5 Best Portable Air Conditioners Without Hose

Dominic Mitton
By Dominic  • Reviewed by Ben  • Updated:   October 26, 2023
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It’s always a smart idea to have a portable air conditioner that you can move from one room to another or carry with you anywhere you go.

A lot of portable air conditioners are designed without the hose and they have all the smart features that any regular AC has.

However, you shouldn’t look for the same things when buying a portable unit compared to when you’re buying a regular air conditioner.

To help you avoid regretting a purchasing mistake, we’re bringing you the best 5 portable ACs for your needs.

Let’s first look at some things worth knowing before buying.

What To Look For Before Buying

  • Power: The power of AC is measured in BTUs, so make sure that you don’t buy either too powerful or too weak an air conditioner. If you want a stronger unit, you should go for more than 1,000 BTUs.
  • Portability: Some units are a lot easier to move than others and some models can be very heavy. Always pay attention to built-in wheels, handles, and the overall weight of the unit.
  • Efficiency: If you’re on a budget and looking for a portable AC that won’t cost you a lot to operate, you must go with the most energy-efficient option.
  • Capacity: Most portable air conditioners use water tanks as their “power” source, so the greater the capacity, the less time you need to refill the tank.

Best 5 Portable Air Conditioners Without Hose

1. Best Overall: Grelife Evaporative Air Cooler

Our Pick
Grelife Evaporative Air Cooler
$232.78
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If you’re looking for a portable AC that has it all – this one is for you.

You can adjust the oscillation up to 110° which meets the highest-grade standards when it comes to portable AC units.

It’s built with safety in mind – it has a unique child lock design that doesn’t allow children to touch the fan blades or control panel. You can customize the cooling experience with three wind modes and 3-speed modes.

It works on a similar principle as oscillating fans which are known to be very efficient.

Another impressive feature is mute which decreases noise levels to the lowest dB and it won’t disturb you.

The water tank capacity is also very solid, so you won’t have to refill it that often.

2. Most Efficient: BALKO 3-IN-1 Cooler

Our Pick
Evaporative Air Cooler, BALKO 3-IN-1
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BALKO made this model with one main goal – to be as efficient as possible.

This isn’t just an ordinary AC, it can work as a fan, air cooler, and humidifier.

What’s great about it is that it’s meant for a dry climate as it adds humidity to the air.

It has a stunning performance of up to 8 hours.

You can further customize the climate with three-speed settings and two different modes.

I would recommend this model for medium-sized rooms as it can easily cover up to 250 sq. ft.

3. Super Portable: Ovolta Portable Air Conditioner

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Portable Air Conditioners
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Although all units are portable, this is the one you can carry with you anywhere you go.

You can put it near your bed, carry it with you in the office, or even use it as a car air conditioner.

Don’t let the size fool you, this small beast can work for 8 hours of continuous use.

Another impressive feature is that you can adjust the timer to automatically shut off after a certain period – very helpful for warm nights.

It’s less powerful than other units, and you won’t even hear it running.

Additionally, you can control cool LED lights that kids absolutely love – my toddler used to always laugh at them 🙂

4. Smart Timer: Evaporative Air Cooler

Our Pick
Evaporative Air Cooler


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If you love smart features – you can’t go wrong with this model.

You’ll receive a unique remote from which you can set a 12-hour timer and even program the unit to start working at a specific time.

What will surprise you is how quiet it is – only 40dB which is almost equal to the library noise. This makes it one of the quietest portable ACs on the market.

The sleep mode is simply amazing.

It will gradually reduce the fan speed every 30 minutes to be as quiet as possible and to maintain the coolness inside your room.

Considering all the smart features and programmable options, this model is pretty cheap compared to what other brands are selling it for.

5. Premium: Laluztop Portable Air Conditioner

Our Pick
Portable Air Conditioners - 4-IN-1 Air Conditioner
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This portable unit has innovative cooling technology with negative ions that can be used both as a humidifier and a fan.

It has sleep and nature mode which are carefully designed to be super quiet when you’re using it late at night.

Additionally, you can set the timer up to 7 hours, so no need to worry about being “too cold” at night.

What I love about it is its large capacity and the 4 ice packs that come with the unit.

I have to mention the 90° wide oscillation that makes cooling as effective as other high-grade oscillating fans. If you have a bit larger budget, you can’t go wrong with this unit.

Is it Possible to Use Portable ACs Without A Hose?

Technically, it isn’t possible as it would heat your room instead of cooling it.

All air conditioners work on the same principle of exchanging heat with cool wind and spreading it throughout the room.

So, if you want cold air to enter your room, the warm air needs to be exhausted.

While window air conditioners and portable air conditioners have different types of hoses, all ACs have a built-in exhaust hose that makes sure the unit is working properly.

You don’t have to worry about the hose in portable ACs as you can’t even see it until you disassemble the whole unit.

If you liked the list of mentioned portable ACs, you should also take a look at battery-powered air conditioners which are also super portable and lightweight.

Hey there! I am Benas, the founder and content editor at Home Caprice. Thanks for reading the article. I hope you were able to find what you were looking for. I and my team are here to simplify heating and cooling for everyone. Please have a look at the About page for more details about our website and feel free to check out our editorial process.