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The best part of living in an apartment is that when something goes wrong you can likely call your landlord or super to deal with it. But when it comes to keeping your space cool in the heat, or even just remotely comfortable, you may be on your own. If you’re gearing up for summer or need to replace some tired machines, we’ve rounded up some of the highest rated, most beloved air conditioning units for apartments.
Some are lighter than traditional models, which is so helpful if you have to bring them up endless stairs. Some don’t go in the window, which is nice if you don’t have window access. Some are extra quiet, which is great if noise travels in your building. Some work to combat humidity and others work to give you some extra moisture in a dry climate. And some just look a lot nicer than older ACs, and yes, that is a perfectly good reason to choose a new home appliance.
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Life is too short to suffer through another sticky summer. We hope you find the perfect AC for your living space and lifestyle, to stay cool, calm and collected until it’s cool again.
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1
Amazon
A super sleek unit that's as good-looking as it is powerful
A sleek, minimalist air conditioning unit with a dual filtration system? Yup, there's a start-up for that. Designed in New York City, Windmill makes easy-to-install, good-looking AC units that thrive in city apartments. It comes with a remote but is also voice-enabled and can run on an app you can control with your phone.
Promising review: “I recently moved to the northeast and found myself in desperate need of a window unit. I researched all the 'best of' lists I could find, where Windmill seemed to feature but couldn’t make the leap. But then, one night when I was awake at 2AM sweating and uncomfortable, I bought this unit because it was relatively affordable, in stock, well reviewed, and I could get it in two days. I love this unit. I have a 600 sq feet apartment and one unit keeps the whole place a comfortable temperature, despite it only guaranteeing to cool 350. It saved my sanity. One of the coolest (lol see what I did there) features to me is the app, so I can’t control it from outside my apartment & it’s cool when I get home. Less vital but still a great feature? As far as window units go, it’s the most aesthetically pleasing one I’ve ever seen. I’ll be keeping it up all year — which brings me to my one downside: I imagine this AC is easy to install compared to other ones, but as it was my first one, I struggled some. If this is easy, I don’t know what a pain others are. It’s also probably partially to do with my windows, which are a bit caddywampus. If you need a window unit and are on the fence, I highly recommend this one. It’s effective, pretty, and high tech. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.” — Morgan Flowers
2
A stand-alone unit that's also a dehumidifier
If your apartment becomes a hot humid swamp, this may be the unit for you. This stand-alone AC with two vent hoses functions not only as a super cooling air conditioner but also as a powerhouse dehumidifier, removing up to 71 pints of water in a day.
Promising review: “This portable AC is amazing. I live in Seattle, and the weather has been shockingly warm lately (upwards of 90 degrees). I live in a 4th floor apartment and have a casem*nt window, which means I can't get much air to flow in or out of the apartment. ...I got this AC last week and... It cooled my ENTIRE apartment - all 580 sq ft, including the bedroom and bathroom. Of course the spaces further from the AC are hotter, but only by 2-3 degrees. It also dehumidifies well (though my apartment wasn't super humid). I haven't used any of the timing features because I leave it on all the time, so I can't comment about those. The AC is easy to use, and the remote is just as obvious. I also don't know how much my electric bill will be this month, but to be honest, I don't care. :) Do note: the box is HEAVY. It ships at about 100 lbs. However, cleverly enough, they pack it so you can slip all the boxes off the top of the AC (so you do not need to flip it over/turn it on its side). Just open all the boxes and start sliding them off the top after you remove the pieces in the top. It also has wheels, so once you slip off the boxes, you can just roll it off the bottom box piece. To summarize: this AC is awesome. If your apartment/room is stuffy, humid, and/or hot, this AC does an amazing job of cooling it quickly and keeping it consistently cool throughout the day, no matter temperature changes.” — Elise G
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A super sleek portable AC with over 30,000 positive reviews
With tens of thousands of positive reviews, this standing air conditioner from Black + Decker is a fan favorite. It comes with a handy remote control so you can adjust the temperature from across the room and it offers dehumidifying and ventilation in addition to air cooling. This AC works better in smaller rooms or studio apartments and comes in six models, some which offer portable heating in addition to cooling, saving you more space and hassle. Note that while the unit itself does not go in a window, it does have a five-foot hose (and window adaptor) that does.
Promising reviews: “We have a 2 bedroom 2nd story apartment. During the summer months the sun bakes the back, living room, and bedroom walls from noon until sunset. This thing is amazing. We close the blinds and crank this thing pointing at the ceiling fan to move cool air around the whole apartment and it works wonders. It's a little noisy, but given the level of cooling it's 100% worth it. Also not so noisy that we can't turn the TV up a bit for shows/video games. Would definitely recommend.” — Bo Sharp
"An absolute MUST for hot summer days. It's been 4 years since I've purchased this portable AC unit. I've been using it every day, when it's not summer I simply use the built-in fan for airflow when I'm working and white noise when I'm sleeping. When it's blazing hot during summer I have the unit blasting cool air in my home office while I'm working. This is an absolute must-buy if you're looking for some AC relief without breaking the bank. I will without a doubt buy a brand new one the moment this thing breaks down on me but it's been going strong for 4 years now and I still can't see it breaking anytime soon!" — sonny
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A U-shaped window unit that's super quiet
If a quiet space is important to you, look no further than this smart Midea unit that works with an app, remote and voice control. It comes in a totally unique "U" shape that hugs the window sill, instead of sitting in the window, so you can still open your window and get fresh air while the unit is installed.
Promising review: "We live in a small duplex apartment, 2br, 1 ba. Unit arrived as promised, on time, unscathed. Install was simple. Quiet, quiet, quiet!!! Unbelievably quiet. We've owned several different window AC units and this one is by far the best. Cools really well. Quiet as a church mouse. Because the motor is on the outside and the head unit is on the inside of the house, separated by your window, that adds to the quietness of this unit. Once it's installed, you can open the window all the way if you need to.
If Midea continues to make these units as well as this one , we'll never buy anything else. The outside portion is much smaller than what we're used to and because of that we're going to leave it in year round with a good cover for the winter. We love this air conditioner and we give it our highest possible recommendation. Fabulous!" — Dee Wardlow
5
Amazon
A compact unit that's under $200 and weighs less than 40 pounds
At 39 pounds, this may be one of the lightest window units you can find. It's intended for smaller spaces and doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of some fancier models (no Bluetooth or remote control here) but it's a quality unit that's ideal for studios, older windows and walk-ups.
Promising review: "I live on the 6th floor of a very stuffy and relatively old apartment building in the city so it gets quite hot in the summer, but this AC was a game changer. Super easy to install and very effective. To be honest I haven’t had many AC units so I can’t say a lot about the noise level in comparison to other models, but I did not find it overly loud or bothersome. Zero regrets buying this product!" — fam
6
A portable compact air conditioner with a dehumidifier
Lightweight and compact, this portable AC unit has wheels for extra movement and functions as a dehumidifier and fan in addition to an air conditioner. It provides maximum air circulation for smaller spaces with its automatic swing mode setting. You can use the buttons on the machine or control it with the remote from across the room.
Promising review: “I spent months reading reviews on portable ACs before finally hitting the purchase button. This unit was neck and neck with another unit. There is NO unit out there with five-star reviews so it just came down to what I thought was the best and paying attention to consistencies in other reviews. The unit arrived safe and sound and was extremely easy to install. Almost too easy. I do recommend getting window strips to help seal around where the hose goes out the window. My apartment is pretty small - 630 sq. ft. and becomes a SAUNA due to poor insulation and no protection from the sun...We've had a few 80 degree days here already so I was excited to put this unit to the test and I have been pleasantly pleased! I can feel the cool air right away when I turn it on and while it doesn't get my apartment down below 80, it feels GREAT! I can actually sit comfortably and not feel like I'm sweating just blinking my eyes. ...So thankful for this unit! My heat box has now turned into a comfortable apartment. ...As far as electricity - It has not done anything significant to my electric bill. Of course, I don't leave it running 24/7. And, thankfully, as mentioned before, the heat waves around here aren't too prolonged. All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a portable AC unit or at least some type of AC that is more affordable than the alternative.” — MelissaE
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7
A portable AC you can control from your smartphone
Cool and dehumidify up to 200 square feet with this portable AC on wheels. It's Wi-Fi enabled and voice-controlled, so you can pair it with your phone or smart home device. Set it on its 24-hour adjustable timer and let the cooling begin. This comes in four size and power options.
Promising review: "I live in San Diego where it’s perpetually at least 75% humidity. It’s not the East Coast... but it’s pretty humid. My complex doesn’t have AC, which on normal days is tolerable but during the summer anything over 80 degrees or so outside, it’s miserable to sleep in even with a fan. I wake up every night drenched in sweat since I keep the window open since it does cool down but that humidity is just sticky... anyway this AC has been a life-changing miracle for me. I sleep like a rock through the night now. My bedroom is on the smaller side but it works incredibly, and I was able to get the seal perfectly on my window even tho it opens vertically instead of horizontally. Not to mention it’s a single pane window and my room still stays icy. I love it. Personally haven’t used the app or remote cause I go to school online so I’m always here. Buy this thing!!" — Kylie
