toward the very top of the human hearing range anyway. Most of the frequency spikes that we measured from the fan alone were even higher-pitched than that, so we barely even noticed them. More than once, we’d often find ourselves forgetting that the AC was on at all.
The only downside to the Midea U’s unique setup is that, when the compressor does start up, it initially honks like a sputtering goose. As far as we can tell, this sound comes from the pressure or vibrations of the unit rubbing up against the glass of the window. We might be wrong, but either way, the noise is brief, and it disappears quickly.
Speaking of the compressor: Unlike most air conditioners, the Midea U has an inverter or variable-speed compressor. Whereas most AC compressors have two settings—on or off—the Midea U can essentially rev its compressor’s “engine” up and down as necessary in order to maximize efficiency. Put another way: The Midea U has an energy-efficiency ratio of 15, as listed by the EPA, while the other, non-inverter models we tested all maxed out between 11 and 12. As a result, it uses nearly 40% less energy than the US federal standard for window air conditioners, according to the EPA. By comparison, our traditional-AC pick from GE uses about 5% less energy than the federal standard, and our basic pick from Frigidaire uses about 10% less (and those models still rank among the best available). The Midea U is inarguably the most efficient AC we’ve ever tested.
Because of its unique design, the Midea U also comes with its own window bracket to help secure the unit. This bracket is similar to our top-pick window bracket, the Top Shelf TSB-2438, as it has some customized grooves that allow the U-shaped AC to rest precisely on it. Considering that the Top Shelf bracket usually goes for about $100, this included accessory adds a bit of value to the Midea U package (although you can find other brackets for as low as $30). The Midea U also comes with a number of security features, including a pair of extendable latches to prevent anyone from opening your window from the outside. (Guide co-author Thom Dunn actually broke one of the latches by accident, but even only one of them made it impossible for him to break into his own house—which is good!)
The Midea U is also smart-home compatible, with one of the more robust smartphone apps we’ve seen. In addition to creating a recurring schedule, you can set up a Sleep Curve, which adjusts the temperature with precision over an eight-hour period (presumably when you’re sleeping and don’t want to wake up in a room as cold as the one you passed out in). It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, too, and the language is impressively natural—you can say “Turn on Midea” or “Set Midea to 62 degrees,” for example, and it actually works (which in our experience is frustratingly uncommon for this product category).
Some personal perspective from guide co-author Thom Dunn: Installing an air conditioner in your window quite frankly sucks. I say this as a 6-foot-tall, 200-pound man; there are many people who are smaller or less able-bodied than me for whom it sucks even more. I state this truism because when I describe my multiple installation experiences with the Midea U as “mid- to moderately hellish,” I want you to understand that they are uniquely so—they’re outliers in a field already known for its frustrations.
Even if you’ve installed a standard air conditioner before, the Midea U’s unique shape is intimidating, and the lack of clarity across multiple manuals does not inspire confidence. The Midea U comes with four—yes, four—separate instruction booklets, and none of them provide any useful guidance for how to install the thing. Case in point: In the main installation guide, Step 2, “Secure The Unit on the Bracket,” tells you to set the AC down on the bracket and then says that “You must install the Open Window Brackets.” It’s not really clear what that means or how to do that, and the tiny close-up illustration accompanying those words makes them even more confusing.
In our initial tests, we got so frustrated with the Midea U’s useless documentation that we gave up reading and just tried to muscle it into place; fortunately, by doing this, we realized that it’s actually pretty easy to install if you just treat it like a normal air conditioner. Luckily, taking it out of the window was simple. But when it came time to reinstall it the following year, I made the mistake of confidently assuming that I knew what I was doing that go-round; within minutes, I had invented a colorful menagerie of new profanity. After installing this thing nearly a dozen times, I still have no idea what that “Open Window Brackets” line is referring to (although I assume I must have installed them at one point).
Generally speaking, YouTube is your friend. But here are a few tricks I’ve learned: Every window is a little different, and the Midea U comes with enough hardware, padding, and other options that you can probably make it work in your specific home as long as you assess the situation correctly. The AC’s real stability hinges on the extendable metal bars at the bottom of the window-accommodating “canyon” in the unit. These bars are meant to slide into the window tracks to keep the air conditioner in place. Supposedly, the bracket is designed to have all of this lined up right, but it might not work on every window (like mine). If you’re having trouble, loosely position the bracket so it’s stable-ish, without locking the pins on the outside legs—you may need some help with this—and then place the AC on top of the bracket until you feel it settle snugly into place. Only then, extend those metal bars into the window tracks. Make sure the window fits into the canyon, and then you can finally lock the front and back braces of the bracket into place. Secure everything as necessary for your specific window using the included hardware. Finally, slap some installation padding everywhere you can. You should be good to go—until next year, anyway.
You might also be one of the lucky people who have a perfectly sized sill and sash for locking the Midea bracket into place, plopping the AC on top, and having it all line up without a problem. This is known to happen (the AC is designed to some sort of standard, after all). But I’ve personally had awful installation experiences in two very different homes, and anecdotally, I know of plenty of others who have dealt with similar frustrations. May the odds be ever in your favor.
The Midea U’s documentation doesn’t disappoint only on the installation instructions. The manuals also give no real explanation of the Sleep Curve and Express Modes features in the app. But at least the UI of the app itself is smooth and clear enough to give you the gist and guide you through the setup process.
Like many window air conditioners, the Midea U lacks a drainage plug, so the condensation that collects in the heat-removal process just kind of sits in the back of the unit. In the first few days of noticing this, we kept thinking there were sun showers outside that hit only our patio furniture; eventually, we realized that the fan was flicking the water out of the condensate pan and all over everything else. This might be a problem unique to the test location, or it may be an issue that’s genuinely worse than for other ACs because of the Midea U’s unique design. Either way, it’s not that big of a deal. But it is occasionally annoying.
The quietest non-inverter AC we’ve ever tested, this GE model is an attractive alternative, with capacitive controls, gentle LED indicator lights, and easy smart-home integration.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $353.
If you’re looking for an attractive, relatively quiet, yet traditional air conditioner, we recommend the stylish GE PHC08LY. It’s the quietest AC we’ve ever tested besides the Midea U—and that’s before we even factor in its dedicated Quiet Mode (which is really just a very low-speed fan). It’s also one of the best-looking ACs around, with a sleek curved control panel, gentle white LED indicator lights, and capacitive (touch-sensitive) buttons that feel delightfully retro-futuristic—especially if you aspire to full-on spaceship-aesthetic living. The smart-home features and voice commands are similar to what you get with the Midea U, too, with the addition of location services and Apple HomeKit compatibility (a rarity in the AC field). This model usually costs about the same as the Midea U, as well, and although it doesn’t come with its own bracket, this GE AC is a lot easier to install. The only real downside is that it’s not quite as energy efficient as the Midea U, even though it is still Energy Star certified with a combined energy-efficiency ratio of 11.4 (which is good, although the Midea U earned a max score of 15).
At its lowest settings (fan only, on Quiet Mode), we measured the GE PHC08LY at around 37 decibels—about the same as the Midea U (which is to say, basically unnoticeable to the average person). The compressor adds about 10 decibels, but even then this AC is still quieter than any of our previous picks; at its absolute loudest with the compressor running and the fan on high, this GE model was about as loud as our discontinued upgrade pick, the Frigidaire Cool Connect FGRC084WA1, on the same setting, and it was still quieter than the average conversation.
When we first tested the GE PHC08LY in summer 2020, we had an especially frustrating experience with the Wi-Fi setup and general use of the app. We encountered the same Wi-Fi problems when we began to test ACs in 2021—but this time, we reached out to GE’s customer support line, and a representative helpfully walked us through the reset process and made sure that everything worked as it was meant to. We haven’t had any trouble since then, and in fact we feel even better about recommending this GE model now that we know that the customer support team will actually take good care of you. The company has made tremendous strides in its smart-home integration since 2020, too, with a clean app interface and much more natural voice commands. (Previously, you had to go through a cumbersome ordeal of telling Alexa to use the Geneva app to turn on your air conditioner; now, you can just say “Alexa, turn on air conditioner,” which is as it should be.)
After 20 hours of research and testing, the Top Shelf TSB-2438 is our pick for best AC bracket. It's easier to install and remove than any other we looked at.
This Frigidaire unit is easy to install and cools a room about as well as our top pick for a slightly lower price. However, the sound is a little more grating, especially at lower fan speeds.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $360.
The Frigidaire FHWW083WBE is the latest in a line of Frigidaire ACs that we’ve been recommending since 2014. Though each year’s model has had a slightly different name, they have all provided the same consistently reliable performance plus decent features and the highest possible energy-efficiency rating for a non-inverter AC, all at an affordable price. However, this Frigidaire AC is slightly louder than our other picks and tends to emit a low mechanical growl that’s less pleasant on the ears than the sounds of the Midea U or the GE PHC08LY. Even so, it is still quieter and less annoying than most other ACs, and the sound is a fair trade-off if you want to save some money. If you want an even cheaper option, the Frigidaire FFRE083WAE is essentially the same minus Wi-Fi connectivity, and you can often find it for around $50 to $100 less. Both models are Energy Star certified.
We measured the FHWW083WBE at 50 decibels from 6 feet away on the lowest, fan-only setting and 55 decibels on the max setting with the compressor. Those results make this model about 3 to 8 decibels louder than the Midea U at its absolute highest volume, or about the same as the GE model when it runs the compressor with its fan on medium or high. That being said, this Frigidaire is still quieter than the average conversation (which is about 60 decibels), as well as most other ACs we’ve looked at. Even our previous top pick, the LG LW8017ERSM, was only about 3 decibels quieter than the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE at the top of its volume range and about the same on the quieter end. This Frigidaire model does emit some more noticeable and higher-pitched whines, however, including peaks at 7,000, 9,000, and 16,500 Hz, as well as a low-end mechanical growl around 3,700 Hz. The faster the fan moves, the more these noise spikes tend to disappear and blend into the blur of white noise. That white noise is still busier overall (at least to human ears) than the white noise from the Midea U or the GE PHC08LY.
The disc-shaped fan blades on the FHWW083WBE permanently blow at least some air toward the right side of the unit, even if you direct most of it to the left. That can be annoying if you have it near your bed, blowing cold air on your neck all night. Also, the Frigidaire doesn’t have a drain, so in very humid conditions it can start to make an obnoxious flickering, bubbling noise as the fan passes through the pool of condensed water built up in the baseplate. If that happens to your unit, you’ll need to manually tilt the AC to drain it and make the noise stop.
In its favor, though, the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE is nearly 10 pounds lighter than the Midea U, with a slightly smaller chassis and a more centered weight distribution, both of which make it even easier to install. Also, its side curtains slide in rather than screw in, saving you a few minutes of work and frustration.
The FHWW083WBE also has Wi-Fi connectivity, including smart-home capabilities. This means you can control the AC from the Frigidaire app on your phone, so you don’t even have to leave the bed or couch to change the temperature. The Frigidaire app offers scheduling opportunities for repeated air conditions, although it’s less helpful if you want to program a one-time or temporary cooling scenario, such as if you want to set it to run for just two hours on a particularly hot day. Frigidaire is one of the first companies we’ve encountered in our testing to figure out the trick to more natural voice-command integration through Amazon Alexa and Google Home—simply say “Alexa, turn on air conditioner” (or whatever you choose to name it), for example, and you should be good to go.
If the FHWW083WBE is not available, the FFRE083WAE is nearly identical, although it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity. We still think that model is a good, reliable choice for a decent, lower-priced air conditioner.
As for the price, this Frigidaire model can jump all over the place from day to day, but it tends to range from $200 to the mid-$300s (though the non-smart version typically saves you about $50). Keep your eyes peeled for deals.
The Windmill Air is the easiest air conditioner we’ve ever installed, and it boasts plenty of other nice and thoughtful details that make it pleasant to live with overall.
If you just want an air conditioner that’s easy to live with and does the job well while it blends into the background, get the Windmill Air. It’s also, without exception, the absolute easiest to install among the many competitors we’ve tested firsthand. The Windmill Air comes with all the expected smart-home features, as well as some thoughtful subtle details—things like highly personal customer service and a cover for those razor-sharp fins on the back—that really make it stand out from the average window air conditioner. It’s not the absolute quietest or most energy efficient AC we’ve ever tested, but the Windmill is certainly one of the most pleasant models you can find overall.
Let’s start with the installation. Most window ACs (except the Midea U) require you to install a pair of brackets that screw into the top and bottom and then stretch out from the sides, so you can expand the plastic accordion screen side panels designed to block out the rest of the window and keep the cool air in. It’s not a difficult process, but it typically involves a screwdriver and can occasionally be frustrating, even on higher-end machines. Right out of the box, the Windmill stands out because it arrives with all these pieces already assembled and attached to the air conditioning unit. In addition to taking some work off your hands, these pieces also create a frame around the air conditioner that serves as a guideline to fit it right into your window sill. You take the thing out of the box, slip the bottom edge into the sill, then pull the window down so it sits behind the top edge. Then all you have to do is extend the side panels so they fill the width of the window sill. Windmill even makes this part easier—the box includes some foam pieces marked with guidelines for cutting that snap right into these side panels, keeping them fully outstretched and airtight while also providing some extra insulation.
My wife, who watched me install, uninstall, and re-install a dozen air conditioners for testing this year, saw how easy it was to install the Windmill and said, “I would just buy that one.” If you do run into any trouble—or you either can’t or don’t want to install the Windmill by yourself—the instruction manual includes a direct link to TaskRabbit, where you can plug in your zip code and find some help. We didn’t vet this feature ourselves, but it’s a nice option to have.
Performance-wise, the Windmill is about the same as our runner-up pick from Frigidaire, with an average volume of 54.5 decibels and an energy efficiency rating of 11.9. Although this means it’s not quite as quiet or powerful as our other picks (and falls just short of achieving Energy Star status), it still outperforms almost every other AC on the market. And that’s pretty good! The company also uses a carbon offset program that aims to make up for production emissions by investing in trees.
We’ve seen reviews that compared the Windmill’s design to Apple products, and though we wouldn’t go so far as to agree with Forbes’ claim that it’s the “iPhone of ACs,” it is definitely nicer looking than most other models, with clean, simple lines and rounded edges. It has plenty of other thoughtful details and touches that set it apart, too, like the stylish plastic cover over the razor-sharp exhaust fins on the back of the unit that could save you from slicing your finger open. This also makes your AC look much more attractive from the outside; or, if you live in an apartment building, it will at least stand out among the sea of industrial metal sticking out of everyone else’s window. The buttons on the unit are small and tucked away on a ledge so the indicator lights don’t bother you. And even the main LED display that shows the temperature turns off automatically after about 30 seconds. It also comes with an activated carbon filter, instead of a standard washable screen like most ACs. Based on the testing we’ve done with similar filters (including for our air purifier guide), we wouldn’t expect this to have a huge impact on your air quality. But it is a nice touch and certainly isn’t doing any harm. If you don’t want to keep paying to replace that filter every few months, you can also use the standard washable filter that it comes with.
Our only real complaint about the Windmill’s design is that you can’t control the direction of the fan. While it does expel the cool air up and out into the room, there are some situations (like my own) where you might want to give it a push in a certain direction. You might want a fan for that.
The inverter-style Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is one of the most energy-efficient ACs we’ve ever tested, with lights and sounds that basically blend into the background.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $390.
The Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ083WC1 is a newer inverter-style air conditioner that’s just as impressively quiet and efficient as the Midea U. With an Energy Star–rated EER of 15, the Frigidaire ties with the Midea as the most energy-efficient model we’ve ever tested, using 37% less energy than the US federal standard for ACs. Though it measured slightly louder than the Midea—averaging about 48 decibels, as opposed to 40—the Frigidaire was still essentially imperceptible over the basic tone of the room in which we were testing. The Frigidaire also maintained a slightly more consistent temperature throughout the room during our tests. It typically kept the air within one-half of a degree when measured from 3 feet directly in front of the AC and 6 feet away on a diagonal, compared with a roughly one degree difference with the Midea.
The Frigidaire is such a fantastic AC overall, but it’s not perfect. The LED temperature display on the control panel, for example, automatically turns off a few seconds after you stop pressing buttons. In theory, this is great, especially for sleeping; in practice, however, it can be a little frustrating, because the AC is so quiet that you sometimes can’t tell if it’s on, unless you fuss with the controls again. As an alternative, you could use your phone to check the temperature or setting, since the Frigidaire offers all the standard smart-home connectivity we’ve come to expect. But that also requires you to interact with Frigidaire’s smart-home app, which is frequently glitchy and tends to randomly disconnect from the AC. When this happens, it typically resolves itself pretty quickly, but it’s still annoying.
The Frigidaire also lacks an “auto” mode, like on our top pick or the portable Frigidaire Gallery counterpart. This setting allows those ACs to keep the air circulating constantly, even if the compressor turns off or on; by contrast, when this Frigidaire reaches the temperature you want, it shuts both the fan and compressor off completely, which can cease air circulation and leave the room feeling stale. During a relentlessly humid summer where each day alternates wildly between 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees with flash flooding, we’ve come to rely on these “auto” settings to keep the air in our home feeling cool, circulated, and dehumidified, depending on the rapidly changing weather. This isn’t something we’ve typically factored into our AC reviews, but it is something that stood out to us when comparing this model to other models during a particularly turbulent period of weather.
GE has announced a new inverter-style window AC, the GE Profile AHTR10AC, which we plan on testing soon. It’s slightly larger than our current also-great from GE, with an even higher efficiency rating, and looks like a promising option for anyone who needs something larger than 8,000 BTUs. We’re also trying out the new saddle-style GE Profile Clearview, which, like our top pick from Midea, is specifically designed so you don’t have to sacrifice the ability to open your window all summer. Unlike the Midea-U, which still sits on top of the sill, the GE Clearview actually straddles the window sill, making it potentially even less intrusive. The Soleus Saddle Air Conditioner and Gradiant Comfort Window AC, which we also plan on testing this summer, both have similar designs to the GE Clearview. This is still a new approach for window air conditioners, but we’re cautiously optimistic, and looking forward to seeing how well this style actually works in practice.
This summer, we also plan on testing the July, a newer model from an AC startup with a unique installation system. Like our also-great pick from Windmill, the July seems to be pushing the sleek, Apple-esque aesthetics as well, offering a variety of attractive panel covers to help it better blend with the other decor in the room.
The LG LW8017ERSM was our top pick for several years running, and we still think it’s pretty good overall. During that time, however, it also suffered from inconsistent stock issues. Several readers complained about the grating sound, as well; although it used to be one of the quieter ACs available (despite its timbre), it can’t hold up against any of our current picks. If you can find it in stock for $300 or less, it’s a fine option.
The newer GE AHEK08AC is essentially the same as the AHC08LY we tested in summer 2020, which is now discontinued. Both are Wi-Fi–enabled units that are okay but generally unremarkable—they sound like air conditioners and feel like air conditioners. We did consider recommending the AHEK08AC as a budget pick, but it isn’t cheap enough for that, even at its lowest price. You’re better off with the Frigidaire FHWW083WBE or its less expensive, analog cousin, the FFRE083WAE.
In spring 2021, we tested the Frigidaire FHWH082WA1, a new model that’s similar to our long-standing Frigidaire also-great pick but has an added 3,500 Btu heating element (and a lower energy-efficiency rating as a result) and omits the smart-home capabilities. Depending on where you live and what kind of window setup and storage you have, the $560 FHWH082WA1 could be an ideal option—an air conditioner that you leave in the window for year-round temperature control, kind of like a ductless mini-split. Of course, that also means giving up half of a window 100% of the time, including during those spring and autumn months when you mostly don’t need heating or cooling (and might actually want to open a window on occasion). If you’re willing to sacrifice a window, however, that could be a fair trade-off for not having to deal with reinstalling and uninstalling a cumbersome AC every year. This notion is even more appealing in the case of the FHWH082WA1, which is an absolute behemoth. At 80 pounds, it’s nearly twice as heavy as the equivalent Frigidaire model that offers only cooling capabilities. It’s about 50% longer, too, which means it juts out of a window even further. In other words: The experience of installing this model is even worse than installing a normal air conditioner, so you won’t want to deal with moving it ever again. It does have a removable control panel, though, for what the company calls “easy installation.” Easy for Sisyphus, perhaps. Alternate plan: Get a Frigidaire FFRE083WA1, invest about $60 more on a space heater, and keep the window operable between cooling and heating seasons.
The Frigidaire Cool Connect FGRC084WA1 used to be our upgrade pick before it was discontinued, and we still think it’s pretty fantastic and full of lots of thoughtful features—if you can find it in stock.
For three summers in a row, we tested the 9,500 Btu LG LW1019IVSM, which uses LG’s unique Dual Inverter technology to make the air conditioner quieter and more efficient. And it impressed us every time. Unfortunately, that model was never widely available, and after several years of the company telling us that it was planning on increasing distribution, we’re just not confident that’s ever going to happen. And now you can find other, more affordable ACs with the same inverter perks, such as our top pick from Midea.
The 8,000 Btu Friedrich Chill CP08G10B was our former upgrade pick for the latter part of summer 2016. The ACs in this series are louder, larger, and more expensive than our current picks, and the packaging is not as sturdy, so they are also more prone to arriving damaged. We also looked into Friedrich’s newer line of Kühl smart ACs, including the KCQ08A10A and the discontinued SQ08N10D, but we found them too expensive to recommend for most people. We’ll continue to keep an eye on Friedrich ACs in the future.
The Haier Serenity Series ESAQ406T, a former upgrade pick and also-great pick, is a pretty good option if our other picks go out of stock. But it’s only a 6,000 Btu model, so it’s meant for small rooms, despite costing about the same as our other picks.
Built-in smart (Wi-Fi–connected) features have become increasingly available in recent years, to the point that they’re almost standard. Some of them are effective, too. All of our current picks have Wi-Fi connectivity and smart-home integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and we’ve tested plenty of other smart models over the years.
Unfortunately, even the best of the smart integrations are not good enough to set an AC apart for these features alone. You can get nearly equivalent benefits by simply hooking your AC up to a smart plug. (Some electric companies, like Con Edison in New York City, are even giving out free smart plugs to customers.) In using a smart plug, you can’t adjust the temperature or fan settings, but most people who have this setup seem comfortable with that limitation. And frankly, you might not be able to do that kind of thing with a smart-home app every time, either. We thought we might have a challenger to the smart-plug approach when a company called Tado introduced the Smart AC Control, which was meant to turn any AC with a digital thermostat into a smart AC. But three of our staff members tried and failed to even set the thing up, and the owner reviews were poor.
Among the native smart controls on the models we’ve tested, Midea, GE, and Frigidaire offer similarly well-designed app interfaces, with more natural voice commands for smart-home integration than other brands provide. All of the smart systems are a little futzy with scheduling—it’s easy enough to set up a recurring cooling calendar, for example, but setting your AC to run for just a few hours and then automatically shut off (or vice versa) is a process that is likely to take you a while to figure out.
GE’s SmartHQ is the only app we’ve tested so far that also offers Apple HomeKit integration in addition to Amazon Alexa and Google Home support. It also has a cool feature that helps you track energy usage on your air conditioner; you can even set a “budget” for yourself to make sure you’re not overspending on electricity.
LG has a great app, as well, but the voice commands are particularly cumbersome, to the point of being an inconvenience. We’ve also had issues with LG’s Wi-Fi chips failing after less than a year of use (or, at least, being unable to connect to our phones or Alexa).
Portable air conditioners are so popular now that we gave them their own guide. They’re also big, ugly, and expensive, and they never cool a room as efficiently or effectively as a window or wall AC. But if you want something that you can wheel from room to room, or if your windows don’t support any other option, we have some recommendations in that guide.
Picking the right through-the-wall air conditioner can be a little tricky, but the path of least resistance is to get a universal-fit, rear-breathing AC. Also known as “true wall” or “wall sleeve” air conditioners, these units work with almost any existing wall sleeve (the technical term for the metal box that juts out through your wall). We haven’t tested any of these models, but we think the LG LT0816CER looks like a reasonable bet. It appears to be a modified version of our previous LG window-unit pick, and it’s more affordable than its chief competitor, a Frigidaire model that costs anywhere from $70 to $120 more but offers no obvious advantages (at least on paper). Kenmore also sells a wall AC, but it’s just a rebadged version of the Frigidaire. You might be able to find a cheap wall-sleeve AC made by Midea and sold under various brand names (including Arctic King, Comfort Aire, and Westpointe), but they’re generally not available through major retailers.
Also: No, you should not put a regular window unit through your wall, unless the documentation specifically says that the machine is suitable for a wall installation. The vents on a typical window unit aren’t positioned to breathe properly in a standard wall sleeve, so a window unit installed that way can’t work as effectively or efficiently and will burn out its compressor much sooner than it should. It’s not a safety hazard or anything, just an unwise thing to do.
This style of air conditioner installs into a horizontal-sliding window or a crank-out window. Such models are more expensive than typical double-hung-window units, but they cost about as much as a good portable air conditioner and work more efficiently. The Frigidaire FFRS0822SE is one of the few widely available models we consistently see. It comes with everything you need for installation in a sliding window, though if you’re installing it in a crank window, you’ll probably need to buy (and cut) a piece of plexiglass.
Unfortunately, casement-window ACs don’t actually fit into all slider or casement windows. The model we recommend needs an opening of about 15 inches across, 21 inches tall, and 24 inches deep. So if your windows are very narrow or don’t crank all the way open, you might have to go with a portable AC anyway. A portable needs an opening of only about 6 inches across, 12 inches tall, and maybe 2 inches deep, so it’s a lot more flexible.
Central air conditioning systems are complicated, permanent installations that are too unique to each individual house for us to cover comprehensively. However, if your home already has a central AC system installed, we do have a guide to furnace and air conditioner filters to help you find the most effective way to remove particulates from the air in your home; we generally recommend the Nordic Pure MERV 12.
A ductless mini-split air conditioning system typically consists of one or more wall-mounted indoor units that connect to an outdoor compressor. They also require renovations to your home, but they’re much easier (and cheaper) to retrofit into existing construction than a fully ducted central air system. Mini-split systems are more powerful and more efficient than a collection of window units, and they will ultimately leave your home with much less clutter (and more usable window space). However, they can be expensive, with installation costs upwards of five figures (although some local utility companies offer rebates to offset those costs). If you’re intrigued by the idea of a ductless mini-split AC, we have some advice to help you figure out what will work best for your specific home.
For starters, follow the installation instructions—the idea is to keep the AC secure in the window frame, with the back of the unit angled slightly toward the ground so that condensed water can drain out. Brace the machine on air conditioner brackets, not on a stack of old magazines. Beyond safety, rickety installations can amplify noise; make sure your AC is braced tightly against the window opening to minimize rattling.
After you turn on the AC for the first time, if you hear any obvious high-pitched whining for more than a few minutes, you might have gotten a dud. Wait 24 hours to give the refrigerant a chance to settle and then try again. If the noise doesn’t improve, exchange the unit. ACs aren’t supposed to sound like that.
Every air conditioner has a filter to block dust from getting into the important parts of the system; it’s sort of like the lint filter on a clothes dryer. It usually slides out from the front of the unit. You should clean this filter every month to keep air flowing properly. Most modern units (including all the models we tested) have a light to remind you to do this after every 250 hours of use.
At the end of every cooling season, remove your window AC units and drain the condensed water on the ground or in a bucket or bathtub. Mildew can grow inside a wet AC, especially if it’s shoved into a dark closet over the winter.
Max Sherman, staff senior scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, phone and email interview
Eamon Monahan, Energy Star Program, Environmental Protection Agency, email interview
P.C. Richard, Air Conditioners - Pre-Existing Sleeve Installation, YouTube, March 12, 2015
Room air conditioner buying guidance, Energy Star/Environmental Protection Agency
Room Air Conditioners Specification Version 4, Energy Star/Environmental Protection Agency
Thom Dunn is an associate staff writer at Wirecutter reporting on HVAC and other home improvement topics. Sometimes his curiosity gets the best of him, such as when he plugged a space heater and a Marshall guitar amp into the same power strip. Pro tip: Don’t do that.
Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011. After testing dozens of robot vacuums, he is neither worried about AI nor holding his breath for self-driving cars. He enjoys visiting factories and learning about regulatory loopholes, and has flooded our testing area only three times.
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We have the best options for portable air conditioners, if a window unit or central air won’t work for you.
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