In fact, that is probably the ideal use, because it’s heavy enough to pose a problem getting up and down stairs if used at home, as well as taking up a lot of space and making a fairly industrial noise. You wouldn’t choose it for cooling your bedroom at night, but it’s the only one we reviewed that can stand a chance of cooling a 40 square-metre space. Overall, the Klarstein air conditioner offers low dB levels at all speeds, and cheaper bills to boot. The negative being it’s relatively low power. If you’re looking to cool a small room (max 34 m²) and therefore not concerned with BTU, this model is as quiet as they come. Even if your unit is programmable, you might still want a remote. If you don’t want to waste power running the air conditioner while you’re asleep, it can be handy to keep a remote next to the bed. Then once you start getting sleepy, you can turn it off at the press of a button. It would also be useful if you’re running it in your home office and you start to get too warm or too cool when working. A remote means you don’t need to stop what you’re doing and get up to change the temperature. BTU, or British Thermal Units, refers to the coverage the air conditioning unit will provide. A good rule of thumb is that it will take 20 BTU to cool each square foot of a room. So if your room is 300 square feet, you should be aiming for a unit with a BTU of 6000. Ideally, you should aim a little above this, as you might want to use it in a bigger room at some point. Plan for a BTU high enough to cool the biggest room in your home, and you’ll stay cool and happy.

6 Best Quiet Air Conditioners Under 65 dB (Portable)

In terms of size, weight and cooling ability (they rate it at 12,000 BTU) electriQ’s 40-litre unit begins to approach portable air conditioners. It’s the one you’d want in a workshop or office at the height of the summer.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t move as much air as its 120W motor would suggest and is a little bit more unwieldy than the other tower models. But it’s solidly constructed, has a big water tank and should last a long time. The very catchy Chilly CLCO-290-09BS is a compact air conditioner with a punch. Only available with a BTU of 9,000, it’s more than enough for cool a medium sized room. It’s unfortunate this is the only BTU this model offers, it would have been nice to go up or down depending on what you’re using it for. Due to how air conditioners work, they will never be completely silent. But some offer a quiet solution (usually a sleep mode) which offers a lower dB level. At Quiet Living, we score noise level with our Quiet Score. We review our favourite quiet air conditioners, including a buying guide on what to look for when shopping around. We’ve included a range of conditioners so depending on whether you’re using it in a bedroom, baby’s room or living room, we’ve got you covered.

Best Silent Cooling Bedroom Fan – Perfect For Sleeping Best Silent Cooling Bedroom Fan – Perfect For Sleeping

Due to the 7,000 or 9,000 BTU options, we feel the Midea is great for medium sized rooms, up to about 300 ft². It’s compact so ideal for a bedroom, and the sleep mode with a lower fan setting produces less noise than the standard speed. We feel “sleep mode” is a bit of a marketing ploy as it’s just a lower setting, but nice nonetheless. The sleep mode offers a dB level of 65 meaning you shouldn’t be disturbed, and an adjustable thermostat can be adjusted between 17 – 35 degrees… giving you full control over temperature.

Finally, air coolers can help to humidify the air in dry climates. This makes them a great choice for those who want to stay cool while also reducing their impact on the environment. Ultimately, the choice between an air cooler and an air conditioner will depend on your room size, budget, and setup needs. * Air cooler running costs The Symphony has the largest water tank we tested, which doesn’t translate into more power – it just means it lasts longer (two days and nights, in this case). But as it happens, the Symphony is powerful, too, with an airflow of 840 cubic metres per hour that allows it to cool rooms up to 12m 2. That’s a bigger space than many air coolers – although still not huge. No air cooler can chill a big living room. For that you will need a proper air conditioner. Air conditioners are noisy, regardless or when or where they’re used. Therefore, (we think) a quiet option is a must have, especially when having it on when sleeping. If you’ve travelled to other warm countries, you will have become aware of the difference the air’s humidity makes. A dry heat is usually much easier to cope with. While the UK certainly isn’t tropical, there still remains a noticeable amount of moisture in the air. If you choose an air conditioner that includes a dehumidifier, it will keep you more comfortable during hot weather and also reduce the chance of damp or mould patches appearing in your home. The Princess – a Dutch brand – was the first air cooler I tried, in the middle of 2022’s heatwave when all the big-beast proper air conditioners were sold out. It was a bit of a revelation, reducing the temperature in my bedroom from an entirely unreasonable 23 degrees (at midnight!) to a more bearable 19.