This review is trying to compare 3 Portable AC units which has capability to cool down a big room up to 500 sq. ft. and below $500. These features make them an ideal choice for a situation in which other air conditioning systems don’t work well. Usually the bigger BTU means more good reviews and ratings the unit has. Although there are a few complaints about them, such as, the noises when it goes on high fan speed mode, or other minor issues, the whole reviews still show a good sign.

Koldfront PAC 1401W Ultracool

Koldfront pac1401w

Living Direct, Inc manufactures this 14000 BTU unit with a goal to provide well-designed product. Koldfront comes with a commitment to provide good quality as well as providing the best support for after sales service. The company provides 90 days labor and a year spare part warranty as a sign of its commitment.

Feature:

Auto Drain System. The unit is made to auto exhaust all condensate. You don’t need to drain the water except for high humidity environment

Energy Saving Setting. You can program the unit to auto on/off based on your need. You can set it to auto on, shortly before the room is occupied and auto off at the night when the temperature is normally low.

Easy Install Window Kit. Every Portable Air Conditioner needs to vent the hot air out of the room, but only a few have a “uncap & connect” feature like this Koldfront PAC1401W.

Eco-Friendly. This unit using eco-save refrigerant that do not damage the ozone layer when it is accidentally released. If you are allergy sensitive customer, you don’t need to be panic, because the other materials used are also made from non-dangerous chemical.

Auto Restart. When the electricity is accidentally shut down, this device will auto restart with the last setting you have programmed.

Koldfront PAC1401W is sold in the manufacturer’s site at $679 (not include shipping). You can make a huge saving around 30% (include shipping) by buying from trusted retailer like Amazon. Check Amazon price here

Customers have a few complain about the way the exhaust hose connect to the window, you may need to cover the gaps with duct tape if the window kit doesn’t fit the window well. On the other hand, this device got remarkable star ratings for both price and customer satisfaction.

Whynter 14000 BTU Dual Hose Portable AC

whynter 14000btu dual hose

Despite the cheap price, this Whynter dual hose portable air conditioner has included heater function that make this unit not only dual hose but also dual function. By having dual hose that separating intake and exhaust hose, you can get more electric efficiency and also increasing performance. That’s mean faster cooling with significant saving on your electricity bill. (Check Amazon price for this unit here)

This 14000 BTU dual hose unit will handle the cooling of your big room easily. However, outside temperature will affect how big the supported room size for heating is. The unit will work best for supplemental heater, better than a sole heating source. Whynter also give one-year parts and 3 years compressor warranty for each unit sold.

Features:

• ECO-FRIENDLY CFC free GREEN R-410A refrigerant
• Patented auto drain function fully exhausts all condensate automatically in most environments
• Works in three modes: Air conditioner, dehumidifier or fan
• Digital display along with remote control
• Washable pre-filter and Carbon air filter
• LCDI (Leakage-Current Detection and Interruption) plug
• Thermostatic controls in cooling and heating
• Programmable timer

The dual hose design may contribute to make this unit quieter than others. It also equipped with extendable exhaust hose that can reach up to 4 ft and window kit.

The unit is heavy (80 pounds) but you don’t need to worry because it has castor wheels that works well for carpet and hard floor. One thing that people like is its thermostat control for heating and cooling (Heating 61-99 deg, Cooling 61-89 deg), you can simply set and forget the temp you want and the unit will do its task automatically. The other plus point is the leak detection feature, it helps prevent overflow in excessive humidity and the humidifier function is capable to handle 13 gallons a day.

Just as I said before, this unit is quieter than the other portable air conditioners. In addition, even the manufacturer claim that the unit will run at < 56 dB. It is quite low for portable AC. However, the noise can rise up because of vibration if you put the unit on a hard surface

Honeywell MN12CES 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

honeywell mn12ces

This single hose portable AC has a sleek design and work at lower BTU than the others reviewed here. Nevertheless, the unit can still cool down the temp of big room (up to 500 sq. ft.)

Honeywell brand is already well known and they back up their product with 1-year labor and part warranty. (Especially for sealed component, they will give 5 years warranty). Like Whynter unit I reviewed above, this unit also come with a quiet machine (<55 dB). Auto evaporation system will eliminate build up condensation, and in the end will help to prevent moisture and mildew growth. MN12CES is also equipped with remote control, 3 fan speeds and dehumidifier function (70pints/24hr)

The unit will cost you around $500 and available at big retailers like Best Buy or Amazon. You can purchase the unit online or even buy it at the local retailer.

Overall, the reviews of this product are quite good. Only a few complain about the way to run the exhaust hose (Probably because they don’t know how a portable ac works)

Check Amazon live price here

Included Features:

• Glow in the dark touch screen display control
• Electrostatic filter for small particle and reducing allergen
• 3 operational modes: cooling, dehumidifier, and fan
• 24 hour programmable timer
• LED Digital display
• In store warranty when you buy it from retailer
• Remote Control

I hope this 3 top rated portable air conditioner for a big room can solve your heating issue.