Best Smart Air Conditioner

Control your window air conditioner with your phone or voice! A smart air conditioner is both functional and convenient. But how do you determine the best smart air conditioner for your home?

There are a lot of products hitting the market, so finding the right one can be confusing. In this guide, I’m going to show you five of the best smart window air conditioners on the market. By the end of the article, you will know what to invest your money in when it gets hot.

* Sensibo AC Controller connects to your existing air conditioner.

The Best Smart Air Conditioner Reviews

The list below contains the top SMART air conditioners to keep your home cool.

1. Frigidaire Cool Connect

Sleek and stylish with plenty of smart features. Wi-Fi connected with app and voice control.

The first product in this guide stands out because of its relatively unique and sleek design aesthetic. It doesn’t look like a standard AC unit. The air conditioner has a reasonably stable output of 8,000 BTU that firmly establishes it as a smaller room unit. 

When it comes to daily performance, this AC is ENERGY STAR-certified, and it’s designed to produce a good amount of cooling without causing massive spikes on your energy bill. The smart functionality that this Frigidaire product brings to the table is a Wi-Fi-based system. To use this, you’ll need to download Frigidaire’s proprietary app, which does a relatively good job of giving you smart options. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, you can use the Cool Connect to remotely change temperature, turn on and off the unit, and create schedules. Additionally, there is a hardware remote included with your purchase.

Pros

• Connect seamlessly to your Wi-Fi network
• Sleek modern design
• Easily cool most small rooms
• Built-in LED temperature display
• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google

Cons

• This is a loud air conditioner
• 1-year warranty
• Customer support may be lacking

2. Kenmore Smart Room Air Conditioner

A great brand and a quality product with app and voice control.

The next product in this guide comes to us from Kenmore. The air conditioner is designed to be controllable by various smart devices, so using iOS- or Android-based tablets or smartphones is no problem. It also includes a remote for same room control. For voice control, this product only works with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. If you have an Echo product, you’ll have no issue connecting.

This is also an air conditioner unit that has a good amount of output. In total, it has a 10,000-BTU operation, and there are options up to 18,000-BTU available. This means that you’ll be able to lower the temperature in mid-sized rooms relatively quickly. The Kenmore unit cools up to 450 square feet, with three fan speeds. This is also an ENERGY STAR-rated product that can save you hundreds of dollars per year on your energy bill.

The Kenmore Smart AC app is also very intuitive, and it walks you through the process of temperature regulation, and it will even allow you to set up daily schedules and cooling profiles. It’ll also allow you to remotely adjust your home’s temperature on sunny days. This is very useful when you want to save money or keep at-home pets comfortable.

Pros

• Compatible with Echo devices (Alexa)
• App allows you to control the temperature remotely
• Good cooling performance
• Dry setting to dehumidify your room
• Touch responsive control panel

Cons

• Doesn’t work with Google Home or Apple Homekit
• Can’t change mode (Cool, Eco, Fan, or Dry) with Alexa

3. LG WiFi Window Air Conditioner

Wi-Fi connected air conditioner with good app control.

While the name of the product doesn’t necessarily evoke the concept of smart home integration, this product actually integrates well with standard Wi-Fi networks.

As a result, you’ll be able to control the product’s output via the LG SmartthinQ app, which can be found on both Apple’s and Google’s app stores. With the app, you’ll be able to adjust the temperature output, even when you’re away from home. In addition, the app allows you to set up schedules, routines, and timers as well.

The LG Energy Star Air Conditioner has an 8,000-BTU output, so you can expect it to cool most smaller rooms (up to 340 square feet) at a reasonably fast rate. In addition, this is an ENERGY STAR-compliant product, so you can expect it to perform admirably when it comes to energy efficiency. This is a window unit, so you’ll have to install it in an existing window frame.

Some owners may also like this product because it has relatively small dimensions. In total, the air conditioner is just 19.4 inches in width, 19.6 inches in length, and 12.4 inches in height.

Pros

• This is a relatively small unit
• Good energy efficiency
• It’s easy to install

Cons

• Somewhat loud air conditioner
• No Amazon Alexa integration
• Requires app or remote to control

4. RolliCool Portable Air Conditioner

A portable, Alexa enabled air conditioner that cools, heats and dehumidifies.

The RolliCool is a portable model of air conditioner. Despite being portable, this device doesn’t skimp on coolness output and it easily integrates into most smart home setups using Wi-FI. The first option for connectivity is by smartphones or tablets using an app. The portable AC unit is compatible with both iOS and Android systems. Additionally, the RolliCool works with Alexa devices so you can change the temperature with a simple voice command.

Out of the products that we’ve covered here, this is the most powerful. It is designed to cool larger rooms with relative ease. It has a 14,000-BTU output, but comes in 10,000 and 12,000 options too. Additionally, the product also has a few extra functions including dehumidifying, heating, and air circulation. As a result, this works reasonably well as an all-year-round product.

Pros

• Portable so you can move it to the room that needs cooling
• Voice control with Amazon’s Alexa
• Cools, heats and dehumidifies

Cons

• Water is drained into a bowl or window, and fills up quickly
• Exhaust hose can come loose
• Software could be a bit more intuitive

5. Sensibo Sky AC Controller

Turn your current AC into a smart air conditioner and control it with Alexa.

The final product in my review is actually a device that you can use to add smart functionality to many pre-existing air conditioners.

Once connected, you’ll not only be able to control your unit via smartphone or tablet, but you’ll also be able to access it via the Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa.

Also, the device is designed to track your smartphone so that it can be set to turn off the air conditioner when you leave home. The app can also be used to adjust the temperature while you’re away so that you can start the cooling cycle before you even come in the door.

This product can be very useful for people that already have a quality air conditioner. You won’t have to go out and purchase a smart AC unit until you’re ready. The software is very intuitive and easy to use. The inclusion of geofencing is also useful so that you won’t have to worry about leaving the AC on and wasting energy while you’re out and about.

Pros

• Low price option
• Software is straightforward to use
• Geofencing to turn AC on/off based on your location
• Works with Amazon Alexa, Google and Siri

Cons

• Need multiple Sensibo units for multiple air conditioning units
• Air conditioning units without a remote won’t work with the Sensibo

Smart Air Conditioners in a Nutshell

When it’s hot outside, a good air conditioner can make all the difference. With smart homes becoming increasingly popular, it shouldn’t be a surprise that smart air conditioners are a thing. These products have similar functionality to smart thermostats, and they make adjusting the temperature easy.

Some products are designed specifically to work with smart phones and can be controlled via Wi-Fi. Other devices, can even be controlled with smart speakers such as Alexa and Google Home. Regardless of your choice, a smart air conditioner will add a lot of convenience to your summer days.

Find the Best Smart Air Conditioner

You probably have a few questions about what to look for in your new smart air conditioner. As you might expect, products with more features drive the price up. However, it is possible to find budget-friendly air conditioners with smart functionality.

In this part of the guide, we’re going to walk through some of the factors and features that you should consider before you make a purchase.

BTUs

First and foremost, your smart air conditioner needs to cool your room. The ability of an air conditioner to cool a room is measured in BTUs or British Thermal Units.

Every air conditioner, smart or otherwise, gets a BTU value.The higher the BTU number, the quicker the room will be cooled. If you have a larger room, shoot for a higher BTU value so you can lower the temperature at a faster rate.

Energystar recommends the following air conditioner BTU values based on room size:

• 8,000 BTU – 300 up to 350 square feet​
• 9,000 BTU – 350 up to 400 square feet
• 10,000 BTU – 400 up to 450 square feet
• 12,000 BTU – 450 up to 550 square feet

Smart Home Features

Set timers or the temperature settings at different times of the day. 

Change the AC output based on weather conditions outside.

Turn on the AC when you leave from work.

Smart air conditioners provide a lot of features that are convenient and save you money. One of the best features is remote control. There are two primary ways to control a smart air conditioner: phone or voice.

The first method allows you to control your air conditioning unit with a smartphone or tablet. To do this, you’ll usually have to download an app on either the iOS App Store or via the Google Play Store. Sometimes, manufacturers put out a proprietary app to control their specific air conditioner. However, there are some general purpose apps available that work with most products. Using the app, you can set timers, adjust the temperature, or even turn off the air conditioning unit while you’re away.

The second method utilizes smart speakers which allows you to control your air conditioner by voice. Some notable smart speaker systems include Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Google Assistant, and Apple’s Homepod. With this feature, you can say things like, “Alexa, decrease the temperature to 60 degrees.” This will cause the software to send a signal to the air conditioner to adjust the temperature.

Should You Consider a Smart AC or AC Controller?

Do you already have a good air conditioner? Do you like another highly rated window air conditioner that doesn’t have smart features. No worries! You can purchase a smart AC Controller that turns any window air conditioner into a smart air conditioner.

A smart AC Controller allows you to gain the same types of connectivity that you would have with a smart AC. However, you don’t need to purchase a brand new unit. These types of controllers are a great, budget-friendly means of incorporating a legacy air conditioner system into your smart home.

Final Thoughts

Having a smart home air conditioner is convenient and saves you money. You can read how my smart home saves me over $350 per year. All of the products that we’ve selected can help bring your home into the 21st century. But which option is the best smart air conditioner?

It’s hard to beat the RolliCool Alexa-Enabled Portable Air Conditioner. This product not only connects seamlessly with most smart platforms, but it also has a powerful 14,000-BTU output. The RolliCool is designed to move around so that you can focus the cooling on a specific area of your home. Additionally, it includes dehumidifying and heating features, so you can use it for the entire year.

P.S. Please leave a comment below to ask a question, help someone else or share your experiences. Thanks!