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Whynter ARC-148MS 14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner Review

The Whynter ARC-148MS Portable AC is designed to be both a mobile and powerful air conditioner. Setting the unit up in your home is simple. It has a total BTU count of 14,000, essentially making it powerful enough to adequately cool down rooms of up to 500 square feet. This makes it more than sufficient for conditioning the air in rooms that need it the most, including bedrooms, classrooms, workshops, and office server rooms.

Whynter ARC-148MS 14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner Review


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Mobility

The one thing we’re looking for in a portable air conditioner is its portability. This means we need to consider the weight of the unit and/or the presence of wheels to roll it around your home. The ARC-148MS by Whynters is both relatively lightweight and features caster wheels for sliding the unit effortlessly across the floor. It only weighs around 73 lbs out of the box so even carrying it up and down flights of stairs shouldn’t be too difficult to do.

One problem that customers feel negatively about is the 13.7 x 28.9-inch floor space that this unit takes up. Overall, the air conditioner is easy to move, but it can be difficult to find a spot to put it.

Several Modes

The ARC-148MS comes with five modes to suit your needs. The air conditioning mode cools down the temperature of rooms of up to 500 square feet. The dehumidifier mode with evaporating technology gets rid of 98% of the moisture in the air and can remove up to 71 pints of water daily. The fan-only mode has three speeds for circulating indoor air without cooling. Auto mode lets the unit think for you, so it selects a mode based on humidity levels and room temperature. Finally, sleep mode gradually increases the temperature in a room by 2° every 30 minutes for 7 hours.

Something that customers complained about is the hidden “temperature cushion” which causes the unit to cool rooms within 5° of the set temperature. The dehumidifier mode is also something that received negative feedback, mainly because it doesn’t do as the company advertises. It captures a lot of moisture in the air, but it does poorly at evaporating it. Unless you have a large tray for catching water, you’ll need to install the hose to the unit. This ultimately defeats the purpose of “portability” since it needs to be near a window or sink to drain.

Filters Impurities from the Air

Not only does this unit cool and dehumidify rooms, like basements, but it also filters airborne pollutants for indoor air. The Silvershield pre-filter latches onto large particles such as dander and dust, and a 3M filter captures smaller particles as well as deodorizes the air. This ensures that the air emitted from this air conditioner is cleaner than the air that goes into it. The pre-filter is washable and reusable, and the 3M filter requires replacement roughly every 3 months of usage.

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Whynter ARC148MS: Bottom Line

The Whynter ARC-148MS Portable Air Conditioner does a decent job at cooling down rooms, but it struggles to cool rooms down to 62°, but this might not be a problem to people who don’t enjoy extremely cold air while sleeping. Apart from this minor cooling problem, every other mode works well. Dehumidifying a room with this unit is only problematic if you don’t connect a hose from the air conditioner to a sink or window.

One of the biggest selling points of portable air conditioners is its portability, which is basically non-existent due to the hose and large floor space area needed to set the unit down. Overall, it is a quiet air conditioning unit with several features and a handy air purifier to ensure we breathe in clean air.

Our Recommended Portable Air Conditioners

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Up To 225 sq. ft. Rooms
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Enjoy a comfortable home climate with this versatile Black+Decker BPACT10WT. It cools, dehumidifies, and circulates air to stand up to summer heat.
This Midea MAP10S1CWT Portable Air Conditioner cools or dehumidifies home or office spaces quietly, quickly, and efficiently
The SereneLife SLPAC8 Portable Air Conditioner system features a lightweight, handy, sleek body design intended to be used in the bedroom, living room or garage at home or office.
Best of the Best
BLACK+DECKER 10,000 BTU Portable Air...
Black+Decker BPACT10WT
Up To 250 sq. ft. Rooms
52.9 lbs.
16.5 x 11.5 x 26 in
Enjoy a comfortable home climate with this versatile Black+Decker BPACT10WT. It cools, dehumidifies, and circulates air to stand up to summer heat.
With Dehumidifier
Midea 10,000 BTU ASHRAE (5,800 BTU SACC)...
Midea MAP10S1CWT
Up To 250 sq. ft. Rooms
67.9 lbs.
17.1 x 13 x 28.3 in
This Midea MAP10S1CWT Portable Air Conditioner cools or dehumidifies home or office spaces quietly, quickly, and efficiently
Budget Option
Honeywell Contempo Series Portable Air...
SereneLife SLPAC8
Up To 225 sq. ft. Rooms
46.3 lbs.
14.6 x 13.8 x 27.2 in
The SereneLife SLPAC8 Portable Air Conditioner system features a lightweight, handy, sleek body design intended to be used in the bedroom, living room or garage at home or office.


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Last Update: 2024-04-30 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About the author

Hi I’m Alex, founder of HouseholdMe.com and I’d like to say thank you for dropping by. Like most of you, the first thing I look at before buying something online is reviews or buying guides. By reading what other people say will help me gauge whether or not a product is good or not.  I am trying to help people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired.

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