8 Best Portable Air Conditioners of 2022

Key Specs

• Modes: Cool, Fan only, dehumidify
• Hose, fully extended: 60 in.
• Electrical/BTU: 9 amps, 12,000 BTUThis a/c is one of several appliances we observed that have a dual-hose design. One hose pulls in outdoor air and then filters, cools, and dehumidifies it before blowing it into the room. The other hose takes warm air and ejects it to the outdoors. The design prevents the appliance from creating a negative pressure in the cooled space, which can pull in warm, humid air from building cavities, the attic, the crawlspace, and other undesirable locations. We also like that the a/c creates very little condensate, so you won’t have to change the collection tank as often.

Key Specs

• Modes: Cool, fan only, dehumidify
• Hose, fully extended: Not listed
• Electrical/BTU: 10.8 amps, 14,000 BTU

This Whynter’s amperage and BTU capacity position it firmly in the heavy-duty cooling category (and the heavy category; this portable air conditioner weighs 80 pounds). It’s a dual-hose (intake and exhaust), which, theoretically, should reduce the amount of condensate that the a/c collects, since it’s supposed to be removed in the exhaust air stream. A similar model (ARC-14SH) also operates in heat pump/heater mode. For a slightly smaller model, check out the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS above.