The 7 best portable air conditioners for your RV or man cave
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
The best portable air conditioners are capable of blasting cold air to quickly cool down spaces large and small, and are easy to set up in whatever room you might currently be calling home. Many operate quite quietly as well, so they don’t interfere with sleep.
Many high-tech portable AC units are rich with smart features that will enable you to cool down your man cave from afar with the touch of a smartphone or remote control, while affordable models will tuck away into the small storage space in your RV where window AC units do not fit.
►Shop 65+ Amazon Memorial Day deals: Shop Ninja, Apple and Nautica
We've lab-tested many of the most popular portable AC units out there—many of which you can find on Amazon, and come with free shipping for Prime members. Ready to cool down your RV or man cave? These are the best portable AC units you can shop on Amazon.
There’s a lot more where this came from. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get all our reviews, expert advice, deals and more.
The best portable AC units available on Amazon
1. Whynter Elite ARC-122DS
The Whynter Elite ARC-122DS is the best portable AC unit we tested, and it’s also the right size for RVs.
It measures 17 inches wide by 29.5 inches tall with a depth of 16 inches, making the Whynter portable AC small enough to fit into most RV closets.
That smaller stature doesn’t hold it back in the cooling department, however. Capable of cooling 6,775 BTU after accounting for the heat it generates, this dual hose portable unit can cool a space well.
We found that it took about 20 minutes to cool our lab from about 81°F to 61°F. With up to 400 square feet of cooling capacity, it should easily handle an RV or a smaller hangout space.
► Shop 40+ early Memorial day deals at Lowes: Shop Whirlpool, LG and Ring
2. LG LP0621WSR
This LG portable AC unit performed quite well across the board in our tests. Built for slightly smaller spaces, with a 250-square-foot cooling capacity, this unit is also petite in its own right, measuring 17.32 inches by 27.36 inches with a depth of 13.27 inches. The unit is well built for an RV, with a bottom-heavy design that won’t tumble over at each turn of the road.
The LG LP0621WSR is capable of generating up to 6000 BTUs of cooling. However, higher settings do get a bit noisy. Turned down, the unit is quiet enough not to bother and won’t keep anyone from sleeping.
3. Whynter ARC-14S
Super-powered cooling—the Whynter ARC-14S might not be as compact as some, but it’s still one of the best portable AC units we’ve ever tested.
Capable of cooling large spaces up to 500 square feet, this machine can achieve up to 9,500 BTU of cooling power with dual exhaust hoses.
Beyond good cooling, the feature that makes this unit really stand out is its non-toxic components, which are designed to use a CFC-free refrigerant and to eschew lead.
While it’s a little bigger than other portable AC units at 35.5 inches tall, this machine is more than capable, and is just right for daily use in a game room, garage or man cave.
4. Homelabs Portable Air Conditioner
While certainly portable, the Homelabs Portable Air Conditioner is more of a tank than a racer. Heavy duty, it’s built for power, and pumps out some strong BTUs with more power than most window units.
Adjusted to compensate for the heat the device emits, the Homelabs AC unit does 10,000 BTU and can cover spaces up to 600 square feet.
However, that cooling isn’t particularly even. While we measured it dropping a nearby sensor about 20°F in only five minutes, that super-fast cooling doesn’t extend to the whole room, which had temperature discrepancies of up to 10°F.
Even though it’s big and somewhat heavy, this unit is still highly portable, with wheels on the bottom.
5. De'Longhi Pinguino PACEX390LVYN
Built for large spaces up to 700 square feet, the De'Longhi Pinguino is a feature packed unit with huge cooling power. While it doesn’t drop quite as low as some other units, it certainly works fast. In our tests it cooled the room 20°F in eight minutes, producing 8,600 BTU.
At 83 pounds, the De'Longhi Pinguino is mid- to large-sized for a portable AC unit. It has conveniently placed handles that make it easy enough to carry.
If you’re after a summer cooling unit that can handle a whole garage full of pool tables and dart boards this might just be the one. At 34.3 inches wide by 20.1 inches high, and a depth of 18.3 inches, it’s likely too large for the majority of RVs, but certainly isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
If you’re partial to special features, you’ll appreciate the unit’s ability to monitor the temperature around the unit’s remote via bluetooth, an extra quiet ‘whisper’ mode, programmable timers and more.
6. Frigidaire FHPC082AC1
Compactly designed, at only 27 inches high, the value-priced FHPC082AC1 is a single hose Frigidaire portable air conditioner that’s sized well for RVs, trailers or smaller workspaces. It also comes with caster wheels, improving its portability.
The Frigidaire portable AC dishes out moderate cooling potential: 5500 BTUs with up to 350 square feet of coverage. The unit is also markedly quiet, with a range between 50dBA to 58dBA and a sleep mode available that gradually moderates the temperature, as well as energy usage, as you slumber.
With a small size, decent performance and a value price, this is one of the most RV-ready portable AC units available now.
7. Midea MAP08R1CWT
If you’re after affordability, then the Midea portable AC might be for you. One of the more value priced options out there, this 28.3-inch unit is easy to tuck into small spaces.
With 5,300 BTU, this machine does an average job at cooling and should take care of smaller spaces without issue. It isn’t the quietest machine out there however, with a range of 52-58 dB. Get it for that affordable price and easy-to-push wheels on the bottom.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.