When the weather gets warm, you want an air conditioner that can take the heat. The good news, according to a survey of thousands of Consumer Reports members, is that window air conditioners tend to be very reliable. But some brands score higher than others in that regard. Here’s what you need to know before you choose your next air conditioner.
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Our surveys were conducted in the summer of 2020 and 2022 and are based on replies from members who purchased 6,209 new room air conditioners between 2012 and 2022.
To calculate predicted reliability, we ask members about the products they own, then use that data to make projections about how new models from a given brand will hold up over time. We also ask members how likely they are to recommend their air conditioner to friends and family, and we use that information to rate brands for owner satisfaction.
CR members can read on for details on the most and least reliable air conditioner brands, along with a list of models that earn top marks in our survey and lab tests. Because of turnover in the marketplace, not every brand we’ve tested appears in our survey.
In this article
- Best Predicted Reliability
- Highest Owner Satisfaction
- Which Qualities Satisfied Consumers
- How CR's Readers Shop for a New AC
- Best Window ACs Best Portable ACs
Best Predicted Reliability
Seven of 10 window AC brands and four of eight portable AC brands earn a very good or excellent rating for predicted reliability in our survey. Here’s how specific brands stack up.
- Danby, Frigidaire, Haier, and LG were given top marks for reliability.
- GE, Midea, and Whirlpool were rated as very good, while Amana, Arctic King, and Friedrich earned a good score.
- Among portable AC brands, Frigidaire and Honeywell ranked best for predicted reliability, while Danby, DeLonghi, Hisense, and LG earned an average score for reliability.
How do you narrow your choices when so many brands get favorable reliability ratings?
“With such a universe of good options, consumers should take a closer look at our owner satisfaction ratings,” says Adam Troy, a research program leader for Consumer Reports.
Highest Owner Satisfaction
Among members who bought window ACs, there was a wide range of satisfaction scores, with some brands getting a poor rating while others were excellent.
Midea notched an excellent satisfaction score while LG and Fredrich were very good. Three window units got a poor owner satisfaction mark, including two—Danby and Haier—which earned top marks for reliability. The third brand at the bottom of the satisfaction ratings was Arctic King, which got a so-so reliability score.
Of the 10 window AC brands covered in the survey, none got an excellent score on both reliability and owner satisfaction.
The satisfaction scores for the portable units were more consistent across brands. Seven of the eight earned an average rating of good, while the Danby was ranked one notch below that. But again, none of the portables earned top scores for reliability and satisfaction.
Which Qualities Satisfied Consumers
We analyzed our survey data to find out which air conditioner attributes matter in terms of overall owner satisfaction. These are the four most important:
- The reliability of an air conditioner (meaning a low instance of problems)
- How quickly the unit cools a room
- Energy efficiency
- How easy the unit is to use
Of these, reliability is by far the best predictor of owner satisfaction. Those four attributes are also weighted very heavily in our testing.
Our survey team also noted the AC brands that scored meaningfully better or worse on the performance attributes rated highly by our members. Compared with most other room air conditioners, Midea gets a thumbs-up for running quietly while Friedrich gets a thumbs-down for excessive noise and the difficulty of controlling the direction of the air.
How CR's Readers Shop for a New AC
Among members with room air conditioners, 72 percent own window units. And many say they’re likely to replace it with another window unit when it’s time for a new one. One in 5 members plan to upgrade to central air conditioning or a split-ductless heat pump system. (You can read about both types in our central air conditioner buying guide.)
Almost three-fifths (60 percent) of all room air conditioner purchases made by CR members took place at Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. Costco has healthy sales of portable air conditioners, accounting for 12 percent of all purchases, but the warehouse club giant accounted for relatively few window unit sales, at only 5 percent.
According to our survey, members paid a median price of $280 for window units and a median price of $407 for portables.
Buying an AC? Below are the top window ACs in the sizes we test—small, medium, and large—and the top-scoring portable ACs. Keep in mind that as a group, portable ACs perform worse in our tests than window units. But not every home can accommodate a window unit and some buildings prohibit them. If a portable AC is your only option, choose one from a highly reliable brand.
Best Window Air Conditioners
Best Portable Air Conditioners
Allen St. John
Allen St. John has been a senior product editor at CR since 2016, focusing on digital privacy, audio devices, printers, and home products. He was a senior editor at Condé Nast and a contributing editor at publications including Road & Track and The Village Voice. A New York Times bestselling author, he's also written for The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone. He lives in Montclair, N.J., with his wife, their two children, and their dog, Rugby.
