Best Deals on Air Conditioners and More Air Care and Cooling Products

The controls of the GE Profile AHTT06BC aren’t as intuitive as those of competitors, but there’s no disputing that the model is very easy on the ears. On the highest setting, it’s the quietest unit in our ratings. In fact, it’s the only model to earn our top rating for noise on both high and low settings. It’s also the only model that runs quietly but doesn’t have an inverter compressor, which allows the unit to turn itself down rather than off once the room temperature is achieved.

The 12,000-Btu Midea MAW12HV1CWT delivers strong all-around performance, with fast, accurate cooling and a heat mode for year-round comfort. In our tests, it reached the set temperature quickly and maintained it without much fluctuation, earning top marks for comfort.

It’s fairly quiet on the low setting, though things get noticeably louder on high. Even so, the model handled our brownout test without issue, continuing to operate smoothly under heat and voltage stress. The controls are simple and well laid out, making it easy to get up and running right out of the box.

This Frigidaire window AC, rated for midsized rooms of 100 to 250 square feet, could be a good option at this price. When it comes to noise levels at low power, it scored very well. It also gets high marks for ease of use and the ability to handle a brownout. And the predicted reliability for Frigidaire ACs is as good as it gets.

The Keystone KSTAW08INV-HC delivers solid cooling performance with a quiet, consistent operation that makes it a worthy contender for cooling medium-sized rooms. It cooled our test room steadily and came close to hitting the set temperature without much fluctuation. Noise levels are moderate on both low and high settings, staying quiet enough for most spaces, including a bedroom.

The unit also passed our brownout test with flying colors, continuing to operate and restart without issue under heat and voltage stress. The controls are straightforward and easy to navigate, contributing to an overall user-friendly experience.

The Midea MAP12S1TBL does as well as any portable unit can at cooling a room (none that we tested did as well as window units). It’s $100 less than it was last summer, too. But it excels at bouncing back from a brownout and is very quiet when running on low. As you might expect, it’s noisier at high speed. This model has electronic controls, a remote control, and a dirty-filter indicator. It weighs 74 pounds. We don’t have enough member survey data yet to rate Midea portable air conditioners for reliability or owner satisfaction.

Like the other top-performing portable air conditioners in our tests, the Whynter ARC-1230WN gets a moderate score for cooling. It holds its own in a brownout and is quiet enough on low to use in an office or bedroom, but it’s a little noisier on high. It has electronic controls, comes with a remote control, and is equipped with a dirty-filter indicator. The unit weighs 75 pounds. Whynter’s portable air conditioners earn a very good score for predicted reliability and a passable owner satisfaction score in our latest member surveys.

The Dreo Air Circulator PolyFan 311 is a sleek-looking fan that has the most features of all the room fans we evaluated, and its unique design makes it even more of a standout. It had the largest speed range, covering the lowest and highest speeds of the group. It also had the largest number of settings—eight in total—including four oscillating modes, among others. Its wind speed ranges from 2.1 to 6.4 meters per second, so you can feel good about its ability to cool down a larger space. Even better: It achieved this while placing second on our list of best energy-conserving fans.

The Amazon Basics fan is about the same cost as the Lasko model. It’s fairly similar in performance and price, but it comes with a remote. It has a slightly better wind speed range than the Lasko, but it is a bit louder. So it really comes down to which features are more important to you.

This window film blocks sunlight and offers privacy. It’s on the thicker side, which made installation easier than some of the other window films we evaluated. However, instructions were minimal and the tester did struggle to remove all the air bubbles. The tester noted that it was the darkest film we tested and was opaque enough that it would be ideal for first-floor windows if you want to prevent passers-by from looking into your home. Plus, it left no residue when removed.

Coavas claims that its film blocks 90 percent of UV rays and 85 percent of infrared rays. and has visible light transmission is 12 percent, the lowest of all the products CR tested.

There are many sizes available, each at different price points.

This portable HoMedics humidifier has solid overall performance and is intended to humidify areas up to 25 square feet. It earns top marks in our noise and efficiency tests but performs poorly when filled with hard water. Despite a few drawbacks—a 60-inch power cord and only two settings—it’s still a solid choice, especially in this price range.

The Frida 3-in-1 with Diffuser and Nightlight cool-mist humidifier is quiet, efficient, and works well even when filled with hard water. It’s also fairly convenient; for instance, it shuts off automatically when empty and glows in the dark. You can also add essential oils for the unit to diffuse. However, we found it didn’t live up to the manufacturer’s claim that it could humidify areas up to 320 square feet—say, a room of about 18x18 feet. So, it’s better off being used in a smaller area.

The low-priced, ultrasonic Levoit Classic 300S can humidify a room of up to 505 square feet, which earns it a solid rating in our output test. It aces other evaluations too. It has a variety of features including automatic shut-off, a digital humidity display more accurate than those of most competitors, and the option to diffuse aromas. It’s been as low as $64, but this is the best discount we’ve seen in a few months.

The Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max Air Purifier features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. On its higher setting, it’s terrific at removing dust, pollen, and smoke, but expect a bit of noise. It’s easy to use, and is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet. CR members find Blueair air purifiers to be highly reliable, and they’re very satisfied with their purchases.

If you don’t mind some noise, this portable air purifier from GermGuardian may be a solid option. CR testers found that it’s really good at removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles from the air when running at high speed. But the unit is pricey to maintain because the replacement filters are relatively expensive. The model features a convenient carrying handle, easy-to-use controls, and a programmable timer.

The Panergy bladeless neck fan is the same delightful shade of pink as its handheld fan (it also comes in white and black). Our tester found that it performs its basic function just fine, with the added perk of being super flexible: Its pliable silicone back allows it to be nearly as wide or as narrow as desired.

This neck fan may be a great tool to keep in your arsenal for hot days. For the price, you don’t get any bells and whistles like cooling or mist that you can find in pricier models like the Torras above. It simply blows air at three speeds. It’s also not adjustable, so you can’t aim the airflow, but the vents wrap all the way around the fan to cool your face and neck.

For just a few dollars more than its best price, the Arctic Air neck fan has the best airflow angle of every model our evaluator tried (and it’s not even adjustable). It’s also on the louder side, so it may only be a good choice if you don’t mind a little extra noise near your ears.