Air Conditioners Reviews

Consumer Reports, by far the leader in testing window air conditioners, has an entire lab designed to simulate an air conditioner running on a muggy day. Choice magazine, an Australian contemporary of Consumer Reports, also offers current reviews with detailed testing analysis, although the majority of the models tested are not available in the United States. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) publishes lists of the most energy-efficient room air conditioners, with top picks exceeding the latest government standards. With energy prices rising across the country, an extra point or two in EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) can make a difference on your monthly power bill. And, as Consumer Reports points out, models with higher EERs are no longer more expensive than non-Energy-Star room air conditioners.

More and more retail websites (including Amazon.com, Sears.com, Target.com and Lowes.com) allow site visitors to post reviews of air conditioners. Sears is an especially good source if you're considering a Kenmore air conditioner.

Interestingly, reviews say that most modern window air conditioners do a pretty good job 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 reviews is noise, especially if you need a unit for a bedroom. The 5,200 Btu Haier HWR05XC6 (*est. $100) is about the right size for a small bedroom. And while reviews say the Haier AC cools well enough, we read a higher number of noise complaints for this model. We read better reviews overall for the Frigidaire FAA055P7A (*est. $170), also a 5,200 Btu air conditioner. This compact AC window unit has a high EER of 11.0 and cools well with less noise, according to reviews.

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

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Many air conditioners perform well, say reviews. Differences noted are mainly related to convenience features, efficiency and noise. GE models are quieter, but Friedrich models are generally more efficient. Kenmore is a good balance of both factors. Frigidaire units are also a good median pick. LG units used to be more efficient than others, but the latest LG units have actually dropped in efficiency. However, owners like low-profile LG units.