Tips For Choosing the Best Quiet Portable Air Conditioner (May 2024 update)
Share
Have you been looking for a quiet portable air conditioner to keep those warmer nights cooler and ensure you sleep better? You are not alone, as summer approaches, more families are in the market for the quietest portable air conditioner unit to keep their homes cool and possibly replace their old AC units. In this article, we give you tips to help you choose the right small roomquiet portable air conditioner in the UK market.
When buying a quiet portable air conditioner, you want to find a unit that operates at noise levels of 65 decibels or less. There are other factors to consider when determining which is the quietest portable air conditioner, which we will look at below.
A quiet air conditioning unit is a great choice when you do not want to invest in a centralised cooling system. Yet, with so much variety in the UK market, it is easy to get confused about which portable room cooler to buy.
Here is a list of things to consider when searching for a quiet portable air conditioner for small room like your bedroom, child nursery, garden room, or home office.
What is a quiet portable air conditioner?
A quiet portable cooler is a stand-alone unit that can be moved around and carries enough power to cool Unlike conventional AC units, a portable room cooler is not fixed and can be moved around at will. Modern portable air conditioners have come a long way and have some notable advantages over older HVAC units.
Advantages of quiet AC units
Easy to install
A quiet air conditioning unit does not require expensive installation processes. Most come with bottom wheels, making it easy to move the AC around. Once you plug the unit into a power source, you immediately enjoy a cooler room during those hot summers.
They are portable
A modern portable room cooler features a compact and lightweight design. They are easy to carry and can fit narrow spaces, making them ideal for tiny houses or rooms. Also, the lightweight design makes it easy to tuck the unit away when not in use.
Save energy
A quiet portable air conditioner runs on less power compared to central AC units. This is because they can be positioned to provide cooling to a specific area, not the entire house. Where a centralised ac unit would use 4500 watts hourly to cool an entire house, a portable AC will use at most 1000 watts to cool a small room or bedroom, or even better780 Watts for the 7000 BTU model!
Make less noise
It's not called a quiet air conditioning unit for nothing. These modern AC units do operate at noise levels as low as 50dB. They are ideal for small living rooms, where they run silently without disturbing your conversations. They can also run quietly in your bedroom without interrupting your good night's sleep.
Versatile
Most quiet and portable air conditioners today can do more than one job. Besides functioning as an evaporative air cooler, they can also dehumidify or purify indoor air quality.
Smart features
Nowadays, you can find a portable room cooler with smart features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sleep mode. Some units also integrate with your smart home setup for ease of operation.
Portable air conditioners have a lot to offer that conventional HVAC units don't. However, to get the most out of your portable AC, you have to ensure you are picking the right unit for your home.
Before buying a portable air cooler, consider the following:
●Size of the unit
●Noise level
●Multi-functionality
●Smart features
Size of the unit
Portable room air conditioners are measured in a unit known as BTU. It is the amount of energy an AC uses to effectively cool a room. Many of the silent portable ACs on the UK market have a BTU rating between 9000 BTU and 12,000 BTU, which is enough for small rooms.
Here is a chart to guide you.
BTU Rating |
Room Size (m²) |
4000 BTU |
10 |
9000 BTU |
15-20 |
10,000 BTU |
20-25 |
20,000 BTU |
30-35 |
Always measure the size of the room you intend to cool in square feet. The measurement you get should serve as a guide when buying a quiet air conditioning unit for your home.
Noise level
If you are looking for a quiet portable air conditioner for small room cooling, then it is inherent that you will find the most silent unit on the market.
So, what is the quietest portable air conditioner UK? It boils down to how much noise you can tolerate from the unit you buy. Most standard portable room coolers have noise levels between 40 dB and 60dB, which is considered quiet enough for human ears.
When cooling a high-traffic area like a small living room, go with a reliable unit like the Morris quiet portable air conditioner.It has a noise rating of 56 dB, which is low enough to keep the family banter going while enjoying the breeze from the AC. You could also use this AC in a toddler’s room, and it will not disturb their sleep.
Multi-functionality
How versatile is the quiet air conditioning unit you intend to buy? Modern quiet portable air con units in the UK like the Morris 9000BTU Wi-Fi ACor the 7000 BTU model, not only dispense cool air but also reduce indoor humidity. They also have an inbuilt air purifier, which removes disease-causing allergens from the air you breathe.
Smart features
Today's portable room cooler redefines the meaning of remote control. The conventional remote controller is replaced with a smart app that allows you to turn your AC on and off, change the fan speed, or monitor indoor temperatures. More advanced portable air conditioners connect to existing virtual assistant technologies like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
With just the tap of your mobile phone, you can decide when your AC runs or when it goes into sleep mode. You can also talk directly to your AC to run at low speeds to save on energy or further reduce noise levels.
How does a quiet air conditioning unit save you money?
We all want to enjoy the breeze from our ACs while saving money at the end of the month. Replacing your old AC unit with a portable room cooler can help you do just that. Here is how.
Helps cool the space you are using
A quiet portable air conditioner allows you to cool one room at a time. It means you can run the AC only in the rooms you are using instead. You can also direct cool air to a section of your studio flat which also helps reduce cooling costs.
Control the AC remotely
Smart features like in-built Wi-Fi allow you to control your AC while at home or away. You can set the air conditioner to run at specific times or go on sleep mode when a room is efficiently cooled.
Another great perk is syncing your AC unit with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Such features allow you to customise your portable AC to fit your current smart setup, which can further reduce energy costs.
Kill two birds with one stone
Your portable AC can come with an air purification system to filter out airborne allergens in your room. Alternatively, you can purchase a portable room cooler with a dehumidifier function to both cool and reduce humidity in a not-so-humid environment. (Although we do recommend getting a dedicated dehumidifier for small rooms with humidity higher than 50%).
No professional installation
When we think about the cost of buying a quiet portable air conditioner for a bedroom and other smaller rooms, seldom do we think about the installation cost. Fortunately, a quiet portable air conditioning unit does not need any expert installation. Just place the air conditioner in the room you want to cool and plug it in, and that's it!
Moreover, advanced portable air conditioners come with a hose that filters humidity out of your room. It reduces the need to empty the ACs water tank whenever it fills up with condensation.
Energy efficiency
This one is a no-brainer. A quiet air conditioning unit uses 1000 watt to cool a specific room while a central AC system uses 4500 watts to cool an entire house. You save on electric bills by providing cooling only where it is needed.
A good night's sleep
Having quality sleep every night ensures you wake up refreshed and productive the next day. When it gets hot in summer, all you need is a portable AC with a noise level below 60dB. It does not interrupt your sleep, and you wake up less sweaty and ready to conquer your day.
Improved health
Most illnesses are caused by the airborne allergens in our homes. A versatile, quiet portable air conditioner with an inbuilt air purifier filters out disease-causing allergens, which means you do not fall sick often. It in turn reduces your monthly medical bills, which is an added advantage.
Conclusion
A quiet portable air conditioner can help you save money while keeping cool this summer. It consumes less energy by cooling specific rooms, can serve more than one function, and includes smart features for a hands-free experience.
When looking for a quiet portable air con unit UK for a bedroom or a tiny home, consider the unit's size and noise level as well. Besides ensuring you get a good night's sleep, your portable AC can also keep you healthy by improving indoor air quality.