The best portable air conditioner; if a portable really is your only option.
Primary question · Which portable should I buy if I genuinely can't fit a split?
The five questions
Is this right for me?
Renters, listed buildings, leasehold flats; anyone where a fixed split isn't possible.
What will it cost?
£300–£700 typically. Sub-£300 units are usually not worth it.
Advantages
- Truly portable
- No installation
- Works on day one
Trade-offs
- Loud (50+ dB(A))
- Inefficient relative to a split
- Window kit looks bad
What to do next
Read the De'Longhi Pinguino verdict below; it's the only portable we'd genuinely buy.
Our pick
Pinguino PAC EM82
The best-executed portable on the UK market; but still a portable. Noisy, inefficient relative to a split, and it needs an honest hose route.
Perfect for
Renters, listed buildings, and anyone in a heatwave week who genuinely can't install a fixed unit.
Avoid if
You own the property and can stay there three or more years; a fixed split pays itself back in comfort alone.
What we like
- , Better-built than the supermarket portables
- , Eco-refrigerant
- , Reasonable controls
What we don't
- , Loud enough to disrupt sleep
- , Window kit looks bad
- , Costs more to run than a split
House Verdict · Confidence: high
★★★★★
House Summary
If you can install a fixed split, install a fixed split. If you genuinely can't, the De'Longhi Pinguino is the only portable we'd put on the shortlist.
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