NewAir AC-10100E Portable Air Conditioner Review

Vital Statistics

• 10,000 BTUs of cooling capability for average sized rooms.
• Auto-evaporative ability frees you from constantly draining the pan.
• Ready to go out of the box.
• Fully programmable out to 12 hours.
• Environmentally friendly R-410A refrigerant.

Sometimes you need the crème de la crème and sometimes you just need something to take the edge off. This 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner from NewAir falls solidly into the latter category. It’s not going to keep the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles livable during the summer months but it will keep your library or small-ish kitchen dry and cool regardless of the weather. It’s not laden with extras but at this price point we don’t expect them. What it does do it does well as long as you don’t try and push it beyond its operational bounds.

Pros

• Portability – There’s no denying this portable air conditioner lives up to its name. The unit is not light but it feels like it is as the casters do a commendable job of moving it about with only minimal force necessary from you. Definitely one of the more mobile units we’ve tested to this point and a major plus for people who aren’t physically large or particularly young.

• Effective cooling – The NewAir AC 10100E packs a surprisingly solid punch when it comes to cooling. As long as you confine it to the small-ish rooms it’s designed to handle you too should notice (as we did) that it takes almost no time for the unit to turn a hot stuffy room into a dry, cool place to hang on the hottest days. Even in kitchens with large or numerous windows the 10100E will deliver the cold in a hurry.

• Additional benefits – The 10100E uses environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant so you won’t be annihilating the ozone layer every time you turn it on. It also boasts a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (ERR), which means your electric bill won’t send you to the poor house. And while the self-evaporative technology here doesn’t eliminate the need to empty the condensation pan it does reduce the frequency with which you’ll have to do so.

Cons

• Lack of dehumidifier – As we stated at the beginning we don’t expect miracles at this price point but it would have been nice if they’d seen fit to include a dehumidifier. Sure, the air conditioner takes care of a lot of moisture in the air during the performance of its duties but you don’t always need the AC on. Sometimes you just want to dry things out a bit.

• Lack of looks – No one will accuse the AC 10100E from NewAir of being too beautiful, that’s for sure. It looks every bit of its relatively inexpensive price. From the unattractive and cheap looking command setup to the trash receptacle boxiness of the whole thing it’s a portable air conditioner only its creator could love (from an aesthetic standpoint anyway).

Make sure you check out our full Best Portable Air Conditioners (Ultimate Guide 2017) to find your perfect Portable AC.