The best portable air conditioners of 2024: Air con units to help beat the heat

Say goodbye to the heat and hello to the Inventor Chilly portable air conditioner. Sleek-looking and compact, this machine will cool down a room in minutes thanks to its powerful performance.

We love the space-saving design as that means it'll work great even with smaller living spaces, and the unique structure allows you to move it to any room. A triple treat, with cooling, dehumidifying and fanning capabilities, you'll feel as refreshed as ever, wishing you made the leap to portable air-con a lot sooner. For us, it's the best all-rounder in its balance of function, design and cooling effectiveness.

The only shortcoming is the noise level at 65dB – that's only about the same as a dishwasher, but if you need something as close to silent as possible, check out our pick below for the best silent portable air con unit – the De'Longhi Pinguino PACN82 Eco Portable Air Conditioner.

We think that this is one of the best budget multi-function units to be found. This Sonbion four-in-one evaporative air conditioner cools, purifies and humidifies the air to keep you comfortable when temperatures get too high, while simultaneously improving air quality.

This is an evaporative air cooler, meaning it's more efficient to run thanks to the addition of four ice packs that work with the fans to keep the air cool. A 5-litre tank capacity for the humidifier will keep the air comfortable for much longer.

It also has a larger air outlet than many other air conditioners too, so you can cool down faster, adjusting it to the optimal level for your home. The wheels and handles make for easy moving and handling between rooms, and the fan mode will work well when you only want a breeze without cooling. We're particularly impressed by the relatively low noise level for this price point – only 50dB.

We're not fans of having to hunt down the remote for the AC when in the middle of a heatwave, and this model from NETTA has the added benefit of app control. Its 8000BTU rating means it'll be good for the average-sized room, and it also has a fan and dehumidifier built in.

It'll cool down your space in around 10 minutes and remove 2 litres of water from the air each hour. But the star feature here is the smart app. It'll work with Alexa and Google Assistant to turn it on and off and make temperature adjustments even easier.

As for venting, some users find the window fittings fiddly and in need of minor modifications – but that's a small nitpick for such a capable unit. If you're all about keeping your home smart when it comes to high-tech voice commands and control, the NETTA Portable Air Conditioner is a great choice.

Strong and effective, the Pro Breeze air conditioner will cool down any room big or small to 15 degrees. With two fan speeds, auto-cooling, a dehumidifier mode and an eco mode, we really appreciate the huge flexibility you get in one smart-looking machine.

Plus it's a genuine 9000BTU air conditioner with eco-friendly refrigerant. Although not as energy efficient as ice-pack air coolers, there are no ice packs to freeze and insert. It is, however, a bulkier design than some – so make sure you have enough room.

The easy-to-use LED screen will give you full view and control of the operating modes and the advanced sleeping mode (with reduced operating noise) will gradually ease you into a comfortable slumber come bedtime. Another bonus is the inclusion of Alexa and Google Home for controlling the unit with voice commands.

When it comes to air conditioning you're really fighting the laws of physics – there's only so much heat you can draw out of a room for the power you use to do it. That said, this 3-in-1 air conditioner from Russell Hobbs has struck a really good balance between its Class A energy rating and its BTU rating. All in all, the 7000 BTU cooling capacity is less powerful than most, making this more suitable for small to average spaces up to 14 sq.m, but that's still better than most in terms of efficient cooling.

We also love the typically refined Russell Hobbs styling here – offering a simple yet attractive step up from many others. There's a remote timer too for easy use, and the 300ml water tank means you can extract a decent amount of humidity from the air between emptying. It's middling though in terms of noise level – at a reasonable 65dB (that's about dishwasher level).

A window sealing kit is also included for the generously long vent hose, so you can be sure to pump all of that excess heat out of the room. Two fan speeds also give you a good amount of control over room cooling, and the controls and LED display are particularly easy to read and use.

If you're after a portable air conditioner but want something that fits neatly into the room without cutting back on cooling, we think this unit from HOMCOM will deliver on its promise of a compact and mobile air-con with serious power.

This is packing a huge 9000BTU of cooling – ideal for rooms up to 18 sq.m. But, best of all, it has a neat and attractive design that is more compact than most at only 33cm wide and 69cm high. That means that, if you have a large but busy room with little space for a larger unit, this will still cool the room as well as slot into place.

The 24-hour timer allows you to set the air conditioner before going about your day, ensuring you will come back to a cool house. If you're sick of the discomfort that comes with increased moisture in the atmosphere, simply pop on the dehumidification mode to help keep the air fresh. With mobility at its core, this air conditioner is equipped with carry handles and four caster wheels, allowing you to glide the machine effortlessly around your home.

Although a premium option, this portable air conditioner from BLACK+DECKER certainly earns its price tag. It provides constant temperature control which you can monitor via the LED digital display and tweak with the included remote control.

We're also fans of the innovative, modern design – bringing a jet turbine to mind. And, despite being slightly more bulk than others, BLACK+DECKER put that space to good use with a giant 30L dehumidifying tank.

At 12,000BTU, this is one of the most powerful models on our list, with a high cooling capacity as well as a high-tech filtration system that will vastly improve air quality. Other than a great cooler for the summer, the dehumidifying function will help soak up moisture and keep us dry all winter long too.

A cooler for the summer, and a heater for the winter, the Meaco portable air conditioner truly lives up to its potential. Functions include cooling, dehumidifying, fan, sleep, and of course, heat. You can customise your experience and find the best settings for your home.

As a combined heater and cooler, this is a nice-looking little unit that packs quite a punch with its huge 14000BTU of power. But, thankfully, that power doesn't mean noisier operation, as this operates at an excellent 51.5dB.

We particularly like the minimal and contemporary design that will blend in with your decor beautifully; and with the lightweight build, you can move your air conditioner from room to room with ease. It also has an energy class rating of A, so you'll benefit from slightly lower running costs too.

When it comes to leading brands that are synonymous with quality, De'Longhi is a real contender. Its stellar reputation for all kinds of home appliances is well-earned – and that's clear to see with this Pinguino Eco model. It has one of the most refined designs on this list.

As you'd expect, this air conditioner is packing the best of the features we've seen elsewhere: Digital control, eco-friendly refrigerant and a top-class power-saving Class A rating. But it's the combination of the massive 9400BTU of cooling power twinned with such silent operation that impresses us. This kicks out just a little over 50 decibels – amazing for such a capable unit.

Other notable features include the dehumidifier mode and a three-speed fan. And the whole lot can be programmed thanks to the 24-hour timer and tweaked with the remote control.

One last super-impressive function is the Real Feel technology which means you can both cool and dehumidify at the same time.

As we've covered in our other recommendations, window kits are a necessary addition for most air con units when it comes to effective cooling. There are also many kinds of complementary window kits that are suitable for windows but perhaps not the sash or sliding kind.

Thankfully, this Belaco unit comes with a complete venting kit designed for sliding windows. Elsewhere we have a handy remote control and a night mode for gently increasing the minimum temperature so that you don't get too cold on those nights that start out warm and end up chillier.

Lastly, although this model has something of an industrial look compared to others, we love the large fan grille plus the two-speed fan behind it. With 9000BTU of cooling power, this is going to work in tandem with decent window ventilation to keep your room at the optimal temperature.