Air Conditioner Reviews

Updated April 2012

Selecting the best air conditioner is more involved than finding the cheapest unit at your local home center and tossing it in the trunk of your car. Size, power, efficiency, ease of installation, features and noise level are important considerations. We factor them all in when naming which window air conditioners are best suited to most homeowners' needs.

Kenmore 70051 (5,200 BTU)

Economy air conditioner for a small room

$160

Estimated Price

The small Kenmore 70051 is inexpensive, but the catch is that it's not very attractive and it beeps loudly with any change in the controls. Still, reviews say this unit does a fine job of cooling small rooms and is quiet enough aside from the beeping when adjusting the temperature or setting. It offers some of the same features as its more expensive competition, and doesn't just meet the requirements to be Energy Star-rated but exceeds them. Because it's a small unit, however, the Kenmore 70051 will cool an area of only about 150 square feet or less. For the same price, you could get the more powerful Frigidaire LRA074AT7, although experts say an air conditioner that's too big for your room is less efficient and can leave it feeling damp.

Compare Prices See Our Full Review

Frigidaire LRA074AT7 (6,500 BTU)

Economy air conditioner for 150 to 250 square feet

$160

Estimated Price

Priced the same as the Kenmore 70051, the Frigidaire LRA074AT7 packs more of a punch, making it a good choice for a 15-by-10-foot to 15-by-15-foot room. The two units perform almost identically in tests, cooling appropriately sized rooms effectively and quietly. But while the Frigidaire can waste energy and leave a smaller room clammy, the 5,200-BTU Kenmore would struggle to cool a space this large. The Frigidaire LRA074AT7 is Energy Star-rated.

Compare Prices See Our Full Review

LG LW8012ER (8,000 BTU)

Air conditioner for about 350 square feet

$220

Estimated Price

This 8,000-BTU LG air conditioner will cool a room of about 350 square feet and boasts electronic controls, a 24-hour delay timer, remote control, and an automatic restart function in case of a power outage or brownout. Although experts have yet to test this unit, most are impressed with the noise level and excellent cooling of its predecessors, the LW8010ER and LW8011ER. Owner feedback is limited, but those who weigh in say the LG LW8012ER carries on that tradition. Like our other Best Reviewed selections, this air conditioner is Energy Star-rated.

Compare Prices See Our Full Review

Frigidaire LRA107BU1 (10,000 BTU)

Air conditioner for about 450 square feet

$280

Estimated Price

This Frigidaire air conditioner for larger rooms is extremely well liked by nearly all owners, and it's a top-rated model in a leading expert test. The unit comes with plenty of features, including a "clean filter" alert to remind you of this easily forgotten chore, a remote control, a 24-hour timer, an automatic restart after a power outage, and a sleep mode that slowly increases room temperature during sleeping hours to save energy. Owners say this model cools rooms quickly and well, and at a reasonable price. The Frigidaire LRA107BU1 is Energy Star-rated.

Compare Prices See Our Full Review

LG LW1212ER (12,000 BTU)

Air conditioner for about 550 square feet

$320

Estimated Price

The LG LW1212ER is apparently set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, the LW1210ER and LW1211ER, which were favorites among owners and professional reviewers. The newer model is Energy Star-rated and has all the features normally found in air conditioners of this size such as electronic controls, auto restart after a power outage or brownout, a remote control, temperature display, timer, energy-saver mode and slide-out chassis. Owners of the earlier LG units compliment their quiet, efficient cooling, and early reports indicate that satisfaction with the LW1212ER is every bit as high.

Compare Prices See Our Full Review

COMPARE PRODUCTS

See a side-by-side comparison of key features, product specs, and prices.