Whynter Dual Hose Smart Portable Air Conditioner, 14000 BTU, ARC-1230WN

I bought the 14,000BTU (12,000 SACC) model and I've had this for a few months from March-August 2025. It's worked very well so far for my 5th floor, 600sqft apartment. I'm in Seattle where the hottest outdoor temperatures have been 85-90 degrees and very sunny. Pros - It works extremely well, and I immediately feel a difference when I turn it on! - Thankful that this has wheels (see cons) - Good instruction booklet - No smell - Washable filter - Controls are easy to use - Good features: schedule on/off with buttons, swing mode, sleep mode, fan mode, dehumidifier, remembers temperature you set it to when you turn it on/off, comes with a remote if you need it, accurate temperature display & sensor, wifi connectivity if you need it (but I don't use that and don't plan to because the buttons work fine!) - Fairly quiet! You definitely hear it on high like a loud box fan, but it's constant white noise. Med/low seem pretty quiet. - Having the vents on top vs in the front is great because the airflow goes over my couch arm and I don't need quite as much space for it. - Relatively sleek / not an eyesore, as far as AC's go. Hose-in-hose is visually nicer than two separate hoses, imo. This also looks prettier than the Midea Duo. Seattle is not very humid, so I haven't needed to use the dehumidifier or empty the tray yet. Cons so far: - It does quietly screech a bit when the cooling kicks in, kinda like a car revving, but it only lasts a few seconds. - Large and heavy, like a small refrigerator. I had to buy a dolly specifically to get this package up to my apartment on my own, but I managed! However, I'm 5'1" and could not lift the 85lb thing out of the Styrofoam base on my own to unpack it. Was afraid to put it horizontally on my couch to try it since they say to keep it upright as much as possible. Best to ask a friend for help and get a really good dolly. - I'm keeping the box and ugly Styrofoam (which is disintegrating a bit) because IF it ever needs repairing, I believe you have to mail it back, which is quite cumbersome. - Expensive, but that's the case for "better" dual hose models. Wait for a good sale! Also comes with added costs if you have a weird (awning) window, which is the case in many Seattle/PNW apartments. See below. - Longevity is still TBD. Who knows how long this thing will last. I'll update this review if it starts having issues. - Window kit doesn't work for casement or awning windows. You can certainly buy the janky zippered fabric window attachments on Amazon, but I bought a custom plexiglass kit from Martinson Manufacturing and paired it with removable window tape from Atack. The plexiglass kit is very expensive but is much sturdier than fabric covers which leak heat all over. If you're extra crafty, you can try to cut it yourself, but you'd want to use a thin plexiglass. Another clever alternative (thanks to Reddit) is to use flexible marine vinyl that you can cut it more easily yourself, if you can find marine vinyl. - No screens/filters for the hose, but that's the case for Midea Duo as well. If you buy a Martinson Manufacturing window kit, it comes with a bug screen! You can also buy a bug screen separately. (It fits perfectly but won't keep out tiny bugs.) Overall, unless this breaks in the next few years, I recommend this if you can afford it! I got this model on sale at $500. Not sure if this or Midea Duo are better, but if you are shopping for AC units, always compare effectiveness against the more reliable SACC values. Look it up on ConsumerAnalysis for details if you want to learn more. Also, make sure to get the right unit for the space you want to cool. Hope my review helps you, and good luck on your search!

This portable air conditioner has been the best investment I’ve made in a while. It’s super easy to set up, get connected to the WiFi, and set up schedules or use the app to control it! And by far cools SO WELL!!! The wife and I have been using it to cool our bedroom at night because this summer has been CRAZY hot, and yet this thing cools down to the temperature we set it and keeps the bedroom nice and cold through the night. It’s been incredibly reliable, not having any issue with it not cooling or anything. It hasn’t leaked and the condensation evaporation technology works wonders for allowing us to not have to drain the tank. Of course, depending on your environment and the humidity that may be different for others, but overall this air conditioner has been AMAZING! Would HIGHLY recommend for others.

We are so happy with this ac unit! We have vaulted ceilings in a second floor unit. This unit cools down the entire living and dining area very quickly and quietly. We love the slim profile too, it sits much closer to the window than our old unit. It's very sleek looking. As far as the electric bill, that's yet to be seen but our old unit was a beast so anything has to be better. They also include alot of foam etc for the window, which I thought was nice. We'll have plenty for the next installation unless it degrades by then.

I’m very happy with this purchase. The unit arrived packaged extremely well in a sturdy, secure box, and everything felt protected during shipping. The air conditioner itself is solid, well-built, and clearly designed with quality in mind. The instructions were detailed and easy to follow, and the installation kit was straightforward and simple to understand. Setup was much easier than I expected. The cord length is also good, which made placement more convenient. Most importantly, this is one of the most effective cooling units I’ve ever owned. It feels robust, puts out a strong and steady breeze, and cools the room down very effectively. Based on its performance so far, I feel confident that it will keep the room comfortable throughout the summer. Drainage has not been an issue for me. Since I live in the Northeast and mainly plan to use it for cooling rather than as a dehumidifier, I do not expect to need the drainage tube often, if at all. The price point was also very reasonable for the quality, features, and performance. Overall, I would highly recommend this air conditioner. I’m very glad I bought it and would absolutely purchase it again.

UPDATE: It was about a week after I posted this review with a video of the unit running and suddenly it started leaking water-rain water-out of the bottom of the unit. Customer service agreed with me that it is possible for the rain to go through the hose that goes through the window kit and then through the air conditioner and onto the floor. So I need to be home and able to remove the hose from the window every time it rains. Great solution. Nice for almost $600 and I found out a little more than a year later. ————————————————————— Bought this a year ago when there were hardly any reviews here on Amazon but I read some elsewhere and together with the description it convinced me that this would be the best one to cool off my 1 bedroom apartment. I didn’t want to have to keep using 2 air conditioners and I had developed a ton of dirt and mold within a year with the last 2 bedroom air conditioners I had bought. So I decided that I needed something that I could take out of the window in the winter months to reduce the dirt and mold collection inside my air conditioners. I had a portable previously before the BCU rating system was changed for portable air conditioners to more accurately reflect how well they performed. My old one was also a single hose setup. It actually made the apartment hotter because it produced more heat with the hose itself than it generated cool air. I had read that dual hoses were better. So this one satisfies that requirement. I don’t know if there’s mold inside obviously but I sniffed at the vents where the air comes out of and didn’t smell anything like in the first portable air conditioner I still have sitting in my living room. This is the first time since moving in 9 years ago that I’ve been without a second air conditioner, so it is definitely doing what I wanted it to do and more. Only issue is that this year I can’t get Alexa to turn the unit back on, though she can turn it off. But there’s enough other ways to turn it on and off, including an app on my Apple Watch. The air conditioner has an app and the remote is also especially useful for the feature called iSense. I highly recommend using this. It acts as a separate, remote thermostat to assist the air conditioner in knowing when to turn the air down. I use it on Auto as well to keep it silent at most times. The air conditioner is very silent after it reaches the temperature you set it at. Apparently my air conditioner is much more powerful than it needs to be for this apartment (I was told my apartment was about 650 square feet, but that was an estimate and this unit is telling me that it’s way off). But I just set the temperature much higher than I actually want it and it really does seem to work well for keeping the whole apartment cool, which I haven’t been able to do all these years with 2 air conditioners that weren’t all that powerful. I feel like having an air conditioner keep working for a year, just as well as the day I got it is a win. I am glad I didn’t listen to my cousin who tried to tell me that a portable probably wasn’t the answer. It was. This unit seems like it will be more reliable than the others I’ve had since moving in to this apartment. I have no complaints, just wish Alexa could turn it on but I think it might just need to be relinked.

Very nice unit, came well packed and with two manuals, one for setup and operation, the other for wireless and online app functionality. Once I got it unpacked and the basic setup done, I plugged it in and heard a power-on beep and initialization whir. Then just pushed the power button and it started right up, set at 72° and pushing cold air right away. Quick setup instructions could definitely be more prominently placed and clarified; I didn't find them until I was into the middle of the manual, and then they were small pictures with small print and not sequential, instead focusing on various setup configurations with the included adapters and window slides. In our case, here in the southwest, we have large picture windows with high transom windows for ventilation. To reach one of those windows, I had to set the unit up on a chest, then build a riser base with a lip to raise it a bit more and keep it from rolling off and radically adapt the 'inverter hose' mounting plate and exhaust flanges! It would be great if Whynter would offer a longer intake/exhaust hose option for higher windows such as this. In any event, the unit is very well made, works well and cools to the desired (set) temperature, verified with standalone temp/humidity devices we have.

Did some research on different devices to cool a room down and found out about portable AC units. Found a spreadsheet online with the cost and performance metrics of many different brands and this one is said to be one of the top performing units out there. Amazing performance and runs pretty quiet. I actually am able to fall asleep while it’s running at night like it’s a white noise machine. My room does run pretty hot after a while when I’m gaming on my PC, and I like how fast it can suck out all the hot air and cool everything down. The app that you can use for it is great, especially the function to have it run however long and whatever temperature you’d like while sleeping.

Arrived in secured packaging, on time, by custom Amazon delivery. It weighs a lot. Out of box experience was easy by following the instruction book. The A/C box is a single unit. The reasonably easy set up is mainly with the accordion dual hose sleeve and for my horizontal sliding window config. I followed the instructions for the sliding panel and insulation strips around the window opening. The seal is good. The whole setup is Not too hard going solo, much easier with two people. Once the window attachment and hose sleeve were connected, the unit easily turned on, cool air blew within a few seconds, the louvre moves up and down to direct air flow, and voila! It works without even reading the control panel instructions. I like the timer setting to shutoff in half hour increments. Works flawlessly. The unit has been operational daily for hours at a time over the past month. It is compatible for my master bedroom size and personal need for cool air. Given another product brand I previously owned had failed to perform more than three months, I believe this Whynter model is a great value for the cost.

Es buen producto (vivo en Pachuca, México). En estas olas de calor consecutivas me ha funcionado muy bien. Símplemente el precio es un poco alto, pero a cambio casi no hace ruido y tampoco ha aumentado demaciado mi consumo de electricidad.

This thing is a beast - great for condo use, relatively easy to set up, easy to set and use. I have it in my bedroom and provided I leave the bedroom door open before bedtime it makes a decent attempt on taking the worst edge off the rest of the condo as well. With the door shut it brings the room to a comfortable level quickly and keeps it there easily. Livable but less positive - sleep mode doesn't just reduce the throughput, it appears to switch it off completely. The noise of operation is easy to sleep through, but it does have an unfortunate habit of beeping when it changes mode, and those are not easy to sleep through.