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Our portable air conditioner review (member content) looks at cooling performance, energy efficiency and ease of use to help you find the best air-con for your needs. We also have an air conditioner buying guide covering common features and other important information.
Share your experiences with air conditioners or ask a below.
Our portable air-conditioner review has been updated:
Cool. 
I wonder if the next updated review might include the Devanti range of portables. I’m pretty chuffed with the one I bought, but its probably going to be costing a bomb to run…
I bought an Olympia piu16 air con to use in my bedroom. When I have it running through the night I put the temp on 20 degrees with the fan on medium & I find through the night it seems to cut off & on & only the fan is running. Is this normal? When I checked with the goods guys the man said this was normal that the compressor shuts down when the room has reached desired temp. Can someone please help me? Thank you.
Yes, most air conditioners when they reach the dialled in temperature stop the compressor otherwise the temperature would keep on getting hotter/colder. Some also turn off the fan and restart both the fan and compressor when the temperature deviates from that set.
It appears that your model the compressor stops and the fan continues. This may be to keep a flow of air over the thermostat so that room air temperature is measured rather than the temperature within the portable air conditioner.
Sounds like that is what should be happening, if the room temperature is at the set temperature.
Have you measured the room temperature when the compressor stops.
I have a Close Comfort a/c and it does the same thing. I realised it was because of the ambient temp being same as set temp, so on extremely hot nights I set mine lower by a couple of degrees, than my normal. If it actually did not do what its doing, the a/c would be in danger of freezing up, which would probably destroy it (ie it would stop working entirely)
Thank you so much for your response.
Thank you very much for your advise. It helps to know I wasn’t being taken advantage of.
Hi @Nas and welcome to the Community.
I have moved your topic to this already existing one on portable air con reviews. Your question and the answers will help others understand the operation of their units and fits well within the existing topic.
I hope you enjoy your membership here and find it both helpful and rewarding.
One problem with portable air cons is the noise. Here’s the quietest of the ones we reviewed:
My Devanti (22000BTU) is the quietest I have ever had, and I have had quite a few. It seems to work between about 47 and 76, mostly around 50-60 which is OK. My window unit is much louder, so even though its more efficient at cooling the room, I tend to use the Devanti more, because its a mouse by comparison. I have been known to run both at the same time, for quick cooling 
And the worst of those tested…open content
Hi everyone, thought I would open this can of worms, I am after a portable air conditioner at least 4.1kw. Self condensation (no fiddling with extra trays, jugs , no filling with water etc. Would love it to oscillate with 3 speeds. It is going into the bedroom so quieter the better but I am realistic and know they make a noice. Remote control and would love wifi connectivity but I am dreaming in my price range I think. It would be nice for it to dehumidify (I think this falls into checking water trays etc) and even it to purify the air even more that dehumidify as I don’t have fly screens etc. OK, don’t die of shock, my price is between $650 and $800. Would love you know what you have, do you like it and why and which ones to avoid. Any help would gratefully be received. Cheers Steph
Welcome to the Community @Stevie
I have moved your post to this existing topic on Portable Air Conditioners. CHOICE has reviewed them and if you are a member you can access the details. I think you will also get further great advice from others in this community.
Because my room is so small, theres no room for a portable a/c between the bed and the window (those exhaust hoses are huge)… So I have indulged in a close comfort, which does not require anything more than being able to exhaust its air through a door or window, but even that isnt necessary. If its going to cool two people I’d also invest in the bed tent to contain the cool to the bed, and leave the hot air out. I just have mine pointing at me, its a personal cooler, not a room cooler. Its self evaporative, so no water to be emptied. You’d be wanting the Cool Focus as they call it now. When I bought, 3 years ago, there was only the one model Its in your price range too.
https://www.closecomfort.com/au/
But, if you dont want that, try ebay for Devanti or Carson. I have a Devanti 6kW and am happy with it in my loungeroom, this is year 2.
Hi Sue, thank you for replying and if anyone is reading this, please forgive me if I stuff up. Leaning about how to posts, answer questions on a phone with broken glasses. Fainted in the heat last night. Grrrrr.
Sue, I haven’t purchased anything as yet, trying to do as much research as possible. I live in a very quirky building, I think the bedroom is as big as the lounge and a tiny kitchen in the corner but I hate cooking so it doesn’t worry me. I did have the measurements for the bedroom but can’t get my hands on them at the moment. From my calculations (which I got a tradesman from next food to check (never trust me with measurements, always seem to add an inch to my height ). It was agreed that a min of 4.1kw and upwards would be better due to the way my unit is facing. (I get sun all day which is lovely in winter, no heater or doona bit killer in the bedroom) It won’t cool down the entire unit, just the bedroom. There is only me and a furface so no need to look after anyone else at the moment. I will look up the one you suggested and thank you for your help. I appreciate it 
LOL! Me too, mine is a feline, and he decided a couple of years ago that the close comfort is HIS. Likewise, the portable in the loungeroom points at my chair (it oscillates up and down but not side to side) and he claims my chair as soon as I head to the loo.
