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Featured in this articleBest Overall
Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner
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Best Budget Window Air Conditioner
GE Window Air Conditioner (AHEE06AC)
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Best Small-Room Budget Window Air Conditioner
GE Window Air Conditioner Unit, 5,000 BTU
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Best Large-Room Budget Window Air Conditioner
LG 12,000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner
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It’s a paradox that while the use of even the best window air conditioners—like our top pick, Midea’s 8,000 BTU U Shaped Smart Inverter Window Air Conditioner ($380)—is a contributor to global warming, air conditioners are a necessity in our overheated world. Like my fellow reviewers here at WIRED, I feel guilty turning on my air conditioners. Still, until I can afford to build a self-cooling underground home or Earthship, I’m grateful for window and portable cooling units, especially as those units are energy efficient and use new coolants that do not damage the ozone. All of the air conditioners tested use coolants that do not deplete the ozone like the older, more damaging coolants of the past.
We’ll keep testing more and update this guide as we go. Be sure to check out our other air quality guides, including Best Air Purifiers, Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors, and Best Fans.
Updated July 2025: We’ve added the GE 5,000 BTU AC as a pick, removed a discontinued model, and updated links and pricing throughout.
