Shopping for an air conditioner for small spaces, like a home office, gaming room, or even a dorm room, presents unique challenges. The best air conditioners for small rooms balance cooling speed with efficiency: they bring a space down to your target temperature quickly, then maintain it without consuming more energy than necessary. Getting that balance right comes down to picking a unit that's sized for your space, since an oversized A/C cools too fast to properly remove humidity, which can make a room feel clammy, even at your desired temperature.
You'll also need to consider operating noise and size. A small room puts you in closer contact with your A/C, so you'll want a unit that cools quietly and produces no overly distracting noises. Smaller rooms also leave you with less floor space for portable units, and buying a large window unit can really blot out the sun if you have smaller windows.
We've bought and tested 20 air conditioners, and below are our recommendations for the best window and best portable air conditioners for small rooms. We base our recommendations on our lab testing for performance, noise, and efficiency, along with each product's feature set and design. If you're shopping for alternatives, see our recommendations for the best bedroom air conditioners, the best window air conditioners, and the best air conditioners.
Behind all of our air conditioner recommendations are our product reviews. We buy our own air conditioners directly from major retailers and have our team rigorously test them in our lab. The result? Robust data on features you care about, like cooling capacity and inside noise, which you can then compare across the 20 models we've tested.
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Best Air Conditioner For Small Rooms
TypeWindow A/CCompressor TechnologyInverterBedroom/Small Room8.6Oversizing Tolerance9.1Combined Efficiency8.4Advertised Capacity (DOE)8,000 BTU/hrTested Capacity7,516 BTU/hr (2,204 W)Advertised Coverage350 ft² (33 m²)Compressor On @ Max Setting52.8dBASee all our test resultsCompressor On @ Min. Setting43.9dBAThe Friedrich Chill Premier Inverter CCV08A10A is the best air conditioner for a small room that we've tested. This high-end window unit is more than capable of quickly cooling smaller dens and offices. Its tested cooling capacity of more than 7,500 BTU might initially seem overkill for small spaces, but its inverter compressor makes all the difference here. An inverter compressor keeps your room consistently cool and dry, rather than clammy and damp, by running steadily at a speed that matches the required cooling load rather than cycling on and off to maintain your desired temperature. It's impressively power-efficient for cooling your room and maintaining your desired temperature so that you won't notice a big hit to your utility bill at the end of the month.
While this unit is a great performer in smaller spaces, it is physically rather large and heavy. It weighs over 50 lbs, which is about as much as some other window units with higher cooling capacity, and it can be a hassle to install and uninstall every summer. The CCV08A10A is fairly quiet from inside your home, topping out at a little under 53 dBA, or roughly equivalent to moderate rainfall against your window. That said, its compressor, which hangs outside your window, produces a high-pitched chatter when entering a cooling cycle. This is normal for inverter compressors, but it can still be a disturbance for nearby neighbors if you live in an apartment.
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Best Mid-Range Air Conditioner For Small Rooms
TypeWindow A/CCompressor TechnologyNon-InverterBedroom/Small Room7.7Oversizing Tolerance7.6Combined Efficiency8.0Advertised Capacity (DOE)5,000 BTU/hrTested Capacity4,809 BTU/hr (1,410 W)Advertised Coverage150 ft² (14 m²)Compressor On @ Max Setting58.7dBASee all our test resultsCompressor On @ Min. Setting55.4dBAIf you want to spend less on an air conditioner for a smaller room, check out the Frigidaire FHWC054TE1. It'll take about 30% longer to cool the same-sized space than the Friedrich Chill Premier Inverter CCV08A10A, but its cooling output is still enough to keep smaller spaces like offices and dorms consistently cool. Despite its slower cooling rate, it'll actually have a similar impact on your energy bill as the Friedrich. Unlike the inverter-equipped Friedrich, the Frigidaire's compressor cycles on and off at full power to maintain your desired temperature. The sound of its compressor cycling on and off can be distracting, but it isn't overly loud, measuring less than 60dBa at its highest fan setting, so it can still be drowned out by a TV playing at a normal volume.
One downside is that this model can make the air in smaller rooms feel a little clammy at times; while its compressor cycles fast enough to keep the temperature pretty steady, the same can't be said for humidity levels, which shoot back up when the compressor cycles off. Extra features are few but welcome: if you live near a busy intersection or suffer from serious allergies, you can mount a MERV-14 filter to the unit to trap allergens before they're blown into your room. While you can't operate this unit via a smartphone app, it does have an easy-to-set digital thermostat and a remote control, so you don't have to walk up to the machine to adjust it. It's also easier to install if you live alone, as it's smaller and nearly 20 lbs lighter than the Friedrich.
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Best Budget Air Conditioner For Small Rooms
TypeWindow A/CCompressor TechnologyNon-InverterBedroom/Small Room7.3Oversizing Tolerance7.2Combined Efficiency7.6Advertised Capacity (DOE)5,000 BTU/hrTested Capacity4,622 BTU/hr (1,355 W)Advertised Coverage250 ft² (23 m²)Compressor On @ Max Setting60.5dBASee all our test resultsCompressor On @ Min. Setting57.0dBAThe Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is among the best air conditioners for small rooms we've tested if you're on an even tighter budget. It routinely goes on sale at a price point that makes it a compelling alternative to the Frigidaire FHWC054TE1 if you want to spend less. It offers cooling performance very similar to the other Frigidaire unit and will chill an equivalently sized space in virtually the same amount of time. It shares a similar fixed-speed compressor as well, and features many of the same upsides and downsides. The FFRA051WAE is amazingly consistent at maintaining your desired temperature, but it struggles to maintain consistent humidity, so smaller rooms can feel occasionally clammy. In terms of size, this unit is impressively compact, and you can tuck it into a smaller closet fairly easily.
What you miss out on versus the other Frigidaire unit is convenience features: instead of a digital thermostat that lets you precisely set your desired temperature, you'll need to make do with dials for temperature and fan speed, which can make small adjustments a bit of a nuisance. There's no remote control either, so you can't make any changes from the comfort of your office chair. Lastly, it also makes more fan noise, which makes it a little more disruptive if you have it set up in a home office and work without a headset or noise-canceling headphones, as operating noise maxing out at a little over 60 dBA.
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Best Portable Air Conditioner For Small Rooms
TypeDual-Hose Portable A/CCompressor TechnologyInverterBedroom/Small Room7.8Oversizing Tolerance8.4Combined Efficiency7.3Advertised Capacity (DOE)10,000 BTU/hrTested Capacity7,533 BTU/hr (2,209 W)Advertised Coverage550 ft² (51 m²)Compressor On @ Max Setting60.0dBASee all our test resultsCompressor On @ Min. Setting50.4dBANot all homes have windows that can support window A/Cs, and not all apartments allow you to mount one either; that's where portable units come in. The Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL is among the best we've tested. In terms of raw cooling performance, it's very similar to the Friedrich Chill Premier Inverter CCV08A10A, so it won't have any trouble cooling smaller rooms like offices. It's also capable of maintaining a consistently comfortable environment, without ever making the space feel clammy, thanks to its inverter compressor. If you're sensitive to noise, know that it produces a high-pitched chatter like the Friedrich, and it can be quite noisy at its highest fan speed, cresting at 60 dBA. Still, lower settings drop noise by quite a bit, and it'll still offer sufficient capacity for smaller spaces. It's also fully compatible with the Midea Air smartphone app, so you can set the temperature in your room to your desired level while you're away from home, and return to a comfortably chilly environment.
With all that said, it's important to explain what you give up versus a window A/C with comparable cooling power. A portable A/C needs to offset the heat generated by its compressor, which is inside the room it's operating in, rather than being placed outside like a window A/C. This slows how quickly the A/C cools a space and increases energy consumption, even with a dual-hose model like this Midea, which draws in outdoor air to cool the compressor. This unit is particularly bulky, and you may have trouble maneuvering it or even fitting it in tight offices, especially if you have a larger desk or dresser, and are otherwise limited in space.
Notable Mentions
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Midea U-Shaped MAW12V1QWT:
The Midea U-Shaped MAW12V1QWT is a high-end window A/C with an inverter compressor that can cool a room faster than the Friedrich Chill Premier Inverter CCV08A10A, thanks to its higher cooling capacity. However, it's also louder and will have a bigger impact on your monthly utility bill. Its unique U-shaped body allows you to open a window while it's in place.
See our review -
Midea MAW12HV1CWT:
The Midea MAW12HV1CWT is a high-end window A/C with an inverter compressor. It's mechanically similar to the Midea U-Shaped MAW12V1QWT but has a more conventionally shaped body. Compared to the Friedrich Chill Premier Inverter CCV08A10A, it can cool a small room faster, but it also consumes more power and makes more noise.
See our review -
Whynter NEX ARC-1230WN:
The Whynter NEX ARC-1230WN is a high-end dual-hose portable A/C. It's a rebranded, slightly modified variant of the Midea Duo MAP12S1TBL, but with a higher 12,000 BTU/hr capacity. While it cools slightly faster, it's also even bulkier and slightly noisier.
See our review -
Toshiba RAC-WK0512CMRU:
The Toshiba RAC-WK0512CMRU is an entry-level window A/C with similar performance to the Frigidaire FFRA051WAE, but it produces slightly lower operating noise. That said, availability is sporadic from most major retailers.
See our review
What To Consider When Choosing An A/C
There are a few main factors to consider when shopping for a new A/C unit for a small room. Here are some of the key considerations to take into account:
Oversizing Tolerance
There are two main factors that determine whether an A/C can operate effectively in a small room: capacity and compressor type.
Compressor Type
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Inverter Compressors
- Generally found on more expensive models.
- Can run consistently at a lower speed to maintain a desired temperature, instead of cycling on and off.
- This results in greater flexibility and allows the A/C to run efficiently in areas where it would otherwise be oversized, as the unit can cool as quickly as it dehumidifies, keeping rooms comfortably cool instead of clammy.
- Introduces a higher number of potential failure points.
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Fixed-Speed Compressors
- Relatively inefficient, and can result in inconsistent temperature and humidity levels since this style of compressor cycles on and off to maintain your desired temperature.
- Typically found on cheaper units.
- Lack of an inverter control board reduces potential failure points.
Capacity
If you do go for an air conditioner with a fixed-speed compressor, you'll want to pay close attention to its overall capacity. This is because fixed-speed compressors operate as their name suggests: they either run at full speed or not at all. If you purchase an A/C with too much capacity for a given space, it will cool a room faster than it can dehumidify it, rendering the space cold and clammy. Below is a quick outline of the cooling capacity you should aim for, depending on the size of the room you're trying to cool.
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5,000 BTU/hr
- Generally suitable for rooms up to 150 ft2 (13.9 m2)
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8,000 BTU/hr
- Generally suitable for rooms up to 350 ft2 (32.5 m2)
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10,000 BTU/hr
- Generally suitable for rooms up to 450 ft2 (41.8 m2)
Once the desired temperature is reached, fixed-speed compressors must cycle on and off to maintain the setpoint. With an oversized unit, the compressor cycling can be slow, giving time for both temperature and humidity to creep back up, so the temperature in your room won't feel especially consistent.
This issue doesn't affect A/Cs with inverter compressors nearly as much, as they can lower their compressor speed to match the required load. That said, there is a point of diminishing efficiency here: a 15,000 BTU/hr inverter unit used in a small space and forced to operate constantly at its lowest operating range simply won't be as efficient as a 5,000 BTU/hr inverter unit that's a better match for the space.
A/C Design
We buy and test both window-mounted and portable units, which each have their own strengths and weaknesses:
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Portable Units
- Can be moved and installed relatively easily.
- Take up a lot of room, especially dual-hose units, which can be an issue in rooms where a lot of real estate is occupied by a desk, bed, or dresser.
- Less efficient than window units, as they need to offset waste heat from the compressor, located inside the room being cooled.
- Single-hose models are less efficient and less effective than dual-hose models.
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Window Units
- Not permitted in all apartments and might not fit all windows.
- If allowed, they take up far less space than portable units, with the bulk of the unit hanging outside your window, making them a more space-efficient option for smaller rooms.
- More efficient than portable units, as there's no need to offset compressor waste heat.
- Seasonal installation and removal can be a hassle, especially for larger, heavier high-capacity units.
Noise
A small room A/C should be discreet too: loud, distracting operating noise can be effectively amplified by the confines of a small room. Here are a couple of examples of different noise levels that cover the vast majority of household A/Cs, and what they can generally be compared to:
- ≥ 60 dBA
- Generally, the threshold most people would consider to be "noisy" or "distracting" for a household appliance. Examples include conversation spoken at a normal volume or typing on an office keyboard.
- 50 dBA
- Within the general range of quiet conversation or moderate to strong rainfall.
- 40 dBA and below
- What people typically consider "quiet". Generally the range of most household appliances, like a refrigerator or dishwasher.
Volume aside, you should also consider how the A/C design and compressor type factor in. Portable A/Cs have their compressors inside the space you're trying to cool, so you're more likely to hear them while you're working in an office or trying to get some sleep in your bedroom. Conversely, window A/C compressors are located outside your home, isolating you from most of their noise.
Inverter compressors tend to produce a high-pitched chattering sound when entering a cooling cycle, which is a relatively infrequent, but sometimes distracting. Conversely, fixed-speed compressors regularly cycle on and off to maintain your desired temperature, resulting in a more frequent, but potentially less noisy, sound overall.
All Reviews
The recommendations above are among the best air conditioners for small rooms for most people. We factor in price, visitor feedback, and availability.
That said, there's no single best option that'll suit everybody; your needs will depend on your budget, the exact size of the space you're trying to cool, your tolerance for operating noise, and whether you like having a device with convenience features like Wi-Fi connectivity. If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our A/C reviews.