If your home, office or workspace does not have central air, you have two choices: purchase an in-window or wall mounted air conditioning unit or a portable one. If you do not want to install an air conditioning unit, your best bet is a portable model. This Soleus air conditioner review will cover the advantages of a Soleus LX-140 and a few other models that may suit your cooling needs.
When deciding whether to buy a portable air conditioner, you must consider a variety of factors such has how energy efficient a unit is, how well it will perform, and if it is easy to operate. Portable air conditioners differ from their mounted counterparts. They are louder and every model requires an exhaust hose for venting hot air and sometimes water.
Evaporative coolers are an excellent choice if you want to cool your space without the hassle of an exhaust hose but they are not as effective as a standard air conditioner. We designed this review to make your search for a portable air conditioning unit easier. Let's begin with our featured product, the Soleus LX-140.
The Soleus Air LX-140 is a powerful air conditioner suited for a variety of settings. It can cycle a maximum of 225 cubic feet of air per minute for cooling, one of the best airflow ratings available on a portable unit. The LX-140 can be used for more than air conditioning, it can also circulate air, and dehumidify too. The dehumidifier is capable of removing 2.5 pints of moisture out from the air per hour. This is especially valuable in humid climates. A bonus to having the dehumidifier is that it captures the water and draws it into a self contained well that can be emptied when full.
The unit is also energy efficient and portable. That said, it weighs in at 83 pounds, heavier than many other units, so it may be difficult to transport for some people. Nevertheless, it is an excellent air conditioner for the price.
The LX-140's coolant features a three-speed adjustable fan mode. It also has an evaporative air conditioning option with 14,000 BTU cooling power. That is enough to cool even the hottest spaces. The visual design of the LX-140 makes it easy to integrate into any space without it being an eyesore.
Despite its small size it can cool a room up to 525 square feet. Although it is portable, you can opt to install it in a window using the window kit. This unit requires outside ventilation via an integrated hose. With that in mind, the LX-140 has a 60 pint evaporative humidifier which you can safely ventilate into an attic or ceiling without worry of introducing humid air into that environment.
The average cost of a portable air conditioner is two to three hundred dollars. Higher end models can cost six to seven hundred dollars. On the higher end of cost you will get a unit suited for industrial use. More expensive residential units also have technology upgrades like Wi-Fi, voice control, and the ability to pair with Alexa and other smart devices which allows for remote operation. Cheaper models are suited for cooling smaller rooms in a home or office with no bells and whistles.
To provide you with a greater variety of options on this Soleus air conditioner review, we picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
For the price, this unit is packed with features. It has a cooling system, fan or evaporative options, and dehumidifier. It also has a window mount kit for those who prefer window mounting over the standard portable use.
At 83 pounds this air conditioner is portable, but not exceptionally so. That said, it is on wheels, so it can be rolled as long as stairs or ledges are not inhibiting it.
This unit performs exceptionally as long as it is used in a space that does not exceed its cooling capacity.
This unit has a one-year limited parts and labor warranty.
Similar to the featured model of this Soleus air conditioner review, the Honeywell MN10CESWW has a three-speed fan setting, dehumidifier, and cooling modes. It is a portable unit capable of cooling rooms up to 450-square-feet. A bonus is the low cost of running this unit, about 90 dollars annually. That said, it is not as energy efficient as some other models.
This air conditioner does have lower airflow at 174 cubic feet per minute so it takes about a half hour before you start to feel its effects. It has a cooling power of 10,000 BTU. The dehumidifier runs constantly, regardless of whether you have chosen the setting. In cooling mode it removes a maximum of 2.8 pints of moisture from the air per hour. Unlike our featured model, it does not have an internal well. Instead it requires ventilation via a window to dispense with the excess water.
The MN10CESWW features a straightforward remote control with a timer setting. It lacks a sleep mode, so the temperature does not adjust as you rest. Also it cannot auto restart, so loss of power means the room it is situated in may be warm if no one tends to the machine. It is worth noting the ventilation hose is only 3.9 feet long, so this model has to be situated near a window or other ventilation outlet.
Overall we like the features on this unit. However the lack of an internal well combined with the shorter hose length makes us give this air conditioner 3 stars. That said, if you have an easily assessable window for ventilation the aforementioned barriers may not matter.
We find this unit to be highly portable.
While this unit works well, the lack of sleep settings or an auto start makes us give it four stars.
This unit has an excellent five-year compressor warranty and a standard one-year appliance warranty.
The Frigidaire Gallery FGPC1244T1 is an energy efficient feature rich unit ideal for in-home cooling. It can cool rooms up to 550 square feet and has a maximum airflow rating of 200 CFM. The FGPC1244T1 has a dry mode setting capable of removing up to three pints of water from the air conditioner per hour. A unique feature of this model is the use of oscillating louvers that help circulate the air for fast even cooling.
The approximate yearly cost of running this unit is 94 dollars, making it relatively energy efficient. A huge bonus is that the FGPC1244T1 is very quiet for a portable unit with a sound output of only 53 decibels. It also has built in wifi so the unit can be controlled from a smartphone or even by voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant. A built in ionizer, remote control, and machine washable filters put this unit over the top.
There are very few features this unit does not have. It is outfitted with a 24-hour timer, remote, auto restart, ionizer, dehumidifier, voice control, Wi-Fi, sleep mode, and so much more.
Despite technically being portable, one of our biggest issues with this unit is that it is 78 pounds. Carrying it is not easy, but its wheels can help with transport as long as scaling steps, rolling over thick carpet, or lifting are minimal.
This air conditioner performs well.
This unit has a five-year compressor warranty and one-year limited warranty.
The LG LP0817WSR stands out on our Soleus air conditioner review list because it can only cool rooms up to 200 square feet. It is best for a small home office, bedroom, or other small spaces. As with the other units on our list, it excels at removing humidity from the air. The compact size of this air conditioner, which stands 27 inches high, makes it easy to move and incorporate into any room. However, despite being small, it is slightly noisy. The sound is reminiscent of loud white noise.
Although this unit has a modest price, it still has useful features such as a remote control and an easy-to-read LED display panel. There is a 24 hour timer, programmable auto restart, and an auto shut off. There is also an optional window kit. Overall we feel this unit is an ideal budget air conditioner.
Although this unit isn't packed full of features, for its price it is a well outfitted machine. The remote control 24-hour timer, auto start, and LED screen add quality to this bargain priced unit.
Since this air conditioner is highly compact, it is the most portable unit on this Soleus air conditioner review comparison list.
As long as you stick to rooms sized appropriately for this air conditioner it performs well.
This unit has a one-year limited warranty.
That concludes our Soleus air conditioner review and comparisons list. Considering other comparable products, we have to give our featured unit, the Soleus LX-140, four stars. While it lacks the excessive bells and whistles of its more expensive competitors, like the Frigidaire Gallery FGPC1244T1, it is soundly outfitted for optimal cooling and convenience. We feel the maximum space it can cool will meet the needs of most homes and offices, and we like the dehumidifier, fan, and evaporative options.
The fact the Soleus LX-140 has an internal well, separates it from most of the other air conditioners on our list. It prevents the need to use the hose to leak water pulled from the air by the dehumidifier and opens up more options for ventilation, including attic ventilation. We are impressed with the fact that it comes with an optional window kit for those who would prefer to use it as a permanent room fixture. That said, if you plan to keep things portable, it is lightweight enough to move about on its wheels.
Although we are happy with the unit overall, we must admit the industry standard one year limited warranty was a disappointment. Especially considering similar options came with an extended five-year warranty on the compressor, a useful perk if you plan to use the air conditioner regularly. We also wish there was a remote control for this unit. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the relatively quiet and superior cooling capabilities of our featured model. It manages to hold its own easily.
We tried to provide a very specific and carefully chosen variety of air conditioners that embodied what is currently available on the market. That said, we feel the Soleus LX-140 merges a quality cooling product with the essential elements needed to make it easy to use and effective. Should you need something for a larger space, or are a tech junkie looking for your next fix, you may find one of our other options ideal. However for a straightforward cooling system with optimal power and the ability to get the job done, the Soleus LX-140 is sufficient.
