My June air conditioner test just became relevant again – this heatwave-ready unit actually works

With the second heatwave of summer now on the horizon, I’ve been thinking back to the start of June, when I finally tackled the problem of keeping my home cool. I live in one of those classic British country cottages – built for an entirely different climate. It’s a 300-year-old stone house with thick walls that make it freezing in winter and utterly stifling once the heat kicks in.

I’d already solved the winter problem by installing an energy-efficient air source heat pump, but this year I set my sights on the opposite end of the temperature scale.

Last summer, we tried one of those cheap DIY-store “air coolers” – you fill a tray with water and hope for the best. It looked like an air conditioner, but all it really did was shuffle the hot air around and make everything feel vaguely damp. So when Meaco offered me the chance to review their new MeacoCool MC Series Pro 7000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner – the 2024 smart-enabled model – I jumped at it.

You can buy it for £329.99 direct from Meaco here (currently out of stock, but worth checking if it’s back in), or via Amazon for £329.95 - although it has recently been on sale for less . After testing it throughout June’s humid heatwave, I can confidently say: this is the real deal.

Not your average portable fan – but is it really portable?

Let’s talk size and setup first. I opted for the smallest in the MeacoCool Pro Series – the 7000 BTU model, suitable for rooms between 12–22m². Even as the “baby” of the range, it’s still a 20.5kg unit, measuring 701 × 341 × 335 mm. That’s compact enough to fit in the corner of our small living room but not something you’ll want to haul up and down stairs daily.

Calling it “portable” is a bit generous – yes, it’s on castors and easy to move short distances, but this is not a plug-and-go unit you’ll shift from room to room each afternoon. The need for an exhaust hose and sealed window exit makes it better suited to being semi-permanently installed for the summer season.

That said, you do get two types of window kits in the box – a rigid one for sash windows, and a flexible fabric one (with zipper) for outward-opening windows like ours. We ended up threading the hose through our catflap into the conservatory and cracking the windows in there – a quirky but effective workaround that saved us from drilling or faffing.

Performance that speaks for itself – even in oppressive humidity

I first put the Meaco to the test on a sticky June afternoon when the inside temp had crept up to 25°C with humidity over 65%. I set the target to 21°C using the intuitive remote and started the unit in cooling mode on low fan speed.

Within five minutes, I could feel the difference. Within half an hour, the room had hit the set temperature, and humidity dropped to a far more bearable 48%. It wasn’t just noticeable – it was transformative. From muggy and oppressive to cool and breathable, it turned our cramped cottage into a haven. That’s a feat I’ve rarely experienced in any UK home, let alone one as poorly insulated against summer as ours.

Clean design, clever controls

I really like the design of this unit. The display is positioned both on the top and the side, so you can check temperature readings from across the room. Controls are clear and easy to use: you’ve got three operating modes (Cool, Fan, and Dry), two fan speeds, a Sleep Mode, and a timer for pre-cooling rooms before bedtime.

The new-for-2024 Meaco App is a standout addition. I used it from upstairs to start cooling the lounge before I came down – and yes, it worked. The app mirrors the remote’s simplicity but adds the convenience of remote scheduling and control. If you’ve ever longed to walk into a perfectly cooled room after battling the sun outside, this delivers.

A-rated energy performance and realistic running costs

Meaco claims it costs just 21p an hour to run, based on an average unit price of 27.03p/kWh. I checked this against my smart meter and found that during active cooling (compressor running), usage peaked around 28–31p/hour, which is still excellent.

For us, that means we can run it during the worst of the day – say 1–5pm – and pay little more than £1 for an afternoon of blissfully cool air. Compared to the cost of disrupted sleep, ruined WFH days, or just feeling drained and uncomfortable, that’s money well spent.

Sleep mode makes hot nights bearable

One of my biggest gripes with older fans and cheap air coolers was the noise and lights keeping me up at night. Thankfully, as we experienced on the night we hoiked the unit upstairs, Sleep Mode dims the lights on the unit and drops the fan to a gentler hum. At just 51dB, it’s not whisper-quiet, but it’s quiet enough that it didn’t bother us – even in a very small room. I’ve had nights with a higher-end Dyson fan that were noisier than this.

The ability to schedule on/off times up to 24 hours in advance means you don’t have to run it all night either. I set it to turn off at 2am, once the temperature had dropped and we were already sound asleep.

What I’d change – and what I wouldn’t

I won’t pretend it’s a perfect experience. The flexible window kit is fiddly to install and does look a bit slapdash in an otherwise tidy room. And although the unit is technically portable, I suspect most people – like us – will just choose one room and leave it there.

But if the compromise for true air cooling is that it’s a little bigger, heavier, and less sleek than a “personal air fan”, then I’m more than happy with the trade-off. Because this actually works. And once you’ve experienced proper air conditioning on a UK summer day, it’s hard to go back.

Final verdict: it’s an investment – but one that pays off in comfort

If you’ve been burned by “air cooler” gimmicks in the past and are finally ready to experience actual air conditioning without splashing out for a full installation, the MeacoCool MC Series Pro 7000 BTU is a smart buy. It’s affordable, effective, and thoughtfully designed – and unlike so many “cooling” gadgets on the market, it genuinely delivers.

Subject to avalability, the MeacoCool MC Series Pro 7000 BTU Air Conditioner is available for £329.99 from Meaco here

Also available from Amazon for £329.95 here

If you’ve got the space, a way to vent warm air, and a few brutally hot days to look forward to, this could be your best summer upgrade yet.

• Edited June 26 2025 to reflect current pricing and availability

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