The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is a basic single-hose portable A/C designed for medium-sized rooms. It has an advertised coverage of 350 ft² (33 m²) and a capacity of 6,000 BTU/hr. It has separate dehumidification-only and heating modes and comes with a remote control to operate the unit from a distance. It's worth noting that, unlike many other newer models, this A/C uses R410a refrigerant instead of R32, which incurs a higher environmental footprint than the latter.
Our Verdict
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is a middling option for use in large rooms. Its capacity is a little too low to effectively cool large living areas or open-concept spaces, though it's fine for big bedrooms, offices, or some living areas. That said, its single-hose design and fixed speed compressor result in high overall power consumption relative to its capacity; if lower power consumption is a priority, it's worth investing in a dual-hose portable unit or, if possible, a window AC. On the upside, it runs pretty quietly and won't be much of a distraction if you have it set up in a living or dining room.
Fan is very quiet.
Does a terrible job of maintaining ambient conditions.
Inefficient single hose design.
Capacity isn't sufficient for effective operation in large spaces.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is a poor choice for use in bedrooms and other small rooms. It's decently compact, so you can set it up in the corner of smaller bedrooms without too much fuss, or stow it away in a closet in cooler months. It also runs fairly quietly, so it won't wake you in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it's a highly inefficient unit, requiring far more energy to cool an equivalently sized space than a dual-hose portable unit with similar capacity. Its infrequent compressor cycling also results in sudden spikes in both temperature and perceived ambient humidity, leading to brief periods where the air in your room may feel unpleasantly clammy.
Fan is very quiet.
Single hose design results in a fairly compact appliance.
Capacity is good enough for small to medium-sized spaces.
Only negligible difference in compressor noise between high and low settings.
Does a terrible job of maintaining ambient conditions.
Inefficient single hose design.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT's cooling capacity is decent. It'll do fine in larger offices, bedrooms, and playrooms, but it'll struggle to cool larger living rooms, especially if you expect it to do so quickly.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT's overall efficiency is bad. As a single-hose unit, it draws in and cools indoor air, creating negative pressure and drawing in warm outside air, thereby forcing the machine to work harder to offset the added heat.
Inefficient single hose design.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT does an awful job of maintaining conditions while running. Its infrequent compressor cycling allows condensed moisture to re-evaporate into the air, resulting in sharp spikes in the room's ambient humidity and drastic differences in its ambient temperature.
Does a terrible job of maintaining ambient conditions.
Inefficient single hose design.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is a pretty quiet unit overall. There's very little difference in operating noise between its compressor at the low and the high end, so you're best off leaving it at its highest setting, even if you're a little sensitive to noise: you can drown out the operating noise by keeping the TV at a normal volume. Its fan is also incredibly quiet, so much so that it's barely audible at its lowest speed.
Fan is very quiet.
Only negligible difference in compressor noise between high and low settings.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is decently compact. Its single-hose design is a detriment to performance and efficiency, but it also results in a more compact overall package than dual-hose portable models.
Single hose design results in a fairly compact appliance.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Sep 15, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.1. which changes how we measure and score performance as a whole. The Capacity, Efficiency When Cooling, Efficiency When Maintaining Temperature, Temperature Stability, and Humidity Stability boxes have been updated. If you're looking for further details, see the Changelog.
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Updated Jun 11, 2026:
We added a link to the newly reviewed Hisense Tower HIAP0825TWD in the Efficiency When Cooling section of the review for users seeking a more efficient dual-hose alternative.
- Updated Jun 06, 2025: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is only available in a single color variant: 'White.' For those interested, here's the product label.
Let us know in the comments if you come across another variant of this air conditioner.
Popular Air Conditioner Comparisons
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is a basic single-hose portable humidifier, best used in smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices. It offers more actual cooling capacity than similarly sized alternatives like the LG LP0721WSR and, as a result, will cool a comparably sized space a little faster. That said, its infrequent compressor cycling means you'll experience greater fluctuations in the setpoint temperature and ambient humidity level compared to some rivals, like the De'Longhi Pinguino Compact PACEM360-6ALWH or aforementioned LG. In real-world terms, you can expect to feel swings in temperature and perceived humidity, so your room can sometimes feel cold and clammy when the unit's running. Also, like any single-hose portable unit, it's terribly inefficient.
If you're looking for alternatives, see our recommendations for the best portable air conditioners, the best bedroom air conditioners, and the best air conditioners.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT outclasses the De'Longhi Pinguino Compact PACEM360-6ALWH in most respects. The Black+Decker has a higher cooling capacity, allowing it to cool a comparably sized space more quickly. It's also slightly quieter while running, especially when it comes to fan noise. Unlike the De'Longhi, it also has a heating mode. That said, it's worth noting that the Black+Decker uses R410a as a refrigerant, which has a higher environmental footprint and is slightly less efficient than the De'Longhi.
Neither the LG LP0721WSR nor the Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is an especially noteworthy A/C unit, but if you're in need of a single-hose portable unit, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Black+Decker offers greater cooling capacity and will chill the air in a comparably sized room faster. That said, its compressor cycling will result in more noticeable swings in temperature and humidity compared to the LG. It also uses R410a as a refrigerant, which has a higher environmental footprint than R32, used by LG and other newer A/C units.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT is, for the most part, a better portable A/C unit than the SereneLife SLPAC8. The Black+Decker offers significantly more cooling capacity in a roughly similarly sized package, all while producing less noise. The SereneLife's lower capacity can work to its advantage in oversized spaces, in that its compressor being forced to run constantly will minimize swings in humidity and temperature compared to the more powerful but also more erratic Black+Decker. However, this also increases energy requirements and places more wear and tear on the unit.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT and Whynter Elite ARC-122DS are pretty evenly matched portable A/Cs. While the Whynter has an on-paper edge in cooling capacity and efficiency due to its dual-hose design, both models are similarly mediocre in performance. The only area where the Whynter pulls ahead is in its lower operating noise, and even then, it's only by a slim margin.
Test Results
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT has decent cooling capacity. It'll do fine in the vast majority of offices, bedrooms, and playrooms, but it'll struggle to cool anything larger than that in a time-efficient manner.
This unit's efficiency while cooling a room is poor. This is a single-hose unit that draws air from the room it's trying to cool, which also serves to cool its condenser. This creates negative air pressure that draws in warm outside air, requiring the unit to work harder to cool the space. As a result, this unit's energy demand is much higher than that of a dual-hose unit with comparable capacity. If you're looking for a more efficient alternative, the dual-hose Hisense Tower HIAP0825TWD avoids these negative-pressure issues and does a much better job of translating its energy consumption into usable cooling performance.
This unit's setpoint maintenance efficiency is bad. It works very hard due to its single-hose design, which doesn't provide an energy-efficient way to keep its compressor cool during operation.
Note: In testing this parameter, data values are typically collected throughout a 30-minute window. However, the BPACT12HWT's compressor cycles very slowly, having cycled just once within the period of three hours. As a result, the figures recorded below were inputted manually, which is why they don't correspond with the value recorded at minute 30 in the 'Consumption @ 35% Thermal Load' graph.
This unit does a terrible job of maintaining your desired temperature. It cycles its compressor very slowly, resulting in drastic temperature swings when the unit cycles on and off.
Note: In testing this parameter, data values are typically observed throughout a 30-minute window. However, the BPACT12HWT's compressor cycles very slowly, having cycled just once within the period of three hours. As a result, the figures recorded below were inputted manually, which is why they don't correspond with the value recorded at minute 30 in the 'Temperature Stability Around The Setpoint & Humidity Stability' graph.
The Black+Decker BPACT12HWT does an awful job of maintaining a stable humidity level. Its compressor seldom cycles off, but when it does, it allows condensed moisture to re-evaporate very quickly, resulting in a sharp, sudden rise in ambient humidity. You're likely to notice this difference in humidity even within more arid environments.
Note: In testing this parameter, data values are typically observed throughout a 30-minute window. However, the BPACT12HWT's compressor cycles very slowly, having cycled just once within the period of three hours. As a result, the figures recorded below were inputted manually, which is why they don't correspond with the value recorded at minute 30 in the 'Humidity Stability Over Time' graph.
