Portable Air Conditioner vs Air Cooler — UK, Which Should You Buy?

Dimplex brings eighty years of climate control to portable AC: 3.5 kW of cooling, a dehumidify mode and build quality that outlasts budget units.

Twelve thousand BTUs with an A energy rating and four modes — the electriQ big-room option that doesn’t punish the meter.

The Dolceclima 12 is Olimpia Splendid’s flagship portable: 12,000 BTU, whisper-tuned airflow and an app that’s genuinely pleasant to use. Premium cooling for open-plan living.

Twelve thousand BTUs with MSmartHome app control and Alexa support — Comfee's big-room unit that you can fire up from the commute.

The 12,000 BTU Black+Decker handles open-plan living rooms and loft conversions with 3.5kW of refrigeration on tap.

A Wi-Fi smart 12K unit with a heat mode for chilly spring evenings. Cool, heat, dehumidify or fan — all from your phone.

The evaporative classic for larger rooms. Honeycomb cooling media, a 12-litre tank, and airflow that reaches the far end of the loft conversion.

The one our editors sleep next to. Slim silver-white tower, full-function remote, and a low fan setting that disappears into the background.

A digital cooler with a clear LED display, 3 modes, 3 speeds and a 7-hour timer. Set it from the sofa, forget it all night.

Sixty centimetres of cool for studios, box rooms and rentals. A timer, a remote, and a footprint smaller than a shoebox.

A trusted-name 6-litre digital cooler with remote, three wind modes and an easy-fill tank. The safe pair of hands of British summer.

A 6.5-litre cooler with a 6.5 m/s vortex blast and three modes including sleep. Big-room coverage, small-ticket price.