The best portable split air conditioners, compared.
Top pick: Midea PortaSplit 12000 BTU – Highest score at 82, with 4.3 from 23 reviews, R32, A++ and a heat pump, if the outdoor box can stand on the ground or a balcony. Best value: Not awarded – Not awarded. The highest price-credibility score and the only listing with at least 20 reviews are the same ASIN, the Midea PortaSplit, so best value is not a second badge and not a cheap-unit prize. Updated 20 October 2026.
A portable split air conditioner is a two-part room cooler: an indoor unit and a separate outdoor unit on a short line, so heat leaves the room instead of through a hose that pulls air outside. Judge a listing by a place for the outdoor box, a measured line, a named refrigerant and a UK 13 A plug. A hose monoblock is a different product, compared under [mobile air conditioning units](/hub/cooling/mobile-air-conditioning-units).
A portable split air conditioner is a two-part room cooler: an indoor unit and a separate outdoor unit on a short line, so heat leaves the room instead of through a hose that pulls air outside.
28 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you shortlisting?
The Midea PortaSplit at £1,099.99 is a 12,000 BTU (3.5 kW) heat pump that reviewers compare with a previous single-hose unit, because the outdoor box takes the heat outside. Across 23 amazon.co.uk reviews, rated 4.3, people who could stand that box on the ground or a balcony say the room settles and the indoor side is then quieter than the monoblock they replaced. The listing weight is 45.5 kg, and reviewers call the lift out of the carton awkward. The pipes are about 2 m and fixed, so the indoor unit stays near the opening, and the power lead is described as short. The 39 dB figure is silent mode, and a review says that mode cuts cooling. One buyer never got a studio below 25°C when the outdoor fan stopped and arranged a return. The specification row says an outdoor unit is not required, which the bullets and the reviews contradict, and one reviewer reported a SmartHome fee of £39.99 a year after a short trial.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a ground-floor opening or a balcony for the outdoor unit and you want the only reviewed heat pump in this set.
Less suitable: You are upstairs with nowhere to stand the box, you need to move it daily, or you need a line longer than about 2 m.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Midea PortaSplit have a separate outdoor unit?
The specification row says an outdoor unit is not required. The bullets describe a portable split, and reviews describe a separate outdoor unit with fixed pipes about 2 m long.
Does it heat as well as cool?
Yes. The listing states a heat pump, plus dehumidification and fan. The energy class on the listing is A++.
How loud is it, and how heavy is it?
The listing says 39 dB in silent mode and 45.5 kg. Reviews say that silent mode limits cooling, and that the unit is heavy to lift from the box.
The 2 m generic at £403.99 is the only thin listing with a star line: 3.0 from 4 amazon.co.uk reviews, and three review texts are on the listing. One renter said a flat cooled without drilling and that the air was cold rather than a mist. A campervan owner put the weight at about 13 kg and said the hot air stayed outside. Another buyer could not see how to place the outdoor unit until the seller explained it. The catalogue still prints 1 dB, 1 kV, and 1 kWh a year beside bullet noise of 40 dB indoors and 55 dB outdoors. Heating, refrigerant, and a UK plug are not stated, and the warranty field says none. Four reviews are not a capacity rating, and a 2 m tube is still short of a deep room.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the longest tube among the cheap generic rows and you will read three short reviews rather than a label.
Less suitable: You need a coherent energy label, heating, or more than four reviews before you trust a small-room comment.
Specifications
Common questions
What do the UK reviews say?
The listing is 3.0 out of 5 from 4 reviews, and three review texts are on the listing. They praise a small room, a rented flat with no drilling, and a campervan. One buyer needed the seller to explain setup.
Does it need an outdoor unit?
Yes. The listing says an outdoor unit is required. The title specifies a 2 m tube, and the bullets say there is no window kit and no wall drilling.
Is a UK plug stated?
No. Voltage is listed as 1 kV and noise as 1 dB, while the bullets say 40 dB indoors and 55 dB outdoors.
This generic at £454.48 is the only listing in the set that states a fitted UK three-pin plug, on a 5,000 BTU split with a 2 m tube and a claim of up to 14 m². Wi-Fi, a remote, and voice control are listed, and the noise row says 40 dB. An outdoor unit is required. Voltage, wattage, refrigerant, and weight are not stated, and one feature bullet is cut off. There is no star line, so the plug sentence is the useful fact and the room-size sentence is still only a claim. The best-sellers rank sits far down the mobile air-conditioner list, which fits a listing nobody has reviewed. Heating is not stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are filtering these listings for a stated UK plug and a 2 m tube, and you will still confirm refrigerant before you pay.
Less suitable: You need reviews, a heat pump, or an energy label that names the refrigerant.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing state a UK plug?
Yes. The title and the included components both say a fitted UK three-pin plug. Voltage and wattage are not stated.
What room size and tube length are claimed?
The bullets say up to 14 m². The title says a 2 m tube. An outdoor unit is required. One feature bullet on the listing is cut off.
Are there reviews?
There is no customer-review line. Heating is not stated.
The ZJUNLI at £454.10 lists 5,000 BTU, a 1.5 m dual hose, an indoor unit, and a separate outdoor heat-exhaust unit, with a claim of up to 20 m² and 40 dB indoors. The box contents name the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, the dual hose, a remote, a washable filter, and a manual. Bullets say the hose can pass a barely open window, a door gap, or a tent flap, and that there is no window kit. There is no star line, no refrigerant, no voltage, and no UK plug. The colour field says "1.5m Tube", which is the variant rather than a colour. A dual hose on a 5,000 BTU title is not the same evidence as a sealed line with an energy label, and nothing on the listing shows a UK owner has run it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a listing that at least names both boxes and a dual hose, and you will not pay on the 20 m² sentence alone.
Less suitable: You need reviews, a named refrigerant, or a UK plug printed on the page.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the box?
The listing includes an indoor unit, an outdoor heat-exhaust unit, a dual hose, a remote, a washable mesh filter, and a user manual. The title says a 1.5 m tube.
Does it need a window kit?
The bullets say no window kit: the hose can pass a barely open window, a door gap, or a tent flap. An outdoor unit is required.
Is heating or a UK plug stated?
Neither heating nor a UK plug is stated. Noise is 40 dB on the specification row, and the bullets also say 55 dB outdoors. There is no star line.
The Lpoxuru listing at £365.99 is a 5,000 BTU title with a 1 m hose and a 1,500 W cooling figure in the title, and there is no amazon.co.uk star line to check any of that against. The bullets put the outdoor unit at 55 dB and the indoor unit at 40 dB, and they say there is no window kit and no wall drilling. Weight is 15 kg in the specification and 13 kg in the bullets, so the two figures do not agree. Heating, refrigerant, voltage, and a UK plug are not stated. The dimensions are given as a 54 cm cube, and the date first available is 28 July 2026. The title also uses the German word Klimaanlage beside the English. Without reviews, a 1 m line, and no named refrigerant, this is a catalogue claim rather than a unit you can judge from owners.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are only comparing the cheapest title in this comparison and you will not buy until a UK plug and a refrigerant are confirmed.
Less suitable: You need owner reviews, heating, or a line you have already measured past 1 m.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Lpoxuru listing include a separate outdoor unit?
The bullets describe a split with the outdoor unit at 55 dB and the indoor unit at 40 dB. They also say there is no window kit and no wall drilling.
Does it heat?
Heating is not stated. The listed mode is cooling, with a sleep mode and a 12-hour timer in the bullets.
Is there a UK star rating?
The listing has no customer-review line, so the rating is not available.
The 1.5 m generic at £389.99 is the same shape of listing as the 1 m and 2 m rows: 5,000 BTU, 130 m³/h, Wi-Fi, and an outdoor unit required. The bullets say 40 dB indoors and 55 dB outdoors, while the specification row says 1 dB. Voltage is listed as 1 kV and annual energy as 1 kWh, next to an energy class of A. Weight disagrees with itself, 15 kg listed and 13 kg in the bullets. There is no customer-review line, so the 1.5 m reach is only a title variant. Refrigerant and a UK plug are not stated, and the warranty field says none.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the middle tube length on these generic titles and you will not treat class A as evidence while the energy row says 1 kWh.
Less suitable: You need reviews, a named refrigerant, or a noise figure that appears only once.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the tube on this listing?
The model name and title say 1.5 m. An outdoor unit is required, and the bullets say there is no window kit and no wall drilling.
Which noise number is on the listing?
The specification row says 1 dB. The bullets say 40 dB indoors and 55 dB on the outdoor unit.
Are there customer reviews?
No customer-review line is on the listing.
This generic 5,000 BTU listing at £369.99 asks for an outdoor unit and a 1 m tube, while the title also calls it a no-hose air cooler. The catalogue rows say 1 dB, 1 kV, 1 kWh a year, and a capacity of 1 ml, which are not usable figures for a room cooler. The bullets put the weight at 13 kg and the specification at 15 kg, and they describe a flexible hose even though the title says there is no hose. Wi-Fi, a remote, and a 12-hour timer are named. Heating, refrigerant, and a UK plug are not. There is no star line, the warranty field says none, and the same product image appears on the 1.5 m and 2 m generic listings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing tube lengths on these generic rows and you treat 1 m as the shortest reach, not as a tested cooler.
Less suitable: You need a coherent noise figure, a UK plug, or reviews from someone who has run it.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this generic 1 m model need an outdoor unit?
Yes. The listing says an outdoor unit is required, and the bullets put the compressor outside. The title also says no-hose, while the bullets mention a flexible hose.
What noise figure should you use?
The specification row says 1 dB. The bullets do not give another decibel figure. Voltage is listed as 1 kV and annual energy as 1 kWh.
Is there a star rating?
There is no customer-review line on the listing.
The generic 3,000 BTU listing at £366.99 is the smallest capacity in this set, and every feature bullet on the listing is cut off mid-sentence. The opening bullet does name dedicated indoor and outdoor units, a touch panel, a remote, and a timer from 1 to 12 hours. Weight, noise, line length, refrigerant, voltage, and a UK plug are all unstated, and there is no star line. The listing first appeared on 13 August 2026. A carry handle and a rinseable mesh filter are mentioned, then the sentence stops. You cannot tell from this page whether the outdoor box is a refrigerant condenser or a short exhaust, because the text does not finish.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are scanning the set for a two-part title under £370 and you will wait for a complete listing before you pay.
Less suitable: You need a finished specification, a stated line length, or any UK reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a two-part split?
The first bullet says dedicated indoor and outdoor units. The sentence is cut off on the listing, and the line length is not stated.
Does it include Wi-Fi or heating?
Neither Wi-Fi nor heating is stated. The title lists a touch panel, a remote, and a 12-hour timer.
How heavy is it, and what is the noise figure?
Weight and noise are not in the listing. The bullets mention a carry handle and a rinseable mesh filter, and they are truncated.
Scores use the eight amazon.co.uk listings kept in this comparison, the prices and star lines on those pages, and the review notes for the same ASINs. Shelf date 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A star rating is not a cooling measurement, and a seller line of about £13 a season is not used as a score. Weights sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. The highest price-credibility score is the same listing, so best value is not a separate cheaper badge.
Amazon evidence
35%No star line scores 0. Otherwise the stars are scaled out of 5, with a lift when the count is at least 20, and the block is capped at 35. The PortaSplit is 4.3 from 23. Six of the eight listings have no star line.
UK listing fit
30%A stated outdoor unit, a stated line length, a named refrigerant, an energy class that can belong to a room cooler, a plausible noise figure, and the supply. A fitted UK three-pin plug scores higher than 230 V with no plug shape. A 1 kV or 1 dB row is not rewritten into a real supply or a real noise figure.
Review notes
20%No review text scores 0. Repeated cooling comments, with a named limit and one returned unit, score higher than three short texts at 3.0 from 4. A star average is not treated as a cooling measurement.
Price credibility
15%This is the value block. A coherent label, at least 20 reviews and a price over £1,000 scores highest here. It is not a prize for the cheapest title. No star line under £400 scores low. A 3.0 from four reviews beside impossible catalogue rows scores lower still.
Choose the layout before the stars. A sealed portable split, a single-hose monoblock and a fan are not the same purchase, and a 5,000 BTU title is not a room-size test.
A portable split air conditioner is a two-part room cooler. An indoor unit and a separate outdoor unit are joined by a short line, so heat is rejected outside instead of through a hose that pulls air out of the room. That sealed refrigerant layout is this category. A water-filled cooler is not. A single-hose monoblock is a different product.
A water-filled cooler can share an air-conditioner title and still not be a refrigerant split. This page is the two-part layout. If you wanted moving air or evaporation, these listings are the wrong machines.
The specification says an outdoor unit is not required. The bullets and the reviews still describe a separate outdoor unit on fixed pipes of about 2 m. That row is a contradiction, not a reason to site the compressor indoors.
39 dB(A) is indoor silent mode, and a review says that mode cuts cooling. Neighbours hear the outdoor unit. A catalogue cell of 1 dB or 1 kV is not a measurement. About 2 m of pipe will not reach the middle of a deep room.
Start with somewhere for the outdoor box. Ground floor or a balcony is what owner reviews of the PortaSplit describe. An upper floor with nowhere to stand the box is a reason not to buy, whatever the star line says. Every listing kept here describes an outdoor part, even when the Midea specification row says an outdoor unit is not required. The bullets and the reviews contradict that row. Do not read it as proof that the compressor stays indoors. Then ask what the link is.
Capacity you can source comes next. 3.5 kW is on the Midea fiche. A title that says 5,000 BTU, or up to 14 m² or 20 m², with no test standard, is only a claim. One review cooled an 18 m² lounge. Another never got a studio below 25°C when the outdoor fan stopped. Do not treat a square-metre sentence as a measurement, and do not assume a 5,000 BTU title uses R32. Only the PortaSplit names R32. Noise is the setting you will use.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a ground-floor window or a balcony and no permission to drill. The PortaSplit is the reviewed heat pump in this set, at £1,099.99, if that opening will take a fixed line of about 2 m. A lease can still forbid it.
You already used a hose portable and want the heat rejected outside the room. Reviewers of the PortaSplit compare it with that older unit. You still need a safe place for the outdoor box, and the price is not close to the £365.99–£454.48 titles.
You are scanning the cheaper titles for a fitted UK three-pin plug. Only the generic 5,000 BTU at £454.48 states one, with a 2 m tube and no star line. Confirm the refrigerant before you pay. A campervan title still needs mains power and a place for the outdoor box.
The top pick is the Midea PortaSplit at £1,099.99. It scores 82, the highest in this set, with 4.3 from 23 amazon.co.uk reviews, R32, A++ and a heat pump, if you can stand the outdoor box on the ground or a balcony. Best value is not awarded as a second badge. The highest price-credibility score is this same listing, and it is the only one with at least 20 reviews, so a cheaper title with no star line is not the best value. Skip the PortaSplit if you are upstairs with nowhere for the box, you need a line longer than about 2 m, or you need a stated UK plug shape on the page.
Midea PortaSplit 12000 BTU
Highest score at 82, with 4.3 from 23 reviews, R32, A++ and a heat pump, if the outdoor box can stand on the ground or a balcony.
Not awarded
Not awarded. The highest price-credibility score and the only listing with at least 20 reviews are the same ASIN, the Midea PortaSplit, so best value is not a second badge and not a cheap-unit prize.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources, the Midea PortaSplit manual and the product fiche. amazon.co.uk prices and stars on these listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 20 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and star ratings are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
