Below is an overview of the criteria we review each portable ac unit on. We cover why we chose the criteria and how it gets weighed into the final rating.
The high level breakdown of each criteria we look at to determine the final score is below:
- Affordability: 25%
- Portability: 20%
- Setup Difficulty: 20%
- Sound Level: 15%
- Performance: 10%
- Cost Efficiency: 10%
Keep reading for a complete breakdown of each criteria.
Affordability: 25% Weight
Just like anything people buy, price plays a major role in the buying decision. Same goes for portable ac units. That is why it is the heaviest weighted criteria on our formula.
How do we determine the price rating?
We compare the price of an ac unit to the average price of other ac units that are roughly the same size (based on the BTU level). If the ac unit is below the average price we give it a better rating and if it is above the average price then it gets a slightly worse rating.
Our complete scoring system is below:
| Rating Score | Criteria |
| 5 | 30%+ LESS expensive than the average |
| 4 | 10%-30% LESS expensive than the average |
| 3 | Within a 10%+/- range of the average |
| 2 | 10%-30% MORE expensive than the average |
| 1 | 30% or MORE expensive than the average |
Portability: 20% Weight
We are talking about portable ac units so the portability does need to be heavily considered in the review process. For this, we factored in the following data points to determine the score:
- Volume: the larger the unit the lower the score
- Weight: the heavier the unit the lower the score
- Has Handles?: If it didn’t have handles we docked it points
- Has Wheels? If it didn’t have wheels we docked it points
A breakdown of the scores you might see for the portability rating:
| Rating Score | Criteria |
| 5 | Lightweight, smaller size and has handles and wheels |
| 4 | Slightly heavier/bigger but still has wheels & handles |
| 3 | Average size and weight. May or may not have handles/wheels |
| 2 | Slightly heavier and/or bigger unit. Might not have handles or wheels |
| 1 | Massive unit that is very hard to move around. |
Setup Difficulty: 20% Weight
Portable ac units can be somewhat tricky to set up so the easier the better! Also, a proper setup will lead to better overall performance of your AC. Some aspects we look at to determine the setup difficulty score include:
- Clear instructions
- All of the proper accessories included such as window kit, hoses, extra screws, etc
- General customer consensus: we scoured the reviews of past customers to see what they had to say about the setup difficulty. The average person should be able to set up the AC properly and you shouldn’t have to be a HVAC technician to do so. This is why we heavily relied on the customer reviews for this one.
A general breakdown of our Setup Difficulty scores are outlined below. These are supposed to be a rough guideline to keep in mind.
| Rating Score | Criteria |
| 5 | Very easy to set up. All materials/parts needed were included |
| 4 | Fairly easy setup with minor issues |
| 3 | Somewhat unclear instructions and/or missing some important part |
| 2 | Instructions aren’t super clear or critical parts may be missing |
| 1 | Very confusing instructions and missing necessary parts |
Sound Level: 15% Weight
Nothing is worse than an AC unit that sounds like an airplane is taking off while you try to sleep. For that reason we take into consideration the sound level of each AC unit and it gets weighed as 15% of the final rating of the AC unit.
We determine the sound level based on the lowest decibel level of the unit.
| Rating Score | Decibel Level | Compares To |
| 5 | 50dba or under | Library sound levels |
| 4 | 50-52 dba | Whisper conversation levels |
| 3 | 52-54 dba | Average home sound levels |
| 2 | 54-57 dba | Slightly muted conversation levels |
| 1 | 57 dba or higher | Average conversation levels |
Performance: 10% Weight
This rating is determined by looking at the total volume and the cooling capacity of the AC unit. This gives a general idea of how well the AC unit performs based on its size. We compare this score to the average score of AC units in our database to determine their final 1-5 ratings.
The breakdown of each score is below:
| Rating Score | Criteria |
| 5 | 25%+ or better than the average |
| 4 | 10%-25% better than the average |
| 3 | Within a 10%+/- range of the average |
| 2 | 10%-25% worse than the average |
| 1 | 25% or worse than the average |
Cost Efficiency: 10% Weight
This rating takes a look at how much it’s going to cost you to run your AC unit. We compare the cooling capacity to the cost to operate your unit. We estimate the cost to run by using the unit’s wattage and the average KwH in the US of $0.136.
By comparing these two things we can determine a rating for the cost efficiency when compared to the average of the other units within our database
The breakdown of each score is below:
| Rating Score | Criteria |
| 5 | 25%+ or better than the average |
| 4 | 10%-25% better than the average |
| 3 | Within a 10%+/- range of the average |
| 2 | 10%-25% worse than the average |
| 1 | 25% or worse than the average |
