WITH a heatwave predicted to supply us with "wall-to-wall sunshine" this April, you might want to invest in one of the best air conditioners to keep your home cool and comfortable.
There are plenty of top models on the market, and we've rounded up 16 of the best, from smaller budget buys to bigger luxe designs.
It will come as no surprise that air conditioners tend to be larger and more expensive than fans, but that's because they are particularly effective at lowering the temperature of an entire room, and some can lower the humidity in the air.
As well as power, it is best to think about noise when choosing a device and to check the size of the room compared to the model.
Abandon any notion of bulky air conditioners with complicated installation processes: these days, the most common air conditioners you'll find from leading brands like AEG and De'Longhi are both powerful and portable.
Air conditioners are costly: top-of-the-range models will typically set you back over £500. If you're looking for a cheaper option, check out portable evaporative air coolers, which use water and ice cubes to work as a humidifier or mini air con.
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The evaLIGHTplus is Evapolar's best-selling evaporative air cooler and is jam-packed with features: we're talking a 1000ml removable water tank, sleep timer, touch screen, control wheel and a larger coverage area of up to 3m².
We were looking for something effective yet compact that would keep a home office cool on hot days without consuming crazy amounts of energy. The evaLIGHTplus has an electricity consumption of 10W, which is more than the 7.5W consumption of the evaCHILL (below) – but considering your average fan uses anything from 30W, it's still a cost-effective way of cooling down.
Our unit arrived securely packaged, and once we'd opened it up, filled the tank with water and plugged it in, we were impressed by how easy it was to get going.
A control wheel allows you to adjust the airflow, for which there are 10 settings. The highest one was a little too loud for our liking but definitely blasts out icy cool air that would be super-refreshing on a hot summer's day. We found we struck a happy medium with the fifth setting, which was quiet enough not to distract us while still being cool and refreshing.
Appearance-wise, we loved that the unit sat neatly on our desk without being too much of an eyesore, while the LED lighting colour is a lovely touch, with a selection of colours to choose between.
If you're looking for a unit you can carry with you from room to room and feel instantly cooled down, we wouldn't hesitate in recommending this nifty little air cooler.
De'Longhi's portable air-con gets an A rating for energy efficiency, and an A+ for being super-quiet as well as a powerful performer.
The Pinguino PACN82 doesn't require any installation and uses propane to work as both a dehumidifier and an air conditioning fan.
It features digital controls to perform at three different speeds and runs at a maximum of 52 decibels, so it shouldn't disturb your sleep at night. One reviewer described it as the "lowest sounding unit I have come across".
Ideal for your home workspace, the evaCHILL delivers a cool blast of filtered air, which is capable of taking an entire room's temperature down by a few degrees (one reviewer claims to have gotten the room 6 degrees cooler after using this product).
It's portable, quiet, sleek and uses a patented Evabreeze material which is non-toxic and won't harbour mould or bacteria.
It operates with a USB C cable, and works at the touch of a button.
Reviewers like the 'cool bubble' of air it creates around them, recommending it for bedrooms at night and describing this pint-sized air con as 'chilly'.
AEG ChillFlex Pro, £629.99 from John Lewis - buy here
This air conditioner is so powerful it's been described as capable of giving someone 'frostbite' if they stood in front of it long enough.
Stylish and suitable for a larger space like a kitchen, living room or bedroom, this multi-functional air con has an LED display and automatically adjusts to the set temperature, acting as a dehumidifier, too.
It includes a basic remote control and gets an A rating for energy efficiency. You also get a two-year guarantee.
This handy air conditioner lets you control the temperature and schedule the unit to go on and off from your phone with an app.
The app can also be synced with Amazon Echo, Alexa and Google Home, so you can operate it using your voice.
You can use the unit for cooling or heating with a powerful 14000 BTU/h capacity and a 17°C-30°C adjustable thermostat.
It's ideal for large spaces, really quiet and energy efficient, ticking all the boxes.
If you're looking for a smart air conditioner, look no further. This Midea model is compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can simply yell: "Alexa, set my room to 20 degrees," to start cooling your space.
It comes with a three-year guarantee, free delivery to most of the UK, a window kit, remote control and is on wheels for easy transport.
It's also wifi-compatible, self evaporating (meaning no trays to empty), has a sleep function and has an A energy rating.
Another Midea model to make our list is this slightly smaller, more affordable air conditioner.
It has swivel wheels, a remote control, timer, sleep mode, and is both dehumidifying and self evaporating. It has an A energy rating and 0.5W standby mode which is great for both the environment and your wallet.
It also comes with a three-year guarantee and free delivery to most of the UK.
Whether you'd like your air con installed or prefer a mobile device you can move from room to room, Inventor's Chilly Portable Air Conditioner can instantly cool smaller spaces.
It helps eliminate heat and expel condensation using the hose provided, although some reviewers have noted that they had to purchase extension hoses in order for it to reach out of their window.
Fans are impressed with just how well it cools and said that it is less noisy than others on the market. People also like its sleek look, with one reviewer saying that it is "very attractively designed, is robust and works smoothly".
This multi-talented air conditioner is a heater, dehumidifier, fan and air conditioner in one, with a very high energy-efficiency rating (A/A++).
Castor wheels allow for easy mobility, and the design is well suited for rooms up to 400 square feet.
The best part of this air con design? It's WiFi enabled - just download the accompanying app and you can control the unit from your smartphone, anytime, anywhere.
It also syncs with Alexa and you can operate multiple units simultaneously, so it's handy for landlords who need it for commercial use.
Challenge 5K Air Conditioning Unit, £300 from Argos - buy here
With an A energy rating, LED display with timer function and remote, omni-directional castor wheels and hose, this portable air conditioner is a great buy for smaller rooms (around 10m²).
It's easy to use and move around and, as one reviewer notes, it "does a wonderful job of making our master bedroom like ice even when it's 26°C outside".
If your room is over the 10m² recommendation for the 5K unit above, you could give this 7K model a go.
It's got similar features to the 5K, but is more powerful and is recommended for rooms 16M².
A very silent air conditioner with its own adjustable thermostat, the electriQ EcoSilent Air Conditioner is great for medium-sized spaces such as an office, bedroom or living room. With great energy efficiency, it costs just 12 pence an hour to run, while it doesn't scrimp on quality and style.
Pro Breeze 4-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner 7000 BTU with Remote Control, £299.99 at Amazon - buy here
This Probreeze Air Conditioner has 4-in-1 features which include air cooling, dehumidifying, fan only, and even sleep modes.
It has a digital LED screen with remote control for ease of use and with its 7,000 BTU cooling capacity, it can be used in large rooms or offices.
Its Dual Window Kit means it can deal with hinged and slide windows, while the design means it fits easily into any corner or room.
Unlike some air conditioning models, the Black + Decker 12K 3 in 1 Air Conditioning Unit7 will look sleek on display in your home. You can forget about the clutter of fans.
For less than £500, this stunning model has three speed settings, a 24-hour timer and a noise level of just 53dB. Oh, and there's a carbon filter built in which gets rid of any unpleasant smells.
Dyson is king when it comes to temperature tech. The Dyson Pure Cool Me™ Fan has an in-built personal purifier fan that is engineered to improve air quality.
Removing 99.95 per cent of allergens and pollutants, this cooling fan is so popular that we're adding it to our air conditioner list.
Conveniently control this Kraftwerk air conditioner from anywhere with a WiFi connection or even use the Klarstein app with ease. This stylish air conditioner has all you could need to keep your home or workspace cool; energy efficiency, a wide cooling space, integrated fan and a sealing set.
Leading brands like AEG, De'Longhi and LG are all well-known for delivering excellent cooling results and have serious authority in the appliance world.
However, lesser-known companies and specific air-con specialists can produce results that are just as good, if not better than big-name brands.
It's advisable to research the market and shop around to find the air conditioner that's right for you and your needs.
There are generally two types of air conditioner to choose from: a wall-mounted split-unit air conditioner, which is perfect for rooms that are always hot as they can't be moved, or standalone portable units that can be shifted from room to room depending on your needs.
Split-air units are generally more efficient and better at cooling but are more expensive.
Portable units tend to be cheaper and bulkier, but if your house needs cooling in multiple rooms during the summer they can be carried from room to room. A portable air conditioner is perfect for home use in the UK.
The best portable air conditioners on the market right now are light and compact – ideal if you don't have a lot of space to play with.
Leading models can powerfully and quickly cool down a room without draining too much energy.
They're also as quiet as can be, so you can go about your day to day life with minimal disruption, or sleep soundly if it's on in your bedroom at night.
Many newer air conditioners are WiFi-enabled, so you can control them via your phone, a handy extra that means you can get your house cooling down before you've even stepped inside.
Portable air conditioning units are far cheaper than investing in getting central air conditioning installed, and far easier to get up and running.
It is worth shopping around to see what deals can be found and how much an individual air conditioner costs will depend on many factors, including size and power. We've found that most options cost upwards of £300 (see our guide above) but mini options may be found for cheaper.
It is also worth considering the cost of running your air conditioner; it soon adds up over the summer months. Power consumption will vary depending on the cooling capacity of the unit, but make sure you take these additional electricity costs into account.
Portable air conditioners work by pulling the hot air from the room and into the unit. Then, the motor inside the air conditioners cools the previously hot air ready to be circulated throughout the room.
The unit also pushes any warm air and excess moisture out through a hose and out the window (you will need to have a window within reach for the machine to work properly).
What size air conditioner you opt for depends on a variety of factors, one of them being the price you're willing to pay.
When it comes to cooling your home, the air conditioner you choose will come down to the size of the room needing to be cooled and how hot the space you're planning on cooling is (from factors such as computers and people).
If you want to be really specific, you can work out how many BTUs (British Thermal Units) your air conditioner requires to cool your office or room. There are handy calculators that can help you work this out online — we found one at www.aircondirect.co.uk.
Yes! Or, more specifically, you need to make sure you clean the filter inside your air conditioner.
The filters inside the units are designed to catch dust so if they are not cleaned regularly they can become clogged, collect moisture and may even become mouldy.
If you want a more thorough job, you could also pay a professional to service your machine.
The durability of your portable air conditioning unit will depend on the model and how well you look after it.
However, they can last a long time. Good quality, well looked-after units are able to last for five to 10 years.
How often you use your air conditioner will also have an impact on how long it works for and, with us Brits usually only making use of them during the summer months, this time could be stretched out.
We've designed Sun Selects to help you to find the best products that won't break the bank.
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