Let us have a look at the best tent air conditioners for your next camping trip. For a quick review of our top picks, just go through the table below:
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a hot, stuffy tent, with no way to cool down. Especially during the summer months when you want to go camping! The last thing you’ll want to be worrying about is how to stay cool in the comfort of your own tent.
An air conditioner can be a real game-changer. With one of these in your camping arsenal, you’ll be able to unwind in a lovely cool tent and get a great night’s sleep. But how can you be sure that you’re buying the best tent air conditioner for you and your needs?
That’s where we come in. We’ve searched the market for the best tent air conditioners available – so you’ll know that you’re getting a quality product that works.
Not sure how you can make an air conditioner work for your tent? We’ve put together a helpful buying guide to show you all you need to consider before making your purchase. We’ve even included some frequently asked questions to give you a better idea of the air conditioner to invest in!
In a hurry? Take a look at our top pick below!
Our Top 5 Best Tent Air Conditioners
Frigidaire 115V Window-Mounted Compact Air Conditioner
Highlights: Large cooling capacity, perfect for tents of any size.
The Frigidaire 115V window-mounted compact air conditioner is the most efficient way to cool down your tent. This powerful 10,000 BTU air conditioner is one of the finest models on the market.
It can quickly cool down a room of up to 450 square feet, so will make short work of your stuffy tent.
This particular air conditioner also offers dehumidification as an extra feature – certainly handy to tackle any unwanted condensation!
The Frigidaire comes with an Effortless Restart feature to resume at the same power level as before power was cut. Handy to have in the case of a power outage!
It comes with an easy-to-use set of electronic controls to choose your preferred settings at the touch of a button.
Pros:
- The best design for use in a tent with modifications.
- Cools down rooms of up to 450 square feet.
- Comes with a dehumidification option.
- Effortless Restart feature included in case of a power outage.
- Select your option at the touch of a button.
Cons:
- As it’s not designed for specific use in a tent, you will need to adapt your tent to fit the unit in place.
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MIDEA MAW05M1BWT Window Air Conditioner
Highlights: 7 different temperature and fan speeds to suit your environment.
The MIDEA MAW05M1BWT window air conditioner will make short work of your hot tent. This particular 5,000 BTU air conditioner is designed to cool down a space of up to 150 square feet.
It comes with 7 different temperature settings so that you can choose the best one for you. This includes 2 cooling and 2 fan speeds so that you can have a perfectly cool tent to suit your needs.
With a little modification to your tent, this air conditioner can be easily installed ready for use as needed.
This particular air conditioner has a combined energy efficiency rate of 11 to help you keep the running costs down.
The MIDEA air conditioner comes with a washable, reusable filter to help reduce any unwanted bacteria or smells in your tent. Perfect if you plan on using it regularly during camping trips!
Pros:
- Comes with a 2-in-1 functionality to combine air conditioning and a fan mode to keep your tent cool.
- Cools down your tent fast; designed to cool up to 150 square feet.
- Effortless operation; comes with 7 temperature settings and 2-way air directions.
- Compact design; won’t take up too much space in your tent.
- Washable and reusable filter included to keep your tent’s air clean.
Cons:
- A few customers found this particular product didn’t come with an instruction manual.
Black + Decker BPACT10WT Portable Air Conditioner
Highlights: Packaged with an easy-to-use remote, and features a 24-hour timer.
This Black + Decker BPACT10WT portable air conditioner has the power of 10,000 BTU to keep your tent cool.
The unit is quiet but powerful. It comes with an adjustable fan speed to cool your tent down to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at its coldest setting.
This particular unit is portable. Just the thing you need to easily take with you on camping trips. Simply pop it in your tent, with the exhaust hose snaking outside, and turn on as needed.
The Black + Decker unit comes with remote control for easy operation. It comes with a 24-hour timer to cool your tent for as long as you need to. And there’s even an LCD display on the top of the unit so you can easily operate it!
This particular air conditioning unit comes with 3-in-1 functionality. It combines a cooling function, with ventilation, as well as a dehumidification option, to create the optimal environment in your tent.
Pros:
- Portable; this compact unit is easy to bring with you on camping trips.
- Easy to clean. Simply remove the filter twice a month, put it under running water, then put it back in the air conditioner.
- 3-in-1 functionality combines cooling, ventilation, and dehumidification to create the perfect environment in your tent.
- Powerful 10,000 BTU air conditioner.
- Combines a remote control and an LCD display for easy use.
Cons:
- Some customers found that the unit wasn’t as quiet as it claimed to be.
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Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner
Highlights: Functions as a cooler, fan, and dehumidifier!
The Whynter ARC-14S is a powerful 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) unit that can cool an area up to 500 square feet.
This award-winning unit combines three functions – cooling, fan, and dehumidifier – to create your ideal cool environment. Just the thing if you’re after a comfortable camping environment!
The Whynter ARC-14S features auto drain technology. That means it uses the moisture it collects from the air in order to produce cooler air.
Comes with dual hose operation so as to provide faster cooling – just the thing you need on really hot days!
Includes a 24-hour programmable timer and full thermostatic control to create a cool environment when you need it most.
Pros:
- Powerful 14,000 BTU (ASHRAE) unit.
- 3-in-1 functionality to create your ideal cool environment.
- Uses dual hose operation to cool your tent down fast.
- Creates cool air using auto drain technology.
- Comes with a washable filter and an activated carbon filter.
Cons:
- You’ll have to adapt part of your tent wall so as to accommodate for the two hoses.
Honeywell MN10CHESWW Portable Air Conditioner
Highlights: Functions as a cooler, fan, and a dehumidifier with customizable fan speeds.
The Honeywell MN10CHESWW portable air conditioner is a powerful 10,000 BTU (ASHRAE) 4-in-1 all season appliance.
This particular unit comes with a dual filtration system so as to extend its life and improve the product’s performance. These can be easily cleaned under running water so as to give you easy maintenance.
The Honeywell air conditioner is designed with comfort in mind. It comes with 3 fan speeds, a 24 hour energy-saving timer, and a remote control with a handy digital display.
This unit combines a dehumidifying function with other cooling methods to give you a comfortable environment in your tent.
The Honeywell is a trusted American brand – so you’ll know you’re investing in a quality product. It also has several advanced safety features to give you peace of mind.
Pros:
- A powerful 10,000 BTU unit that has 4-in-1 functions.
- Dual filtration system to improve performance and extend the life of the unit.
- Operates quietly in the background.
- Comes with a smart digital thermostat feature so that you can set it to cool your tent.
- An American trusted brand with US based phone support.
Cons:
- A few customers found an issue with getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty in the event that something went wrong.
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Best Tent Air Conditioners Buyer’s Guide
An air conditioner can revolutionize your camping experience. There aren’t any designed specifically with tents in mind, but with a little modification to your tent, that won’t be a problem. There are plenty of portable units you can invest in to work around the issue!
There are two main types of air conditioner that will be ideal for your tent: window air conditioners, and portable units.
Window air conditioners are arguably the most efficient. These blow cold air into your tent while using the back of the unit to expel any hot air outside. You’ll need to adapt a section of your tent wall to accommodate them, but are well worth the investment.
Portable units remain fully inside your tent, with the exhaust hose snaking outside. These occasionally are not as effective as window air conditioners, but are the more budget friendly option. There are also plenty of powerful portable devices that will do the job required!
Portability
There’s little point spending hours researching the most effective unit if it’s not going to be practical to bring camping. How big is it? Will it be easy to pack into your SUV or RV along with the rest of your camping equipment?
You’ll need to think about how far from your vehicle to the campsite you’ll have to carry it, too. Think about which unit is going to be the most practical investment for you to use long term.
Power
Most of the air conditioners that are worth investing in will require some form of electricity in order to work. It’s important to think about how you can power it up for when you need it most.
It might also be worth considering getting your hands on a longer power lead. If the source of electricity will be far away from your air conditioner unit it’ll certainly come in handy!
Battery powered units are best avoided. That’s because they aren’t going to be powerful enough for the job, and won’t last long.
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Size
Take a look at the dimensions of your chosen air conditioner and calculate whether you’ve got room to accommodate it in your tent. Most portable units will need to stay in the tent with you in order to work, with only the exhaust hose leading outside. Window air conditioners will probably have most of the unit’s body outside if you adapt the side of your tent correctly.
You should buy the air conditioner that will give you the maximum space possible. The ideal unit will still do a good job without taking up too much room.
Adaptability
Window air conditioner units require a hole in the side of your tent so as to accommodate them. But how easy will it be to adapt your tent to ensure the unit is able to do a good job?
In order for your unit to work effectively, you will need to insulate your tent. A space blanket is just the thing you need. These are fairly inexpensive aluminum sheets that you can add to your tent’s walls. Perfect for giving your air conditioner the insulation they need!
Pitching your tent in the shade is also recommended. This will give your air conditioner a helping hand by keeping it out of direct sunlight.
Price
The majority of people will be restricted by what air conditioner they can afford according to their individual budget. It’s definitely worth investing in the best possible unit that you can buy. A quality air conditioner will hopefully last you for many years to come!
Bear in mind that the more expensive a unit is doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best unit for the job. Check out other customer’s reviews to see whether they think the air conditioner is worth the money.
Once you have a budget in mind you should have a better idea of the type of unit you can afford. Window air conditioners are likely to be more expensive than some of the portable alternatives. However, with recommendations from other customers, you should be able to find the best unit for you.
On the flip side, don’t be tempted to just buy the cheapest air conditioner available. By being smart with how you spend your money, you’ll get a device that actually works. Much better than buying one that lasts a few months at best and does a mediocre job in the process.
Cooling power
Take a look at the BTU – British thermal unit – reading of your chosen unit. The more BTUs on the product listing, the more powerful a unit it is. But be mindful of the fact that there are different ways that BTU is measured for a product.
You may see some air conditioners stating this measurement as BTU DOE or BTU ASHRAE. While the number of units that follows these may differ, they essentially have the same cooling power behind them. For example, the same air conditioner will measure at 12,000 BTU ASHRAE, but at 8,000 BTU DOE.
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Calculate your space
How big is your tent? How many rooms has it got? How many people will be staying in it? These are all factors that will affect how effective your air conditioner is. To find out what kind of power you’ll need to be looking at, you’ll need to calculate the square footage of your tent.
Once you know the space that will need to be cooled down, you’ll know what unit you should look for. It’s important to remember that other factors such as ceiling height will also influence how effective your air conditioner will be.
Functions
A lot of air conditioners will come with a variety of functions for you to use. Several offer a fan feature as well as a dehumidifier. The latter of which will be helpful if your tent is prone to condensation! There are even units that can heat your tent if the temperature plummets too far the other way.
The more functions your new air conditioner is able to offer you, the better. A lot of units will be perfect for use in your home, too, for when you’re not camping. Perfect if you want to get more bang for your buck!
Think about how easy your chosen air conditioner is to operate, too. The last thing you’ll want to worry about is rifling through a lengthy manual in the middle of the night!
Additional features
Once you’ve decided on the type of air conditioner you want to buy, you can think about other features you’d like.
Several air conditioners offer a 24 hour timer function so that you can set it to work over a certain time period. That will mean less stressing about spending too much money, or forgetting to turn it off once you’ve fallen asleep.
Thinking about maintenance? The vast majority of air conditioners will come with easy to clean filters to give you extra peace of mind.
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Best Tent Air Conditioners – Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use an air conditioner in a tent?
You can indeed use an air conditioner in a tent! While there aren’t any models which have been specifically designed with tents in mind, you can easily adapt many portable air conditioners for use while camping.
All you’ll need is a power source to get it working!
How do you insulate an air conditioned tent?
Invest in some space blankets. These are cheap, simple aluminum sheets which you can attach to the walls of your tent.
They will do wonders for insulating your tent enough to stop the sun becoming an issue. And they will also allow your air conditioner to do its job properly!
