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Best Air conditioners

Which Air conditioners performed best in our tests?

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We tested 36 air conditioners to determine the best-performing models. Our expert lab technicians tested each Air conditioner based on the following criteria:

  • Airflow right
  • Airflow left
  • Indoor noise high
  • Brownout
  • Ease of use
  • Comfort
  • Indoor noise low

Below lists the Air conditioners that rated best in each of the tests our experts looked for. Learn about how these tests were performed and find out which Air conditioner is rated best when you subscribe.

Consumer Reports Ratings for Best Air conditioners

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Airflow right
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This shows how well the louvers can direct air to the right of the unit when the user is facing it. Most important if the air conditioner must be installed in the corner of a room.


This Air conditioner which tested best for Airflow right has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Airflow left
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This shows how well the louvers can direct air to the left of the unit when the user is facing it. Most important if the air conditioner must be installed in the corner of a room.


This Air conditioner which tested best for Airflow left has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer, Auto fan speed and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Indoor noise high
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This judgment of indoor noise at the high-cool setting combines an objective measurement of noise level using a decibel meter with a subjective assessment of noise quality (how annoying or grating the particular sounds were).


This Air conditioner which tested best for Indoor noise high has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer, Auto fan speed, Dirty filter indicator and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Brownout
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Gauges the unit's ability to run and restart during extreme heat and low voltage.


This Air conditioner which tested best for Brownout has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer, Auto fan speed and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Ease of use
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This reflects control-panel layout, including the clarity of its markings, as well as how easy and intuitive the controls were to operate.


This Air conditioner which tested best for Ease of use has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer, Auto fan speed and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Comfort
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This is how well temperature and humidity are controlled at the low-cool setting. The best performers held temperatures to within one-and-a-half degrees of the setpoint.


This Air conditioner which tested best for Comfort has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer, Auto fan speed and Remote control.

ratingsBest Air conditioner for Indoor noise low
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This judgment of indoor noise at the low-cool setting combines an objective measurement of noise level using a decibel meter with a subjective assessment of noise quality (how annoying or grating the particular sounds were).


This Air conditioner which tested best for Indoor noise low has the following features: Electronic control with built-in timer and Remote control.