4 Best Air Conditioners to Buy Right Now

At the end of June, a heat wave which disturbed Europe, temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit), were linked to 1,300 deaths, according to World Health Organization. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 700 people die each year from heatstroke. The CDC’s first recommendation in extreme heat is to stay in a well-ventilated area. However, if you think a high-powered electric heater is the answer, the WHO warns that even though fans are often cold, at 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) or more, they increase your body temperature. Here, there are WIRED’s AC recommendations to keep you cool as the mercury goes stratospheric.

Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner

Courtesy of Midea

Most window ACs prevent you from opening your window. Midea’s U-shaped design does not. The support box takes the weight of the device from the outside of the wall, so that the window can fit into the gap between the front and back halves. Less space around the frame means better printing, quieter operation, and less cooling.

This is WIRED’s top pick of 2026, and at 42 decibels it’s one of the quietest units we’ve tested, since most of its components sit outside your window. It integrates with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and supports programming and remote control. The program and the filter change flags. It comes in 8,000, 10,000, and 12,000 BTU versions (the British Thermal Unit Institute measures how much heat an AC unit can remove from a room in one hour—8,000 BTUs should be enough for a large bedroom or living room).

It’s worth mentioning that Midea also sells a window heat pump, the PWHP. It is not an AC with an enclosed heater. It is completely flexible heat pumpmeaning it circulates rather than creates heat, and can draw heat into a room even when the outside air is very cold. Its specs are impressive: 9,000 BTU output and much cheaper to run than other heaters. Currently, since this is the most advanced technology for consumer AC, pumps are very expensive and hard to find.

Zafro Lullaby Duo Portable AC

Courtesy of Zafro

WIRED’s portable AC of choice, this is a free, portable dual-hose unit that, since it’s not fixed to a window, lets you move it around your home. The flexible component fits into the window of your choice instead of requiring a custom frame. Control is via surface buttons, a remote, and a Wi-Fi program with eco, humidity reduction, a fan, and a powerful feature that aims to hit 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) as quickly as possible.