Top 5 Best Portable ACs in US - Personal Mini Cooler Reviews 2021
Portable air conditioners are a popular way to stay cool indoors when the weather turns warm. They can be less expensive than central air conditioners, more practical than swamp coolers, and easier to install than window AC units and mini-split systems. They’re also far more portable than other solutions.
Our team spent 24 days testing over 11 popular portable air conditioners available on the market. Scroll down to see the top 5 mini AC units, followed by our review of the winner.
May 16th Updated, Paul Jones
Paul is our expert product reviewer & editor at Smarter Choice. When he's not in the gym, he's probably binge watching Netflix together with his lovely wife and his cat Minka.
- Maximum Cooling Power - cool down your room in seconds
- Compact Design, Lightweight
- Filters dust particles in the air
- Compact and easy to carry. It comes with its own carry handle. Weighs less than 2 pounds unfilled.
- Three fan speeds. Set it to your optimum comfort level.
- Pumps out freezing cold air that counters the summer heat
- Works as a humidifier
- Power saving. No need to pay for pricy power bills again.
- Free shipping from USA & Fast Delivery
- Risk Free. 30-day Money Back Guarantee
- Cons: Only available at online store
- Cons: Limited Inventory
Best Price: $89.99 (50% Off)
9.7
"Outstanding Gadget"
7, 135 Reviews
- Ideal for large open rooms, patio/ BBQ areas, garages, decks, backyards, warehouses
- Best used in typically hot and dry climates where humidity levels are <60%
- Not just a fan - air cooler reduces temperature through water evaporation
- Moist, cool breeze can cool you down without spraying floor & furniture with water
- Low power consumption, continuous water supply connection – operate all day long
- Cons: Not budget friendly ($500+).
- Cons: Not as compact as Blast.
8.5
"Very Good"
489 Reviews
- 3-in-1 COOLING – Evapolar evaLIGHT PLUS cooler humidifies, purifies and chills the air using evaporative technology. Best for hot dry climates
- Simply add water then plug into power supply, computer or power bank to get started!
- EvaLIGHT personal air conditioner sits conveniently on any desk and is easy to transport around
- Cools the area in front of the device (45 sq. ft. ), approximately the size of a desk, couch or bed
7.9
"Great"
168 Reviews
- This device not only provides cool air but keeps the humidity away from you as well. It is a great speed which works efficiently to cover the most area.
- It comes with a rotating feature which enables the user to turn the air flow in a favorable position.
- The device is designed in such a way that it fits everyone perfectly. It is very light around the neck and does not heat up.
- This wearable AC comes with 3 settings from low, medium, to high. No matter what the weather situation is, you don't have to worry at all.
- It is very easy to use and charge. The LED light feature indicates the battery percentage. Use a USB cord to recharge it. The battery timing runs for 30 hours. It is just a super cool headphone lookalike that provides cool air.
- It has a filter which cleans the air and collects all the dust around.
- Best value for money.
9.1
"Good"
489 Reviews
Personal Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner
A personal air cooler or “mini air conditioner” is actually an evaporative air cooler, a.k.a. a swamp cooler, which pulls the warm air from your room and runs it through the cool water it has in its tank. That’s how it manages to decrease the overall heat in the room. Mini evaporative air coolers are a more affordable option, but aren’t optimal for humid spaces.
On the other hand, an air conditioner absorbs heat by utilizing a refrigerant fluid. It releases cold air to decrease both temperature and humidity in the room. This process requires a lot of energy and can make your electricity bill skyrocket.
Our Winner of 2021: Blast Auxiliary Portable AC
These portable personal air conditioners are structured to perform multiple functions, which further enhances their cost effectiveness for interested buyers. Here is a closer look at each of the functions performed by these compact air-cooling machines:
- Can be adapted to perform the functions of an AC as well as a fan
These flexible air conditioners can be programed to produce gushes of cool breeze in hot summers, or switched to function as a fan for some relaxing drifts of air in moderately hot days or during the spring season, when the temperatures remain within a tolerable range. The switch in functionality is achieved quiet easily, without the need of much technicality.
- Can humidify dry indoor environment
An added function of these adaptable machines is that they can also be adjusted to work as a humidifier for providing relief in dry weather conditions. This makes them very useful for helping in keeping up with the dehydrated indoor environments created in winters due to cranked up heating. This also helps in soothing dry, parched and itchy skin that usually accompany harsh and dry surroundings.
- Very efficient Air Purifiers
The design of these air conditioners incorporates very efficient water curtains in these portable machines that makes them exceptional for purifying indoor air from pollen, dust or other pollutants. This allows Blast Portable Air Conditioners to multifunction as an air purifier as well, providing significant relief from conditions like congested sinuses, allergies, and asthma to their users.
The water curtain filters used in Blast Portable ACs are replaceable and very easy to change after they reach the end of their expiration age. Extra pieces can be bought from their official website and delivered right at the doorstep for further convenience of their users.
- Very User Friendly
All proposed variations in their functionality are very easy to make which makes them suitable to be operated by every age group except children, that too for their own safety.
- Cordless and Rechargeable
Blast Portable ACs are cordless and rechargeable. This feature makes them very convenient because it allows them to be used anywhere in the house without any hassle of watching out for the length of the cable or locating sockets before deciding on a preferred placement site.
All that needs to be done to get this machine running is to fill the high capacity water tank with 300 ml of water, charge the 200Ah battery with the Type-C cable included in the package, and then you are good to go and enjoy hours of cooling anywhere in an indoor setting.
- Light in weight
The light weight of these air cooling machines further aids in their relocation between different spots of choice. All Blast Portable ACs have a carry handle implicit to their design which makes these light weight devices even easier to be carried around indoors.
- Can be used everywhere indoors, all year round
These small, yet powerful ‘air-conditioners’ are suitable to be literally used all year round as per the needs of their operators. This is because they function as a fan, air conditioner, air purifier and a humidifier, allowing users to select the function of that suits their needs according to the environment.
They function well in workrooms, bedrooms, nurseries and kitchen countertops for providing soothing cool spurts of comforting personal air, without much hassles due to their light weight, cordless operation and long battery life.
- Offers different fan speeds
When operating Blast Portable Air Conditioners on a fan mode, users have the flexibility to select the most comforting speed from three different settings according to their needs.
- Provides Low noise operation
The air thrusts generated through Blast AC creates a very quiet pulsing sound, unlike traditional fans. The loud and unsettling noises created by them usually keep increasing with the speed of airflow, resulting in a disturbed sleep pattern. With Blast Portable Air Conditioners, users can expect to tune out the loud noises and enjoy deep sleep throughout the night, or watch their kids nap comfortably in the afternoon in their nurseries.
- Louvers provide a more directed air flow
When it comes to airflow, Blast Portable Air Conditioners have flexible louvers that allow users to direct the air in the direction of their choice. They can put it on the desktop for example, and point the flaps of these air conditioners towards their face or arms, whatever they prefer.
- Offers Mood Lighting
Another distinctive addition in these ACs is their inbuilt mood lighting. This is a cherry on top for the users as they also get to enjoy some intimate moments and light up their mood with this endearing feature.