If you are looking for the best 12V air conditioner, you have come to the right place. Maybe you are looking for an air conditioner that will work in your car, boat, or RV.
Whatever your need is, it doesn’t matter because we have you covered. We have reviewed the top six 12V air conditioners on the market today so you don’t have to do all of the hard work yourself.
You can be sure that these units are among the best because they have been tested by us and we wouldn’t let you buy anything that isn’t worth your time or money.
When you’re choosing a portable air conditioning unit, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get something that will work great.
In fact, there are a number of 12v DC portable air conditioners that deliver powerful cooling at an affordable price.
These units will keep your workspace cool and comfortable without breaking the bank. Here are five of the best 12v DC portable air conditioners available today.
In a Hurry to Find the Best 12v Air Conditioner? Here are Our Top Suggestions:
- MASO 12V Mini Air Conditioner – Editor’s Choice
- MACHSWON Air Conditioner – Overall Best
- VIAV 12v DC Air Circulator Fans – Most Affordable
Comparison Table For Best 12v Air Conditioners:
Best 12v Air Conditioners | Item Weight | Special Feature | More Info. |
VIAV 12v DC Air Circulator Fans | 1 pound | Low Energy Consumption, Low Noise | Check Price |
Douglas D20 Rooftop Air Conditioner | 74 pounds | Easy to Install | Check Price |
MASO 12V Mini Air Conditioner | 2.51 pounds | Cool Water Tank | Check Price |
MACHSWON Air Conditioner | 2.35 pounds | Compact unit fits nicely on any table, desk, or shelf, mounting by adhesive tape | Check Price |
Zerone Store Car Air Conditioner Fan | 2.42 pounds | Adjustable two speeds | Check Price |
Dometic Brisk Rooftop Air Conditioner | 54.9 pounds | Rooftop | Check Price |
Reviews of Best 12v Air Conditioners – Our Top Picks!
If you’re in the market for a portable air conditioner, you’ve probably seen a lot of products in different sizes, shapes, and capacities.
To help you narrow it down to the best 12V air conditioner for your needs, we’ve created this detailed guide that includes reviews of top-rated devices from the most popular brands on the market.
1. VIAV 12v DC Air Circulator Fans
The Viav 12v DC Air Circulator Fan is a great option if you are looking for an affordable way to stay cool while on the go.
Not only does this unit offer two different speed settings, but it also keeps your head safe from low-hanging branches thanks to its bladeless design.
It has anti-slip rubber feet that keep the unit firmly in place, and it comes with a handy low-voltage wire for plugging directly into your vehicle’s power outlet.
It does have a plastic exterior, so you will likely want to avoid being too rough with this fan to minimize scratching or cracking.
We used this Air Conditioner for a month and we found it to be perfectly adequate for our needs.
What a relief to have a portable AC that actually works and doesn’t break the bank! We’re definitely going to recommend this one to you guys.
We put it under the seat of our truck and is working well now that’s summer is here. It completely cooled down the cab in no time, which was surprising considering how small it was. Best 12v air conditioner for this low price!
2. Douglas D20 Rooftop Air Conditioner
This DC rooftop air conditioner by Douglas is a wonderful addition to our office. It’s very quiet and works perfectly for what we need it for.
We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a portable air conditioner that will cool a small space. It can cool up to 400 sq. ft. of space, which is more than enough cooling for our office.
The best part is, we can use it for more than just cooling; we also use evaporative cooling to help reduce how much we spend on our air conditioning bill each month
The Air conditioner cover is made of a thick material and will protect you from branches and other objects that may be in your way as you drive down the road.
The only downside is that the cord is pretty short, so you’ll have to keep your air conditioner close if you want good coverage.
We used this unit at the race track in my car, they work great and help us cool down after a long run on Sunday morning!
We love how it just sits there and does its job without much ado. No installation is needed! Just drop the unit into place and enjoy cool air immediately.
3. MASO 12V Mini Air Conditioner
This portable air conditioner has an evaporative cooling system. It has a water tank capacity of 398 ml, and it can work for up to 5 hours on low speed or 2 hours on high speed.
There is also an adjustable front panel that rotates up 180 degrees. This makes it easy to reach the controls, even if you are in the back seat.
The Mini Air Conditioner does not have an air filter, so it’s best to use this unit in a space where you don’t need to be breathing in any dust or dirt particles.
It will give you about 26 degrees of cooling power at high speed and 14 degrees of cooling power at low speed.
We loved that this air conditioner is a great size and it fits very easily into our small corner of the office.
We can use it without fear that something might damage the unit as we do other tasks around the office.
So we highly recommend you to get one if you’re looking for a cheap, reliable AC unit that doesn’t take up much space.
We have used this in our office for almost a month and it works great and doesn’t feel any sweating. It’s very quiet and works perfectly for what we need it for.
4. MACHSWON Air Conditioner
This 12v air conditioner is best because it’s portable and has a sleek design. It comes with an ABS plastic exterior which is very light in weight, so mounting this on your car isn’t difficult at all even if you’re alone.
The Macswon Air Conditioner can be powered by either a 12-volt cigarette lighter or a battery pack.
The included battery pack also allows you to take this portable cooling system with you just about anywhere, even into remote locations that don’t have electrical outlets available for an AC power cord.
We used this Air Conditioner at home when the weather was very hot, this air conditioner is really powerful that it can easily cool down a big room just in minutes.
We didn’t experience any problems especially with the installation process because it comes with an easy user manual.
It has hot & cool features so this is perfect for your baby’s cabin during summer days. It comes with a remote that you can operate the air conditioner without leaving your bed.
There are also different modes to choose from depending on how hot it is in your room, you can opt for “ventilator”, “sleep”, “dry” or another coolness level.
Overall, we love everything about this product because of its sleek design & powerful cooling system.
The Macswon Air Conditioner is highly recommended for everyone who wants to keep cool inside their room or even in their cars.
5. Zerone Store Car Air Conditioner Fan
Most of the time, we need to find a source of cooling especially during summer days. Nowadays, there are many products available in the market that can make you feel cool and comfortable even inside your car.
This Air Conditioner Fan is really good for people who spend most of their time inside their cars like drivers or even students.
You can easily use this on a hot day and it will give you very cool air even if the temperature is up.
This Air Conditioner Fan is an evaporative water cooler which means there’s no need to have ice inside the unit for it to work properly, so it can keep your car fresh all day long without any problem.
We recommend this cooling system for everyone who wants to feel cool while inside their cars.
It’s affordable and it has different modes so you can choose the one that you like the most. It also has a very sleek design so it will look great inside your dashboard.
We used this air conditioner in our cars and we can tell you that it’s powerful which means that this air conditioner will never let you down even during the hottest days.
The installation process is also easy and safe because it has adhesive tape so it won’t damage any part of your dashboard.
6. Dometic Brisk Rooftop Air Conditioner
The Dometic Brisk Rooftop Air Conditioner is the best choice for people who want to feel cool inside their tent.
This product has a smart design which makes it durable so you can use this outdoor without any problem.
There is a big difference between a normal air conditioner and this one because it uses R-410A refrigerant which means that the cooling process will be more efficient.
It comes with a drain pump so you can easily remove water from the condenser while being installed outside your tent.
We loved that it’s very powerful and it can cool down a big room in just a few minutes. The installation process is also very easy and you can even do it by yourself without any problem.
If you’re looking for a reliable air conditioner to keep your tent cool during summer days, we recommend this product because it’s powerful and affordable.
We didn’t experience any problems while testing so we highly recommend this rooftop air conditioner for people who want to keep cool during summer days.
How to Choose The Best 12v Air Conditioner?
People always want to stay cool even on hot days so they can easily have a good night’s sleep.
Buying the best 12v air conditioner might be a little more expensive than buying an ordinary portable one, but using a 12v AC unit is healthier and it will also save some money in the long run.
So if you are going to buy the best 12v air conditioner, we recommend that you need to look for these features:
1. Easy installation process
We all know that installing an automatic or portable air conditioner can be difficult if you don’t have experience with this kind of device.
If you want to save money on your energy bills, buying the best 12 v air conditioner is a good choice. So you need to make sure that this device has a simple installation process before buying it.
It should also come with an instruction manual so the whole installation process will be easier because you can simply follow all the steps from the manufacturer.
2. Evaporate water cooler system
The evaporative water cooling system is very important because it can make you feel fresh even during the hottest summer days.
It’s also more efficient than an ordinary air conditioner which makes this feature a must-have if you are looking for the best 12v air conditioner.
3. Produce Low Noise & Vibration
After buying the best 12v air conditioner for your car, you want to have a peaceful night’s sleep so you need this feature to get it.
People who are sleeping in their cars will feel much better if they know that the evaporative water cooling system produces low noise and vibration while working.
4. Powerful Cooling System
The cooling system is very important because you will want to stay cool no matter if it’s summer or winter.
A good 12v air conditioner should have a powerful cooling system that can keep any room cool during the hottest summer days.
5. Big tank capacity
Having a small water tank might be a problem while using this kind of device because you will need to add more water every hour while staying in your car.
A big tank capacity is very important and we recommend that you buy a 12v air conditioner that comes with a large water tank so you can stay cool for longer periods.
Conclusion!
In this article, we have presented the best 12v air conditioner units that you can find on the market. Using these models is a good idea because they are healthier and they will also save you money.
Some models can be expensive, but they are very powerful and they will last for many years.
The best 12v air conditioner should have an evaporative water cooling system, a powerful fan, and it should be easy to install.
The tank capacity should also be big so you can stay cool for much longer periods. Buy one of these devices if you want to stay cool in your car without spending too much money on energy bills.
We hope that our top 10 selection proved to be helpful and if you have any questions about selecting the right 12v air conditioner, feel free to leave a comment below and we will help you choose a good model.
FAQs
Most of the 12V air conditioners on the market use 3-4 amps while some models might use 6 amps.
The power cord length varies between different models so you need to check this information before buying a 12v air conditioner for your car or tent.
You can’t use an extension cord because the manufacturer doesn’t recommend that you do it.
But if you want to use an extension cord, we recommend that you check the manufacturer’s guide before doing this.
The cooling area varies between different models so you need to check this information before buying a 12v air conditioner for your car.
Most of them run on electricity so you need to make sure that you have access to an electric socket if you buy one of these models.
You can also use an inverter with some 12V air conditioners, but not all of them.
Related Resources:
I am Baker Hughes and I live in the USA. I am an electrical engineer and work with 12 Volt products. I want to explore this section more because it is an area of interest for me that has been developed over time. I have 10 Years of experience with 12 Volt products, specifically wiring, installation, guide, reviews, and troubleshooting.