You also get a lot of extras with the Pro Breeze 9000 BTU 4-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner considering its price tag, including a remote control, timer, 'night' settings, and WiFi connectivity. Although some reviewers mention its Smart features leave a little to be desired. It has some downsides, but only in keeping with most portable air con units, in that it's heavy which makes it not quite as portable in reality as its name may suggest.However, the build quality is good, it has easy-to-use controls, and its design is unobtrusive – although we think the AEG Comfort just pips it to the post in the style stakes by offering a sleeker design. If you're spending this much on an appliance – and one that's going to take up a good deal of storage space in the home – then you might want it to do more than just cool. In our tests, similar to the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner and AEG Comfort, it managed to cool a 4.5m2 room by 2°C in 10 minutes, and despite the manufacturer stating its noise level is 65dB, our reviewer found it much quieter than the Meaco model, comparing it to the AEG Comfort on this front.

In an ideal world, all of our homes would be better insulated and able to remain cool in the summer without the additional energy use or expense of an air conditioner.However, for many of us this isn't the reality, and if you struggle to keep your home at a bearable temperature during the summer months, then a portable air con unit could help. A portable air con unit uses both a fan and a compressor to cool the air, and that's a noisy process, meaning you're likely to have to turn the TV up quite a few notches if you have one running in a living space. And, if you're a light sleeper, then you may struggle to sleep whilst the air con unit is running. A powerful portable air conditioner that looks good, is easy to use, is relatively quiet in comparison to most, has WiFi connectivity, and – most importantly – can cool down a room fast, as long as you don't mind its slightly higher running costs. It also offers some good functionality, including air con, heater, and dehumidify functions that enable year-round use, plus a timer, 'night' mode, remote control, and WiFi connectivity.

Overall, if you're looking to invest in a powerful air conditioner that can bring an icy to chill to a room in under 20 minutes, or your willing to pay a little more for white noise over the thundering din of most air con units, the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is a great buy. A stylish mobile air conditioner that offers 3-in-1 functionality, WiFi connectivity, and comes with remote control and window kit included, the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner promises a lot. And so it should with a price tag that's double the most affordable air conditioners in our round-up. While some of the water is recirculated through the system, some will inevitably leave the cooler in the air blown out by the fan. Because of this – and the fact that the water in the absorbent pad or membrane can grow stale – you need to keep the air cooler filled and change the water in the tank daily. You should also wash the pad or membrane occasionally or you might get some pretty nasty smells. Is there anything worth looking out for?

The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 can do just that, offering 4-in-1 use thanks to air con, fan, dehumidifier, and heater functionality. Depending on your needs that could mean it offers better value for money, as it will be useful all year round, keeping your space cool in the summer as well as warm in the winter. With some air coolers, there’s a risk of adding to the room’s humidity, which can be a problem if it already suffers from excess humidity. Plus, where water tanks are open inside the cooler, there’s also a risk of spillage – which can be a worry if you’re using a desktop model plugged into your laptop or PC. Similarly, investing in a unit with a timer function gives you the ability to programme the unit to turn off a few hours after you've got into bed, or to turn on during the hottest part of the day to keep the house cool for pets, or reduce the temperature before you get home from work. A unit with Smart functionality can also offer the means to control the unit when you're away from home. Window kit

Frequently Asked Questions

Relatively affordable, lightweight and compact, energy efficient and easy to use, there's a lot to love about the MeacoCool MS Series portable air conditioners. Which is why we think they're the best portable air conditioner to invest in if you're looking for an affordable all-rounder. We also like the fact that you can clean the filter under the tap or in the dishwasher, and that the illuminated side panels can be set to glow with a choice of seven colours if you fancy a little mood lighting. While it could be easier to remove the filter and get the water tanks in and out of place, for sheer value and convenience, this cut-price compact cooler is a winner.

As far as features go, the Honeywell keeps things simple. One dial switches between off and the three fan settings, while the other selects cooling, oscillation or cooling and oscillation. What matters more is that it dishes out a consistently good, cooling airflow, with the louvres shifting side to side to spread it over a wider area. You’ll still need to clean the honeycomb cooling membrane regularly to avoid unpleasant smells, but if you’re keener on keeping cool than faffing around with modes and features, this is the air cooler to buy. However, when temperatures inside the home really soar, even the best fan may not be able to cut it, and instead a portable air con unit will offer far superior cooling powers. As an electrical appliance, portable air conditioners will cost money to run, with larger and more powerful units (that means a higher BTU) generally using more energy than smaller units. It's generally recommended to close doors and windows in the room that you're trying to keep cool, so if you only want to keep a small bedroom cool then you can opt for a cheaper lower BTU unit, however an open plan space will require a much more powerful appliance with a larger BTU. Portability This has the effect of dramatically reducing the temperature in the room. In our tests, we found the best portable air conditioners, used in a well-sealed room, could reduce the temperature by up to 10 degrees in under an hour.Like most portable air con units of this power, it isn't light, weighing in at 27kgs, and its most common negative gripe from users is – as with most air con units – its noise. On its lowest, night-time setting the manufacturer advises it produces 53dB of noise. Interestingly, figures aren't given for decibel levels on the highest fan speeds, suggesting they climb quite a lot higher as you scroll upwards through its two additional speed settings. As such, we've rounded up the key features to look out for when sourcing the best portable air conditioner for your home. BTU (British Thermal Units)