Hurry! Beat the heatwave with these portable air conditioner Prime Day deals before they sell out

Portable air conditioner
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I don't need to tell you how uncomfortable it is to be stuck in a room with temperatures climbing past 30°C / 86°F and no air conditioning. We're only a couple of weeks into summer but Europe (where I am) is in the grip of a heatwave with temperatures hitting over 40°C / 104°F this week.

Things are no different in the United States. According to data shared by the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC), more than half of the country should brace for temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming days. And that's not even taking into account the humidity.

Naturally, the response is to crank up the A/C to stay cool. But if you don't already have one of the best smart air conditioners at home, it can be expensive and time-consuming to get one installed. The solution is to pick up a portable unit right now in the Amazon Prime Day sales. Not only can you save some cash, but chances are you can have it delivered and ready to go before the heatwave really hits.

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I've scoured Amazon and found a few options worth considering if you've finally decided that the personal fan you bought weeks ago just ain't cutting it.

US portable A/C deals

Coolblus 8500BTU portable air conditioner
Coolblus 8500BTU portable air conditioner: was $233 now $198 at Amazon

This portable unit can cool rooms up to 36 sq ft in as little as 15 minutes. There's a user-friendly LED control panel, remote control, and automatic restart after a power outage. Put it in Sleep Mode and it dials the noise down to 52 dB so it keeps you cool at night without disturbing your sleep. While not silent, that's about on par with the level of noise in a quiet home anyway. Other features include a built-in fan (with cooling switched off) and a dehumidifier capable of removing 55L out of the air each day.

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Midea  3,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner
Midea 3,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner: was $579 now $479 at Amazon

You can save $100 on this portable air conditioner that uses dual hoses for up to 60% faster cooling than a single hose alternative. Utilizing two hoses means the unit can have separate intake and exhaust hoses to cool rooms quickly and efficiently. This air conditioner is Wi-Fi enabled so you can fire it up from your smartphone (or smartwatch) without having to be at home. If you're out on the school pickup, you can have your kid's room down to a nice welcoming temperature by the time you get back. Midea has had to issue A/C unit recalls in the past, but this one comes with a one-year limited warranty from original purchase date.

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EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner
EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner: was $1,299 now $799 at Amazon

This one kicks things up a notch in terms of pricing, but the discount is far greater. You can save 38% ($500) on this unit right now for Prime Day. We haven't tested this latest version out but in our review of its predecessor, we noted the best thing about the Ecoflow is that it's actually two devices in one. That's the same for this newer model: While you can use it as a 6,100 BTU cooling portable air con machine in the summer, it pulls double duty as a 6,800 BTU heater in the winter. The battery life has been improved over the EcoWave 2 and it's also gotten quieter, operating at whisper-quiet 42 to 52 dB depending on the fan speed. If you really want to beat the heat (and the cold), this is the product to go for.

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UK portable A/C deals

Unfortunately, finding deals on portable AC units in the U.K. is proving tough right now. Given the current state of the country — with a severe heat warning in place — many units are selling out fast.

While I haven't been able to find any specific deals worth your time, here are some units I've found that are still in stock. Although there's no telling how long they'll be available for so you'll need to be quick.

Lidl Tronic 3-in-1 Air Conditoner
Lidl Tronic 3-in-1 Air Conditoner: £149 at lidl.co.uk

It's not a deal, but it is one of the cheapest portable air conditioners that I've seen over the last couple of days. And it's still in stock over at Lidl, but you'll need to check the store locator to see if you can grab one. Going by the specs sheet, this air conditioner is suitable for rooms between 30 and 45m and can set temperatures from 16 to 31°C. The cooling capacity is 7000 BTU and you've got a 1.5m drain hose and a window kit included for venting. At 65dB, it won't be quiet — but it will be cool and it will be cheap.

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Belaco Portable Air Conditioning Unit
Belaco Portable Air Conditioning Unit: £699 at Amazon

This guy probably won't stay in stock at Amazon for too long. It works as a dehumidifier and a regular cooling fan as well as its air conditioning duties. As with many of the other items on this list, it's got a programmable timer for you to set schedules by and comes with a window venting kit. It's got a 9,000 BTU capacity and noise levels will hit 65dB. Because it's also a dehumidifier, there's an on board HEPA filter. It's rated Energy class A, too.

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GoodHome Culver Air conditioner
GoodHome Culver Air conditioner: £299 at B&Q

B&Q currently have this unit in stock, although delivery isn't an option — you'll have to go to your nearest outlet and pick it up yourself. This is a 9,000BTU unit that comes with a window insulation kit and three different airflow speeds. It can run automatically with a 24-hour timer or you can control it manually with the included remote control. It's got an Energy class A rating and a 2-year guarantee.

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MeacoCool MC Series Pro 9000BTU
MeacoCool MC Series Pro 9000BTU: £400 at Argos

The MC Series Pro 9000BTU air conditioner is built to handle rooms up to 26m. Like others on this list, it can also double up as a heater as well as packing in a dehumidifier. It's quiet at 51dB and A-rated for energy efficiency, it costs around 25p/hour to run. You can operate it via the Meaco App or remote for convenience. Includes versatile window kits and a two-year warranty.

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What to know before buying

The main thing you want to look at before buying a portable air conditioner is the BTU rating. That stands for British Thermal Unit and indicates the cooling capacity. In effect, how much heat it can get rid of in a room over the course of one hour.

The higher the number, the more powerful the cooling. Anything that's rated 5,000 BTUs and above will be more than sufficient to cool a small-to-medium room. The only trade-off you need to be aware of is noise levels, particularly if you plan to run the air con while you sleep. Anything over 65 decibels is likely to become a disturbance during the night.

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Jeff Parsons
UK Editor In Chief

Jeff is UK Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide looking after the day-to-day output of the site’s British contingent.

A tech journalist for over a decade, he’s travelled the world testing any gadget he can get his hands on. Jeff has a keen interest in fitness and wearables as well as the latest tablets and laptops.

A lapsed gamer, he fondly remembers the days when technical problems were solved by taking out the cartridge and blowing out the dust.

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