Best Buys › Air Conditioners

Air Conditioners

Cooling and heating you can schedule — and the one category where you probably should not replace what you already own.

Pen-and-ink drawing of a wall-mounted air conditioner next to a phone showing an energy graph

An air conditioner is one of the largest electrical loads in a house, so putting it on a schedule and tying it to occupancy has a bigger effect on a bill than almost any other automation. Modern units are also heat pumps in reverse, which means the same box that cools in August heats efficiently in March.

Start with the honest advice: if your existing air conditioner works, do not replace it to make it smart. Almost every AC ever sold accepts an infrared remote, and an infrared blaster — a device that mimics those remote signals — will bring it under app and automation control for a fraction of the cost of a new unit. Several smart home hubs have one built in, and a standalone unit like the Sensibo Air handles the rest.

If you are buying new, the decision splits three ways. What type of unit suits the building, how efficient it is, and whether it connects over Wi-Fi natively or needs the infrared route. The last one matters less than people assume: infrared control is one-way, so the system cannot always read the unit’s true state, but for scheduling and occupancy automation it is perfectly adequate.

What to look for

The right type for the building

Split systems (an indoor unit plus an outdoor compressor) are the default for houses — effective and quiet. Multi-split runs several indoor units off one outdoor unit. Ducted hides everything in ceilings or walls for whole-house cooling. Cassette units mount in a suspended ceiling. Window and portable units need no installation but are noisier and less efficient.

Energy label, not headline features

This is the number that decides your running cost. Look for the highest efficiency class available — A+++ where it is offered — and treat everything else as secondary. An inverter compressor, which varies its speed rather than switching on and off, is the single biggest contributor.

Depth of control

Some integrations only offer on/off and a target temperature. Better ones expose fan speed, operating mode, and horizontal and vertical vane direction. If you plan automations more sophisticated than a timer, check what is actually controllable rather than what the app screenshot shows.

Cloud dependency

Most Wi-Fi air conditioners route through the manufacturer’s cloud, which means an internet outage takes your heating and cooling with it. Gree is unusual in offering a genuinely local connection, and infrared control is inherently local.

Warranty and installed support

A split system is fixed plant with refrigerant lines. It needs professional installation, periodic servicing, and a manufacturer who will still be answering the phone in eight years. Weight this more heavily than you would for a plug or bulb.

Noise, indoors and out

Cheaper units are noticeably louder, and the outdoor unit is what will annoy a neighbour. Published sound figures in decibels are comparable between brands and worth reading.

The shortlist compared

BrandConnectionFixed systemsWindowPortableLocal controlIndicative price
Sensibo AirWi-Fi + infraredYesYesYesInfrared, local€120 (retrofit)
GreeWi-FiYesYesYesYes, local API€500+
LG ThinQWi-FiYesYesYesCloud€600+
ToshibaWi-FiYesYesYesCloud€600+
Panasonic Comfort CloudWi-FiYesNoYesCloud€700+
Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesInfraredYesNoNoInfrared, local€700+
Daikin ONECTAWi-FiYesNoNoCloud€800+
Mitsubishi ElectricInfraredYesNoYesInfrared, local€900+

Prices move constantly and vary by country, so we give an indicative band rather than a figure that would be stale within a month. Check the brand's own store for the current price.

The picks in detail

Sensibo Air

Wi-Fi + infrared

Read this row first, because for most people it is the answer. Sensibo Air sits on the wall, learns your air conditioner’s infrared remote codes, and turns a dumb unit into a scheduled, geofenced, automatable one for around a tenth of the cost of replacing the hardware. It supports mini-split, window, ductless, portable and even some central systems.

It also adds what the AC never had: presence-based control, filter-cleaning alerts, and on the Air Pro, sensors for CO2 and volatile organic compounds so cooling can respond to air quality. The only real cost is that each air conditioner needs its own unit.

  • Makes almost any existing AC smart
  • Supports over 10,000 AC models
  • Geolocation, scheduling and filter reminders
  • Air quality sensors on the Pro model
  • One Sensibo unit per air conditioner

Gree

Wi-Fi, local

Gree is the value pick and, unusually, the technically cleanest: control is local, so responsiveness is good and an internet outage does not take your cooling with it. Because Gree units use the EWPE Smart platform, the same integration also picks up Argo, Tosot, Cooper & Hunter, Daitsu, Innova and Wilfa — a lot of European brands are Gree underneath.

The budget Lomo and Pular series do the job cheaply; the U-Crown is the efficient premium option. Expect fan noise on the cheaper units.

  • Affordable across the range
  • Genuinely local connection, no cloud dependency
  • Very wide model range
  • One integration covers several rebranded makes
  • Cheaper models are noticeably noisy

Daikin ONECTA

Wi-Fi, cloud

Daikin is the quality benchmark for split systems, and the ONECTA platform covers a broad range — Emura, Perfera, Stylish, Sensira, Comfora and the premium Ururu Sarara — in split, multi-split, ducted and cassette forms. Some heat pumps are controllable through the same app.

Two practical notes: onboarding must happen in the ONECTA app before any other system can see the unit, and control runs through Daikin’s cloud, so an outage means falling back to the remote.

  • Excellent energy efficiency
  • Very good build quality
  • Deep control — fan speed, vane direction, modes, turbo
  • Units must be added to Daikin’s own app first
  • Cloud dependent

LG ThinQ

Wi-Fi, cloud

LG is the range pick: split, multi-split, ducted, cassette, window and portable all exist, so whatever the building needs, there is an LG that fits. DualCool Deluxe and ArtCool Mirror are the efficient premium lines; the standard DualCool covers the budget end.

The ARTCOOL Gallery deserves a mention purely for solving the aesthetic problem — it is a wall-mounted unit with a customisable display panel that looks like a picture frame, which is a far better answer to “I do not want a white box on my wall” than anything else on the market.

  • Strong efficiency, dual-inverter compressors
  • Widest choice of formats including window and portable
  • Air purification on premium models
  • Model availability varies a lot by country

Mitsubishi Electric

Infrared

The MSZ-LN and MSZ-AP series are about as good as residential air conditioning gets: plasma quad filtration, efficient inverter compressors, and genuinely quiet running. Control is over infrared rather than Wi-Fi, which keeps it local but limits you to power, target temperature and mode.

Worth knowing that Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are separate companies despite the shared name — Electric focuses on consumer appliances, Heavy Industries on industrial plant with a residential sideline.

  • Durable and reliable over long service lives
  • Very efficient
  • Whisper-quiet operation
  • More expensive than most competitors
  • Infrared control means fewer exposed settings

Panasonic Comfort Cloud

Wi-Fi, cloud

Panasonic’s strength is air treatment: the Etherea range’s nanoe™ X system actively neutralises bacteria and allergens rather than merely filtering, which is a genuine differentiator if anyone in the house has allergies. The TZ series is the sensible budget line.

  • Efficient and robustly built
  • nanoe™ X air purification on the Etherea range
  • Good control depth including eco mode
  • Requires the Comfort Cloud app for setup
  • No window units

Toshiba

Wi-Fi, cloud

Toshiba sits between the budget and premium tiers. The Seiya line is the value option; the Daiseikai adds quieter running, better efficiency, three-stage filtration and motion-guided airflow — plus an ash wood finish, which is unusual in a category obsessed with white plastic. Some models report energy consumption, which is rare here and useful.

  • Affordable models with real features
  • Energy metering on some units
  • Three-stage air filtration on the premium range
  • Requires the Toshiba app for onboarding

Why infrared is often the right answer

An infrared blaster reproduces the signals your existing remote sends. Because almost every air conditioner ever made accepts an infrared remote, this works on hardware decades old — and several smart home hubs include a blaster, so the marginal cost can be nothing at all.

The trade-off is that infrared is one-way. Your system can tell the unit what to do but cannot read back what state it is in, so if someone uses the handheld remote, the two go out of sync until the next command. In practice this matters far less than it sounds: schedules, geofencing and “turn off when the window opens” all work perfectly, because they only ever send commands. Pair it with a temperature sensor in the same room and you have closed-loop control anyway — the sensor tells you the truth about the room, which is what you actually care about.

Refrigerant work is regulated. Installing or moving a split system involves fluorinated refrigerant gases and is legally restricted to certified engineers in the EU and UK. Window, portable and infrared retrofits are the only genuinely DIY options in this category.

Further reading

Best BuysSmart ThermostatsFor the heating side of the house, including heat pumps and underfloor systems. Best BuysTemperature & Humidity SensorsThe cheap sensor that turns one-way infrared control into a proper feedback loop. AutomationsComfort & climate recipesOverheating guards, geofenced pre-cooling, and pausing the AC when a window opens.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make my existing air conditioner smart without replacing it?

Yes, and it is usually the right call. An infrared blaster reproduces your remote’s signals and works on almost any air conditioner regardless of age. A dedicated unit such as Sensibo Air supports over 10,000 models, and some smart home hubs have a blaster built in, making the upgrade nearly free.

What is the difference between a split and a multi-split system?

A split system pairs one indoor unit with one outdoor compressor. A multi-split runs several indoor units from a single outdoor unit, which saves outdoor space and is neater on a facade when you want to cool several rooms.

Does infrared control work as well as Wi-Fi?

For automation, almost as well. The limitation is that infrared is one-way, so your system cannot read the unit’s current state and can drift out of sync if someone uses the handheld remote. Adding a room temperature sensor closes that gap, because you then measure the outcome rather than trusting the setting.

Will my air conditioner keep working if the internet goes down?

With infrared control or Gree’s local connection, yes. Most other Wi-Fi air conditioners route commands through the manufacturer’s cloud, so an outage leaves you using the physical remote until service returns.

Can an air conditioner heat as well as cool?

Nearly all modern units can, by running the refrigeration cycle in reverse — they are heat pumps. In mild weather this is often cheaper per unit of heat than a gas boiler, which makes an air conditioner a more sensible year-round purchase than the name suggests.

Terms explained

Split system
An air conditioner divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor compressor, connected by refrigerant pipes. The standard arrangement for permanent domestic installation.
Inverter compressor
A compressor that varies its speed to match demand instead of switching fully on and off. It is the main reason modern units are far more efficient and quieter than older ones.
Infrared blaster
A device that emits the same infrared codes as a handheld remote, allowing a smart home system to control equipment that has no network connection of its own.
Ducted system
Cooling distributed through hidden ducts to multiple rooms, with the equipment concealed above ceilings or behind walls. Best appearance, most disruptive to install.
Energy efficiency class
The EU label rating from A+++ down, indicating how much cooling or heating a unit delivers per unit of electricity. It is the single most reliable predictor of running cost.

More terms in the smart home glossary.