A window air conditioning unit is, in many ways, a terrible technology. It blasts cool air from only one location, as opposed to the many vents of central air. These heavy hunks of metal hang precariously over sidewalks—something I think about whenever I walk the streets of New York, look up at the many window ACs, and ponder the fact that they were installed by amateurs. But when summer comes and your apartment has no central air, the alternative is suffering (or a bunch of big, dust-collecting fans).Many of the same companies that produce window ACs also make portable air conditioning units that don't have to sit in the window. I was only vaguely aware of these machines until this weekend, when the heat wave that pushed temperatures to 90 degrees F in May forced us to consider cooling options for our suddenly roasting bedroom. We wound up with a 8,000 BTU Frigidaire portable unit. Is this kind of air conditioner right for you?Our main driver in choosing this AC wasn't portability.

It was another of the problems with window units: They take over your window and, depending on your style of window, you can't open it until you take out the AC in the autumn. That just wasn't an option for our one-window room, so we decided to seek alternatives.The Frigidaire portable looks like a mini-fridge on wheels with a vent in the front. The controls are like those of a typical window unit: You can set the temperature and switch between fan and cool modes. This unit also comes with a dehumidifying setting. On the back there's a filter where air gets sucked in, and a port where you have to hook up the exhaust hose: a big, thick dryer hose-like tube that has to run to the window.Our AC also came with a piece of plastic that fits into your window. It's about 7 inches tall and slides to adjust to the window's width. There's a hole where the exhaust hose locks in. Once that's in place and you close the window on top of the plastic piece, you can turn on the machine; it starts blowing cool air out the front and blowing the hot exhaust though the hose, out the hole, and to the outside world.

This is where we get to the problem with portable ACs: "portable" is relative. The machine creates heat that has to go somewhere. That's why your window AC unit is in the window in the first place—the exhaust comes off the back and goes out into the atmosphere rather than filling your house. how long do central air conditioner units lastA portable AC is portable in the sense that it can roll around, allowing you to change the point where cool air is blowing. how long will a central ac unit lastBut it's also tethered to the window (or another opening like a screen door). ac dc power supply meansIt can only go as far as the exhaust hose stretches, which in the case of ours is about 5 feet.For us, that works. We were looking for a solution that wouldn't sacrifice an entire window all summer long, and now we can still open the window whenever we want even with the plastic piece in there.

I don't know if I'd call it "portable," though. Yes, the unit can roll away from the window as far as the exhaust hose extends, but that's a bit of pain, as the bulky hose is hard to adjust. (It's also not necessary, because the 8,000-BTU Frigidaire has plenty of oomph for one room.) If I wanted to move it to another room, it'd have to sit near the window there, and I'd have to readjust the plastic piece to fit a different window. But I wouldn't do it twice a day to move the AC between the living room and the bedroom.These things are a bit pricey, too. During our hunt for the portable AC, Target was selling (and quickly selling out of) a bare-bones 5,000-BTU window unit for $110. We got the 8,000-BTU Frigidaire on sale for $260 at Best Buy; it typically costs $300. Most portables you see will be that expensive or higher, if only because companies typically don't make them smaller than ours.[Note: Commenters have asked about a couple of other issues with portable ACs. Subjectively, our portable certainly feels like it's using more energy to pump more air.

For objective numbers, compare Frigidaire's portable AC to the company's window unit with the same capability—8,000 BTUs to cool 350 square feet. The window unit uses 6.2 amps and 708 watts in cool mode. The portable, 8 amps and 895 watts. The other issue is water that collects inside the machine during the dehumidifying mode. You've eventually got to hook up a hose to run that water out.]If you find yourself in a situation like ours, where you need to cool a room but a window AC won't do, then a portable is definitely an option. You'll probably pay more for it, but it's nice to keep your window. The promise displayed in pictures of these machines is a false one, suggesting a gadget that can roll around to bring the chill anywhere in the house. The smaller photo on the back of our Frigidaire box (seen above) is more realistic, showing the AC sitting in the corner, the big hose snaking up to a window. If that sounds better to you than hanging a big metal box out your window, then a portable AC might be right for you.

Just know what you're getting into before it arrives. 10 Best Portable Air Conditioners For 2016 If you're looking for the best portable air conditioner units, we've looked through some of the top portable air conditioner reviews to figure out what will work best for your needs. A portable A/C can make all the difference in your spring or summer experience, giving you a useful and mobile device to help keep you cool and hydrated. Let's take a look at some of the top portable air conditioner ratings to figure out the best portable air conditioner for you and your family's needs. Be the first to know - Join our Facebook page. The Shinco portable air conditioner is a 12000 BTU unit in a sleek, modern case that provides powerful and cost-effective cooling for a very reasonable price. The unit can keep a room of up to 400 square feet cool and comfortable even in the hot summer months, letting you relax and enjoy a refreshing room any time of the year. Additionally, the Shinco comes with a programmable 24 hour cycle, which you can use to automatically turn off the machine while you're asleep or at work - all of which helps you save electricity and lower the costs of running the machine.

Reviewers praise its effectiveness, noting only one or two small issues with some sticking fans that are easily fixed. One user talked about the unit cooling down their bedroom and master bathroom by about 10 degrees over the course of an hour, eventually creating a cool 67 degrees when the weather outside was 90+. It may look like a sleek gray robot from the future, but the DeLonghi PAC W130E pumps out 13000 BTUs of cooling power - enough for very large rooms and very hot temperatures. With its useful side handles, intuitive display, and excellent programmable cycle, the DeLonghi PAC W130E packs an enormous amount of power into its frame, letting the user experience the comfort of a modern luxury home without having to invest in household air conditioning. Though it's pricier than the Shinco, that extra cost goes into an extra burst of power and cooling capability for your home, which will be worth the difference. The DeLonghi PACAN140HPEWC - better known by its last two initials, WC, which stand for "Whisper Cool" - is like a sibling of the previous DeLonghi unit, able to work with up to 14,000 BTUs of cooling power to cover about 500 square feet of space.

Its Whisper Cool name comes from its special Whisper Cool design, which creates less noise than other similar portable air conditioners - a fact that many reviews mention as a particularly useful feature. Powerful and quiet, this DeLonghi is an excellent place to start looking for your own portable air conditioner. This Honeywell is an excellent choice as a budget-priced portable air conditioner. With its compact design, clear display, and 10,000 BTUs of power, the Honeywell is a more affordable cousin of the previous portable A/Cs. Though the features it offers number slightly less and the space it cools is slightly less, the reviewers tout the Honeywell as being an excellent value and worthwhile purchase. The older sibling of the previous Honeywell, the Honeywell MN12CES pumps out more power (12,000 BTUs) and can cool a larger area than the last one. It's also slightly more expensive and comes in a sleek black finish instead of the white. It's an excellent step up from the last Honeywell while still being in the budget range of portable air conditioner units.

The Whynter bills itself as a more eco-friendly portable air conditioner, offering 14,000 BTUs of cooling power while taking in less electricity than other models tend to. At right around the same price as the last Honeywell, it's a worthwhile competitor and peer to the budget model, creating a similar amount of cooling effect while advertising itself as more environmentally friendly. Frigidaire is well known for its cooling systems, so it should come as no surprise that its miniature 5,000 BTU portable air conditioner is a powerful and effective little machine. While covering a smaller area and providing less cooling power than the other machines listed, it's a more environmentally friendly solution and may be perfect for you if you don't have large spaces to cool. Imagine the previous Frigidaire, with its 5,000 BTUs of power and low price, as a window-mounted unit with an even lower price and the same amount of power - then you've got the Frigidaire FFRA0511R1! This unit is a highly efficient and budget-friendly alternative to previous models, all while taking up less floor space than the others.

The Koldfront is another economically-minded portable air conditioning unit with a low entry price and a very solid 8,000 BTUs of power. It also offers the benefit of being on wheels, making the device much easier to move than some of the other units listed here - and the more portable a portable A/C is, the better! Another small portable air conditioning unit on wheels, this Shinco offers 10,000 BTUs of cooling power and easily portability for a relatively low price. Buyers rate their experience with this portable A/C very highly, citing its ease of assembly, portability, and efficiency as some of its top features. Which is the best portable air conditioner for you? It depends on your budget, room size, and portability needs - focus on how much space you have to cool (the more space, the more BTUs you'll need!) as well as how portable you need the machine to be - consider the benefits of wheels! Do your research and plan your pricing and you'll be very happy with the portable air conditioner you pick out.