CoolMatch

Which portable air conditioner actually suits a bigger room?

Most buying guides are built around small bedrooms. This tool is built for rooms up to around 40m² — roughly 8m by 5m — where cooling power, running cost and noise all matter a lot more. Set your room size and priorities below, and the ranking updates instantly.

25 models compared Live weighted ranking Sourced UK pricing

Set your room and priorities

Drag the sliders to weight what matters most to you — the table re-ranks as you go.

Target floor area: 40.0 m²

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Prioritise units that are cheap to run per hour
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Prioritise low price per BTU of cooling power
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Prioritise raw cooling power (kW)
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Prioritise units matched to your room area above
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Prioritise quieter units

Ranking for your room

25 models
Swipe the table to see running cost, noise and match score
# Model Price Cooling power Optimum room size Running cost Noise Energy Match score

How the match score works

Every model is scored 0–100 on five factors, then combined using the weights you set above (equal weight by default). A score of 100 on a factor means "best in this comparison"; it's relative, not absolute.

Running cost
Pence per hour at full power, calculated from the manufacturer's rated power draw at a UK electricity price of 27p/kWh. Lower cost scores higher.
Value for money
Purchase price divided by cooling capacity (price per 1,000 BTU/h). Lower cost-per-BTU scores higher.
Effectiveness
Raw cooling capacity in kW. More powerful units score higher — most useful once a room gets close to 40m².
Room size fit
How closely the manufacturer's maximum recommended room size matches your target area. Undersized units are marked down more heavily than oversized ones, since an underpowered unit won't cool a large room properly.
Noise level
Maximum rated decibels during operation. Quieter units score higher.

Where a manufacturer didn't publish a spec (shown as "Not stated"), that model uses the group average for scoring purposes only, so one missing figure doesn't unfairly sink its ranking.

Specs and pricing were researched in July 2026 from manufacturer and major UK retailer pages, including Meaco, MeacoCool, De'Longhi, ElectriQ, Pro Breeze, DREO, AEG, John Lewis, Currys, ao.com and Appliances Direct. Prices move — always check the current price before buying. "Buy on Amazon" links open an Amazon UK search for that model.