How We Research
Every guide on DearDresser starts with one question: will this product work for the person who is shopping for it? For our air conditioner guides, that means the size of your room, the kind of window you have and whether a portable or a window unit fits.
Here is how we answer it.
1. We start with your room and window
A bedroom, an apartment living room and a garage call for different sizes. Your window type (double-hung, sliding or casement) also decides which units fit.
We check the BTU rating, the room size the maker lists and the window kit or bracket in the box. When your room limits the choice, we say what to look for.
2. We compare specs and features
We look at the BTU rating, the room size the maker lists, the noise level, single or dual hose on portable units, the window kit and bracket, remote and smart controls, weight and the warranty. For portable units we also note the SACC rating (the Department of Energy's cooling measure) when the maker lists it.
Black+Decker, GE, LG, TCL and Whynter describe their units in their own words, so we name the brand for every claim.
3. We look at buyer feedback
We read through what buyers report after using a unit. We look for patterns, like units louder than expected, water that needs draining, hoses that pop off, window kits that don't fit and units that cool less than the BTU number suggests.
One angry review doesn't sink a product. A pattern does.
4. We score each product
Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for. A product that's great for one reader may score lower in a guide written for another.
Scores spread out on purpose. A 10 is rare.
5. We keep pages up to date and check recalls
Products change, and some disappear from stores. Some models have renewed twins with the same name, so we check each model number and we only link new units.
We check each model number against the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission recall list, because a recall can hit some models from a brand and not others. We skip any recalled model and any unknown brand with no track record.
When we update a guide, the "Updated on" date at the top changes with it.
What our picks are not
Our picks are research, not lab tests. We don't claim to have used every unit we cover.
Window units are heavy and sit over a drop, so we point you to the maker's manual and bracket steps and say to get a second person to help. Air conditioners also draw a lot of power, so check the label and manual for plug and circuit needs.
We make no promises about cooling, running cost or how long a unit will last, and we label maker claims as the maker's claims.