Dreo Portable Air Conditioner, 12,000 BTU

Before finally getting this one in my hands I went through countless portable air conditioners. I had to opt for a portable unit as my new apartment didn't allow for a window unit to be installed. My window unit was excellent which made every other portable unit I tried seem extremely lackluster and loud. I've gone from units from best buy and home Depot, and a couple units from here on Amazon as well. Unfortunately, the first time I ordered this unit I got the correct box for the unit with the incorrect ac unit inside. But that is beside the point. The good: (Basically, everything) Everything about this unit is amazing. I got the black one and it's very appealing. The hose is also black, and the bracket is a nice matching glossy black as well. In a complex where everyone has their own portable unit, this one definitely stands out and looks much nicer. The AC itself is extremely quiet. Like seriously quiet out of all the units I tried. I would go far enough to say it is as quiet as my window unit, which the AC compressor sat outside of the window, so it was very quiet. If there's anything "loud" about this unit, it's the actual air itself coming out. And the air output is very high. There's 3 levels, the highest does have a decent wind noise, and the lowest is very silent. The compressor itself is not loud, except for when it turns on and turns off which only lasts for about a second. When using fan mode, it's very quiet on the lowest setting, sometimes you will hear the motor from the louvers more than the actual air. All in all, it is an extremely quiet unit. The other units I used were very loud. The actual temperature it puts out is impressive. It only goes down to 65, but don't let that discourage you. I leave mine on 74 and it turns my rooms very cold. Most of the old units I tested only feel cold right on the exit of the air vent, but step away a few feet and it just feels like room temp air. I would have to set some of the previous ones to 65 to get the room to about 76 or 77. Not this unit, this one still feels very cold from far, and has a great and wide reach. Not to mention the oscillating vents is a plus for more even air distribution. THIS IS IMPORTANT. I believe this unit is designed for bigger rooms or living rooms. I've used it around my entire complex and it does work very well, however, for smaller rooms, it cools down the room too quick sometimes, which is great but may be a downside as once it reaches the desired temperature it will cycle the compressor on and off. The reason this may be an issue is because when the compressor doesn't run long enough and it cools a small room too fast, the compressor shuts off quickly and you will get a very musty smell. With it's powerful airflow, it will get your entire room smelling musty in no time. In bigger rooms and living rooms, it cools down efficiently and quickly and quietly. However, this can be combated by setting the temperature lower and lower so the compressor stays on longer. My best advice for smaller rooms is to set the temperature a bit lower than your usual desired temp, and run the fan speed manually on its lowest setting. It'll cool down your room a little slower (you'll be fine though, it will still cool down quickly especially if your room is small) but it won't shut the compressor off as quick and will prevent the smell from happening. What I did in my smaller bedroom, I set it to 65 and waited till the room got to about 69-79, then I'll set it back to 74. It will recirculate the cold air and the compressor gets to run long enough before it shuts off. BTUs do very much come in to play with every unit, and this one is designed for larger spaces. The setup was very easy. It's a pretty heavy unit so maybe just get some help if you have to haul it up stairs. Try not to tilt it more than 35°. Let the AC sit for maybe 4 to 6 hours before running it to let the oil in the compressor settle. A lot of people will say 24 hours or 12, which is not a bad idea but if you are in a hurry, I'd give it at least 4 hours. The remote is very nice, the screen is backlit but the buttons are not, so at night it may be hard to see the buttons. Eventually you'll remember which buttons do what. Also neat that it sticks magnetically to its own dedicated spot towards the back of the unit. Also I'd recommend running it's firmware update through the app before using as well. The manual walks you through it first anyways. The app is incredibly easy to use and navigate. The app is probably my favorite thing about this unit. Being able to make schedules and turn on the unit while I'm on my way home on a hot day to come home to a cool room is a luxury. All in all, I don't think I would recommend any other unit. It may be a little more but it is worth every penny, whether white or black they're both nice. PS. I was a bit hesitant as people say single hose units are horrible and I'm sure they are to a certain extent but this unit is phenomenal. I was starting to believe they were awful, up until I finally got this unit. All the other units were below average performance. Also these units regardless of what ac brand you're using, if it's single hose, it will create a negative pressure in your room. So just something to keep in mind!