Best Air Conditioner Reviews – Consumer Reports

Find Ratings

What's behind our air conditioner Ratings?

Experts at our National Testing and Research Center tested 42 models in air conditioners to see which ones perform best.

We look for:

Overall score
This is based mainly on comfort, noise, and energy efficiency. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points.
Comfort
How quickly the air conditioner on its low fan setting cooled a room sized for the particular unit and how accurate it came to meeting the temperature set point.
Indoor noise low
This judgment of indoor noise at the low-cool setting is the objective measurement of noise level using a sound meter.
Indoor noise high
This judgment of indoor noise at the high-cool setting is the objective measurement of noise level using a sound meter.
Brownout
Gauges the unit's ability to run and restart during extreme heat and low voltage.
Ease of use
This reflects control-panel layout, including the clarity of its markings, as well as how easy and intuitive the controls were to operate.

Connect

Forums

Discuss products and safety with subscribers and fans.

Air conditioner user reviews

Share your reviews and provide valuable feedback to other members and our testers.

Follow Consumer Reports

Recommended air conditioners

Recommended air conditioners are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices, weigh features, price, and attributes that matter to you.

Recommended air conditioners

Air conditioner buying guide

To find the air conditioner that is right for you, read our expert advice on which features to consider and how to find the best value.

Get started

Buying guide video

Buy air conditioners

Why shop here?

In addition to finding Ratings for the latest models, you can now shop online using an ad-free interface where you can buy air conditioners in a safe-shopping environment.

Learn more about our Price & Shop program

See our retailer Ratings

Low prices and high efficiency make portable air conditioners and window air conditioners inexpensive room air conditioner alternatives to central air for cooling one or two rooms. Some 5,000- to 6,000-Btu window air conditioners now cost less than $150. If you're looking for information about portable air conditioners and window air conditioners, Consumer Reports is your best resource. Consumer Reports’ air conditioner reviews will give you honest buying advice that you can trust. Use our air conditioner buying guide to discover which portable air conditioner and window air conditioner features are most important to consider. We also provide unbiased air conditioner Ratings and air conditioner reviews to help you choose the best air conditioner for your needs.

Ratings & recommended air conditioners

Window air conditioners (26)

Fine cooling performance is a given. Top-scoring models are also energy efficient and relatively quiet. Remember that the more off-center your window, the more an air conditioner's air direction matters. Check the Airflow left and Airflow right columns in the Ratings for this information.

The Ratings rank models by overall performance within size groups.

Air conditioner buying guide

All the window air conditioners in our latest tests do an excellent job of cooling and come with such convenient features as a digital display, a built-in timer, a remote control, or touchpad controls. But some models are noisy and others struggled to cool during brownouts. Find out which to buy for the space you need to cool.

Low prices and high efficiency make room air conditioners an inexpensive alternative to central air for cooling one or two rooms. Some 5,000- to 6,000-Btu (British thermal units) window models now cost less than $200. Our air-conditioner guide will help you choose what's right for you.

Nearly all the window units we tested meet the latest Energy Star standards, which require them to use 15 percent less energy than the minimum allowed. And all now have electrical plugs that help prevent fires by shutting down if the power cord is damaged.

Find out whether replacing your air conditioner makes sense by using the savings calculator on the room air conditioners page at www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized. (Every 0.1 increase in EER translates into about a one percent drop in electricity use.) Also keep the following in mind: