7 Best Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioners For Powerful Cooling (2024)

Written By

Ile Kauppila

Expert Reviewed By

Josh Mitchell

Last Updated On

July 3, 2024

The Whynter ARC-14S should be your go-to dual-hose portable air conditioner when you need a unit that does its job and does it well.

This extremely popular portable AC unit has a powerful 14,000-BTU cooling capacity, putting it in the same class as the Midea and Honeywell units on my list.

The unit is rated for 500-square-foot spaces but can work well in even larger ones with low ceilings. If you have very high or arched ceilings, though, I would recommend keeping this AC in rooms up to 400 square feet.

The air vents can only be adjusted to blow the cool air upwards, which ensures more even cooling throughout the room. High ceilings can slow the process down quite a bit.

This device has AC, fan, and dehumidification modes and a handy timer for setting it to your schedule. I would've liked to see a sleep mode, too, but I didn't end up missing it.

I have to give two thumbs up to maintenance with this dual-hose air conditioner.

It has a washable pre-filter AND an activated carbon filter (one of only two units on my list to have one).

Both are straightforward to take out and clean or replace.

The filters work very well — I'm asthmatic, so I definitely would've noticed poor air quality.

Drainage is also easy to manage since there’s no drainage to manage. This unit’s self-evaporation feature works very well and uses any condensation to cool the coils.

The AC produces about 56 dB of noise, making it one of the loudest I’ve featured. The sound is steady across all modes, though, so you get used to it quickly.

I love the long 5-foot intake and exhaust hoses (a common feature with all Whynter units). They let you position this unit quite freely.

In terms of energy efficiency, this Whynter has an EER rating of 10.77, making it almost as energy efficient as the Whynter ARC-1230WN above (except this model doesn't have an inverter).

Overall, though, it’s no wonder this unit is an award winner. It works exactly as advertised, providing efficient and reliable cooling.

For about $100 more, you can even upgrade to an AC+Heat option.

Do you want it all? Do you want it now? Well, Mr. Mercury, Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL should satisfy your cooling needs — and heating, for that matter!

Midea products are continuously climbing up my lists, and their dual-hose AC is no exception.

Midea has equipped this dual-hose air conditioner with an inverter compressor. With a 14,000 BTU rating, it can freeze you out of a large 500-square-foot room.

Set up a few fans, and I could see this AC unit keeping even a 1,000-square-foot space comfortable.

This unit serves double duty as a space heater. I don’t use the hot air function too much, but it’s efficient — although you need to hook up the supplied continuous drain line.

Midea Duo’s SEER rating of 10.77 matches the Whynter ARC-1230WN.

Although the Midea Duo does not have an Energy Star rating, it did win the Energy Star 2023 prize for the most efficient portable air conditioner.

The inverter compressor also makes Midea Duo a very quiet air conditioner. Like the Dreo further down my list, it has a noise level of only 42 dBA on the lowest setting—a good choice for your bedroom.

The dehumidifier mode on Midea Duo is the most powerful on my list, removing 122 pints of moisture daily.

As a cherry on top of it all, Midea has included built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. I love that I can connect Midea Duo to my smartphone or Alexa to control it from anywhere in my home.

Unlike the Whynter units, which have a separate intake and exhaust hose, Midea has wrapped both into a single enclosure.

That makes the window panel very heavy and difficult to install at 78 lbs.

The thick hose-in-hose design is also inflexible and forces you to place the AC unit directly in front of the window.

On the plus side, though, it does add a bit of extra insulation to the hoses.

The unit's black color may divide opinions. I like it but I could see some people thinking it looks like a trash can.

Midea Duo is also the most expensive machine on my list at almost $700. Still, if you want a lot of power and all the latest features — including heat — it's well worth the investment.

Cool or warm air — pick your poison. The Cooper & Hunter CH-PDH14AC3 can keep you comfortable both in the summer heat and autumn chill.

Like the Midea Duo, this Cooper & Hunter model wraps a dual-hose portable air conditioner and a heat pump into one machine.

In terms of cooling capacity, it matches its dual-purpose competitor’s 14,000 BTU rating.

Yet it’s heating where this machine really shines. It pumps out a lot of hot air to keep you toasty once the temperatures start falling.

I actually have this model in my living room. The first time I tried the heating option, I turned it on and went into my kitchen for about twenty minutes to finish dinner.

By the time I came back, the room was so toasty I had to turn it down! This is something I’ve never experienced with other models.

This C&H model offers total climate control for medium-sized rooms of up to 550 square feet.

The AC portion of the unit offers similar functionality as Whynter and Honeywell, with the same fan speed options and 3-in-1 functionality.

The remote is like the Honeywell's in the sense that it has no display but works fine otherwise.

Despite having both heating and cooling, the C&H is a fairly compact machine and over 5 inches shorter than the Whynter ARC-122DS.

It can fit in slightly smaller nooks as long as you have the muscle to move it — this is a heavy model at 85 lbs.

The product listing for this Cooper & Hunter model lists an SEER of 2.6, which is not only really awful, but also just wrong. Using BTUs/watts, I've calculated the EER to be 10.23, which falls just short of my first three models.

It's also one of the more affordable models on my list.

Of course, it doesn’t have the smart features of the Midea model, but if you’re looking to save a couple hundred dollars up front, this might be the best choice for you.

Those looking for heating and cooling capacity should definitely have a look.

I believe that a budget shouldn’t stop you from living in a nicely cooled space.

Whynter ARC-122DS is a relatively affordable dual-hose portable air conditioner that brings plenty of value to the table.

Despite its low price point, this Whynter portable air conditioner sports a respectable BTU rating of 12,000.

With a 400-square-foot coverage area, it squarely matches the much pricier Dreo unit in cooling ability.

I wouldn’t try to cool larger spaces with this Whynter, but that’s not a knock on the machine.

When used in an appropriately-sized room, this air conditioner can reduce the temperature by 10 degrees in a couple of hours.

Another value-adding factor is the ARC-122DS’ low power consumption, matched only by the Midea AC unit.

With a 10 EER rating, this portable AC can keep your home cool without impacting your energy bill that much.

It’s almost as efficient as the Whynter-1230WN, but without the inverter it doesn’t quite have the chops to cool bigger spaces.

In terms of features, this value-packed unit brings you all the advantages of its bigger brother, with AC and fan modes and a 24-hour timer.

The dehumidifier mode is actually more powerful than on the ARC-14S, making this machine a great choice for regions with high humidity.

The only thing it lacks is the activated carbon filter — although that’s available separately.

The ARC-122DS is fairly compact and lightweight. It's not as small as the ultra-portable Honeywell, but at 60 pounds, it's still easy to move and position, thanks to the long 60-inch hoses.

I also have to praise the fairly quiet operation. This unit doesn’t quite match the inverter-equipped Midea or Dreo ACs, but for a traditional compressor, it has a low noise level.

There’s one big warning I must give, though. The owner’s manual states that this air conditioner uses 9 amps of power, but I noticed that it can draw up to 13 amps if outdoor temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

I strongly recommend that you plug this unit into an at least 15-amp outlet to avoid blowing a fuse or overheating your wiring.

If you’re looking for a portable air conditioner with a dual-hose design and you’re on a budget, I can warmly recommend this machine.

You get a well-engineered machine and a lot of cooling efficiency for your buck.

Think you need a big beast of a portable air conditioner for a big room? Think again.

Honeywell HW4CEDAWW0 is the smallest and most portable machine on my list — but it’s also the best for larger rooms!

The Honeywell portable air conditioner is rated for 14,500 BTU, above all other units I’ve reviewed here. It has the chops to cool rooms up to 700 square feet.

Yet, with some creative AC and fan placement, I was able to keep spaces almost double that size tolerable my my open floorplan.

Despite its power, this Honeywell dual-hose model is only 28 inches tall and weighs less than 60 pounds. It’s a compact and lightweight AC unit, which makes it easy to move.

I wish the exhaust and intake hose were longer than the restrictively short four feet, though.

Although this air conditioner doesn't weigh much, installing it is a hassle because of the short hoses.

The window kit is also pretty sub-standard since it doesn't come with any weather stripping.

The Honeywell matches the Whynter AC units in features. It comes with three fan speed settings and can operate in AC, dehumidifier, and fan modes.

There’s no sleep mode, though, so if you need that, Dreo or Midea might be better choices.

You have a remote operation, although the remote doesn't have a display. On the bright side, Honeywell’s remote is the most responsive out of the ones I tested. It’s basic, but it gets the job done.

I found the Honeywell unit to be surprisingly quiet for an air conditioner without an inverter compressor.

It produces only 51 dBA on the high setting, so I could see myself using it in a bedroom.

This is the only one out of the dual-hose units I reviewed that comes with thermal overload protection.

If the air conditioner starts drawing excess power, the protection system stops the condenser, preventing overheating and damage to the unit and electricity lines.[1]

If you start looking for the heater function after reading the user manual, as I did, don't bother — there's no heater option as the model has.

As far as I know, Honeywell doesn't make dual-hose models with heating, so I'm not sure why that's in the manual.

Yet, my biggest gripe is the very low energy efficiency.

With a 7.54 EER, this is the most energy-hungry air conditioner on my list. Be prepared for higher electricity bills with this unit.

Power always comes at a price, though. And if it’s power you’re after, this is the best portable air conditioner for you.

For my customers who like the quiet operation of the Midea Duo but don’t have the budget, I recommend the Dreo TwinCool.

The Dreo TwinCool DR-HAC001 brings just as quiet cooling at a slightly lower price point.

Like Midea Duo, Dreo TwinCool boasts an inverter compressor, making it one of the quietest portable air conditioners I've seen. On low, it produces only 42 dBA of noise, and even the highest setting doesn’t get louder than 53 dBA.

In terms of power, this AC unit matches the Whynter ARC-122DS with a 12,000 BTU rating and 400-square-foot coverage area.

If you need a dual-hose air conditioner for a big bedroom, Dreo is a great candidate.

The TwinCool is surprisingly the most energy efficient item on my list, with an EER coming in of 12.24.

Although the TwinCool lacks a heater, it’s otherwise practically identical to Midea Duo in features.

Frankly, based on my tests and looking at the user manuals, I suspect the internal components come off the same assembly line.

On top of the AC, dehumidifier and fan modes, Dreo offers three fan speeds, a timer, and a sleep mode option.

Like Midea Duo, the TwinCool has dual thermostats, with one on the machine and one on the remote, allowing it to set the desired temperature according to your location.

There's no Wi-Fi connectivity, but the remote works well enough. I like the Star button (Shortcut in the manual) that lets you save your favorite settings to the remote's memory.

The Dreo does weigh less than the Midea Duo or the big Whynter model, though, which keeps it a bit more portable.

I'm not sure if Dreo has some quality control issues or uses poor packaging, but occasionally I will get a unit that’s broken in the box.

That's not too big of a deal, though, since Dreo's customer service is among the best in the business.

This of course, is just an extra wait for my clients, so I like to have at least one of these units on hand.

Overall, Dreo TwinCool simply works well. If silence is golden to you, this dual-hose portable air conditioner won’t offend your ears.

Every now and then, I’ll be asked to fit a commercial space with portable cooling.

These scenarios often include large warehouses where swamp coolers aren’t just cutting it or extra large server rooms where cooling is paramount.

My go-to model for these situations is the KwiKool KIB12023.

This super-powerful portable AC has a whopping 120,000 BTUs of power to cool up to 4000 square feet of space. For commercial applications looking for an alternative to central AC, this is the one to choose.

That said, I often get asked if this model can be used for entire home cooling, and in that case, my answer is no. KwiKool is very clear about its intended design for this industrial model, and it is not rated for residential use.

One reason for this is the noise level. The KwiKool runs at 125 dB on high mode, which is comparable to a loud concert or a jet plane.

Compared to the Dreo TwinCool running at 42 dB, you would feel like you’re standing in a wind tunnel while standing next to this one.

(For the record, levels of over 90 dB can cause hearing damage over time. So you’ll see why this is more suitable for a large server room that doesn’t have a lot of human traffic.)

While all the other products on my list are meant to be vented out of a window, the KwiKool is meant to be vented through a drop ceiling, so I do recommend professional installation for this one.

My favorite feature is the internal pump, which can draw water up and out of your space up to 150 feet away.

While the KwiKool is listed as a portable commercial AC, this makes me laugh a little bit.

Yes, it does have wheels, but at 986 lbs and a semi-complicated installation, I don’t think you’ll be moving this one around very often.

Of course, all this cooling power comes with a staggering price tag of $19,000, not including installation.

Yes, this is expensive, but when I consider the alternative of putting in a central AC with ducting and electrical work, the KwiKool quickly becomes a reasonable alternative.

FAQs

You generally don’t have to drain most dual-hose air conditioners as they recycle condensation water to cool their components.

If you live in a region with a very high humidity level, your portable AC may need some help from a drain line.

You may be able to convert a single-hose AC model to a dual-hose configuration by building a makeshift hose adapter over the intake vent.

Yet, it can be difficult and is far from a perfect solution, so for most users, buying a new dual-hose AC is often the best solution.

1. https://www.c3controls.com/white-paper/what-is-overload-protection/
2. https://www.calculator.net/btu-calculator.html
3. https://www.energystar.gov/products/heating_cooling/air_conditioning_room/key_product_criteria
4. https://www.mdhearingaid.com/blog/decibel-chart/