Best window air conditioners of 2026: Midea, Zafro, GE

Other models we tested

Photography: Martin Cizmar

TCL Q-Series Air Conditioner (10,000 BTU) $369: Chinese electronics company TCL has been making air conditioners for only five years, but it approaches the category the same way it approaches TVs: by quickly conquering the turf at excellent value. I tested the 10,000 BTU version of the Q Series window air conditioner in a 120-square-foot upstairs bedroom that gets very little flow from my home’s central air conditioner. It took three hours for the temperature to drop 10 degrees from a sweltering 78 degrees, but since it was running at a fairly quiet 60 decibels, I didn’t mind that. Installation was easy thanks to the included frame. The TCL has Matter connectivity, but I couldn’t connect it to my Apple Home app, which is apparently a common problem. There is a remote that has all the controls from the unit itself. The thermostat is accurate to within one degree, and the unit reliably turns itself on and off to keep the room temperature at the correct level. The CEER rating is an impressive 15.0, which is on par with WIRED Midea’s top pick, and the TCL costs $100 less at the same power output. But even though it’s quiet compared to many other models, this TCL device is still louder than the Midea and doesn’t offer the superior isolation of the U-shaped device. Easy installation may be a selling point for the U-shaped model. —Martin Cizmar

Drio 740S Portable Air Conditioner (10,000 BTU) $700: Look, I love the new generation of portable air conditioners but not because they are portable. The truth is, wheels aside, they are very large and heavy, and the thick hoses make them bulky in the room. But they are easy to install without lifting them into the window frame, which is a real boon for single residents. Because the only thing that needs to be installed in a window is a hose holder, these air conditioners can be used on almost any window shape – a particular boon for those who live in older buildings. The Dreo has all these benefits, plus a respectable 12 CEER rating, thanks to dual hoses and a smart inverter. (In general, avoid portable units that don’t have dual hoses, as this can cause a pressure-drop effect that reduces efficiency.) I’ve been using this portable device in the hard-to-reach window of my 150-square-foot office, and its effects are basically immediate. Evaporative cooling technology also means I don’t have to drain the water. But our top pick, the Zafro, offers a lower price and a slightly better CEER efficiency rating at a similar operating noise level of about 60 to 65 dB at high fan speeds. However, this is an excellent portable air conditioning unit. If you see a deal, snap it up.

GE AWAS05BBA Window Air Conditioner Unit (5,000 BTU) for $231: This 5,000 BTU unit is less powerful than our favorite window air conditioner from GE. There’s no app, no remote, and the airflow options are limited: You can’t direct the air up and down, only left and right. But it’s the cheapest model we recommend, relatively easy to install, and much quieter than you’d expect for the price. It will cool a small 150 square foot area quickly and mostly without friction. But we didn’t test it as long as it was our top budget pick.

LG Window Air Conditioner Unit (12,000 BTU) $379: The LG 12,000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner provides efficient large room cooling at a surprisingly low price. Weighs 90 pounds and requires professional installation using a stand. Its 60dB operation puts it right in the middle of the pack on noise. However, WIRED reviewer Lisa Wood-Shapiro found that it blends into the room well with its white-on-white design, and that the filter replacement indicator light is useful. The app was slow and difficult to use during Wood Shapiro’s testing, but there is a remote control.

Friedrich Kohl Air Conditioner $1,228: This unit from Friedrich is among the most expensive units we’ve tested, and one of the heaviest—partly due to the metal chassis designed to provide easy maintenance access and prevent break-ins on the first floor. This model allows the addition of a dedicated Friedrich FreshAire MERV 13 filter to clean the air as it cools. The screen is easy to read, and the device comes with a remote control. An app lets you schedule use of the unit throughout the week, but note that connectivity with the smartphone app was a bit poor, and it only paired with 2.4GHz signals.

EcoFlow Wave 2 for $1,299 (but usually on sale for much less): Wood Shapiro tested the newer model, but earlier models of EcoFlow are often available at deep discounts. After happily testing the EcoFlow Wave 1 for more than a year in his wife’s office, WIRED senior editor Julian Choccato preferred the EcoFlow Wave 2 (8/10, WIRED recommends) because it’s lighter and more cost-effective, with a top rating of 5,100 BTUs (up from 4,000). The 6100 BTU heating mode means you can continue to use it in the winter to keep warm. The company says it’s best for rooms up to 107 square feet. You need to place it near a window to connect one of the included ducts to the vent to take the hot exhaust from the back of the unit out of the room. What makes this unit so versatile is the alternative power sources. You can use a standard AC outlet, but you can also purchase an extra battery to keep it running when you don’t have access to electricity, or connect it to solar panels.

Zero Breeze Mark II for $999: With 2,300 BTUs, the Zero Breeze (7/10, WIRED Review) won’t have the same cooling power as the EcoFlow Wave, but it’s much lighter at 17 pounds. This package includes a battery that keeps the entire device weighing about 30 pounds, but you’ll get four hours of use without having to be near a wall outlet. Like the EcoFlow, you get a few vent tubes to direct the exhaust away and direct cool air to a specific area, but unlike the EcoFlow, you can’t charge the battery and use the air conditioning at the same time.

Zero Breeze Mark III for $1,399: As WIRED reviewer Chris Noll notes, the Mark III (7/10, WIRED review) is larger than the Mark II and a bit heavier, now at 22 pounds. Add to that the 1,022-watt-hour battery pack, and you’ll gain another 14 pounds, though that frees you from having to be near a power outlet. New for the Mark III is the fact that the batteries can now be stacked and charged in series, linking each to the next (although at over $600 per battery, this can quickly get expensive). Each Mark III battery also has additional outputs that can be used for other devices — a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and a 12V DC socket. However, the Mark II battery had all of the above plus a second USB-A port. No word on why this was removed. However, the new version is a larger, more powerful unit by most standards and a worthwhile purchase for outdoor enthusiasts

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