Choosing the right portable air conditioner starts with cooling capacity, measured in BTU. Size it too small and the room never reaches temperature; too large and the unit short-cycles. This guide turns room dimensions into a sensible BTU range.
Cooling capacity for a room is usually estimated from the floor area. A practical starting point for a standard ceiling height of about 2.5 m is roughly 20 BTU per square foot, or about 215 BTU per square metre. Use it as a first pass, then adjust for the factors below.
| Room | Area | Suggested capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Small bedroom | 10 – 15 m² | 7,000 – 9,000 BTU |
| Large bedroom / office | 15 – 25 m² | 9,000 – 12,000 BTU |
| Living room | 25 – 35 m² | 12,000 – 14,000 BTU |
| Open-plan / large space | 35 – 50 m² | 14,000 – 24,000 BTU |
Floor area alone under-specifies most rooms. Add capacity for the things that load the space with heat:
The first is ignoring the sun and rounding down to the nearest catalogue size. The second is forgetting that a portable unit must exhaust heat through a duct, so a poorly sealed window lets cooled air escape and forces the unit to work harder. Seal the vent panel and keep the duct run short.
A single-hose unit draws room air to cool the condenser and pushes it out through the same duct, which pulls warm air back in. A dual-hose unit uses outside air for the condenser, so it cools more efficiently in the same space. For rooms above about 25 m², dual-hose is worth specifying.
Voltage and plug are set for the destination market, but capacity is set by the room. Tell us the room types and sizes you sell into and we will propose the BTU spread for the line, with the models and MOQ to match.
Send us the capacity, market and volume you have in mind and we will reply with models, MOQ and lead time.
As a first pass, about 215 BTU per square metre for a standard 2.5 m ceiling, then add capacity for sun, high ceilings, occupants and equipment. A 20 m² room is roughly a 9,000 BTU starting point before adjustments.
Round up. An underpowered unit never reaches temperature on a hot day and runs continuously; a slightly larger unit reaches setpoint and cycles off, which is easier on the compressor.
Yes. The heat removed from the room is pushed out through an exhaust duct. Seal the window vent panel and keep the duct run short so cooled air is not lost.
Dual-hose is more efficient in the same space because it uses outside air for the condenser instead of pulling room air through the unit. For rooms above about 25 m² it is worth specifying.
A rule-of-thumb table by room size is a good shortcut, but always adjust upward for sun and occupancy. Send us your room profile and we will propose the capacity spread for the line.
Send us a brief - target market, capacity range and volumes - and we will come back with the platforms that fit and the tooling or artwork that each one needs.
