The best smart air conditioners and accessories to consider
Control Wi-Fi enabled air conditioners from your phone or using voice commands.
Named the best smart portable air conditioner for large rooms in our guide to portable ACs, this option from De’Longhi can cool rooms up to 500 square feet as it offers 12,500 BTUs. The air conditioner is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant Smart Speakers, and can be controlled through the brand’s app. It can also serve as a dehumidifier and fan, and has a heat mode. You can customize the device’s temperature, fan speed and on/off schedule.
Midea sells Wi-Fi enabled smart air conditioners that cool rooms as large as 200, 275 and 330 square feet. All three models are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and can be controlled from the MideaAir app. The air conditioners are designed with a reusable washable filter, and their 24-hour adjustable timer can cool a room to temperatures between 62 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Air conditioners offer three modes to choose from: cooling, dehumidifier and fan only. They also come with a battery-operated remote.
You can purchase LG’s Smart Window Air Conditioner with 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 BTUs of cooling power. They’re compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can adjust devices’ mode and temperature. Air conditioners offer three cooling and fan speeds, as well as an auto cool mode, and they’re Energy Star Certified. Each device comes with a remote control and features a check filter light.
Frigidaire’s air conditioner can be controlled through the brand’s app, and it offers 12,000 BTUs to cool rooms up to 550 square feet. The air conditioner is built with three modes — fan, eco and cool — and you can adjust its temperature and fan speed, too manually or using the app. The window-mounted unit comes with a remote control and plugs into a standard 115V electrical outlet. You can also purchase models with 8,000 and 10,000 BTUs.
You can control this smart AC from Windmill using Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, as well as the brand’s app. It cools rooms up to 350 square feet using 8,300 BTUs and plugs into a standard 115V outlet. The air conditioner offers three cooling and three fan settings, and its LED display fades after 60 seconds so it won’t disturb you while you sleep. It comes with a remote as well, and is designed with a removable magnetic front panel so you can easily change or clean the filter.
Evapolar’s evaSMART personal air conditioner can be powered by a USB power bank, a laptop or an outlet, and you can control it using the brand’s app or compatible voice assistants. It's an evaporative air cooler, so you need to fill its removable water tank before use. Beyond chilling, purifying and humidifying air, the device features multi-colored lights. It’s available in two colors: Opaque White and Stormy Grey.
According to tech expert Whitson Gordon, you can use the Sensibo Sky to control compatible window air conditioners built without “smart” features. “If your unit has an infrared remote, it's probably compatible with the Sensibo Sky, which mounts on your wall and sends commands to your air conditioner over the same signal — but with the addition of voice control, automation and other smart features,” Gordon said. Once you install the device and download the brand’s app, you can control your window air condition from your smartphone — Sensibo also offers a desktop app. It’s also compatible with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant.
Gordon said the Kasa Smart Plug Mini is compatible with most devices “that plug into the wall and use a physical switch to turn on and off,” like some air conditioners. Once you connect a device to the smart plug, you can control it using the Kasa app. This smart plug requires a secured 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network connection, and it works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Microsoft Cortana supported devices. It’s compact design also won’t block the other wall outlet, as well.
Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
