Your Apartment + These Top-Rated Window A/C Units = True Summer Love

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Allow me to set the scene: It's summer, and a heatwave has caught you by surprise. You're lying in a bed of your own sweat, unable to sleep, eat, or do anything except wonder why your usually reliable cooling fan and cozy cooling sheets aren't preventing you from overheating. Want to avoid this future but don't want to deal with all the work of a portable air conditioner? It's time for a window air conditioner.

For those on a budget, window ACs might feel like a big expense for an appliance you'll only use a few months out of the year, but the best air conditioners are worth the splurge, especially for the heat-averse. Take it from someone who spent years living without one, it's not worth it to suffer through a 90° apartment if you don't have to.

Lucky for us, as window air conditioners become even more crucial to summer survival (thanks climate change!), they've also become way more varied—both in price and design. It's easier than ever to find a window AC unit that fits your budget, living space, and style. And these top-rated window air conditioners of 2023 prove it.

The AC 6,000 BTU

Looking for an air conditioner that's effective, sleek, and more eco-friendly than your average window unit? The Windmill AC is worth checking out. This 6,000 BTU model can cool down a room up to 250 square feet, making it perfect for a small living room or bedroom (though the brand also offers 8,000 and 10,000 BTU models for larger spaces). Plus, you can control it via an app, which means you can turn it on and off even when you're not home.

THE REVIEW: "This unit was super easy to install. Once it's all in place, it is very sleek and looks so much nicer than so many other AC units," one tester writes. "It's pretty quiet compared to a previous one we had—we like sleeping with the sound of a fan or a white noise machine, so it's perfect."

U-Shaped Window Air Conditioner 10,000 BTU

The Midea U-Shaped window air conditioner is unique in that it doesn't require you to sacrifice the use of one of your windows. The unit has a built-in gap between the indoor and outdoor sections of the AC, so you can slide your window up and down without jeopardizing your unit's stability. At 10,000 BTU, this air conditioner should be able to cool down up to 450 square feet of space.

THE REVIEW: "This air conditioner is truly the best design you can get. Almost everything bad or inconvenient about in-window AC units is totally resolved by this product," writes one reviewer. "It really is impressively quiet thanks to the 'split-unit' design."

Air Conditioner 6000 BTU

The July AC went viral for a reason: it somehow manages to be cute and effective. Each unit comes with a cover that hides the vents without blocking airflow, making it the least AC-looking AC ever. This 6,000 BTU unit can cool up to 250 square feet and comes with an installation kit that can be customized to a slider window (one that opens horizontally).

THE REVIEW: "July is amazing! I found it super easy to install," writes one tester. "My favorite part is the app: I have pets at home, so I can turn it on for a short time while I'm at work without having to run it the whole day. Game changer!"

Window Air Conditioner 8000 BTU

This classic GE air conditioner cools rooms up to 350 square feet. It has three cooling modes with three different fan speeds, so you can adjust it to your preference. Plus, Eco Mode allows you to keep your place cool without over-doing it on the electricity.

THE REVIEW: "This keeps my upstairs bedroom cool on hot summer days," one tester writes. "Easy to install, we added an outside brace for extra stability. Quiet, easy to use settings."

12,000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner

Air conditioners are pretty notorious when it comes to energy usage. (Spoiler alert: your electric bill will go up, and, no, it's not great for the environment.) That's why, ideally, you want one with an Energy Star certification, which essentially means it's been approved by the U.S. government as "energy saving." This AC unit from LG has the coveted label while also still having the power to cool down a large room. It's a win-win!

THE REVIEW: "This bad boy can get the living room, kitchen, and laundry room along with the hallways ice cold," one tester writes. "And the electric bill isn't much when you're running this thing all day."

FFRA051WAE Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner, 5,000 BTU

If you're on a budget and willing to sacrifice all the bells and whistles of a smart AC, this compact unit from Frigidaire is a safe bet. It won't help cool a large room, and the settings don't allow you to choose your ideal temperature (at least not in actual degrees), but it'll get the job done efficiently for small spaces—all for under $200.

THE REVIEW: "I'm going into my second year of owning this AC unit and it's honestly been a trooper. Last year's heat wave had me cranking it to full blast every day and night for months straight and it did great, but I was worried I might have worn it out," writes one reviewer. "Not the case at all!"

How to choose the best window air conditioner:

After you've determined your air conditioner budget, there are a few key things you want to consider before buying a unit. Trust me, you do not want to purchase an AC only to find out it doesn't fit correctly in your window or cool the size your room.

Measure the size of your space

Save yourself a headache by determining which room your AC will be installed in and measuring its square footage before purchasing. This will help you figure out which BTU you need (more on that below) and allow you to make sure your window fits all the requirements for the AC unit to be properly installed.

BTU, or British Thermal Units, measures how much energy an air conditioner uses to cool your home. The number will generally relate to how much square footage the AC can effectively reach. It's a technical term, but what you need to know is that the higher the BTU, the more space the AC can cool and the more energy it'll use.

Measure your window

This might seem obvious, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to measure your window and compare it to the minimum and maximum window dimensions compatible with your unit. You may need to get an extender for some models, so it's important to determine that before you hit add to cart.

How we chose the best window air conditioners:

Cosmo's shopping team is constantly curating the internet to bring you the chicest, trendiest options like it's our job (because it is, heh). We have pretty high standards when it comes to recommendations. Each of our shopping articles adheres to the 15 Percent Pledge and includes picks for all preferences. And you better believe we read those product reviews (and test many of the brands IRL), so you don't have to.

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