Which Portable Air Conditioner Cools Faster?

Air Conditioners America conducted performance tests on several portable air conditioners to determine which portable AC unit can cool the fastest. The results show the unit's performance and cooling capability during hot summer days. Just because an air conditioner can cool the room down to a comfortable temperature does not mean it can do it within a timeframe that you want it do. This cooling test helps you determine which portable air conditioner is best for your needs.

 Time (minutes) it Takes to Cool a Room 5 Degrees
(faster is better)

Alen™ C535	8
Amcor PLM16000E	8
SPT WA-1300E	9
Alen™ C425	9
Sharp CVP12LX	9
Amcor PLM14000E	9
Amcor ALW12000E	10
Amcor ALD12000	10
SPT WA-1220H	10
Alen™ C320	10
SPT WA-1220M	15
Delonghi PAC-C100	22

Recommendations: Air Conditioners America strongly recommends the higher powered Alen™ C535, Amcor 14,000 BTU and Sunpentown 13,000 BTU air conditioners. These units performed the best and had the coldest temperatures as measured at the air conditioner register. We do not recommend the DeLonghi PAC260 as this unit performed poorly in our cooling tests and carries a high price tag.

Test Methodology For Cooling The Room By 5 Degrees

Each portable air conditioner was tested in a 230 square feet room with an 8' ceiling. A digital thermometer was placed 6 feet from the portable AC to measure room temperature. A digital timer was also used to measure the duration of each test. At the beginning of each test, the room was 75 degrees and the air conditioner was set to run at the lowest temperature setting (62F for most models) with the highest fan speed setting. Each unit was placed in the same location as previous units with same settings for each test case. The time was recorded when the room temperature has dropped by 5 degrees.

Which portable air conditioner is the coldest? click here.