Best Portable Air Conditioners Under $300

This 8,000 BTU portable air conditioner is excellent for small-to-medium-sized homes with limited areas for window units.

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PROS

This air conditioner can cool enclosed areas of up to 350 square feet and offers three additional functions: dehumidifier, fan and heater.
It has a top-mounted control panel with an LED screen and a remote control.
It features a slide-out washable filter and a 24-hour timer.
Includes an installation kit that is easy to use.

CONS

It's a loud unit, and when the compressor is on, it occasionally makes a high-pitched noise.

BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK

Midea

8,500 BTU ASHRAE Portable Air Conditioner

Great Value

This affordable portable AC provides fast, efficient cooling and smart features that make operation extremely user-friendly.

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PROS

It can cool spaces up to 150 square feet.
It has fan and dehumidifier settings.
It has a user-friendly LED display and remote control that make it easy to set the time, temperature, and mode.
It is WiFi-enabled, so you can adjust the settings via its connected app or voice commands through Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

CONS

It can be pretty loud when on the highest setting.

SereneLife

SLPAC805W.5 Portable Air Conditioner

Portable Power

This small AC unit easily mounts on your window and works with smart devices, and includes a remote.

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PROS

Cools rooms up to 300 square feet.
It's an AC, a dehumidifier, and a fan in one portable device.
You can control it in three different ways.
A built-in timer keeps it running for pets and a cool home to arrive to.
Comes in BTU ranges from 8,000 for smaller rooms up to 14,000 for larger homes.
Includes wheels to roll it around to whatever area you need cooled.

CONS

The 8,000 BTU option might be on the smaller side for some.

Coolblus

8,500 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

Easy Installation

This 3-in-1 portable air conditioner can help keep your home comfortable year-round with its energy-efficient compressor.

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PROS

It has cooling, fan and dehumidifying modes.
It can cool spaces up to 360 square feet.
In its dehumidifier mode, it can remove up to 95 pints of moisture daily.
It comes with a window sealing kit and exhaust hose, making installation quick and easy.
It has a built-in water evaporation system, so you don't have to empty or drain it.

CONS

The LED display is very bright, and it is relatively loud, so light sleepers may not like it in the bedroom.

EUHOMY

3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner

Best for Bedrooms

This air conditioner can efficiently cool to 61 degrees and makes little noise, so it's ideal for keeping you comfortable while asleep.

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PROS

It can cool areas between 300 and 350 square feet.
It also has a fan and dehumidifier functions.
Its sleep mode dims the display's brightness and reduces the noise level to 52 to 54 decibels to ensure a good night's sleep.
It comes with a remote control that has a range of 23 feet.
Its 360-degree gliding wheels and recessed handles make it easy to move.

CONS

Its exhaust hose is fairly short, so it can limit your placement options.

Alvina Wang/BestReviews

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews

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First Reviewed

September 16, 2021

Models
considered

Hours
researched

Written by Ade Hennis

Updated April 2026

Ready to buy now? Shop the best:

Best of the Best: BLACK+DECKER 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
Best Bang for the Buck: Midea 8,500 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
Portable Power: SereneLife SLPAC805W.5 Air Conditioner
Easy Installation: Coolblus 8,500 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
Best for Bedrooms: EUHOMY 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

When summer arrives and the temperature is hot, almost everyone turns to ACs to help get them through the heat. But not everyone can afford central air and window AC units aren’t great if you want to move about in different rooms in your home. A portable air conditioner might be the best option in this case. They usually come on wheels and only need a window to vent out of to function (and some don’t even need that). Most air conditioners are rated by BTUs (British thermal units) and the higher the BTUs the more powerful the AC. Most portable ACs are somewhere between 3000 and 8000 BTUs. For the average room, 6000 BTUs is great.

Best Portable Air Conditioners Under $300

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons

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