As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This is without any additional costs for the buyer but does support us in maintaining our website.

Many find asking themselves the question of which air conditioning system to use: portable, mini split or window mounted? Before giving out the answer, here are a couple of advantages and disadvantages of having each unit in a room.

Portable Air Conditioning System

Portable air conditioners can be a good investment if it is what you need. Its difference from a mini split and window air conditioner is that it doesn’t use water and evaporation to cool a room; instead it makes use of a compressor and a coolant. This makes it really effective keeping the room’s humidity at a low level and cooling a room properly.

Other consumers love portable units because it is mobile. It is fairly easy to move from one room to another since they come with casters or wheels attached to the base. If you don’t mind the hassle, this air conditioning system can be used from your room to anywhere in the house. You can also install it easily. It doesn’t have to be mounted in a window or on the wall so as soon as it is out of the box, it can be used immediately.

Portable systems can be cheaper than either a window or a mini-split air conditioner because these units are usually smaller and are usually more convenient for those who have to move apartments often or live in rental apartments or rooms.

There are some reasons why consumers don’t love their portable air conditioning units. This air conditioning system makes more noise than split and ducted air conditioners since all its parts are in one system. All air conditioners leaves water after pulling the moisture from the air and this water has to be discarded. So a portable air conditioner has to be placed near a window to allow water to be eliminated through a hose connected to the unit. Sometimes, water elimination has to be discarded manually every few hours.

This air conditioning unit might be portable but only up to a stretch. It still has to be plugged in, and the water it creates has to be discarded. This creates a problem to where it has to be exactly placed in a room, and puts a limit to cooling space. Also, some consumers have a problem with how heavy some portable air conditioners are.

For portable air conditioning units, a single hose is less efficient than a dual hose because the air sent out of the room is dehumidified air thereby the condenser has to cool the air taking the place of the dehumidified air from inside the room.

Window Mounted Air Conditioning System

A window air conditioning unit is relatively cheap compared to the mini-split air conditioner. Some portable air conditioners might be equal in terms of price to window air conditioners but that all depends on the brand or the type you’re getting.

This air conditioning system also creates less noise than a portable unit because the parts that make the noise are placed outside the room. As long as it fits the window, and the spaces that need to be protected are covered, a window mounted air conditioner can be easier to install than a portable unit or a mini-split air conditioner for water disposal is not done manually unlike the portable system.

Image of window mounted air conditionerThe disadvantages to having a window air conditioning unit are that they are not as versatile as portable air conditioners, and can only be used in the room they are installed in. They take up a space in your windows, so your view is going to be interrupted by a machine.

Mini-split Air Conditioner

A mini split air conditioner is as beneficial as a central air conditioning system without the expensive and difficult installation of the ductwork.

Out of these three, the mini split air conditioning system is the quietest since the part that makes the most noise or the outdoor unit is located outside of the house. There is no water leaking from the ducts into the walls because they don’t need ductwork and they can be installed anywhere in the room unlike a window air conditioner– there are even in-ceiling mounted units available for ductless air conditioners. And one outdoor unit can carry the loads of 4 indoor units.

This air conditioning system turns out to be the most expensive since the cost to purchase and install this in your room is more than you’d shell out for a portable or a window air conditioner. It requires professional installation because its refrigerant tubing and electrical wiring runs through the walls of a house. And the outdoor unit needs some space outside of your house although the space it needs isn’t quite so large.

The Final Decision

Ductless mini split air conditioner setupNow that the advantages and disadvantages of these different types of air conditioning systems are laid out, it’s up to you which you’d rather have for your cooling needs on those hot days. There is no one answer. If there was, we wouldn’t have a choice, would we?

The best air conditioning system you should use is the one that best fits your needs. Examine all the options available to you in the unit that you are buying and carefully read all the reviews under each unit. Same as everything else, air conditioners come in all shapes and sizes and one out there is sure to give the most comfort.