Best Portable Air Conditioners in the UK

Straight of the reel, what we have here is not a usual conditioner. It's a smart device with a stylish design and exclusive Real Feel technology that ensures you get maximum comfort from using the device and don't have to pay an exorbitant sum of money on energy bills every month. Sounds good enough of a deal? Then let's check it in detail.

First things first, what sells about the De’Longhi Pinguino PAC conditioner, as we've just mentioned, is its design. It has a streamlined white body with a digital display in the upper left corner which makes it look very high-tech. On that display, you can find a light indicator showing you the levels of humidity in your home, a few adjustment buttons, and the ON/OFF switch that will allow you to customise the settings without using a remote control. The remote control is included in the kit too, so operating the device remotely is also possible.

The second best feature of the De’Longhi Pinguino PAC conditioner is that it provides a stable operation with no blasts of cool surging in. This favourably sets it apart from its rivals which tend to switch on and off while running. What's no less important is that it also allows it to keep energy consumption low. As a result, you get a powerful and cost-effective device that won't entail high bills.

To proceed to the performance, the unit is featured with a dehumidification function. This means, not only will it help keep the air in your room pleasantly cool, but also it will automatically adjust the humidity levels and absorb any excess water, providing you with a healthy indoor climate. What's more, it'll effectively cover a room up to 30m² in size, making it ideal for pretty large rooms.

While there are many great portable air conditioners, the Pro Breeze (PB-AC05-UK) is surely one of the better options that can be used all year round to save you in the heat and warm you during the winter.

To start things off, this air conditioner, despite its portable nature, offers incredibly powerful performance, achieving 12,000 BTU of cooling and heating capacity per hour. By contrast, most other portable units can achieve only 9,000-10,000 BTU of cooling power and do not offer more than 10,000 BTU when switched to heating, which makes the Pro Breeze (PB-AC05-UK) a leader in its class.

The outstanding unit's capacity also means it can cool/heat larger areas. In fact, you can install it in areas up to 40 square metres in size and it will provide effective cooling up to 16°C, making it an ideal addition to large homes, offices, gyms and other premises where mounting the traditional conditioner isn't possible.

At the same time, the PB-AC05-UK's performance won't affect your electricity bills. Incorporating R290 refrigerant, the unit has received a Class A energy efficiency rating, meaning that it not only consumes very little energy but is also much more environmentally-friendly than most other conditioners. So, you can rest assured that using it will drill a hole neither in your wallet nor in the ozone layer.

The next contender on the list is the BLU (BLU12HP) 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner. This offering doesn't land on the cheap end of the scale but its combination of functionality and performance makes it well worth the investment.

First off, just like our best pick, the BLU12HP has a mighty 12,000 BTU of power. This means it can cool large areas, efficiently covering around 30-35 square metres. It also employs an R290 refrigerant so it can achieve lower temperatures and does not impact the environment like air conditioners with gases.

What about power consumption? The model will pleasantly surprise you too. Rated with a Class A/A+ for cooling and heating respectively, the conditioner needs just very little energy to operate, hence, even if you use it all day long it won't affect your monthly bills too much. Plus, there's a sleep mode included. Not only does it work to help reduce the operating noise of the device down to the comfortable 49 - 53 dB level, but also it makes sure that it uses energy only when it's needed, thus keeping the running costs even lower.

Touching upon the functionality, the unit offers four operating modes as well as three modes of fan strengths. Thus, it can deliver instant relief no matter the month of the year. On top of that, it can function as a dehumidifier. When switched in this mode, you can expect it to extract up to 30 litres of water, which should be enough to reduce humidity in small rooms. All settings and modes are easy to adjust via the control panel or remote control that comes included.

Black and Decker is famous for the quality of products they produce, and this air-conditioning (BXAC40007GB) unit hasn't become an exception.

To start things off, we can't help but like how great the device looks, featuring a sleek white body with a silver top and an air vent in the middle. The latter has a round shape with a stylish silver lining, which makes it look more like a floor-standing speaker rather than an air conditioner. Thanks to this, it can blend in just about any interior without sticking out there like a sore thumb.

Furthermore, the unit is super quiet. Producing only 53 dB at low speed, it makes just as much noise as a refrigerator, which means even if you place it right next to your bed, its operation won't disturb you.

Adding to the advantages of this model is its extensive functionality. Actually, the Black and Decker BXAC40007GB is one of a few air conditioning units that combines the functionality of three devices, so if you're in search of multifunctionality, Black and Decker will get you covered.

When it comes to performance, the model in question offers a cooling capacity of 10,000 BTU. This will be enough to cool down rooms up to 30 in size. The temperature can be adjusted in a range from 18-32°C, so if needed, you can use it to warm up in winter too.

Inventor Chilly definitely has its moments but it is hard to tell how good the product actually is. On some levels, it is ridiculously good, like its 50.88-litre per day dehumidifying capacity that we will cover a little later.

On the other hand, the model has its flaws too. Despite the well-above-average price, the unit's cooling performance doesn't necessarily stack up too well against its competition within the same price range. With its 9000-BTU cooling capacity, the model will not be able to keep any room very much over 20 square metres in size cool enough. That's decent coverage, we're not saying the opposite, it's just that "decent" isn't exactly what we're hoping for here.

That being said, provided you aren't looking to keep anything larger than an average room nice and chill, the model doesn't really have any major downsides. Its power cable is a little short but, other than that, there isn't much to complain about here.

R290, the company's new and very own natural refrigerant, makes the most difference here. It is supposed to be up to 690 times eco-friendlier compared to any other gases. We can't say that we've been able to examine these numbers but its eco-friendly nature is something we can definitely agree with. The refrigerant doesn't damage the ozone layers and has virtually zero impact on global warming.

Plus, it is very much energy-efficient, so it's not like you'll have to deal with increased energy bills here.