Best Portable Air Conditioner For Allergies: Full Buyers Guide

While allergies caused by dust, pollen, and other airborne pathogens can wreak havoc with breathing, having a portable air conditioner in the home will go a long way to eliminating these particles in your home.

Many current portable air conditioners have been specifically designed to remove airborne allergens using special filters and other technologies that create a cool and safe environment. For allergy sufferers, some portable units are better than others.

Before buying one, you need to look out for a few features to ensure that the unit you buy will be completely effective against these airborne allergens in your home. Let’s look at some of those features and then the top five portable air conditioners for allergies.

Portable Air Conditioners For Allergies: Factors To Consider

Six critical elements will determine the size and type of portable air conditioner you buy:

Room size
The climate
Space Occupancy
Number of Windows
Heat Sources
Moisture

Choose The Right Air Conditioner For The Room Size

The size of the space you want to cool and protect is directly related to the size of the air conditioner you need to buy. Below are the room sizes in square feet and the size of the air conditioner required. All spaces assume an 8 ft ceiling height.

It’s important to get the right size air conditioning unit for your room, as a too big unit may reach temperature too quickly and lead to break-downs and short cycling, and a unit that is too small for the space will simply not be effective.

You can measure the room space either by measuring tape or walking and get approximate dimensions, and the table below will give you a good indication of the size of the unit you need.

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Room Size ( Square feet)	Air Conditioner Size (BTU)	Total Room Volume (Cubic Ft)
150 sq ft	7500 BTU	150 X 8 = 1200 cu. ft
200 sq ft	9000 BTU	200 X 8 = 1600 cu. ft
300 sq ft	10000 BTU	300 X 8 = 2400 cu. ft
400 sq ft	12000 BTU	8 = 3200 cu. ft

How The Climate Affects Air Conditioner Size

What is the climate you live in? Warm and dry? Warm with humidity? Cold and dry? All of these influence the type of unit you need to buy.

The hotter the climate, the more cooling power you are going to need. So, for example, you may have a 150sq ft room in a very hot environment, and while the table above may suggest a 7500 BTU unit, you may need a 9000 BTU unit due to the heat factor.

Air Conditioner Size VS How Many People In The Space

This concerns how many people will be in the space. People give off heat, so the more people in the area, the more cooling you need. The other aspect to remember is that the more people move in and out of the room, the more ‘coolth’ will escape when the doors are opened and closed.

So the volume of traffic moving through the space will also influence the air conditioner’s ability to be effective. Even though doors and windows would be closed while the unit is in operation, natural thermodynamics will come into play when the door is opened, warmer air will flood in, and cooler air will flow out.

More Windows May Require A Bigger Air Conditioner

Where there are a lot of windows, the room will need more cooling as the temperature will exit and enter through glass. You will probably need a bigger unit unless you have double glazing to insulate the room against heat loss effectively.

All portable air conditioners have an exhaust hose kit that pumps the warm, ‘dirty’ air out through a window in the space. Most of these work fine with the sash windows, and some kits will work with a sliding door as well. Knowing what type of windows you have to match the venting system is important to make the right choice of unit.

Your roof or ceiling insulation also plays a role as most of the heat/coolth in a home escapes through the ceiling and the windows.

*Where you plan to keep your air conditioner will determine the type you need.*

Additional Heat Sources Affect The Air Conditioner Size

If other appliances in the room generate heat, you will also need a bigger unit to accommodate the extra heat from those appliances. It may be a good idea to remove those appliances if they are not necessary.

Does Your Air Conditioner Need A Dehumidifier?

If you live in a humid environment, you may need more cooling and possibly a dehumidifier. Some portable air conditioners do have humidifiers built-in, and while these may work for smaller spaces or relatively low humidity spaces, they are not as effective as stand-alone dehumidifiers

Now, let’s look at the features on the unit that would be effective in eliminating allergens.

Portable Air Conditioner Features You Need

The most important feature of a portable air conditioner for allergies is the filtration system. While the smart app, easy cleaning and evaporation elements are good to have, the filtration is by far the most critical.

Portable Air Con Filtration & Purification For Allergies

Most portable air conditioners come with a pre-filter that would only capture the largest dust particles, pet hair, and larger microbes. But this filter will not capture smaller particles of dust, pollen, smoke, mold, dust mites, and harmful bacteria and viruses.

For effective filtration against allergens, you need a HEPA or carbon filter. The purification system should use an ionizing filter and either electrostatic or UV filtration to ensure high air quality.

One of the primary causes of breathing problems is poor indoor air quality, so check to see your unit has a proper allergy filter and air purification filters.

Does Your Portable Air Conditioner Have A Smart App?

Many of the new portable units have smart technology installed, and this is very handy to control the unit through the app. You can set the timer, temperature, and fan using the app, making this super convenient to control even if you are not home.

The smart app systems don’t often have ion/silver filters or other filtration and purification systems. If you absolutely must have the allergen filters, the smart-enabled unit may not be optimal.

Anti-Allergy Air Conditioners: Tank VS Self Evaporating

Some portable units have a water tank to collect the moisture that forms due to the operational process. This needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid the build-up of mold and moisture on the unit and in the room.

Other systems are self evaporating and don’t require a water tank; while the self-evaporating units may be more expensive, the lower maintenance may be worth it.

Other Features Of Portable Air Conditioners For Allergies

Here are some other features to look out…

Reverse Cycle – The unit can heat and cool
Timer – The unit has a timer that can be set to control on/ off times
Fan Oscillation – Even distribution of air around the room
Remote Control – Full function remote to control operation as needed
Automatic Mode– Where the unit will activate to deliver the required temperature automatically
Sleep or Night mode – This slows the fan to make less noise at night and may also slightly increase overnight temperatures.

Best Portable Air Conditioners for Allergies

Let’s look at the best portable air conditioners for allergies now that you know what to look for. I’ve linked to where you can get a hold of them too so you can check out the current prices.

Della Portable Air Conditioner – Best Pick