Best overall
Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG7
4,150 BTU (SACC) · single-hose
- CEER
- 13.4
- Power draw
- 310 W
- Per year
- $42
Highest CEER of all 19 rating profiles in this size: 13.4.
Ratings, size and running costBest 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioners
A 5,000 BTU or less portable unit really cools about 100-150 sq ft.
The most efficient of the 19 rating profiles (575 model numbers) is Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG7 at 13.4 CEER. A typical one draws about 806 W and costs about $109 a year to run. Boxes marked 8,000 BTU (the older ASHRAE rating) often certify at about 5,000 SACC.
Top picks
Best with heat
NINGPU NPP-05H/X1E
5,000 BTU (SACC) · single-hose · heats too
- CEER
- 6.3
- Power draw
- 794 W
- Per year
- $107
Cools and also has a heating mode for cool weather.
Ratings, size and running costBest inverter
Antarctic Star AC7290-10K
5,500 BTU (SACC) · single-hose · inverter
- CEER
- 7.9
- Power draw
- 696 W
- Per year
- $94
Variable-speed compressor: slows down instead of cycling on and off.
Ratings, size and running cost- Real cooling (SACC)2,000-5,500 BTU
- Certified model numbers575 from 100 brands
- CEER range (median 6.2)4.4-13.4
- Dual-hose0% of models
- Also heat1% of models
- Inverter compressor2% of models
Compare all 19 rating profiles
Filter by size, brand or features
19 rating profiles, ranked by CEER (efficiency). Yearly cost at 750 hours and the U.S. average electricity price.
| # | Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG71 model number | $42 | Single-hose | |
| 2 | Foshan Hanyang KOW60A1 model number | $60 | Single-hose | |
| 3 | Antarctic Star AC7290-10K6 model numbers, 6 brands | $94 | Single-hose, Inverter, Gravity drain | |
| 4 | 5,300 BTU single-hose portable AC, 7.1 CEERe.g. EUHOMY PAC002-8K, simzlife PAC002-8K + 102 more | $101 | Single-hose | |
| 5 | 5,250 BTU single-hose portable AC, 6.6 CEERe.g. Midea MAP08R1CWT, DREO DWAC08S + 64 more | $108 | Single-hose | |
| 6 | LG LP0526PGF2 model numbers | $102 | Single-hose | |
| 7 | Frigidaire FHPC082AC11 model number | $118 | Single-hose | |
| 8 | NINGPU NPP-05H/X1E6 model numbers, 2 brands | $107 | Single-hose, Heat | |
| 9 | BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT5 model numbers, 3 brands | $116 | Single-hose | |
| 10 | Whirlpool WHNP051AW2 model numbers, 2 brands | $112 | Single-hose | |
| 11 | 5,000 BTU single-hose portable AC, 6.2 CEERe.g. LG LP0525WFR, Midea MAP05R1WWT + 355 more | $109 | Single-hose | |
| 12 | GARVEE KY-8K/07E1 model number | $104 | Single-hose | |
| 13 | 5,000 BTU single-hose portable AC, gravity drain, 6.1 CEERe.g. Antarctic Star AC7205-5K, COWSAR AC7205-5K + 10 more | $111 | Single-hose, Gravity drain | |
| 14 | LG LP0524WFR1 model number | $111 | Single-hose, Inverter | |
| 15 | Fehom KOW60A4 model numbers, 4 brands | $103 | Single-hose | |
| 16 | GOUKA GK-LB1-UBRF2 model numbers | $76 | Single-hose, Heat, Condensate pump | |
| 17 | GOUKA GK-LB1-URF2 model numbers | $76 | Single-hose, Condensate pump | |
| 18 | vevor S03 PRO1 model number | $63 | Single-hose | |
| 19 | vevor S021 model number | $62 | Single-hose |
More about 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioners
Yearly running cost by city
A typical unit (6.2 CEER) against the most efficient (13.4 CEER), at each city's cooling hours and state electricity price.
| City | Typical | Most efficient |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | $209 | $80 |
| Houston, TX | $181 | $69 |
| Miami, FL | $217 | $84 |
| Atlanta, GA | $94 | $36 |
| New York, NY | $120 | $46 |
| Chicago, IL | $73 | $28 |
| Denver, CO | $47 | $18 |
| Seattle, WA | $14 | $5 |
What the box says and what it delivers
Boxes marked 8,000 BTU (the older ASHRAE rating) often certify at about 5,000 SACC. The number to size by is the SACC, the cooling the unit delivers in the Department of Energy test, after the heat it lets back in. How SACC differs from the BTU on the box.
Questions
- What is the best 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioner?
- On certified efficiency, Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG7 at 13.4 CEER, about $42 a year at typical U.S. use. The typical certified unit in this size has 6.2 CEER.
- How big a room does a 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioner cool?
- About 100 to 150 sq ft for a unit that really delivers 5,000 BTU (SACC), with normal sun and two people, following the ENERGY STAR floor-area table. Boxes marked 8,000 BTU (the older ASHRAE rating) often certify at about 5,000 SACC. In a very sunny room use about 10% less area; a kitchen needs about 4,000 BTU more.
- How many watts does a 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioner use?
- Between 310 and 873 watts at full power for certified models, about 806 W for the typical one. That is about $109 a year at 750 hours and 18.0¢/kWh.
- Is a dual-hose 5,000 BTU or less portable air conditioner worth it?
- No certified unit in this size has two hoses; all 461 models are single-hose. For two hoses you need a unit of 8,000 BTU or more.
- Is a portable air conditioner of this size as efficient as a window unit?
- No. The 3 ENERGY STAR certified window units that cool about as much have a median CEER of 13.7, against 6.2 for the typical portable unit here, so the window unit costs about $49 a year to run against $109. A portable unit is the answer when a window unit will not fit.
The Department of Energy lists every certified model, including some no longer sold: check availability before you plan around a unit.