Testing the Midea Portable Air Conditioner During a UK Heatwave
With temperatures soaring across the UK, I tested the £229 Midea portable air conditioner to see if a budget AC unit can effectively cool a room in a British home. During a previous heatwave, my toddler's bedroom hit a sweltering 30°C and kept rising, leaving me unsure how to respond. Having moved into our Victorian terrace just a year earlier, this was the first genuine heat challenge. The house turned into a sauna during the June heatwave.
While fans made it feel cooler, my daughter's bedroom wouldn't reduce in temperature due to having only one window and no way to create airflow. We ended up spending the evening in a hotel with air conditioning to stay comfortable and give her bedroom a chance to cool overnight with the window open. I also managed to buy a portable AC unit, which arrived the day after temperatures started dropping. Now, as the UK experiences elevated temperatures and heat health warnings again, it was the perfect time to test the appliance.
Key Features and Setup
I purchased the Midea MPPA-07CRN7-QB6 air conditioning unit for £229. It's 7,000 BTU and suitable for small rooms between 15 to 25 m². I noticed the retailer quickly raised the price to £599 in the days after my purchase, but I'm unsure if that was a pricing mistake or price gouging during the heatwave. Beyond being one of the few AC units still available, I liked that it also has ventilation and dehumidifier modes, making it usable year-round. It came with a 1.5m hose and a window kit designed for sliding windows, which aren't common in the UK.
The unit also features a Wi-Fi app, allowing you to control it from another room or via Alexa. Installation was straightforward, though I had to place the unit on a stool so the hose could reach the bedroom window. Once set up, the room temperature was 26°C, and I set the device to cool it to 20°C.
Noise and Cooling Performance
The unit was quite noisy during operation. Personally, I don't think I could sleep with that level of disturbance. However, it was manageable to work nearby and became less noticeable over time. Within six minutes of running on cooling mode, the room had already dropped by one degree. Five minutes later, the temperature fell to 24°C. Progress then slowed, taking another hour to reach 23°C. I think this was because the window kit didn't fit my window size and style, so the room wasn't completely sealed.
Despite that, the temperature difference was clearly noticeable and made the room much more pleasant to work in. While the unit did cool the room by around 3pm, when I turned it off seven hours later and went to bed, the room had gradually crept back up to 25°C.
Energy Costs and Verdict
Operating the Midea unit on a high fan setting cost about 18p per hour, similar to running a microwave, air fryer, or standard desktop computer. In comparison, washing machines, dishwashers, and ovens average 50p to £1 per hour. I was impressed by the cost-per-hour, as I expected it to be a price I'd have to accept to keep rooms cool.
I'm confident this Midea unit will serve our household well through several heatwaves. It cooled the room faster than I anticipated and at a more affordable rate than expected. The real challenge will be whether it can keep my toddler's room cool overnight by running it for a few hours before switching it off when she goes to sleep. I'm certain it will be a lifesaver on sweltering days when we retreat indoors after sunny outings.
