Air Conditioner Review

Comparing professional and user reviews of air conditioners

ConsumerReports.org, by far the leader in testing window air conditioners, has an entire lab designed to simulate air conditioner use on a muggy day. This publication sets the bar pretty high; no other even comes close to this level of testing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy operate EnergyStar.gov, which publishes a frequently updated list of Energy Star-rated air conditioners, and National Geographic's TheGreenGuide.com rates and recommends particularly efficient window AC units, but each of these lists is based on analyzing efficiency data. Only ConsumerReports.org tests actual performance. But with energy prices rising across the country, an extra point or two in the energy efficiency ratio (EER) can make a difference on your monthly power bill. And, as ConsumerReports.org points out, models with higher EERs are usually no more expensive than non-Energy Star-rated room air conditioners. Each air conditioner we chose for our Best Reviewed section is Energy Star-rated.

Reviewers say most modern window air conditioners do a pretty good job of cooling a room, as long as you buy the right size unit for the space you need to cool. The big complaint we read in consumer reviews at Amazon.com, Sears.com, AJMadison.com and the Lowe's and Home Depot websites is noise, especially if you need a unit for a bedroom.

In this report, we cover window air conditioners. If you can't install an air conditioning unit in a window, see our report on portable air conditioners. These units aren't as efficient and are a lot more expensive, but if a window unit isn't an option, a portable air conditioner is a viable alternative.