Best Cheap Portable Air Conditioner 2024 – Top 7 Picks (under $200/$300)

The air conditioner is a great invention of humankind, especially where the weather is extreme. Especially, the cheap portable air conditioners are even more convenient because you can take them everywhere. A cheap portable air conditioner really does wonders for you in summer hot nights.

Portable air conditioners do not need consistent installation; therefore, you can place it anywhere, maybe your home or office. More important, the portable air conditioners do not consume lots of electricity and it is durable too.

Picking out the best cheap portable air conditioner may be a big deal because there are too many designs with lots of characteristics on the market. But you can make it easy by reading our reviews because we will immediately go through the top 7 best cheap portable air conditioners.

Top 7 Best Cheap Portable Air Conditioner Reviews

PRODUCTS	MODEL	CHECK PRICE
	LG LP0817WSR 115V Portable Air Conditioner	Check Price
	FRIGIDAIRE FFPA0822U1 Portable White Air Conditioner	Check Price
	Global Air 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner	Check Price
	Mini Portable Air Conditioner Fan Noiseless Evaporative Air Humidifier	Check Price
	KUUOTE Portable Air Conditioner Fan	Check Price
	Evapolar evaCHILL Personal Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner Fan	Check Price
	Evapolar Personal Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner	Check Price

Below are the detailed reviews

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LG LP0817WSR 115V is among the best cheap portable standup air conditioners. This product comes with a sleek outlook and great portability. Customers can choose between two different colors and be assured to enjoy cool fresh air from this air conditioner if your room isn’t larger than 150 square feet.

Equipped with the feature of auto-swing air, LG LP0817WSR 115V is excellent in circulating the air and cooling down the temperature. The auto evaporation system can be used without stops. Also, with a programmable timer of 24 hours, you can control the temperature even when you go out.

Hot spots aren’t much of a problem thanks to inclined air discharge. Besides, LG LP0817WSR 115V comes with a power cord of 6 feet and an indicator for water full. The air conditioner gives a convincing performance with the power of 8000 BTU. Great as it seems, the model is not difficult to set up at all.

Pros:

• LG LP0817WSR 115V is more suitable for small rooms
• The sleek contemporary design attracts many eyes
• There are wheels for easy moving
• The price is acceptable even though high
• A 1-year warranty is included

Cons:

• The power cord is quite short
• It can’t provide enough cool air for spacious rooms.

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Frigidaire FFPA0822U1 is one of the best cheap portable air conditioners with a compact design. It is also easy to move around by four wheels, though accompanied by the window install kit and exhaust hose.

The conditioner sustains the preset room temperature so as to keep you cool and relaxed throughout the day. Its three different fan speeds provide more choices for customers depending on their wish and room temperature. It also comes with a remote control so there is no need to touch the machine. With the built-in timer, it is possible for you to preset the unit to turn on and off in half-hour increments. Thus, you can even customize times to get timely comfort based on your schedule.

Frigidaire has a reusable anti-bacteria filter for getting rid of dust, room odors, bacteria, and other airborne particles. Customers can enjoy the fresh air and a healthy environment just by regularly washing and drying the filter to keep it in the best condition. The control panel lets customers know when the filter is dirty by the indicator light.

Pros:

• It has a modern and sturdy design
• The conditioner provides more coolness
• Remote control is included
• There are three fan speeds for more cooling flexibility
• It has SpaceWise portable design with four wheels for easy movement
• It operates with a minimum amount of noise

Cons:

• Its operation is much louder than expected overall

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The Global Air 10000 BTU is among the best portable air conditioners with good respect. The edge this conditioner has over other models is various robust features and convenient-to-use quality to be used across the house.

Global Air 10000 BTU presents an ideal cooling machine for 400 square feet room. Thanks to its four-way design, cold air can be evenly distributed throughout the room and hot spots no longer exist. Also, there is the over-cold protection three-minute restart-delay function.

Global Air 10000 BTU is easy to move from room to room with the smooth-gliding wheels. Besides, the portable air conditioner uses a self-evaporation system to recover condensate, but leaks may happen in high-humidity environments so emptying the water tray periodically is required. It is now possible to control the machine from far away with just a remote control.

Pros:

• It offers a very easy installation
• It is suitable for room size up to 400 square feet
• The conditioner is extremely helpful in hot summer days
• It can quickly cool a room in minutes
• There are wheels for quick movement
• The conditioner can be conveniently controlled by remote control

Cons:

• If the room has high humidity, you need to empty the water tray periodically

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Mini Portable Air Conditioner Fan is one of the best 3 in 1 cheap portable air conditioners. It can cool, moisten and cleanse the air that you breathe.

To operate this mini portable air conditioner, water needs to be filled in. Cold water with ice cubes to humidify cooling air is recommended. However, any refrigerant is not allowed in the water tank to prevent the atomizer from being blocked.

The mini portable air conditioner can be put on the desk without wetting it due to Mini Water Tray design. With the latest evaporative misting cooling technology, dry air will never bother you when you are with this product. There are three speeds of cooling air for personal interest. Vertical direction rotation being supported, you can adjust the wind direction as you wish.

The compact and lightweight air cooler is designed for individuals as its cooling range is within 20 ft. It cannot cool down a small room. You can use it anywhere, in the office, bedroom or children’s room. For better portability, there is a handle to carry and 4 caster wheels underneath the unit.

Pros:

• The mini cooler has 3 in 1 function
• Its design is compact and lightweight
• It is a three-speed mini cooler fan
• The product is USB powered
• It operates without any noise

Cons:

• The fan is suitable for personal use only

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KUUOTE is regarded as one of the best cheap portable air conditioners with multi-function. It can be either an ordinary desk fan or an air cooler fan after adding ice and water into the tank for cooling and fresh wind to come out. With one full water tank, the fan can continuously spray for 3-5 hours to purify the air, increase the humidity and keep your skin moisture. For a more relaxing experience, you can even drop your favorite essential oil into the water.

7 soft lights of KUUOTE create good mood and comfort for customers and helps to cure your insomnia. Working powerfully at a low noise level, the product offers appropriate conditions of temperature and noise for an all-night comfortable sleep.

KUUOTE owns a portable handle design with only 8.9-inch height, thus, carrying around is not a problem with this evaporative cooler. You can use KUUOTE for your kitchen, dorm room, bedroom, office, on your desktop and tabletop or any places in need of cool air.

Pros:

• The Multi-Function make it a versatile fan
• It is very compact and lightweight, suitable for use on the go
• There are 3 adjustable speeds
• There are built-in 7 lights for more comfort
• The fan is ultra-quiet

Cons:

• The fan performs with less effectiveness in high humidity

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The Evapolar mini air conditioner should be in the list of best cheap portable air conditioners regarding its compact, simple yet highly functional design.

This portable air conditioner is hassle-free to use and highly portable. The sleek design comes with the right size for campers to take along on their trips or anywhere. Also, Evapolar is equipped with a highly intuitive one-button interface to make handling easier and quicker. Besides, there are a handle, a slot for refilling water, and a leakage-free build. The wind speed has three modes and the device can work on any USB power supply.

The primary job of Evapolar mini air conditioner is to cool, humidify and filter out dust from the environment. To prevent the development of bacteria and gems, it has a paper-like evaporative filter (Eva Breeze) made from non-organic materials.

According to the user reviews for this Evapolar unit, the device presumably provides effective coolness for personal spaces of up to 45 sq. ft. Its 800ml water tank is quite large compared with some other air conditioners, which simplifies the refilling process because you don’t need to refill much when one full tank lasts for about 9 hours (a whole night).

Pros:

• The device has various functions
• The water tank is large for fewer needs of refilling
• The portable and compact design makes it easier to move
• It consumes only 7,5 W and no-Freon
• The device is workable with any USB source
• It effectively cools, cleans and humidifies the air

Cons:

• There is a little smell at the first use

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Evapolar Personal Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner is among the best cheap portable air conditioners as the world’s first-ever personal air cooler. The best advantage of this device is that it creates its own local perfect microclimate by cooling, humidifying and cleaning the air. With the shape of a companion cube, the Evapolar personal evaporative air cooler really has a compact and stylish design while its capacity is up to 750 milliliters of water.

The Evapolar personal evaporative air cooler is more than just an ordinary personal air cooler. It humidifies and cleans the air for you to have a better-qualified and good-for-skin atmosphere. Large particles of dust are removed and purified air is ready for you. Owning this product, you will be blessed with cool air evenly when the conditioner spreads the air in every direction.

The most attractive feature of the Evapolar is its customizability. It is clearly demonstrated in the fan speed, for examples, you can change the noise level from 27 decibels all the way up to 40 decibels. Thus, you don’t have to worry about the noise affecting the tranquil life of your family, especially the elderly and babies. One more customization feature is the color of the LED inside the water reservoir.

Pros:

• The device is an effective 3-in-1 cooling machine
• It is easy to install and use
• Its low energy consumption saves your bill
• The conditioner is made of non-organic materials harboring mo bacterias
• Its intuitive controls offer great convenience
• It works via any USB power supply

Cons:

• The device can’t cool effectively if the air has high humidity

Features to Consider in Cheap Portable Air Conditioners

Before purchasing, it is advisable to look through some features below:

Cooling area

Its main feature is cooling area surroundings. Nonetheless, it depends on the capacity of the unit that decides how far it can cool:

-Desktop mini air coolers usually cool the air within 1 to 5 square meters (10 to 50-foot radius)

-Larger, portable evaporative air coolers, however, can have a bigger reach, cooling around 40 to 50 square meters (400 to 500-foot radius)

The cooling capacity is often included in the product description, so please check it out.

BTU capacity

BTU capacity represents the heat removal of the air conditioner in an hour. Enormous rooms and hot weather demand more BTUs. The details will be attached below.

Ease of use

Complex functions go with complicated usage and vice versa. It is possible to have a product with many adjustable controls, functioning modes and programmable operation if you invest in your choice. Units mostly go with a remote control operation, however, still some do not. You have the freedom to make your choice!

Automatic Drainage System

Look for a cheap portable air conditioner with an automatic drainage system because it can help a lot in getting rid of condensation liquid. Collected water or overflowing will not be a problem anymore. All the above-mentioned products have the automatic drainage system or using evaporation so that they are long-lasting and spotlessly clean,

Noise Level

The usual range of nouse is from 50 dB to 80 dB and it gradually increases. Therefore, it is not a good idea to put a portable air conditioner in your bedroom if you are sensitive to sounds, otherwise, you will easily suffer from sleep deprivation. If you still want to put it in your bedroom, you may need a device that could make the decibel level fall.

Remote

A remote control will benefit you a lot, especially to people who are lazy. Sometimes you will find getting up only to adjust the unit is too annoying, this is why you need a remote control

Budget

Products are available at different prices, compare brands and choose the one that suits your budget. The extended warranty is not really necessary, so don’t waste money on it. Additionally, you can yourself deal with small repairs and routine maintenance such as washing the fluids. Save up money!

Portable Air Conditioner – FAQ

What is a portable air conditioner?

A portable air conditioner (PAC) is a self-contained portable system ideal for cooling single rooms. You can put them on the floor and move them easily because they have wheels. Installations are also not permanent, they are enclosed with a setup kit for you to install the unit. PAC is a nice replacement for window units.

What happens to the moisture that is pulled out of the air?

Portable air conditioners are designed to cool the air and remove humidity or heat, questions are raised about how collected water is handled. Actually, a majority of units, especially all EdgeStar and Koldfront portable air conditioners, are equipped with self-evaporative technology which can evaporate moisture and then exhaust it out of the back of the unit. In humid areas, maybe there is an in-built water reservoir to contain water. If so, you can empty the tank by yourself or take advantage of the integrated gravity drain. However, it goes without saying that now there are few portable air conditioners that need draining thanks to the advancements in their technology.

How noisy is a portable air conditioner?

The fact that how it is noisy depends on how much people can stand. Portable air conditioners, as the window air units, comprise both a compressor and a fan. Hence, please pay attention to the decibel rating (dB level) located on the description page. The usual range is from 48 dB (as a falling rain)  to 60 dB (as a normal conversation).

Conclusion

An air conditioner is a must-have item for you to enjoy a cool fresh environment right in the midst of summer days and throughout the whole year if necessary. While wall-mounted air conditioners are considered old-fashioned, portable air conditioners gain more popularity because of its good price and convenience. Above is the best 7 cheap portable air conditioners that I want to introduce to you. Each has its distinctive features including strong points and weak points. If the list doesn’t satisfy your wish, please find more in Portable Air Conditioner.