I've Tested Over 30 Portable Air Conditioners—The Best One Is 30% Off
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With much of the country sweltering under a pre-summer heat wave, portable ACs are in hot demand. Which makes the 29% Amazon discount on our top-rated model, the Whynter Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner, even more enticing. Basically, if you're in the market for a new portable AC, this is a "run, don't walk" moment.
Based on extensive testing of all types of air conditioners at the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab , portable ACs are the best cooling option when you don't have the right window configuration for a standard window AC. That's because portable ACs only need to be vented to the outside through a small hose, usually about six inches in diameter. You can even cut a hole in a wall or door and run the house through it, making the installation options practically limitless.
The Whynter has two hoses, so you need a little more room to vent it properly. But the dual-hose design is what make it so effective, since it eliminates the negative pressure that occurs with single-hose portable ACs, forcing those units to work harder to cool the room. Combined with its 14,000 BTUs of power, the Whynter's smart design allows it to maintain cool, consistent temperatures across 500 square feet of living space.
Our experts also like that the unit doubles as a dehumidifier, which is helpful since high indoor humidity often goes hand-in-hand with soaring temperatures. In dehumidifier mode, the AC can remove up to 71 pints of moisture in a 24-hour period.
User-friendly features include a digital display that makes it easy to monitor temperatures, and the 5-foot-long exhaust hose gives you some flexibility in terms of placement within a room. During months of home testing, consumer testers liked the programmable timer that lets you set a schedule for the day, for example, programming the AC to turn on 30 minutes before you'll be home from work.
You'll pay more for all the Whynter's performance and versatility, compared to other portable ACs we've tested. But Amazon's generous discount will lessen the blow quite a bit, making this the hottest air conditioner deal of the season, so far.
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