Through-the-Wall Air Conditioners: 9 Reviews

Every home benefits from climate control. Depending on where you live, though, central air might not be possible or practical.

The good news is that you still have options.

Through-the-wall air conditioners are great alternatives for those who need plenty of cooling capacity in their homes but don’t necessarily want to deal with a more complex system.

Shopping for wall air conditioners is a bit more challenging than most might think. There is a plethora of wall ac units on the market right now and not all of them are worth your time, nor your money. We’ve selected a handful of great through-the-wall air conditioners that we consider to be the best of the best, and we highlight how they stack up in terms of cooling capacity, energy efficiency ratio, suitable room size, and more in this article. If you’re looking to find the best wall AC unit for your home, you’ll want to take a look at what we’ve found below. 

Top Through The Wall Air Conditioners In 2021

While it’s true that some through the wall air conditioners are better than others, there is no single wall AC unit that’s a perfect fit for every consumer. It’s vital to know your options – that’s why we’ve curated this list of today’s best through-the-wall air conditioners to help you through the process. If you’re shopping for a window AC unit, you’ll be sure to find something that works for you here. 

Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. Chill Series, CP08G10B Air Conditioner

One constant complaint that users have about wall air conditioners is that they are just too loud. While many would much rather deal with noise than heat, the truth is that some wall AC units are just so loud that they are not worth dealing with. Though through-the-wall-air conditioners tend to be much quieter than window air conditioners, some of can still be too loud for certain living spaces. Fortunately, the design of this wall AC unit from Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. does manage to keep noise to a minimum.

Quiet operation is a relative term. This wall AC unit runs about as quietly as a refrigerator when installed correctly. You’ll never really get more than a background hum from the wall-mounted AC, so it won’t interrupt your conversations or television shows even while operating at its full cooling capacity. This feature alone can improve a homeowner’s quality of life.

Though quiet, this AC unit is still quite powerful for its size. Good for mid-sized rooms up to 300 sq ft., it cools the air quickly and efficiently. This AC unit is also Energy Star rated, so you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you can have cool air without causing your utility bills to spike. Quiet operation, energy efficiency, and sheer practicality make this a through-the-wall air conditioner that most users will love, which is why we give it our highest recommendation as today’s best through-the-wall AC unit.

Keystone KSTAT10-1C 10000 BTU 115V Through-The-Wall Air Conditioner

While looking at the little bells and whistles isn’t necessarily the best way to find the best through the wall air conditioner, it is a good way to assess how the technology behind AC units is changing. Keystone makes excellent wall AC units in general, but one of its most undeniably interesting features has to do with its remote control. If you’re looking for an AC unit that’s actually going to provide cool air for your room up to 450 sq ft without requiring too much input on your part, you’ll definitely want to look at this wall AC from Keystone.

One of Keystone’s big features in its best wall AC units is the Follow Me remote. This remote control communicates with the thermostat on the main wall AC, helping it to read the temperature where the AC unit is located, but rather where the remote is. This allows a level of performance from your wall AC unit that is hard to replicate, as it adjusts itself to the temperature of the air right where you’re sitting. This is a small feature that might not be made or break for everyone, but it is undeniably a great addition to this wall AC.

That said, this wall-mounted AC is definitely about more than just the remote. It is incredibly powerful but still very energy efficient, making for a great experience for most users. It features an energy-saver mode, three fan speeds, a 24-hour timer, and sufficient cooling capacity for rooms up to 450 sq ft. It’s easy to install, and comes with an installation kit to retrofit your existing 24.5″ – 27″ wall sleeve. The unit is also easy to maintain, thanks to filters that are accessible from the front, and is even configurable for both heating and cooling when your home could also use some supplemental heat. This is a solid wall-mounted AC with some great extra features, which is why we’ve chosen it as our runner-up for today’s best through the wall AC unit.

LG LT0816CER 8,000 BTU Wall Air Conditioner

If you don’t have central air, there’s a very good chance that you also don’t have central heat. For many, this means seeking out air conditioners that can also function as heaters for the colder months of the year. If you don’t have room for both, you shouldn’t be forced to make a choice. Instead, you might want to consider one of today’s best wall AC units that does both jobs in one convenient package. Our top choice amongst the best wall AC units with this capability is this model from LG.

If you’re primarily looking at this through-the-wall air conditioner for cooling purposes, you’ll be fairly happy with what you find. It includes an install kit that makes installation easy in a standard 26 inch wall sleeve, an LED control panel that makes it easy to operate, and it puts out enough cold air to keep even large spaces nice and cool. For many, this kind of functionality will end up being such a selling point that they’ll never even stop to look at how well these wall units work as heaters.

It’s worth pointing out that the heating functionality is also quite good. It doesn’t put out quite as much heat as it does cool air, but it puts out enough that it makes a great heater for a single room or a great secondary heat source for those homes that have central heating. The real benefit of these wall units, though, is the fact that they squeeze both devices into a single machine. If you’re in a home or apartment where space is at a premium, you definitely owe it to yourself to look at these two-in-one wall AC units that will make your life a little easier.

Emerson Quiet Kool 230V 12K BTU Air Conditioner

There are a few major factors that can make a through-the-wall AC much more useful to the average consumer. Being easy to install, having plenty of power, and offering more energy efficiency than average wall ACs are all great ways to make specific AC units stand out. This wall AC from Emerson definitely ticks all the boxes when it comes to standing out from the crowd, providing those who really need a little bit of extra cooling in their rooms up to 550 sq ft with all of the functionality they need to feel comfortable with their purchase. 

This unit comes with a universal interior trim kit that fits a standard wall sleeve, which is great on a few levels. First and foremost, this means that the unit comes with everything that you actually need for installation. Beyond that, though, it’s got what you need to install other similarly-sized wall ACs in the future – a great addition for those who might want to go with something bigger or smaller later down the road. While plenty of wall ACs come with a slide-out chassis that works with that particular AC, it is nice to see that at least one comes with a sleeve that’s going to work for whatever unit you choose to buy in the future.

Easy installation is great, but being powerful is even better. This unit works at 12,000 BTUs, giving users the kind of cooling power that’s usually only reserved for central air. This means that you’re going to cool off faster in rooms up to 550 sq ft and stay that way more often, with less worry about how your unit is standing up to the heat outside. This unit is also Energy Star rated, so you’ll be able to get all that power without having to worry about your rising energy bills at the same time.

Whirlpool 12,000 230V Through-The-Wall Air Conditioner

It’s always good to look for a through the wall air conditioner that can do everything that you need. While there are a fantastic number of features out there that can make so many air conditioners look like they’re perfect, but very few of these air conditioners can do it all. If you’re really looking for something that’s going to allow you to get as much as possible out of one through the wall air conditioning unit for rooms up to 500 sq ft, you might want to take a moment to look at this excellent air conditioner from Whirlpool. 

Whirlpool’s air conditioner tends to stand out for a very good reason – it’s not just an air conditioner. Though a through the wall unit can be a great choice for those who are looking to keep their homes cool during the hotter months of the year, it’s not the kind of thing that you can rely on year-round. Instead of buying a separate heater to work during the colder months, you can actually rely on this unit as a heater as well. Having both options in one package is the best way to save space and money in your home, all without having to worry about installing more than one device in rooms up to 500 sq ft. 

In addition to being versatile in terms of temperature control, this unit also has extra modes to ensure that it works for different types of consumers. If the noise of an air conditioner tends to bother you, for example, you can switch over the sleep mode and get the best performance at a quieter sound level. If you are worried about your bills, on the other hand, the Eco mode might be for you. No matter what you need, it seems that you really will be able to find it in this excellent through the wall air conditioner.

MIDEA MAT08R1ZWT Air Conditioner

It’s never a bad idea to get a through the wall air conditioner that can do it all when it comes to cooling. This helps to reduce the number of different devices that take up room in your home and it can even help you to save money over time. If you’re in the market for something like this, though, you want to make sure that every function is solid enough to stand on its own. Fortunately, this excellent through the wall air conditioner from MIDEA for rooms up to 350 sq ft does a great job of accomplishing all three of its primary functions.

If you’re shopping for a through the wall air conditioner, your primary goal is probably to find a good air conditioner. In all honesty, this unit works well enough in just that mode that you might not ever have to care about the others. The four-way air direction control allows you to get the kind of coverage that you need, while the sleep mode ensures that you can get quiet operation exactly when it is most needed. This unit even keeps your energy bills lower with energy-saving technology, making it a great all-around choice.

The unit also shines because it has modes that can help to keep your 350 sq ft space livable even when you’re not trying to use the air conditioner. If you love air movement but don’t need it too cold, you’ll love the fact that the unit has a separate fan mode. If the heat is fine but the humidity is killing you, the unit also works as a dehumidifier. This unit really does a lot to ensure that you can stay comfortable in your own space.

GE Profile PHC08LY 22″ Window Air Conditioner

It’s almost unusual to find a modern home device that doesn’t work with Wi-Fi at this point. As long as you’re not looking at discount models, you’ll be more likely to find a device that has at least some online connectivity than not. This makes sense, of course – why invest in other technology when most consumers will have a Wi-Fi enabled device on them at all times? If you’re in the market for a cooling product that is also going to work with your local network, you’ll want to look at these great wall units from GE.

One of the major selling points of this product is that it is Wi-Fi enabled. That means that you control the air conditioner from anywhere on your own network, giving you much more control over what the temperature is like in your home. While it is a window AC unit and doesn’t work in quite the same way as a traditional through-the-wall air conditioner, having the ability to control the window AC even when you’re not in the same room definitely helps it to feel a lot more useful than most of the other window air conditioners on the market.

Wi-Fi wouldn’t mean much if this unit didn’t do a good job of keeping your room cool, though. The best news is that this model does a great job of cooling down smaller spaces, making it feel like a good investment compared to many of the other window air conditioners that are on the market right now. Relatively quiet and still very efficient is the kind of air conditioner you want if both user experience and price are high up on your list of must-have factors. If you need a great window air conditioner that’s going to work with your smartphone, you’ll love this air conditioner. 

Keystone Window-Mounted Air Conditioner

Sometimes you really just want an air conditioner that is going to be the right fit for a single, smaller room. You may want through the wall units in every bedroom of your home, for example, or you might divide up different bedrooms into separate living spaces in a rental unit. If you find yourself in such circumstances, it’s usually good to find an air conditioner that isn’t going to overwhelm those spaces. When you’re ready for something that works in smaller spaces, you’ll love this smaller window-mounted air conditioner from Keystone.

Yes, this is a window-mounted unit. It works significantly differently than a more traditional through the wall unit but that’s not always a bad thing. After all, those who are looking to cool down smaller spaces are not always going to have the ability to install a through the wall unit and even those that have the ability may not have the desire to work with something that is quite so big. If you find that the average through the wall unit is just a little too much for your small space, it really does make a lot of sense to go with a window unit instead. 

This window unit does have a lot to recommend itself even though it doesn’t work in quite the same way as a through the wall air conditioner. It has a great LED control panel that allows you to precisely set up the temperature in your room as you like and it even makes use of the same Follow Me temperature control remote that is used in some of the other, more expensive units out there. If you’re considering getting a window unit for a smaller space and you want something with all the bells and whistles, you’ll definitely want to take a look at this air conditioner. 

Frigidaire FFRE2533U2 25,000 BTU 230V Window-Mounted Heavy-Duty Temperature Sensing Remote Control Air Conditioner

Most people look at through the wall air conditioners as supplemental cooling. While even the strongest units are definitely not going to compare to central air, there are some that can work very well in even very large spaces. If you’re looking for something that can cool off a really big room or even a whole apartment, you are going to need to think big. Though this unit does require a special outlet to work, this Frigidaire air conditioner is able to handle some of the biggest challenges out there with ease. 

While a great through the wall air conditioner is usually thought of as one that can handle over five hundred square feet, this unit absolutely goes above and beyond in terms of the spaces that it can handle. Rated to handle rooms of up to sixteen hundred square feet, this is the kind of through the wall unit that’s going to add a little bit of extra air to all but the biggest open spaces. It’s not quite a replacement for central air but it does feel like it’s impossible to find a unit that can get any closer than this one. 

This unit is big but that doesn’t mean it is inefficient. In fact, it is actually Energy Star rated, proving that it’s quite a bit more efficient than some of its contemporaries. Not only will this device do a fantastic job of cooling down your rooms without raising your bill too much, but it will also help to dehumidify the space. This is great through the wall air conditioner that really goes above and beyond to make sure that even the biggest spaces can stay comfortable no matter what the temperature outside. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are wall-mounted air conditioners good?

Wall-mounted air conditioners can be an amazing choice for those who don’t have central air or who need something that can supplement their central air. These units might be a little tougher to install than window units but they tend to be efficient, easy to use, and they take up relatively little space. This is a great air conditioner choice for those who are more focused on cooling off single rooms and who want something that’s going to be simple and relatively inexpensive to replace when the product reaches the end of its useful lifespan. 

What is a through the wall air conditioner?

A through the wall air conditioner is an air conditioner designed to be installed in a wall. It’s not quite the same as central air, which works out of a central location in your home, nor is it the same as a window-mounted air conditioner that has to be mounted in a window. Instead, a hole has to be cut in the wall and the unit has to be mounted securely in the new housing. They are generally used to supplement central air, though some do choose these units as dedicated home cooling devices. 

How long do through the wall air conditioners last?

As you can imagine, there are a lot of factors that go into determining exactly how long a through the wall air conditioner can last. The better you keep up with maintenance, the more likely it is that your unit is going to make it to the end of its functional lifetime. If you purchase a good unit that’s from a reputable company, you should be able to expect it to last between ten and fifteen years. Note that even the best units should start to need repair work done towards the end of their lifecycles, so you’ll always have to make a choice as to whether or not you should replace the unit at that point. 

What’s the difference between a window and a wall air conditioner?

As you might imagine, the biggest difference between a window and a wall mounted air conditioner is where you can install the unit. The former is made to be installed on a window sill, while the latter is meant to be installed in a wall. The former tends to be a better choice for those who are renting, while the latter tends to be favored by those who own property. Wall air conditioners tend to last longer and be more efficient, but wall air conditioners tend to be easier to install and also tend to be much more affordable than their bigger cousins. 

Through The Wall Air Conditioner Buying Guide

There are enough great wall air conditioners on the market that making a choice between them won’t always be easy. Though we have put together a list of some of the best models on the market right now, it’s still important to know exactly what you need in order to make the right purchase. If you’re hunting for a perfect air conditioner, try to make sure that you keep the factors below in mind. 

Size

The best place to start when shopping is with the size of the air conditioner. Simply put, this refers to the physical size of the unit, one of the few things on which most users cannot be flexible. You need to make sure that your air conditioner is actually able to fit into the space that you have available so that you can get it easily installed in your home. If it doesn’t fit, it’s not going to end up being an air conditioner that you can use.

Note that size often also plays a role in the other factors that we discuss below. If you’re looking for something that has a lot of features, you might be forced to go bigger than you have initially expected. Try to find a space on the wall on which you are going to install the unit that is big enough for a window air conditioner that has all the features that you want. Though you might not want a wall that’s dominated by this kind of hardware, you may not have as much of a choice as you imagine. 

Capacity

Capacity refers to the amount of space that a unit can cool down. As a rule, you’re always going to want to look for an air conditioner that is suited for a space that’s slightly bigger than the one that you want to cool down. While this might seem wasteful on its face, the truth is that a unit that’s too small for space is going to end up spending more energy and putting more wear and tear on its parts when it is operating. Going a little bigger can actually have a net positive effect on what you spend on the unit’s operation.

The downside to looking at capacity is that bigger capacity means bigger machines and bigger price tags. You absolutely need to know what you can afford to spend before you start looking at these devices, especially if you are going to look at something for a bigger space. Since cooling efficiency is something you can’t sacrifice, going for the right capacity might mean sacrificing other things. 

Installation Process

One of the things that definitely tends to turn consumers off of buying this type of air conditioner is how it has to be installed. This isn’t like a window air conditioner where you can use a few screws to keep the unit in place. Instead, you’re going to have to put a hole in the wall and slide a ‘saddle’ inside that will hold your air conditioner. It’s not typically that hard to do, but certain units definitely make the process a lot easier than others. 

There are really two choices for novices who want to buy one of these units. The first is picking out a unit that makes installation easy, which means having clear instructions and including everything a consumer needs to install the device in the box. The other is to work with a professional to install the air conditioner, something that’s almost certainly going to end up costing a fair bit of money. Either choice is valid, but do try to make the choice that will end up working out for your needs. 

Functionality

Finally, you’ll want to look at functionality. You need to know exactly what this unit does, how it works, and how it’s going to fit into your home. You already know that the air conditioner is going to cool down the air in your home, but what else can it do? Does it remove humidity? Does it have a fan mode? Can it double as a heater? Not all of these functions are important to everyone, but they may matter quite a bit to you.

Once you know the functions that are available, you should think about how much they mean to you. Are you willing to sacrifice size or ease of installation to get new features? Are you willing to pay a higher price? Try to be clear on exactly what you expect out of your air conditioner so that you can choose a great model that will get used on a regular basis. The more you love the features, the more often you’ll use the unit.

If you are looking for other types of air conditioners such as the quietest window air conditioners available today, we have you covered.