Midea8,000 BTU U-Shaped Smart Inverter Window Air Conditioner– Ultra Quiet with Open Window Flexibility, Compatible with Alexa/Google Assistant, 35% Energy Savings,White

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT:So I live in a state where central AC isn't necessarily a common thing (up in New England) and as such I've experienced a lot of window AC units. I first encountered this one installed at an Air BnB I stayed in, and I really liked it so I saught it out when it was time for me to buy a new unit.I mostly survive during the day without AC; I really mostly need it at night, where I can't sleep if its too hot. So the biggest thing I like about this unit is that I can run it in "econ" mode without it waking me up.To better explain: my old AC unit did an adequate job, but I couldn't run it in econ mode because it would shut itself off completely periodically (what econ mode is supposed to do) and then when it would start back up again, it would ROAR to life which would wake me up. As a result, I had to keep it on fan high / econ off so that it would stay consistently loud as white noise as opposed to the silence / roar to life thing it would do normally.This unit: to be honest, I can't really tell if it's on or off without putting my hand up near it. It's surprisingly quiet, and yet at the same time more effective at cooling the room than my old unit. It's truly magical. I can leave it in econ mode and just let it do its thing. Plus! You can turn the LED's off using the remote! So its not broadcasting light into the room all night. I love that feature!The remote, in general, is surprisingly awesome. It's got a display on it, and it seems like you use infra-red to "pair" it with the unit but after it's paired it uses some kinda wireless/bluetoothy thing. Really cool, easy to use. No need to use the phone app if you don't want to, and no need to sync the AC with your house wifi, both things I had no intention of ever doing.WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT:But like anything with upsides, there's a downside too: the installation. But it's not all downsides, as I'll explain ...So as others have noted, installing this thing isn't normal for window AC units. It has this frame thing it goes on; and at a high level, I like the frame thing. The best part of the installation is at no point do you feel like you're going to drop the AC unit out of the window. With most AC unit installs, there's that precarious moment where you're holding the unit and getting the window down atop the unit to close it in, and then you're screwing stuff into the window while hoping nothing slips out ... ahh, hate that part. With this unit, the frame supports the unit -- you kind of slide it out on rails out the window and onto the frame -- so at no point are you having to precariously balance the unit. It's always stable and secure.HOWEVER, the frame thing is very specific to your "window situation". It really only works "out of the box" if you're dealing with a single window framed in your wall, and there's nothing outside your window that will cause interference with the AC unit's frame. In my case, I had two problems; the only window in my bedroom is actually a double window (two windows that share a common framing) AND my window is over the front porch, which has a roof that comes up against the underside of my windows.The AC's frame has 'feet' which can't go on a roof (and honestly might damage the roof, so you don't want to do that). I got lucky; the porch roof slopes enough on one side of my window that I was able to put position the unit offset to one side, and that gave me just enough room for the AC unit's "feet" to contact the side of my house instead of the roof. But in some situations, if you don't have clearance under your window, you might not be able to install this unit.And then my double window; the AC frame wants to screw into 2 points, on either side of your window. What I had to do is cut a piece of 2x4 and make a "foot" for one side of the frame. This "foot" contacts the space between my two windows in my double-window shared frame/casement. For added stability, I screwed this 'foot' into the window's frame, however I'm not sure that this was actually necessary -- the wood trim I screwed into needs to be replaced at some point anyway, so I didn't feel too bad about drilling into it.In short: if your window situation isn't super basic and straight forward, you will have to get "creative" with the installation. If you're not the sort of person that has the ability to be "creative" which may involve some minor carpentry or other on the fly adjustments, you may need to get some help with this one.Overall, it's worth it though, best AC unit ever.

For more than 20 years I worked for G*E, first as a tech in Florida, then as a Field Quality Specialist, and finally as a Field Quality Engineer in Louisville. By then G*E had outsourced their A/C mfg to Japan and China. I have repaired literally thousands of A/C’s, and tracked quality and serviceability. I had until recently a small G*E window unit in my bedroom. I have to sleep cold (60 degrees) year round. No point in trying to cool an entire 1700 sq ft apartment, electric bill would have been $500-600/mo. The unit I replaced was noisy, cheaply made, and not all that efficient. I had replaced 2 over 8 years. They just didn’t hold up. Plus you had to make side curtains out of wood as the cheap plastic accordions weren’t secure nor fit well. Couple of weeks ago the fan motor went bad, so time for another, but not G*E this time. I considered one from Windmill, but man are they expensive. So I found these Midea units, liked the fact you can close the window almost completely (more secure), and had a smart app to program your schedule. Not cheap, but there’s price and there’s value. First impression-this is a great value for the money. The Midea is $100 more than the last ones, but I think it’s worth every penny.The fit, finish and manufacturing quality are first rate. Every possible window configuration is addressed with the included kit. Most window units don’t come with a support bracket for outside. Buying one or making one covers at least 1/2 of the price difference. Took about an hour to install. Read the directions, guys. I know it’s against our genetic programming, but do yourself a favor and at least skim thru them. Once installed, this puppy ain’t going nowhere.Fired it up, and it is almost completely silent. Had to check to see if the compressor was running. Can’t hear it at all inside. It has a moving shutter that distributes the air, it’s completely programmable via smart phone, and frankly is the most well designed unit I’ve ever seen. Bought another for my TV room. They say electricity useage is 35% less than a standard window A/C, and these are heat pumps to boot! I’ve calculated they’ll pay for themselves in about 18 months, probably much less. Don’t let the price scare you off! These units are worth every penny!!!

These Midea window A/C units are simply fantastic. Down in Louisiana, many people use these, even with a central unit because it gets so humid. These are so simple to install, almost anyone can do it as long as you have someone that can lift it. All of them cool better than a normal window unit that runs on 110 volts. They'll keep it downright cold in a room.The only negative I can see is one flaw all of these have... they put a metal screen/guard inside the blower part (to protect curious little fingers from the spinning fan). I have no idea why they would use a material that rusts over time in something like this. After some time using it, that guard rusts and flings little pieces of rust out. After a while, I've gone in there and cut it out (we have no little kids around here). They should either use an alloy like aluminum or even plastic. It would be nice if they would have made it easier to open up the blower area so you can clean it out also, but this is a minor gripe.It is definitely quieter than a normal window A/C, since the compressor is on the outside of the window, it depends on the quality of your windows also. It comes with everything you need to make a good fit and seal, dense foam pieces for the sides and weather stripping. The mount itself is very simple and easy to adjust so its level.Highly recommended!