Best split air conditioner
Updated: October 2026
The best split air conditioner is not the model with the largest BTU title or the highest star average. In this nine-product amazon.co.uk set, the useful dividing line is whether you can finish the installation. A wall split suits an owner who has an F-gas firm ready to fit that exact unit. A sealed portable split suits a home with a safe outdoor position within its short connection. Our [split air conditioner comparison](/hub/cooling/split-air-conditioner) shows the products and prices. The picks below are conditional. Products Compared did not run a laboratory test. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The best split air conditioner is not the model with the largest BTU title or the highest star average. In this nine-product amazon.co.uk set, the useful dividing line is whether you can finish the installation.
The best split air conditioner is not the model with the largest BTU title or the highest star average. In this nine-product amazon.co.uk set, the useful dividing line is whether you can finish the installation. A wall split suits an owner who has an F-gas firm ready to fit that exact unit. A sealed portable split suits a home with a safe outdoor position within its short connection. Our split air conditioner comparison shows the products and prices. The picks below are conditional. Products Compared did not run a laboratory test. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Type | Cooling output | Install path | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Generic Generic 9,000 BTU wall split | Wall split | 9,000 BTU, up to 22 m² | Installation kit listed | 7.3 | about £599.99 | View offer |
 Midea Midea PortaSplit 12,000 BTU | Portable split | 12,000 BTU, 3.5 kW | Sealed, about 2 m, no drill | 9.2 | about £1,099.99 | View offer | |
| Preis-Tipp |  Generic Generic 12,000 BTU wall split AC12000 | Wall split | 12,000 BTU for 25 m² | Pre-gassed, qualified fitter | 7.8 | about £500 | View offer |
On this page
Best for whom?
An owner-occupier may prefer a wall split if the room has been sized and an installer accepts the job. A renter who cannot drill may prefer a portable split, and still needs permission plus an outdoor position. Without either route, pause.
UK results often name Mitsubishi, Daikin or Panasonic. Those models are not among these nine listings. The six wall splits have very thin review evidence. Only the Midea PortaSplit has a substantial sample: 4.3 out of 5 from 23 amazon.co.uk ratings on 15 October 2026. That is not an unconditional win, and a 5.0 from two ratings does not prove reliability. Check capacity in the split air conditioner buying guide before you apply the picks below.
Choose a wall split only with an installer
A wall split fits an owner who can mount an outdoor condenser and already has an F-gas firm willing to install that model. Labour is not included. The 12,000 BTU units are about £500 and £659.99, the 9,000 and 18,000 BTU products are both about £599.99, and the 24,000 BTU listings are about £799.95 and £849.99.
The AC12000 at about £500 has the strongest specification-to-price ratio: 12,000 BTU for 25 m², SEER 6.2, A++, inverter, R32 and heating. Its only reviewer could not find an F-gas business willing to fit a customer-supplied unit, and that review says nothing about cooling. Do not step up in output only because the title looks capable. One 24,000 BTU listing is 1.0 from one customer. The other prints SEER 16.0 beside A++. Order a wall split only after the installer has accepted that exact model. The legal checks are in the split air conditioner installation guide.
Choose a portable split when drilling is not possible
The Midea PortaSplit is the best-supported no-drill option here. It states 12,000 BTU or 3.5 kW, SEER 6.1 and A++ cooling, and it can heat. Normal temporary setup does not need a technician, because the connection stays sealed. The outdoor half still has to sit safely within about 2 m. Fixing it permanently, or extending the hose, needs a qualified installer.
It costs about £1,099.99 and weighs 45.5 kg. The 39 dB(A) figure is silent mode at 1 metre, and a reviewer says full cooling is louder. The cheaper portable splits, about £403.99 and £454.10, state 5,000 BTU and cooling only, on 2 m and 1.5 m connections. One is 3.0 from four ratings. The other has no rating. Choose the PortaSplit when you need cooling and heating without drilling and can site the outdoor section. Choose a 5,000 BTU unit only if cooling-only operation and thin evidence are acceptable.
Who should buy neither?
A split is not the automatic answer to a few hot afternoons. If you cool one room only occasionally, cannot drill, and cannot place an outdoor half within roughly 1.5–2 m, a conventional single-hose portable may be the practical compromise. This set does not name one. Do not buy a 24,000 BTU unit for a bedroom or a van because the number is larger.
Common questions
What is the best split if I can fit a wall unit?
Choose a wall split sized to the room only after an F-gas installer has agreed to fit that exact model. The AC12000 at about £500 offers the strongest listed specification-to-price ratio here, at 12,000 BTU, SEER 6.2 and A++. Its only review is about failing to find a fitter, not about cooling. It is a conditional value choice, not a proven performance winner.
Is the Midea PortaSplit the best no-drill option?
It has the strongest evidence in this set, with 4.3 from 23 amazon.co.uk ratings on 15 October 2026, plus stated 12,000 BTU, SEER 6.1 and A++ cooling. Buy it only if the approximately 2 m connection, the 45.5 kg weight, a safe outdoor position and the price of about £1,099.99 all work in your home. Normal temporary setup leaves the circuit sealed.
Are the 5,000 BTU portable splits better value?
They cost much less, at about £403.99 and £454.10, and they may cool a small space. Both are cooling only, and the evidence is thin. One is 3.0 from four customers. The other has no customer rating. Their 1.5 m and 2 m connections also restrict where the outdoor section can sit. Lower price is not the same as a supported performance claim.
Should I buy a 24,000 BTU model for extra headroom?
Not without a room-load calculation. Extra output adds cost and bulk without necessarily improving comfort. These two listings also have weak evidence: one is 1.0 from a single customer, and the other prints SEER 16.0 beside A++, which does not belong on that class. Check the physical energy label before that field influences the choice.
Why is 5.0 from two ratings not enough?
Two positive ratings reveal very little about reliability, noise, support or installation across different homes. A slightly lower average drawn from more users is usually more informative. Reviews still do not replace a readable energy label or a professional sizing and installation check. Only the PortaSplit has a substantial count in this set.
Who should skip the Midea PortaSplit?
Skip it if you have no safe outdoor position within the fixed connection, cannot manage 45.5 kg, or only need occasional low-cost cooling. It is also the wrong product if you intend to fix it permanently or extend the hose, unless a qualified installer completes that work. A short sealed connection is not a licence to alter the circuit.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the manufacturer page below. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 15 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: qualifications required to work on equipment containing F gas (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: selling F gas or equipment (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Planning Portal: planning permission to add air conditioning (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: England GPDO Class G (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: building work, replacements and repairs to your home (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 206/2012 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 626/2011 Annex III (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: noise nuisances and how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Midea UK: PortaSplit air conditioner (retrieved 15 October 2026)