Should I Buy a Portable Air Conditioner?

It's now the third week of January. I like the weather because it's still relatively cool, especially in the early morning. But soon, the weather will change to welcome the hot summer months. That's why I'm looking at the option of buying the best small portable air conditioner.

Image by heymrleej via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

One thing I really don't like about the hot weather is that it can trigger my migraine. It’s okay if I can keep the electric fan steady to direct the wind to where I am sitting or reclining. But when other
people are with me, I can’t keep the fan steady. Also, sometimes it’s just too hot and turning on an electric fan is not enough.

It would be great to install an air conditioner in every room of our house or maybe have a central air conditioning system, but that will be very expensive. Another possible more economical option is to buy a portable air conditioner.

I read from an article that a portable AC works in the same way as window and split-type AC units. It cools air in the room and gets rid of the heat through an exhaust. But unlike the window or split type AC units with fixed installation, a portable air conditioner can be moved from room to room if desired. So, it can be used to cool the place where you are, be it the living room or the bedroom or whichever room needs cooling.

Of course, there are some things that I would probably need to know about specific portable AC units I want to buy. For example, I should know about its actual portability. Maybe a certain model is too heavy to move around. Or maybe, it is too noisy. I should also know about the ease of installing the portable AC’s vent kit. I would also like to know about the price of a unit and its energy-efficiency.

If you have bought a portable air conditioner unit before, please share your experience in the comments below. Which brand do you recommend? Was it efficient and a good buy?