Our houses can get extremely hot during the summer. Of course, you don’t want to roast like a Thanksgiving Turkey, so what’s the solution? An air conditioner!
What’s more, if you want to remove some of the excess damp in your home, there are even some air conditioner and dehumidifier combos – neat, huh?
Of course, there are a lot of these handy gadgets on the market so it can be pretty difficult to narrow down what will be the best option for you. Thankfully, we’re here to save you a lot of time and effort. Read on to find out about the best air conditioner and dehumidifier combos. We’ve also written a nifty buyer’s guide to help you to narrow down your decision!
Summary of reviews
| Product name | Cooling Capacity | Color | Dimensions (inches) | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HomeLabs Portable Air Conditioner | 300 to 450 square feet | white | 17.9 x 15 x 30.7 inches | |
| Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner | 250 to 400 Sq. Ft. | black and white | 18.90 x 15.70 x 31.30 inches | |
| Whynter ARC-14S Portable Air Conditioner | up to 500 square feet | Platinum and Black | 16 x 19 x 35.5 inches | |
| Midea MAP12S1BWT Portable Air Conditioner | up to 275 sq ft | white | 17.13 x 13 x 29.13 inches | |
| Delonghi Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner | up to 400 square feet | white | 34 x 18.5 x 18 inches |
Contents
HomeLabs Portable Air Conditioner
The HomeLabs Portable Air Conditioner is by far one of the best units of its kind on the market. Coming from a well known brand with a vast amount of experience in creating top quality home and kitchen products, this is certainly an option that you will not be disappointed with.
Measuring at 19.9 inches wide x 30.7 inches in height x 15 inches deep, the model is fairly easy to carry around as it’s so portable and compact. Despite this compact size, though, the unit has an impressive 14,000 BTU output which means that it is able to cool a space that spans up to 600 square feet.
The air conditioner comes with the unit itself, an exhaust hose and a drain hose. It even comes with a washable air filter and it has a battery powered remote control. It’s very simple to set up, and all you need to do is attach the drain hose, plug the device in and then turn it on.
As far as the dehumidifier functions are concerned, it is able to remove up to 100 pints of water on a day to day basis. It’s fairly quiet when operating, only creating 50dB of noise.
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Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner
If you have a medium sized room that you want to make comfortably cool, why not give the Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner a try? This air conditioning unit will allow you to be able to cool and dehumidify areas between 300 square feet and 400 square feet large. As a result of this, it’s perfect for keeping bedrooms or living rooms cool.
When you’re using the unit, it’s actually able to operate as a dehumidifier and an air conditioner all at once. This is ideal if you happen to live in a humid climate.
Not only that, but you can decide between three different fan speeds for the cooling and dehumidification, which means you can really cater the operation to exactly what you require. The unit even has a 24 hours timer function which means you can set an exact time range for when you want the device to operate.
In addition to this, the device features a Dual Filtration system, which means that anything external such as hair and dust won’t be able to get into the advice. This helps to make the device last a lot longer so you’re really getting value for your money. It’s not incredibly loud due to the dual motor system either.
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Whynter ARC-14S Portable Air Conditioner
This portable unit has a pretty impressive power output of 14,000 BTU, so if you’re looking for a unit that is able to cool a space up to around 500 square feet then you may be well suited to the Whynter ARC-14S Portable Air Conditioner. This unit even comes with a remote control, an activated carbon filter and a washable pre-filter.
The device comes with an extendable exhaust hose that is able to stretch to as long as 60 inches, and there is also an intake house. It is able to work with windows from 20 to 46 inches.
You can easily view the temperature setting by looking at the digital readout display, and it is able to range from 61 degrees Fahrenheit up to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. All in all, it’s incredibly simple to use, with user friendly controls saving you spending hours trying to figure out how they work.
From there, the unit requires fairly little maintenance – all you need to do is plug it into a normal outlet in your house and it will do its own thing. The dehumidifier is able to remove and recycle a massive 101 pints of moisture on a daily basis.
It is important to mention that in order for the dehumidifier to function on its own, the temperature of the room needs to be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Midea MAP12S1BWT Portable Air Conditioner
The Midea is the ideal choice if you are only cooling a small area. It provides you with 8000 BTUs which is pretty impressive for such a small air conditioner and dehumidifier unit. There’s a lot to love here, despite the unit’s small size.
It’s incredibly simple to set the device up so you don’t need to worry about spending hours attempting to get to grips with it. Not only that, but it weighs relatively little at only 15.35 pounds. What makes it even easier to transport the device is that it actually comes with wheels on the bottom and handles on the side.
In addition to this, the device comes with both a remote control or a console on the front that you can use to control the device. With this, you can control the temperature, turn on the dehumidifier, switch the mode you’re using and more.
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Delonghi Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner
If you have a large area you want to keep cool and comfortable, the Delonghi Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner may be just the right choice for you. This air conditioning unit is able to cool and dehumidify spaces up to 700 square feet in total.
The device has four different functions in total. You can cool, dehumidify, there’s a fan you are able to use and a heating function. You can also operate the device using a remote control. In addition to this, the device doesn’ make a lot of noise either, so you don’t need to worry about it waking you up in the middle of the night.
The device features a BioSilver Filter too that’s designed to make sure that mold doesn’t grow inside. This means that you can use the device for an even longer span of time because it’s so durable.
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Best Air Conditioner Dehumidifier Combo Buying Guide
When buying your air conditioner and dehumidifier combo, there’s a lot more to consider other than just simply the price. You also need to consider things such as the cooling area, durability and more. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when you’re on the hunt for an air conditioner and dehumidifier combo.
Size
Some people will like to keep their unit in one particular area, whereas you may want to move the unit around as you see fit, for example from your living area to your bedroom at night. You find that there are a lot of units on the market that come along with casters or wheels and these help users to be able to move the AC device simply and efficiently.
With that being said, this is not a feature that is present in every unit. You should also consider how much space you have available, because you may not have room for a massive unit.
Energy Consumption
It seems pretty obvious to point out, but if you have a bigger unit you are going to need more energy to get the unit to function properly. Usually packaging will display not only an EER number, but also the average cost that it will take to run the device.
You should think about going for an option that has a programmable thermostat, as this means that once the area you are cooling reaches the temperature that you need, it will turn itself off instantaneously without any input from you, saving more energy in the long run.
Cooling Area
You should always check the specifications that are listed on the unit’s package as this will show you the size of the room that the unit is able to cool efficiently. You are going to need to know in advance the measurement in square feet of the area in which you are intending to use the unit.
You may think that a larger unit than you actually need will be a better option as far as cost is concerned, but this is actually not the case. If you use a bigger unit it will likely also require more electricity to run, which isn’t going to make you any savings. Make sure that the unit that you buy is one that is going to fit with your actual needs.
You should also avoid buying a unit that is going to cool multiple rooms, as the air isn’t going to properly circulate enough in order to cool every single room. You would be better off with finding an option that you can either move from room to room, or finding buying multiple smaller units for each room.
Not all rooms are going to need the same strength of unit either, because rooms that are on the west for example will be warmer during the night. For that room, you’ll need a unit with more power, but that may not be the case with a cooler room in the house.
Installation and Ease of Use
Most dehumidifiers come with instruction manuals that will give you directions for every step, and they usually have illustrations that allow you to be able to make sense of what you need to do a lot easier. With some, all you need to do is attach the houses, get the window kit set up and exit the hoses.
You may need to do things with some filters for the sake of condensation. You should think about how easy the device is to use and set up, it’s a lot of unnecessary frustration if it’s difficult to set up.
Exhaust Ventilation
It’s important that your air conditioning unit is properly vented to the outdoors using an exhaust hose, especially if it’s a portable option. You will find that most of these units come with kits that are able to work with a range of different window sizes so you can send the exhaust hose outside.
Some of them even come with hoses that will allow you to put the unit further away from the window, so you can put the device pretty much anywhere you need to. Always clarify the length and size of the hose and make a decision based on your personal requirements.
Single or Dual Hose
Usually, a dual hose unit will come with a hose that’s designed to trap the indoor air for cooling purposes, and another hose that’s designed to stop the unit’s heat from escaping the room through the window.
These models tend to be better with conserving energy, and they require around 40 percent less room in order to cool the room to the temperature that you need. On the other hand, the single hose models use the same hose to both take the air in from outside in addition to reducing the heat of the unit.
This means that it’s harder work for the unit to do this efficiently and so it’s not as cost effective as a dual hose model. If you want something that’s more cost effective in the long run then this is something you need to think about.
Amount of Noise
It’s only natural that an air conditioning and dehumidifier unit is going to make noise as it works, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily need one that’s roaring at you all day. You may not care about the noise during the day, but when you’re trying to drift off to sleep the last thing you want is a noisy unit screaming at you for hours.
It’s worth checking whether the unit comes with dB information, as this will tell you how noisy the unit is. If this information is not available to you, check what other buyer’s think.
Cost
Air conditioners and dehumidifier combos can cost very little, or a couple thousand dollars. A lot of the more expensive options will come with more features and will usually be bigger, but ultimately to save you a lot of money you should consider the things you absolutely need before buying.
The amount of energy that the AC unit needs when it’s operating is something to think about – you don’t want your utility costs to skyrocket from using your device. Both long and short term costs are important to consider – you may spend under 100 dollars on a cooling device, but in the long run that same device may cost you a fortune on utilities.
Are you looking for a small short term cost, or do you care more about long term savings?
Moisture Absorbency
When you’re looking for a combined unit, it’s important that the dehumidifier portion of the unit is also able to pull its weight. You should be looking for an air conditioner dehumidifier combo that is able to get rid of a minimum of 2 points of moisture in the space of one hour.
The more water the unit is able to remove, the better it will be, normally. With that being said, you may sometimes get a unit with a small moisture tank which means that you have to empty it a lot – not ideal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a portable or a fixed air conditioning system?
As far as air conditioning is concerned, you should be thinking of cost primarily. It’s much more comfortable to have a fixed air conditioning unit, but it could also cost you a lot more money. If you get a portable air conditioning unit, it can mean that you save an awful lot of money.
In addition to that, it’s easy to install them, they are easy to acquire and you can move them from room to room. When using them, you’re also only cooling one room of the house which can mean lots of savings for you in the long run.
I’ve bought a portable air conditioner – how do I set it up?
It’s actually pretty easy to set up a portable air conditioning unit! The key thing to remember is that you need to vent the air out from somewhere, so you need to make sure that you set up the unit’s venting kit to make any heat generated escape out of the window. It is otherwise just a simple case of following the instructions in the manufacturer’s guide.