9 portable air conditioners that are still in stock after this weekend's sweat-fest plus our top tips on how to choose and use one

Date:
Tue, 26 May 2026 14:33:51 +0000

Description:
A bunch of portable air con units are sold out here's my pick of the best options still available to buy.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter For many of us across the UK, the past bank holiday weekend has been something of a rollercoaster of emotions. The joy of the sun finally coming out, the excitement of that first BBQ of the season, the thrill of flinging off that jacket and heading out in just a T-shirt... closely followed by the realization that we're just not built for this kind of heat, particularly when it comes to bedtime.

If you've invested in the best fan you can and it's still not cutting it, maybe it's time to think about upping the stakes. Maybe it's time for a portable air conditioning unit. It seems that's the thought process that's occurred to quite a few people over the long weekend, because many compact air-con units are now showing as unavailable. There are still some great-quality options in stock, though I've rounded up my top picks from trustworthy brands, backed by reassuring reviews, below.

If you're looking for more advice on buying and using a portable air con
unit, scroll down for some top tips from Matt Bolton , who bought one two years ago and hasn't shut up about it since.

You can read his full missive about whether a portable air con is worth it ("100%... life would be immeasurably worse without it"), but I've also pulled the key takeaways below, for easy browsing. Keep it cool De'longhi Pinguino EX100 (10,000 BTU) 799 shop now DREO 501s (10,000 BTU) 499.99 shop now Meaco MC Series (8,000 BTU) 369.99 shop now De'longhi Pinguino ES72 (8,300 BTU) 449 shop now Meaco Pro (12,000 BTU, pre-order) 479.99 shop now LOGIK LAC09C26 289.99 shop now Meaco MC12000 CHR Pro Smart Air Conditioner, Heater & Dehumidifier 479 shop now Russell Hobbs RHPAC3002B 3 in 1 Smart Portable Air Conditioner 249 shop now Black + Decker BXAC40032GB (5,000 BTU) 3-In-1 249 shop now How to choose a portable air con First up, BTU. This stands for British Thermal Units, and a higher BTU means the unit is suitable for bigger rooms. Unless you're only wanting to cool a tiny room, Matt suggests a
minimum of 10,000 BTU . That's based on the efficiency of his own unit "My 12,000 BTU air conditioner takes a fair amount of time to cool my bedroom,
and it's not very large."

Opting for that kind of BTU rating rules out the most lightweight options, so while 'portable' might be in the name, don't expect to be carrying your air con up and down stairs on a regular basis. Matt flags that these things can get seriously heavy , and the internal workings are delicate. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Make sure, too, that you have somewhere appropriate for your portable air conditioner to sit. "Venting and power really affect where you can put them," he emphasizes. It'll need to be plugged in and sit close enough to a window that the duct can hang outside as it expels warm air. And of course, it'll need to live somewhere when it's not hot, too. How to use a portable air con While you can expect some instant results when you switch your air-con on, cooling an entire room will take several hours. Factor that in if your aim is getting temperatures down in your bedroom so you aren't sleeping in a sauna.

"For the best result, let it run all day , from morning until night," recommends Matt. "It's far easier for them to maintain the lower temperatures from overnight than to only start cooling once it's got really hot." Good-quality air con units will switch to low-power mode when the room
reaches its target temperature, so you don't have to worry about them running for hours when they're not needed.

In use, to ensure the portable air conditioning unit works quickly and efficiently, you'll want to create as closed-off a space as possible for it
to operate in. That means you'll need to figure out a way to block off the window with the duct hanging out. Typically, your air conditioning unit will come with plastic or velcro-based barriers, but their effectiveness will
vary. Like Matt and his DIY cardboard solution, you may need to get creative. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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