The 10 Best Portable Air Conditioner and Heater Combos

In houses not built with permanent air conditioning units, it is pretty disruptive to install the electrical supplies and water drains that are required. A great alternative is a portable air conditioning unit that you can quickly move between rooms, and many of these units also have a heating function. 

Our choice is the Black and Decker BPACT14HWT for several reasons. It is offered at a reasonable price; it reliably works on a room of up to 350 square feet; and it weighs just 35 pounds, where most other similar units weigh 70 pounds or more.

The 10 Best Portable Air Conditioner and Heater Combos:

Below we take a brief look at the ten best portable air conditioners with heating combinations.

1. BLACK+DECKER BPACT14HWT Portable Air Conditioner with Heat

Black and Decker’s affordable air conditioner with a heater has enough power to cool and heat a room of up to 350 square feet. The unit can keep your room between 55 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so you should always be at a comfortable temperature.

One great feature of the Black and Decker is its lightweight. At only 35 pounds, it is effortless to move around on its four caster wheels. 

The four operating modes of cool, heat, fan, and dehumidify are easily controlled with the supplied remote control.

Overall, the Black and Decker is a good product, at a reasonable price, and one of our top buys.

2. TCL 14P31 Portable Air Conditioner

TCL’s 14P31 air conditioner is one of the cheapest on the review, at around $450, but it still has everything you need from an air conditioner with a heater.

Setup is straightforward. Just position the unit, on its four caster wheels, near a window, put the hose out of the window using the supplied kit, plug it in, and switch it on. 

You can easily choose the mode you want from the LED display on top of the unit or the supplied remote control. The 14,000 BTU output is enough to heat or cool a 350 square foot room, and at 51 decibels noise level on a low setting, you can use it in your bedroom while sleeping.

3. Whynter ARC-148MHPAir Conditioner with Heater

The Whynter is another 14,000 BTU unit, but the manufacturer claims it can heating or cooling a room up to 500 square feet. While we don’t dispute this, it may take some time to reach your selected temperature from the 62-88 Fahrenheit range on offer. 

Heating and cooling, particularly in high humidity conditions, produce a lot of water. The Whynter has a 16.5-inch drain pump, allowing continuous removal of the unit’s water for a more convenient operation. In dehumidifier mode, the unit can remove up to 71 pints of water per day, significantly improving the comfort level in your home.

Supplied with the Whynter is a window fitting kit with an extendable hose and remote control for easy operation.

4. Frigidaire FHPH132AB1 Heat/Cool

The Frigidaire is one of the smaller units on the review, with a 12,000 BTU output, but claims to be effective in a room up to 550 square feet. One great feature of this unit is the low noise level, at just 49 decibels. Although it is one of the heaviest here, at 77 pounds, it moves easily on its wheels and can be quickly set up in any room using the provided window kit.

Once plugged in, you can easily program the unit using the top panel buttons or the supplied remote control. This model doesn’t include a water drain, so you will need to empty the tank periodically. But the auto-restart feature means it remembers the program you set and carries on once you’ve refitted the tank.

5. Toshiba Portable AC with Heat

The Toshiba air conditioner features a louver on top of the unit, designed to spread the airflow more evenly around your room. It works well, and you can definitely feel the effect of the louver.

Offering 14,000 BTU, you can control a room’s environment up to 400 square feet, and the unit is capable of removing up to 4 pints of water from the air every hour. There is no drain pipe, so you will have to empty the tank regularly.

Controls are on the top panel or remote and offer a 24-hour timer and sleep mode, among other functions. Toshiba has gone for a more contemporary black design than the usual white, and it fits in very well with a modern home.

6. LG Portable Air Conditioner with Heat

The 14,000 BTU unit from LG comes in an attractive black color, perfect for the modern home. This powerful air conditioner and heater can control the environment of a room up to 500 square feet using one of its four modes.

An LED control panel on the top is simple to operate, plus there is a remote control supplied. Four modes are available; heat, cool, dehumidify, and fan. In the dehumidify mode, the LG can remove up to 7.45 pints of water per hour, so it’s excellent for high humidity environments.

A window fitting kit is supplied for easy setup, and you can be enjoying a more comfortable temperature in just minutes.

7. Honeywell Portable AC with Heat Pump

Honeywell has focussed on the filtration system for their 14,000 BTU unit, offering a dual filter system. This not only protects the unit for a longer life but also helps remove pet hair and dust from your room.

Another feature aimed at ease of use is the auto evaporation system in cooling mode. This system means you don’t need to empty the water container, except in very high humidity areas, offering increased convenience.

The easy-to-use supplied window kit allows you to move the Honeywell to any room and quickly set it up, allowing you to condition rooms of up to 500 square feet. Despite being one of the largest and heaviest on review, it moves quickly on the four caster wheels.

8. Airemax Portable AC with Heat Function

The Airemax is the cheapest air conditioner with a heater function on this review, available for less than $400. The 14,000 unit provides all the functions you would expect, including a remote control for ease of use and a window fitting kit. One place where it does fall down a little is the noise level, which at 56 decibels is one of the highest.

The Airemax offers powerful heat and cooling functions, conditioning rooms up to 500 square feet, and also provides dual filtration to catch dust and hair.

On the top panel is a simple set of control buttons and an automatic lover to direct the airflow around the room.

At such a great price, it’s difficult to fault the Airemax, but it can only remove 76 pints of water per day, which is relatively low compared to the others on review here. If the dehumidify function is essential, look elsewhere.

9. Keystone Remote Control AC with Heat

Keystone’s air conditioner with heater is one of the more expensive on the review, but it isn’t easy to see where they justify the price. Yes, it has a powerful 14,000 BTU AC unit, and it looks stylish with the sloped top panel and smooth front finish. The company only claims it can condition a room up to 200 square feet, where similar units on the test claim 500 square feet. 

The Keystone scores highly in features, with three cooling speeds, three fan speeds, and a sleep/eco mode that quietly and gently increases the room temperature.

All the other expected features, such as LED control panel and remote control, are there. Still, the manufacturer’s low expectation for the size of the room it can condition is disappointing.

10. Barton Portable AC with Heat and LCD Display

The Barton is the heaviest air conditioner with a heater on the review, weighing in at a hefty 82.5 pounds. Luckily, the four caster wheels make moving it around easy, so long as the floor is even.

The 14,000 BTU unit is designed to cool or heat a room of up to 500 square feet and can remove up to 120 pints of moisture from the air in dehumidifier mode. 

Weight aside, the Barton has all the features you need in an air conditioner, with four modes providing heating, cooling, dehumidifier, and fan. The unit is supplied with a window fixing kit for quick setup, and adjusting the settings is straightforward using either the top panel LCD controls or the remote control.

The biggest downside is the price, which at over $600 is one of the most expensive here.

Buyers Guide

What should you look for when choosing a portable air conditioning unit that also has a heating function?

BTU rating

Manufacturers will often quote the cooling BTU power, as it is generally higher than the heating BTUs, so make sure the unit you buy has enough power for your needs. The table below is a rough guide to the size of unit you will need;

Weight

Since we are looking at portable air conditioning units, weight is an essential factor. The units on review vary from 35 pounds to over 80 pounds, so a considerable difference.

Buy a unit with a remote control

Let’s face it, we all like electronic gadgets that are convenient to operate, and your AC unit is no different, so being able to control the functions from the comfort of your armchair is a must.

Make sure a window kit is included

In most cases, they will include a window kit, but it’s always worth checking to make sure.

FAQs

Conclusion

We found a good range of air conditioning units with heaters available, all offering very similar features, but at a range of prices. 

In the end, we chose one of the cheapest units as our best buy because it offered all the functions you require, plus it was half the weight of the other units on the review, making it easy to move around.