6 Best Window Air Conditioners to Keep You Cool for the Summer

Looking for an air conditioner that's effective, sleek, and more eco-friendly than your average window unit? The Windmill AC is worth checking out. This 6,000 BTU model can cool down a room up to 250 square feet, making it perfect for a small living room or bedroom (though the brand also offers 8,000 and 10,000 BTU models for larger spaces). Plus, you can control it via an app, which means you can turn it on and off even when you're not home.

THE REVIEW: "This unit was super easy to install. Once it's all in place, it is very sleek and looks so much nicer than so many other AC units," one tester writes. "It's pretty quiet compared to a previous one we had—we like sleeping with the sound of a fan or a white noise machine, so it's perfect."

The Midea U-Shaped window air conditioner is unique in that it doesn't require you to sacrifice the use of one of your windows. The unit has a built-in gap between the indoor and outdoor sections of the AC, so you can slide your window up and down without jeopardizing your unit's stability. At 10,000 BTU, this air conditioner should be able to cool down up to 450 square feet of space.

THE REVIEW: "This air conditioner is truly the best design you can get. Almost everything bad or inconvenient about in-window AC units is totally resolved by this product," writes one reviewer. "It really is impressively quiet thanks to the 'split-unit' design."

The July AC went viral for a reason: it somehow manages to be cute and effective. Each unit comes with a cover that hides the vents without blocking airflow, making it the least AC-looking AC ever. This 6,000 BTU unit can cool up to 250 square feet and comes with an installation kit that can be customized to a slider window (one that opens horizontally).

THE REVIEW: "July is amazing! I found it super easy to install," writes one tester. "My favorite part is the app: I have pets at home, so I can turn it on for a short time while I'm at work without having to run it the whole day. Game changer!"

This classic GE air conditioner cools rooms up to 350 square feet. It has three cooling modes with three different fan speeds, so you can adjust it to your preference. Plus, Eco Mode allows you to keep your place cool without over-doing it on the electricity.

THE REVIEW: "This keeps my upstairs bedroom cool on hot summer days," one tester writes. "Easy to install, we added an outside brace for extra stability. Quiet, easy to use settings."

Air conditioners are pretty notorious when it comes to energy usage. (Spoiler alert: your electric bill will go up, and, no, it's not great for the environment.) That's why, ideally, you want one with an Energy Star certification, which essentially means it's been approved by the U.S. government as "energy saving." This AC unit from LG has the coveted label while also still having the power to cool down a large room. It's a win-win!

THE REVIEW: "This bad boy can get the living room, kitchen, and laundry room along with the hallways ice cold," one tester writes. "And the electric bill isn't much when you're running this thing all day."

If you're on a budget and willing to sacrifice all the bells and whistles of a smart AC, this compact unit from Frigidaire is a safe bet. It won't help cool a large room, and the settings don't allow you to choose your ideal temperature (at least not in actual degrees), but it'll get the job done efficiently for small spaces—all for under $200.

THE REVIEW: "I'm going into my second year of owning this AC unit and it's honestly been a trooper. Last year's heat wave had me cranking it to full blast every day and night for months straight and it did great, but I was worried I might have worn it out," writes one reviewer. "Not the case at all!"