Heating and cooling are one of the most important considerations for the home. Smart air conditioners like the Kenmore Smart 04277087 WiFi A/C can make a huge difference in your energy bill. But if you need a more portable version, we also have you covered. When we look for the top-rated portable air conditioners, like the Friedrich P12B dual hose portable room air conditioner, Haier 14000 BTU portable A/C, and Frigidaire portable A/C 700 sq. ft., there are a few things we consider. First, we’re looking for portability. Which is to say how easy is it to move and install the unit from room to room. Following that, we’re measuring efficacy, or in the case of an A/C unit: how effective is the A/C unit at cooling the room down to a comfortable temperature. We then evaluate the unit’s feature set to see how that dovetails into our daily living. And lastly, we’re measuring loudness in the form of decibels. Did you try the Cool Down Test yet for your AC?
Those who have a home on the go will want to check out the best RV air conditioner.
Keep reading our Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 Gallery 12,000 BTU Cool Connect Smart Portable Air Conditioner review to learn more about this unit and compare it with other popular air conditioners.
Overview
Summary: The Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 pushes the boundaries of portability as it weighs 85 pounds and yet only includes two small and somewhat flexible handles to lift it. There are however built-in wheels and the included airlock window seal couldn’t be easier to install into horizontal windows.
What We Liked
- Easy to set up and install
- Can be controlled via an Android or iOS device
- Built-in wheels for moving as needed
What We Didn’t
- Inconsistent loudness made it difficult to sleep near
- Heavy (85 lbs)
- WiFi control was spotty
Price: $559 on Amazon
Available: Now
Model: FGPC1244T1
Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 Specs
 | |
|---|---|
| BTUs | 12,000 |
| Weight | 85 lbs |
| Dimensions | 12.6 x 12.6 x 36.8 inches |
| Remote Included |  |
| Dehumidifier Mode | |
| Check Price |
Design
The traditional portable A/C unit is a square affair that generally looks more like a paper shredder than an air conditioning unit, as you’d see in our Frigidaire FFRA0511R1E 5,000 BTU review. Not so for the Frigidaire FGPC1244T1. It differs in that it offers a circular design that is more analogous to that of a forward-thinking, high-end floor-standing speaker.
Two handles protrude from either side, allowing you to carry the portable AC unit, though often at the cost of your back, since they’re positioned high on the unit offering little leverage. Moreover, the handles are slightly flexible, which makes carrying all 85 lbs upstairs a challenge in itself. I work out regularly, so I caution those with back problems and weak upper body strength, especially if you plan to move this unit to another floor of your home or apartment.
The face of the unit includes 7 buttons for controlling different modes and an LED readout that can display the room’s measured temperature, the AC’s set temperature, as well as the mode that has been selected. Of note, the LED display can be dimmed to accommodate dark rooms, which you’ll want to use.
Included in the box is a window seal that makes installation very easy, especially for those with windows that open from right to left as opposed to up and down. It installs in seconds and can accommodate a window that measures at a minimum a few feet in height. That said, the window seal works on vertical windows as well.
There is also a set of hooks on the back to wrap up the cord. The exhaust hose includes a cover that helps insulate things, plus it has a nice heather gray finish that is soft to the touch and does a good job to help reduce the eyesore quotient – too often AC hoses are plasticky and are aesthetically unbecoming.
The Mobile App
What’s great about the Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 is that it can connect to your home’s WiF and ultimately be controlled via your phone. All these features attribute to its price tag, so if you’re on a budget, consider the simple Frigidaire Ffra0511R1E Window Mounted Mini Compact Conditioner.
However, the app is fairly rudimentary but it does allow you to control the Frigidaire FGPC1244T1, setting the temperature, modes, and fan from anywhere your phone has an Internet connection. This functionality is also available in its predecessor model, the Frigidaire FGRC1044T1 Smart Window Air Conditioner.
It doesn’t allow you to set a schedule based on the day of the week. Instead, you can set the AC unit to turn and off at the same time every day. I would have liked to have seen scheduling based on the day of the week but perhaps that is an upgrade that can be issued at a later time or I simply overlooked a function.
Air Cleaning, Dehumidifying, and Alexa
In addition to the aforementioned, the Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 portable A/C unit can also serve as both an air ionizer and a dehumidifier (i.e. Dry Mode). But note that if you opt for the latter feature, you’ll need to hook up a hose to offset the water collected in the unit.
The ionizer is running by default. Just make sure to check the filters and vacuum or wash them when the machine indicates such.
And lastly, the FGPC1244T1 can work with Alexa or Google Assistant, allowing you to change the temperature or fan speed just by speaking out loud.
Loudness Testing
Personally, I’m a light sleeper. With that in mind, I had trouble sleeping with this unit about 7-8 feet away from my head. And not because it was too loud. Largely because of the variation in the unit’s hum frequency.
But with that in mind, all AC units “hiss” and “pop”. It’s part of the cooling process and is inherent to any AC unit. But since this is a portable unit, that doesn’t hang half of its body out of a window, all of that noise is in the room. Which is something to keep in mind with any portable AC unit.
Temperature Testing
The day of my testing the high was 85 ° F. Because my apartment tends to take time to heat up, I began my measurements in the latter part of the day, when my bedroom (~120 sq ft) had reached 77.4° F. All measurements were completed using a Taylor Thermometer, which measures both indoor and outdoor temperature, placed 8 feet from the unit.
That all being said, my ideal sleeping temperature is somewhere in the mid to high 60s. Anything hotter than 70° F and my sleep is disrupted. I can’t say this applies to everyone, but since that’s my ideal temperature it’s also my intended goal.
The net result was that the unit was able to drop the temperature in varying increments. It was most effective after the first 30 minutes up to the 60-minute mark, dropping the temperature by more than 1 degree during that period. That in mind, with the unit on and blowing, it felt colder when laying in bed since cold air is actively being blown into the room, which provided the effect of reaching my desired sleeping temperature.
Final Thoughts
So I think it’s fair to say the Frigidaire FGPC1244T1 is effective at cooling a room. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to test the unit on an extremely hot day, though based on my experience it most certainly could be effective at keeping occupants cool, though it will likely have to run continuously to achieve that.
The app could most certainly use some work, as it feels it was created in an attempt to keep pace with the smart home trend – it feels anything but slick and the unit sometimes can take 1-2 seconds to react to the commands.
Lastly, the weight (85 lbs) of the unit will likely be too much for most people to carry, so make sure you have the means to lift this unit if you plan to place it upstairs or downstairs. Fortunately, the built-in wheels (aka casters) make it easy enough to push around.
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