The Best Portable Air Conditioners for Your Apartment
Summer calls for cooling devices, but not all of us have the luxury of central air. In fact, because of our window placement or where we want to cool (hello, hot garage), a portable air conditioner might be the best bet. A portable air conditioner (PAC) is a unit that sits on the floor or a tabletop and can be moved around with relative ease. But how do you figure out which one is best for your space? And how can you save money on your air conditioner?
The main thing to look out for is BTU (British thermal units), which is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Most window AC units have a cooling capacity ranging from 5,000 to 12,500 BTU, and the general rule of thumb is that you need 20 BTU for each square foot of living space. So, the bigger the room, the higher the BTU you should look for. Below, we rounded up nine of the best portable air conditioners for all spaces (and budgets!) on the market today. They’re guaranteed to keep you cool during the summer and all year round.
Samantha Leal and Sarah M. Vazquez also contributed to reporting.