Reviews of Some Portable Room
Air Conditioners
We have heard both pros and cons about a few different portable room air conditioners. To start, the Whynter ARC-10D SNO looks great with its stainless steel trim, and is priced at less than $400. People say it is easy to set up and cools a room of up to 300 square feet quickly. On the minus side, its compressor is noisy, and the unit is heavy to move around.
The Sunpentown WA-9000E has a higher price, of just above $500 and delivers a full 9,000 BTUs of cooling power, but we recommend the Hyundai HYU-P12ER, which gives you 12,000 BTUs for only about $100 more. It rolls on casters and has a remote control, so you can turn if off in the middle of the night without having to get out of bed.
If a smaller and more budget priced air conditioner is what you had in mind then check out the 7,000 BTU model from Haier that is selling for just below $300. As you can see, the more cooling power you need, the more money you are going to have to shell out.
Closer to the top of the line is the DeLonghi PAC A120 E. This 12,000 model will probably set you back more, but a lot of people say it's worth it. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is over $1,000, but we recently saw a new one on sale for $580. It uses a more advanced cooling system that is better for the environment than older style air conditioners make use of.
I would not buy a portable air conditioner without giving it a good demonstration in the store, especially if noise and portability are important factors. Until you have heard how loud the fan and motors are, you won't know whether any of these cooling machines are going to be right for making your environment more comfortable.
Also, if you have wall to wall carpet, then rolling the casters on the smooth floor of Home Depot, Wallmart or Sears will not give you the whole story. You are going to need larger size wheels than units that are only going to roll on hardwood floors.
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