As summers get hotter, record-breaking temperatures are becoming more frequent. The hottest May temperature since 1944 was recorded this month, bringing intense daytime heat and unusually warm nights. Global temperatures are expected to stay at or surpass record highs over the next few years, and cooling appliances are an increasingly wise investment. When it’s particularly hot, a portable air conditioner (AC) will help to keep you cool.
Unlike fans, portable air conditioners actively extract heat from the room and vent it outside. It’s important to choose the right BTU rating (a measure of how much heat the unit can remove per hour). In my testing, underpowered models rarely justify the cost savings, especially in bedrooms and loft spaces that stay hot well into the evening. As a general guide, 7,000 BTU is suitable for smaller rooms, while larger spaces need a higher output to cool effectively without running constantly at full capacity.
Noise is another key consideration, especially when overnight temperatures don’t fall. Some portable air conditioners are uncomfortably loud and can disrupt sleep, while others include quieter sleep modes that make a real difference on humid, sticky nights.
I’ve tested a variety of portable ACs to find the best units, and the Blyss A018I-09C 9000BTU portable air conditioner proved to be a great budget model. Even better, it’s on sale at the moment with 15 per cent off (was £289.99, now £239.99, Screwfix.com). But I’ve also found quiet options, as well as a unit that doesn’t require a hose.
If you want a powerful unit that gets the job done, the Honeywell HX series is one of the best portable air conditioners I’ve tested. In use, it’s properly punchy. The airflow is strong enough to turn a hot, stuffy room into something genuinely comfortable within minutes, and it feels more powerful than some similarly priced rivals I tested. The controls are simple, either via the top LED panel or the remote, and there’s no overcomplicated app to wrestle with. That said, the Honeywell isn’t the quietest – I found it too noisy to sleep with, so I’d not recommend it for use in a bedroom. The hose is also fairly chunky compared with the slimline body, which makes the setup a bit more visually intrusive. Still, if you’re after reliable, no-nonsense cooling from a well-known brand and can live with a bit of background noise, this is a strong all-rounder.
If you want a straightforward, no-fuss air conditioner that still gives you a bit of flexibility, this Blyss model is a solid option. It covers the basics well, with cooling, fan and dehumidifier modes, plus three fan speeds and a 24-hour timer to fine-tune things depending on how you’re using it – and it’s good value. What sets it apart slightly is the installation. Alongside a standard window kit, you also get a permanent wall fixture and cap, which is pretty unusual at this price and gives you more long-term setup options if you don’t want to keep wrestling with a window hose. In use, it cools effectively and the auto-swing vent does a good job of distributing air evenly around the room. I also liked the front-facing display, which shows temperature and timer settings clearly from across the room, although the top-mounted LED panel itself is quite hard to read. It’s also impressively efficient. At around 55W on its highest setting, it’s one of the more energy-conscious options I tested, which makes a real difference if you’re planning to run it regularly through a heatwave. But, while it’s not as loud as some air cons, it’s not the quietest model here either, clocking in at 45dB on its highest setting.
