Forget the concrete jungle — this summer, Gotham was a concrete crockpot.
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Gotham → forget → jungle
July’s hellacious “Heat Dome 2.0” turned the MTA into a rolling subterranean bathing club, just less chic and smellier.
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Dome → turn → club
Getting them up five flights of stairs to your apartment and through the door can cause irreparable damage.
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Getting → get → damage
Then you have to hope that your ancient, pre-war windows and outdated wiring won’t crumble to dust when you try to install your unit.
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you → have → unit
An AC that can make it in New York can thrive in any home across America.
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that → make → America
Midea takes the top spot by pairing excellent cooling performance with zero installation difficulties, a quick 20-minute setup time and a quiet output of 56 Db.
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Midea → take → Db
This solid performer earned third place for the fastest setup time in the group and solid cooling capability.
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performer → earn → group
It quietly cools, dehumidifies and circulates air all from your phone.
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It → cool → phone
We gave a sample of the top-of-the-line units to nine real New Yorkers in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan to test out under real-life conditions.
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We → give → conditions
No two spaces in the city are the same, even in the same building, so each reviewer has their own idiosyncratic needs for air cooling and dehumidifying.
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reviewer → have → cooling
The U-shaped design allows users to open and close their window freely to let in fresh air without obstructing the view
Includes an integrated anti-theft mechanism that securely locks the window when closed
Runs up to nine times quieter than traditional units by using the window frame as a sound barrier alongside DC inverter technology
Achieves over 37% energy savings compared to standard units
Cons:
Some users report condensation issues with this unit
Cleaning the unit is recommended periodically, and users report some difficulty with the operation
Most air conditioners feature louvers that can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically
The Midea U Smart Inverter Window Air Conditioner has an innovative U-shaped design that allows you to open and close your window freely, bringing in fresh air while maintaining an unobstructed view.
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you → shape → view
When closed, an integrated anti-theft mechanism securely locks the window for added peace of mind.
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mechanism → close → mind
By utilizing your window frame as a sound barrier alongside advanced DC inverter technology, the unit operates up to nine times quieter than traditional models.
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unit → utilize → models
The inverter system delivers over 37% energy savings compared to standard units, making it the very first window air conditioner to earn ENERGY STAR certification.
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it → deliver → certification
Our reviewer Robert Kearns lives in Richmond Hills, Queens.
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reviewer → live → Hills
He has a family of four with two kids under 10 years old.
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He → have → years
“We each work from home several days a week,” he said, “so maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature during the day is especially important for our household.”
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maintaining → work → household
Kearns found the AC performed, even with his home’s air sealing being non-ideal.
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sealing → find → ?
He installed it in a section of his home with an open-first floor layout and found it managed to keep both the kitchen and living room areas cool.
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it → instal → areas
“Lots of kids are constantly in and out of the house, so the AC has to work hard during those times.
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AC → have → times
We normally use a 12k BTU air conditioner in this space and the Midea held up well under those conditions.”
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Midea → use → conditions
Wi-Fi Capable App: Yes | Remote: Yes | Modes: 3-in-1 (Cool, Dehumidify, Ventilate) | Inverter: Yes | CEER: 15.0 | Warranty: 3 years
The dual-inverter system makes this unit more energy-efficient than non-inverter systems
The same technology also makes this unit very quiet compared to other window units in our sample
The unit lets users control the temperature and set schedules remotely via app and digital assistant voice commands
Cons:
The 10,000 BTU model weighs over 60 pounds, making it difficult to carry up to your 5th-floor apartment and install
Our reviewer had some difficulty installing it and sealing around the window
The dual-inverter model is more expensive than many similar, non-inverter models
The LG Dual Inverter window air conditioner is known for its energy efficiency, which can save you anywhere between 35% and 40% on your electricity bill.
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which → make → bill
This unit achieves that efficiency with its dual inverter that continuously adjusts its speed to maintain precise cooling — unlike older models that are either off or on.
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that → achieve → models
That tech is also why the dual inverter models can be much quieter than older standard models that make a window-rattling grinding noise every time they cycle on.
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they → make → noise
Our reviewer, Vice President of Commerce Jackie Goldstein, lives in Crown Heights, and as a born-and-raised New Yorker, knows a thing or two about the city’s, shall we say, eclectic housing stock.
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we → live → stock
She rated the LG Dual Inverter “Quiet (Barely audible)” and gave it a perfect score for maintaining consistent temperature.
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She → rat → temperature
The unit is a brick, however, weighing roughly 65 pounds.
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unit → weigh → pounds
“I don’t think the design considered a classic Brooklyn window,” she said, “because the wing parts that are meant to extend to cover the open part of the window where the actual AC is aren’t really compatible with the frame, causing gaps of exposed air where insects and what not could come in.
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insects → think → air
| Modes: 3-in-1 (Cool, Fan, Dry) | Inverter: Yes | CEER: 15.0 | Warranty: 1 Year
Built-in air quality sensor that provides a reminder of how everyday activities affect your indoor air
Listed as an ENERGY STAR Most Efficient appliance
Cools a large space quickly and consistently
Cons:
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activities → build → space
Installation, including sealing the area around the unit, isn’t easy
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Indicator light for air sensor can’t be turned off, which may be a problem for people who need total darkness to sleep
The Frigidaire Gallery Inverter AC comes with a built-in indoor air quality monitoring sensor and smart Wi-Fi features that allow for remote control via the Frigidaire app or voice assistants.
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that → turn → app
Like some of the other units in our test sample, this Frigidaire model also uses inverter technology to stay quiet and keep energy costs low.
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model → use → costs
It has an ENERGY STAR Most Efficient certification and a high Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER) of 15.
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It → have → 15
Our reviewer, Ainslie Binder of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, says the unit is installed in her turn-of-the-century rowhouse’s spacious bedroom and received a perfect score for user-friendliness, cooling and drying power.
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unit → say → friendliness
The decibel meter showed a mid-range reading of 58 when I visited her in early August and we cranked the fan to its highest setting.
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we → show → setting
Binder’s one critique of the unit is that it didn’t seal perfectly during installation, which is a common problem with units that have the brick design.
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that → seal → design
The GE Mechanical Window Air Conditioner is a compact, straightforward unit designed to cool small spaces up to 150 square feet.
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Conditioner → design → spaces
Featuring a 5,000 BTU cooling capacity, it provides reliable comfort with an 11.0 CEER rating.
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it → feature → rating
The mechanical controls feature an adjustable thermostat with ten temperature settings, plus two cooling and two fan-only speeds.
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controls → feature → settings
It includes an EZ Mount installation kit for easy setup in double-hung windows.
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It → include → windows
…and 80 more, not listed.
The Aporia
