Most and Least Reliable Room Air Conditioner Brands

Seven of 10 window AC brands and four of eight portable AC brands earn a very good or excellent rating for predicted reliability in our survey. Here’s how specific brands stack up.

• Danby, Frigidaire, Haier, and LG were given top marks for reliability.
• GE, Midea, and Whirlpool were rated as very good, while Amana, Arctic King, and Friedrich earned a good score.
• Among portable AC brands, Frigidaire and Honeywell ranked best for predicted reliability, while Danby, DeLonghi, Hisense, and LG earned an average score for reliability.

Among members who bought window ACs, there was a wide range of satisfaction scores, with some brands getting a poor rating while others were excellent.

Midea notched an excellent satisfaction score while LG and Fredrich were very good. Three window units got a poor owner satisfaction mark, including two—Danby and Haier—which earned top marks for reliability. The third brand at the bottom of the satisfaction ratings was Arctic King, which got a so-so reliability score.

Of the 10 window AC brands covered in the survey, none got an excellent score on both reliability and owner satisfaction.

The satisfaction scores for the portable units were more consistent across brands. Seven of the eight earned an average rating of good, while the Danby was ranked one notch below that. But again, none of the portables earned top scores for reliability and satisfaction.

We analyzed our survey data to find out which air conditioner attributes matter in terms of overall owner satisfaction. These are the four most important:

• The reliability of an air conditioner (meaning a low instance of problems)
• How quickly the unit cools a room
• Energy efficiency
• How easy the unit is to use

Among members with room air conditioners, 72 percent own window units. And many say they’re likely to replace it with another window unit when it’s time for a new one. One in 5 members plan to upgrade to central air conditioning or a split-ductless heat pump system. (You can read about both types in our central air conditioner buying guide.)

Almost three-fifths (60 percent) of all room air conditioner purchases made by CR members took place at Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. Costco has healthy sales of portable air conditioners, accounting for 12 percent of all purchases, but the warehouse club giant accounted for relatively few window unit sales, at only 5 percent.

According to our survey, members paid a median price of $280 for window units and a median price of $407 for portables.

Buying an AC? Below are the top window ACs in the sizes we test—small, medium, and large—and the top-scoring portable ACs. Keep in mind that as a group, portable ACs perform worse in our tests than window units. But not every home can accommodate a window unit and some buildings prohibit them. If a portable AC is your only option, choose one from a highly reliable brand.