Portable air conditioners are a great option to cool your home if you live in an apartment or area that doesn't allow window units.

A portable air conditioner is convenient because you can move it from room to room as needed. Although I couldn't imagine bringing one up and down stairs on a regular basis, I could see having one on each floor. If you do live on one floor, I could see using it in the living room and then moving it to the bedroom. To make this easier, invest in extra window kits. So you can leave the hose set up in place. Then when you move to the next room just pop the hose in the already set up window.

You have to think about the same things with portable air conditioners as you do with window units. How many btus do you need? Do you want the portable air conditioner to also function as a heater and dehumdifer. Would you like a timer so you can cool ahead of time and come home to a cool house. How does it handle condensation? Will you be carrying buckets of water every day.

The Whynter SNO 13,000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner in Frost White can efficiently cool any room up to 420 square feet. It is very small - only 19 inches high, 20.5 inches wide, and 21.7 inches deep. With this compact design you can tuck this portable air conditioner on a counter or behind the sofa. The 5-foot hose gives you a great deal of choice, where you put the unit. It has 3 fan speeds, remote control, and the self-evaporating feature takes care of condensate automatically. It can control temperatures from 64 degrees to 86 degrees. A 24-hour programmable timer means you can come home or wake  up to a cool home.

This 13,000 BTU portable air conditioner has been designed to be easily moved from room to room. It has a easy-to-use handle and built-in caster and large wheels. The retractable pull-cord will keep your room neat and keep you and your guests from tripping over it.

The Amcor ALTL12000E 12000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls can handle rooms up to 400 square feet. It has 2 fan speeds with a convenient remote control option and 12-hour timer. I usually use the remote control on my portable air conditioner in the middle of the night when I need to adjust the temperature in my bedroom. It has an efficient self-evaporating system and built-in water tank. The Amcor 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner comes with a washable air filter, cabon filter, and a window and wall exhaust kit. It is 30 inches high, with a 16 inch by 15 inch footprint.

The DeLonghi PAC C120 Pinguino 12,000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner can keep any room cool and comfortable in hot summer weather. It has a 24-hour adjustable thermostat with energy saving timer. And if you don't have any tools, don't worry, everything you need to install this DeLonghi portable air conditioner is included. It has a remote control so you can relax and adjust your temperature. You can easily move this portable air conditioner because it has convenient side handles and indoor/outdoor casters.

It is also dripless, which means that you don't have to carry heavy buckets of water. If you don't need to use air-conditioning but would like to create a nice breeze, it does have a fan-only mode. There is also a dehumidifier option.

The 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner & Heater by EdgeStar can heat or cool any room up to 350 square feet. It can fit into the tiniest of spaces because its footprint is only 12-inches square and it's only 28-inches high. It can regulate temperatures from 62 degrees to 90 degrees, enough to satisfy most peoples' comfort levels. It's powerful dehumidifier can take 50 pints per day out of the environment, to help keep you comfortable. This 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner and Heater by EdgeStar also meets the new RoHS restrictions, designed to limit toxins in electrical equipment. So when you need to dispose of this electrical equipment it will have fewer toxins in it and be easier to throw away.

The Soleus Air LX-140 14,0000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner and Heater is the maximum cooling available with standard 110 or 120 electrical outlets. It comes with a window kit for easy exhaust hose setup. It uses the standard self-evaporative technology so you don't have to keep hauling buckets of water away. There's also a heat pump built in so that you can use it to keep warm in the winter.