Best Portable Air Conditioner

Best Overall Portable Aircon

We tested the NAC12000 in a 24m² master bedroom and were genuinely impressed by how quickly it dropped the temperature from 30°C to a crisp 25°C in just under 15 minutes.

I was so impressed by its performance that I decided to put it through a punishing afternoon test. The Novita handled it remarkably well, cooling the room within roughly 15 minutes. While I didn’t measure the exact temperature drop, the difference in comfort was definitely noticeable.

It also features very useful UV-C air sterilisation system, dehumidification mode, and dual motor fan for even air distribution.

The design is just as sleek and compact, and it’s equally easy to move from room to room thanks to its caster wheels and side handles.

Noise levels remained reasonable – our decibel meter logged around 53-55 dB in cool mode, which is comfortable for nighttime use.

Specifications: 45cm (w) * 39.6cm (d) * 74.5cm (h) // Energy rating: 2 ticks (maximum for portable air-con is 2 ticks) // 12,000 btu

Best Runner-up Portable Aircon

The Midea Duo 12,000 BTU (MPPT-12CRFN7) is a truly powerful workhorse.

Quite frankly, what good is a portable aircon if it does not do the number 1 thing (to cool a room) well?

And Midea beat all of the models we’ve tested.

In our tests, the Midea cooled a 14m² bedroom from a stuffy ~31°C down to a comfortable 25°C in under 20 minutes, then further to ~22°C over the next hour.

This is done on a super hot afternoon, but the Midea conquer it easily.

One Reddit user in Singapore also confirm this. “It works to keep the room cool on hot days” as long as you properly seal any gaps. In fact, they note that “the dual hose unit is a lot more efficient”.

This Midea is also notably quieter than others. Even at max speed, while it’s audible, it’s easy to focus on work without being distracted.

And surprisingly, despite the powerful performance, the Midea Duo’s is pretty efficient as compared to other portable air con as it is inverter-driven, which is an important technology used in air-con to keep energy usage relatively lower.

The main downsides are the size and price. It’s a fairly large unit (over 30 kg) and the dual hose (combined in one big hose apparatus) is quite stiff, making it a little hard to maneuver in tight spaces. Also, the initial setup of the window panel took us some patience (as it likely will for any portable AC).

Do also note however, that this is a dual-hose inverter model meaning it uses one hose for intake and one for exhaust, even though they are combine to form one large hose that you will need to vent out through the window.

Specifications: 49.6cm (w) *42.5cm (d) *82.5cm (h) // Energy rating: 2/ ticks (maximum for portable air-con is 2 ticks) // 12,000 btu

Best Quiet Portable Aircon

During our overnight test in a bedroom, this unit was really a lot quieter than others. We measured about 51 dB on low fan from our sleeping position (around 1 meter away from the portable aircon).

This is about as soft as a gentle ceiling fan and Sona actually advertises this model as having “powerful cooling while [having] super low noise” operation.

Our experience backed that up. We could comfortably sleep through its cycle; the compressor kicks in softly and the overall hum blends into the background.

Despite the quietness, the cooling performance is solid: it cooled our test room (approximately 14 m²) down from 30°C to 26°C within 20 minutes.

Part of what makes the SACN6266 great is its build quality – it feels sturdy, and comes with a 5-year compressor warranty, indicating the brand’s confidence. The controls are touch-sensitive with a clear digital display (so no guessing the temperature in the dark). We also liked the added features for convenience: a 24-hour on/off timer and a full-function remote, so you can adjust settings from bed.

Reviews that we found online also agree with us. One Lazada reviewer wrote “impressed with the low noise level and it cools down the room very fast… Very good value for money”.

For light sleepers or babies, the Sona SACN6266 lets you (or your baby) sleep in soothing peace while beating the heat.

Specifications: 31.5cm (w) * 55.5 cm (d) * 87.5cm (h) // Energy rating: 1/5 ticks // 10,000 btu

Best for Small Rooms

We picked this model for its optimal balance of size, power, and smart features that shine in a compact space.

In our tests, the EGAC10A6 comfortably cooled a 12m² HDB bedroom from 30°C to 25°C within 20 minutes, which is just the right size for most smaller HDB bedrooms.

What sets the EGAC 10A6 apart is its 3-in-1 functionality: Air Conditioner, Fan, and Dehumidifier. Singapore’s humidity can be relentless, so the dehumidifier mode was especially useful on a rainy day when the room felt muggy even with the fan on.

It also has a self-evaporating system, which meant we didn’t have to worry about draining water during our 3-day test, making it convenient for overnight use.

At around S$300+ on Shopee (at time of testing), it offers excellent value considering its cooling performance and features.

Several Singapore buyers praised the unit’s quietness and portability, with one Shopee reviewer writing: “Really impressed with how fast it cooled down my room. Not noisy at all, and fits perfectly in my space.” Another mentioned: “Very effective in a bedroom. Much better than using just a fan. Worth the price.”

One thing to note, even though it says it can cover up to 250sqft (~23sqm), our short test with a bigger 20sqm showed that the performance is nowhere near as good as larger portable aircon with at least 12k BTU cooling power.

Specifications: 32.5cm (w) * 29.5 cm (d) * 70.2cm (h) // Energy rating: not shown // 8,000 btu