7 Of The Best Apartment Air Conditioners To Keep You Cool This Summer, According To Reviews

A sleek, minimalist air conditioning unit with a dual filtration system? Yup, there's a start-up for that. Designed in New York City, Windmill makes easy-to-install, good-looking AC units that thrive in city apartments. It comes with a remote but is also voice-enabled and can run on an app you can control with your phone.

Promising review: “I recently moved to the northeast and found myself in desperate need of a window unit. I researched all the 'best of' lists I could find, where Windmill seemed to feature but couldn’t make the leap. But then, one night when I was awake at 2 a.m. sweating and uncomfortable, I bought this unit because it was relatively affordable, in stock, well reviewed, and I could get it in two days. I love this unit. I have a 600 sq feet apartment and one unit keeps the whole place a comfortable temperature, despite it only guaranteeing to cool 350. It saved my sanity. One of the coolest (lol see what I did there) features to me is the app, so I can’t control it from outside my apartment and it’s cool when I get home. Less vital but still a great feature? As far as window units go, it’s the most aesthetically pleasing one I’ve ever seen. I’ll be keeping it up all year — which brings me to my one downside: I imagine this AC is easy to install compared to other ones, but as it was my first one, I struggled some. If this is easy, I don’t know what a pain others are. It’s also probably partially to do with my windows, which are a bit caddywampus. If you need a window unit and are on the fence, I highly recommend this one. It’s effective, pretty, and high tech. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.” —Morgan Flowers

Get it from Amazon for $369 (available in three levels).

With tens of thousands of 5-star reviews, this standing air conditioner from Black + Decker is a fan favorite. It comes with a handy remote control so you can adjust the temperature from across the room and it offers dehumidifying and ventilation in addition to air cooling. This AC works better in smaller rooms or studio apartments and comes in six models, some which offer portable heating in addition to cooling, saving you more space and hassle. Note that while the unit itself does not go in a window, it does have a 5-foot hose (and window adaptor) that does.

Promising reviews: “We have a two-bedroom second story apartment. During the summer months the sun bakes the back, living room, and bedroom walls from noon until sunset. This thing is amazing. We close the blinds and crank this thing pointing at the ceiling fan to move cool air around the whole apartment and it works wonders. It's a little noisy, but given the level of cooling it's 100% worth it. Also not so noisy that we can't turn the TV up a bit for shows/video games. Would definitely recommend.” —Bo Sharp

"An absolute MUST for hot summer days. It's been four years since I've purchased this portable AC unit. I've been using it every day, when it's not summer I simply use the built-in fan for airflow when I'm working and white noise when I'm sleeping. When it's blazing hot during summer I have the unit blasting cool air in my home office while I'm working. This is an absolute must-buy if you're looking for some AC relief without breaking the bank. I will without a doubt buy a brand new one the moment this thing breaks down on me but it's been going strong for four years now and I still can't see it breaking anytime soon!" —Sonny

Get it from Amazon for $369.99 (available in four levels and without or without heat).

If a quiet space is important to you, look no further than this smart Midea unit that works with an app, remote and voice control. It comes in a totally unique "U" shape that hugs the window sill, instead of sitting in the window, so you can still open your window and get fresh air while the unit is installed.

Promising review: "We live in a small duplex apartment, two bedrooms, one bath. Unit arrived as promised, on time, unscathed. Install was simple. Quiet, quiet, quiet!!! Unbelievably quiet. We've owned several different window AC units and this one is by far the best. Cools really well. Quiet as a church mouse. Because the motor is on the outside and the head unit is on the inside of the house, separated by your window, that adds to the quietness of this unit. Once it's installed, you can open the window all the way if you need to. If Midea continues to make these units as well as this one, we'll never buy anything else. The outside portion is much smaller than what we're used to and because of that we're going to leave it in year-round with a good cover for the winter. We love this air-conditioner and we give it our highest possible recommendation. Fabulous!" —Dee Wardlow

Get it from Amazon for $379+ (available in four levels).

Cool and dehumidify up to 200 square feet with this portable AC on wheels. It's Wi-Fi enabled and voice-controlled, so you can pair it with your phone or smart home device. Set it on its 24-hour adjustable timer and let the cooling begin. This comes in four size and power options.

Promising review: "I live in San Diego where it’s perpetually at least 75% humidity. It’s not the East Coast... but it’s pretty humid. My complex doesn’t have AC, which on normal days is tolerable but during the summer anything over 80 degrees or so outside, it’s miserable to sleep in even with a fan. I wake up every night drenched in sweat since I keep the window open since it does cool down but that humidity is just sticky... anyway this AC has been a life-changing miracle for me. I sleep like a rock through the night now. My bedroom is on the smaller side but it works incredibly, and I was able to get the seal perfectly on my window even tho it opens vertically instead of horizontally. Not to mention it’s a single pane window and my room still stays icy. I love it. Personally haven’t used the app or remote cause I go to school online so I’m always here. Buy this thing!!" —Kylie

Get it from Amazon for $399.99+ (available in four levels).