This is our official list in search of the best smart air conditioners on the market today. Scroll further down for full details on each product as well as a user guide to smart air conditioners and how to pick the best one.
5 Highest Reviewed Smart Air Conditioners to Consider
With summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to think about how you’re going to keep your home cool, and if you’re looking for something that is powerful and convenient, you might want to consider getting the best smart air conditioner that you can afford.
A smart AC unit can control the climate in your office or home, and in most cases, you can use convenient apps to control it. Many of the latest smart AC units use Wi-Fi to sync with your smartphone, and most major companies offer iOS and Android apps for their products, which make controlling the AC unit quick, convenient and effortless.
1.) Quirky + GE Aros Smart Window Air Conditioner
The Quirky + GE Aros smart air conditioner is designed to be placed in a window, and with the help of advanced technology, it can learn from your cooling patterns and select the best settings for your needs. It also offers smart scheduling patterns and learns from your cooling habits.
Since it’s equipped with smart technology, this air conditioner can access your GPS settings and location, and it uses the information to decide when it should turn on or off. If you want to save on energy costs, this unit makes it easy to track usage patterns, which makes it easy to control your energy bill.
The problem with older air conditioners is that they’re not smart enough to shut off while you’re gone and turn on right before you get home. The Aros smart air conditioner can be controlled with the Wink app, and it’s one of the best units available.
PROS
- Very stylish
- Easy to operate
- Controlled with the Wink app
- 8,000 BTU cooling power
CONS
- Might be too loud for some people
2.) Frigidaire Smart Window Air Conditioner
A very stylish, Amazon Alexa compatible, smart AC unit that fits into your window and keeps you cool. It’s wi-fi capabilities make turning it on and off a breeze, as well as pre-programming for automatic turn on/off’s.
It entails innovative, 2-way slanted louvers which guide air upward in an even, circular motion. Meaning your home gets cooled evenly and more efficiently. Another great thing about this unit is it’s amazing conservative nature, when it comes to electricity. It is very eco friendly, and did we mention you get alerts when a filter needs to be changed?
PROS
- Beautiful design
- Prevents blinds from getting in the way
- Very energy efficient
- Plenty of cooling power
CONS
- Wi-Fi control requires a smartphone
3.) LG Electronics LP1415WXRSM
The LG Electronics LP1415WXRSM is another top product, and since it has a large size, it offers 14,000 BTUs of cooling power. This smart AC unit can cool up to 500 square feet, and with the dehumidification feature, it can remove 3.4 pints of water per hour.
Many users enjoy the dehumidification feature because it mixes warm air with cool, dry air. The LG Electronics LP1415WXRSM uses built-in Wi-Fi to give you full control over the settings, and you can make adjustments with your smartphone.
It also has an LED display panel and comes with an LCD remote control. This product is designed with several fan speeds, and you can leave it on for days.
PROS
- Blows cold air quickly and efficiently
- Doesn’t take long to cool 500 square feet
- Much quieter than competing units
- Automatically shuts off
CONS
- Too heavy to move around frequently
4.) EdgeStar Portable Air Conditioner
The EdgeStar portable AC offers three different fan speeds, and for maximum convenience, it’s designed with a self-evaporative system. The problem with many air conditioners is that they require you to empty the water reservoir, which doesn’t take long to become full.
The EdgeStar smart AC doesn’t have this problem, so there is never a need to empty the reservoir. This air conditioner comes with a programmable timer and features an anti-mildew design. To blow cold air into your home, it uses a centrifugal fan, and an LED temperature display makes it easy to check and adjust the temperature.
The EdgeStar portable AC unit comes with two filters, and it can be controlled with the included remote. With a cooling capacity of 13,500 BTUs, this product can easily cool 450 square feet, and it can remove 86 pints of water from the air every day.
PROS
- Quieter than many competing models
- Quickly cools a large space
- Very easy to install
- Strong fan
CONS
- Not very stylish
5.) Amvent Ductless Wall Mount Air Conditioner
The Amvent wall air conditioner offers a massive cooling capacity of 18,000 BTUs, and it’s designed to be a complete system. The package comes with an indoor unit, insulated copper line set, outdoor unit and wireless remote.
Since this is a complete installation kit, it comes with all of the components needed for a successful installation. Most competing products don’t come with a free copper line set, and they don’t offer 18,000 BTUs of cooling power.
With such a massive amount of cooling energy, this air conditioner can cool 800 square feet, and for convenience, it’s equipped with a special installation, which can cut the time needed for this process in half. The Amvent ductless AC unit comes filled with premium DuPont R410A refrigerant, and there is no additional charging needed.
PROS
- Easy to install
- Requires minimal maintenance
- Great for hot, humid environments
- Can cool a very large space
CONS
- Could be a bit quieter
Brief Guide to Smart Air Conditioners
We live in a digital world, and over time, technology has revolutionized the HVAC industry. Since we already have smart TVs, phones and computers, it was only a matter of time before someone invented the smart air conditioner.
When compared with the alternatives, a smart AC unit is one that has Wi-Fi, and it’s the wireless technology that converts it into a smart device. With the help of Wi-Fi, a smart air conditioner can sync with other electronic devices, which makes it extremely easy to use and convenient.
What Are They?
Smart air conditioners are air conditioning units which can be adjusted wirelessly, usually through an app on a phone or similar device. They are connected to your home Wi-Fi, which means you should be able to monitor them, turn them on and off, and adjust their settings from anywhere in the world so long as you have internet access and the right app.
Some of these units will track how much and when you use them so that they can help you to figure out your energy costs. Some will also use this information to ‘learn’ your preferences and adapt accordingly.
Voice control is another feature that many smart air conditioners offer – so you only have to tell them to turn on and they obey. Voice control usually works through compatibility with a device like Amazon’s Alexa. A remote control is often a feature too… but you may not even need the remote since you can use your phone to control them.
Smart air conditioners usually have a programmable timer and controllable temperature and fan speed, very similar to a central air conditioning system with a thermostat. But with the difference that if you’re on vacation and decide to come home early but don’t want to come home to a really hot house, you can turn it on from your phone wherever you are. Also if you forget to turn off unit then you can also do it from your phone and save yourself some money.
Some air conditioners are so smart that they even know where you are and turn the unit off and on based on your location. They use the GPS locator on your phone, and if you are past a certain distance away they turn it off, then if you look like you’re coming home, they turn it on in readiness.
Who Can Benefit?
Anyone in a hot climate, or even just a climate that’s prone to the occasional heat wave, can benefit from a smart air conditioner. You will love its convenience, since you don’t have to get up to adjust the settings but can do it from your phone, and you can easily turn it on or off when you’re away from home.
If you’re on a budget and trying to save money, then these smart air conditioners can really help you become more efficient. Some of them have your daily spending built into the app, so you can see what you spend on air conditioning. They then let you specify how much you want to spend each month on air conditioning and track how much you’ve spent so far, a little bit like keeping track of the data usage on your phone.
Air conditioning units are a good way of getting cool without spending the money on installing central air conditioning in your house.
You might live somewhere where the temperature of your house is bearable most of the time, but there’s just a month or so where it can get real hot. In that case try one of these units and just put it in the living room, and you can all cluster together in the cool room when it’s too hot to be anywhere else. A little bit like the traditional fireplace in cold climates.
You could also consider getting one for each of the bedrooms and just turn it on at night so at least you can sleep well. Portable units are also really good for if you are going to a chalet or campsite where there is no air conditioning and you expect it to be hot. Just take this along with you and you’ll feel a lot better! You also won’t have to get up in the middle of the night to turn it down, as you can just lie in bed and adjust it from your phone.
What To Look For?
First you need to decide whether you want a window air conditioner or a portable unit. Window air conditioners can be quite noisy, but are not very expensive to install.
Compare the BTU rating (British Thermal Units). Find the square footage of your room and make sure it’s in the right range for the unit’s BTU rating. A higher BTU rating will cool a larger room, but also bear in mind that if the room gets more sunlight it might need a higher rating, and the higher the rating is, the heavier and bigger the unit will be.
Also check the energy efficiency ratio – the higher this is, the more efficient the unit will be, and the more money you should save. If you plan to get a few air conditioning units then look for some that you can group together on your app and adjust separately. That way you can make some rooms cooler than others as needed.
If you have a voice control device in your home such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s voice assistant, then you might want to look for one that is compatible with those so that you can voice activate them. For example, you could say, “Make my bedroom cool please” when you’re planning to go to bed soon – and save it running all evening when you will only be in there at night.
What To Avoid?
Avoid getting a unit that is too noisy, especially if you need to sleep in that room – unless you sleep better with a lot of white noise. Also be aware that some displays might not dim, and could be very bright and also make it difficult to sleep. Look for dimmable displays if that might be an issue, and check the reviews if you’re not sure.
Also make sure that the company that runs your app is still in business, as some of these are tech start up firms, and if they go out of business then your app won’t get updated.
FAQ
What happens if I get the wrong BTU rating?
You want to get the right size unit for the room you are trying to cool, as if the rating is too low then it may have to run continuously and never get to the temperature level you’re aiming for.
You might think if it is too powerful it will be fine, but in actual fact it means that it will quickly reach the temperature you want and then turn off. But very soon it will have to turn on again. All that cycling on and off can overwork it, and in addition because it is on less of the time it won’t remove enough humidity.
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Wrapping Up
The best smart air conditioner can forever change the way you cool your home, and if convenience is extremely important to you, then you need to get a smart AC unit.
These products are easy to operate, and they can be controlled with your smartphone. Summer is on its way, and to fight back against the hot, humid air, you need the cooling capacity of a smart air conditioner.