1 - Frigidaire FFRA051WAE

Whenever I have to recommend a 5000 BTU air conditioner, I mention the Frigidaire FFRA051WAE first. There's very little not to like about this small window AC unit — it's affordable, dependable, and powerful for its size.

For a 5000 BTU air conditioner, the Frigidaire has a surprising amount of power to it.

The air it blows comes out ice cold and cools a sweltering 150-square-foot room in less than an hour. You’ll start feeling the difference in a few minutes.

The air temperature was actually so cool that I decided to put the Frigidaire to the challenge in a 300-square-foot space. The room didn’t get cold but was perfectly livable (at least for my heat tolerance).

This little beast definitely punches above its BTU rating.

Usability is straightforward with two twist knobs, one choosing one of the 7 temperature settings and another for swapping between high and low AC or fan speed.

Get used to this control scheme; you'll see it on most other ACs on my list, such as Midea, GE, and Homelabs.

There's no digital thermostat on this unit, so you'll need a separate thermometer to check the temperature.

Frigidaire is a barebones unit, but that contributes to long-lasting reliability. With no fancy sensors, there are few parts that can break prematurely.

The sole bell and/or whistle on the Frigidaire is the handy auto-restart function. If you lose power, this air conditioner will kick back in at the previous settings as soon as it's supplied with juice again.

Speaking of juice, this window AC doesn’t drink much of it. With an 11 EER rating, Frigidaire has good energy efficiency that won’t rack up your electricity bill.

Installing the AC to your windows is easy, as the unit is the lightest on my list at only 35 pounds. I like the 6.5-foot power cord, which gives a bit more flexibility in placing the AC.

Frigidaire says the unit doesn’t include an installation kit or adjustable side panels, yet my box had them. You may or may not get them with yours.

Frankly, I was a bit stumped reviewing this Frigidaire air conditioner. Dig as I might, I didn't find anything significant to complain about — it just works!

2 - Midea MAW05M1BWT

You shouldn’t have to sweat in the heat just because you’re on a budget. Midea MAW05M1BWT is an affordable machine that can effectively cool small rooms.

Indeed, you won’t have to compromise cooling capacity for the low price. Midea’s 5000 BTU air conditioner resembles the Frigidaire air conditioning unit in many ways.

It has similar cooling chops as my #1 choice and produces very cold air. During my testing, I had to bundle up a bit while sitting in front of this unit.

Get used to the cold air, though. Although Midea features the same kind of manual control panel (no remote control here) as Frigidaire — with options for AC and fan with two fan speeds for each mode — the temperature control dial didn’t seem to have much effect.

That’s not the end of the world since cold air is what you want, after all. Just turn the whole unit off if you get chilly and save electricity while you’re at it.

On the topic of electricity, Midea has similarly high energy efficiency as Frigidaire, being rated EER 11. It costs you roughly $44/year to run this unit, which makes it even more budget-friendly.

The Midea is the second noisiest on my list after the GE machine, with the highest fan speed settings producing about 57 dB. It’s not the loudest window unit I’ve encountered, but I’d keep it out of bedrooms.

This window air conditioner is generally dependable, but the low price point shows in a couple of places.

The included side panels can block the side-sliding washable filter on small windows, which doesn’t exactly make for easy maintenance.

A bigger design oversight is the compressor housing, which has vents on the top — but not on the bottom. Rainwater can collect into the unit and may require manual draining.

At least the unit itself produces very little condensation, which makes flooding less likely. I’d still consider rigging some kind of a cover for this machine.

Overall, though, Midea shines among cheaper, smaller air conditioning units. It doesn't offer anything fancy, but it does its job well — which is exactly what you want from a budget AC.

3 - GE ‎AHEC05AC

Who doesn’t love getting a lot of bang for your buck? GE AHEC05AC is a value-packed 5000 BTU air conditioner that can take some punishment and still keep going.

Being rated for 5,100 BTU, this air conditioner technically has the highest cooling output on my list. I reckon GE has creatively rounded some numbers up to score that rating, though.

In reality, the cooling power is on par with Frigidaire, Keystone, and other units I've reviewed.

I’m not saying this unit lacks power, though. My tests showed this quick and efficient machine can cool rooms up to 200 square feet by a dozen degrees within an hour.

In fact, I found myself avoiding the high setting. Things got a bit too breezy to my liking.

GE hasn’t included electronic or remote controls, and the machine has the familiar manual two-knob front panel.

Unlike the other similar units, though, GE has 10 temperature setting choices. I suspect it’s the same sliding scale numbered differently, but it does make fine-tuning the output easier.

The second dial has the same two fan speeds for cooling and AC modes. Simple and straightforward.

GE has the same EER 11 energy-efficiency rating as the comparable manual units, but the marginally higher cooling chops make it slightly more power-hungry.

In reality, though, the extra energy drain raises the expected annual energy costs by a whopping $1.

The included EZ Mount mounting kit does what it promises — installation is quick and simple. The side panels (which don’t block the slide-out filter like on Midea) leave some gaps, but it’s nothing a bit of duct tape won’t fix.

Despite this fixed-chassis AC’s low 36-pound weight, my butter fingers managed to drop it during installation.

The tumble might’ve broken a lesser machine, but the GE didn’t give a hoot or a holler about a little dent. Kudos to GE for the sturdy and rugged construction.

I also have to commend GE for not hiding the fact that this is a loud AC at 59 dB on max power. I recommend not using it in bedrooms.

The value of this unit comes from its simple installation and long-lasting quality. If you’re looking for a dependable workhorse, you’ve found it.

4 - Keystone KSTAW05CE

Powerful cooling may not be worth it if the air conditioner quadruples your energy bill. Keystone KSTAW05CE is a capable 5000 BTU air conditioner that consumes less energy than most — and offers some almost-smart features.

This eco-friendly window AC unit has lower energy consumption than any other air conditioners on my list, with an EER rating of 12.1. In addition, it's an Energy Star-certified machine.[1] You can rely on your bills to stay in check.

Not only that, together with Emerson, this is one of the only two ACs I reviewed with electronic controls. You get a lot of control options, both through the front panel with an LED display and the included remote control.

Keystone offers 3-in-1 functionality with AC, fan, and dehumidifier modes, each with three fan speeds. You also get a 24-hour timer and a sleep mode — plus an energy-saver mode to make the AC even more affordable to run.

The box promises four-way adjustable louvers, but at least on my machine, you could only turn them horizontally, which was a bummer.

Like Frigidaire, Keystone also has an auto-restart function, which is actually more useful with this level of control. The AC comes back alive with the previous settings in case of a power outage.

This unit includes a precise thermostat that allows you to set the temperature exactly where you want. The remote control has a second Follow Me thermostat that can adjust the AC based on the remote’s location.

You won’t have to worry about these bells and whistles giving up easily, either. Keystone has built a sturdy unit that I can see working for a long time without issues.

The robust construction makes Keystone the heaviest unit on my list, though, at 42 pounds. It can be challenging to install, but at least it has a long 6.5-foot cord like Frigidaire, so you can pick your window fairly freely.

I should also mention that Keystone products are somewhat notorious for shipping issues. I don’t know if that’s because of poor packaging or ham-fisted delivery staff, but your box may have some dings on it.

Fortunately, the sturdy unit rarely cares about that. Keystone has built a quality machine that won’t take your power bill to the stratosphere.

5 - HomeLabs HME020003N

You know when you grab a well-made product, and it just feels like it's high quality? That's what you can expect from HomeLabs' 5000 BTU air conditioner.

Granted, this unit is a bit pricier than other comparable manually-operated 5000 BTU air conditioners on my list, like Frigidaire, Midea, or TCL. However, you get a solidly built unit for those few dozen extra bucks.

As I said, the good build quality is obvious as soon as you lift the HomeLabs AC out of its box. It doesn't feel flimsy or plastic-y, for the lack of a better word, despite the relatively low 36-pound weight.

Handling this unit just feels good.

The installation process is easy, too, partially thanks to the unit being so light.

Another factor contributing to the ease of mounting the machine to your double-hung windows is the good installation kit, which is as well-made as the AC itself.

The side curtains, for example, are thicker and more durable than those of most other AC kits I’ve seen. Considering how easy it is to break some side panels, these ones are worth the extra cost just on their own.

If you somehow manage to break this air conditioner or it’s rattling straight out of the box, just give HomeLabs a call. Their customer service representatives are a delight to talk to and will quickly resolve any issues.

Now that’s not something I get to say often.

Performance-wise, HomeLabs is comparable to the other manual 5000 BTU air conditioners. It provides good cooling performance in small rooms and has a reasonably good 11 EER rating (energy efficiency ratio).

You have the good ol’ twist knobs for control — one for selecting one of the seven temperature settings and another for swapping between high and low fan speeds and AC and fan modes.

This is a louder unit, though, roughly on par with the Midea. Users looking for a low noise level may want to consider other options.

This HomeLabs AC reminds me of the good-hearted meathead character archetype in Saturday morning cartoons. It doesn't think much, but you can always rely on it to get the job done.

6 - TCL 5WR1-A

Most 5000 BTU air conditioners on my list let you adjust the direction of the airflow, but only horizontally.

That can be an issue in small rooms with lots of furniture — a couch in front of the window frame, for example, might block most of the cooling effect.

TCL 5WR1-A comes to your rescue in this situation. This unit offers you more control over which way the wind blows than most others on my list.

Unlike the other manual 5000 BTU air conditioners I’ve reviewed (save for Emerson), TCL has equipped this unit with two air vents. Each vent can be turned four ways, allowing users to set the air blowing in eight directions.

Granted, the cooling performance will always be the best if you angle the vents upward since that helps the cool air circulate better. Yet, in crowded rooms, angling the vents differently can be a lifesaver during hot weather.

Fortunately, TCL can offset some of that cooling fallout by blowing nicely cold air. It’s not quite as freezing as the Frigidaire, but you will feel the chill when you crank the temperature settings up.

In other departments, TCL provides much of the same as its Midea, GE, and HomeLabs competitors. Rated at EER 11, it doesn’t guzzle up energy and has roughly $44 annual running costs.

For controls, you have the same two no-frills twist dials as with most other models on my list — one for temperature settings and one for fan speeds and selecting AC or fan mode.

The relatively low noise levels surprised me positively. This unit isn’t as quiet as the Emerson, but it’s a good runner-up.

TCL has a reputation for reliability issues, though, and this unit seems no different, based on what I've heard from other users. My unit worked fine, but that's just the thing — it will run great until it doesn't, and then it's game over.

As an upside, this AC unit is very reasonably priced. If you need decent cooling for a small, furniture-packed room, don’t sleep on this one.

7 - Emerson Quiet Kool EARC5RD1

There are no such things as silent window air conditioners. Yet, Emerson Quiet Kool EARC5RD1 won't assault your ears with a roaring compressor while also offering nice control options.

Let’s talk about the low noise level right off the bat. Emerson promises its 5000 BTU window unit produces around 50 dB of noise. Unlike most other units, this one actually achieves that.

I registered around 52 dB of noise during normal operation — nowhere near as loud as, say, GE’s nearly 60 dB. If there’s one 5000 BTU air conditioner I’d put in my bedroom, it’s Emerson.

Curiously, the device got quieter the higher I turned up the fan speed settings. Keep the thing at full blast to enjoy efficient and quiet cooling.

You may hear rattling that stops when you touch the unit. The plastic front panel holding the washable filter can be a bit loose, so you can either try tightening the screws or secure it with a piece of tape.

Controls-wise, Emerson resembles Keystone with its electronic controls with an LED display. You get the same three fan speeds with AC, fan, and dehumidifier functionality, alongside sleep and eco modes and a timer.

Like TCL, Emerson’s AC has two vents with four-way adjustable louvers for flexible eight-direction flow control.

There’s also a remote control, but I found it temperamental and overly picky about angles. It’s a pity, but at least the front control panel works fine.

Emerson Quiet Kool consumes very little energy. It has an EER 11.1, to begin with, but it also draws surprisingly little power.

On compressor startup, I registered about 5 amps, but that settled to around 3 in normal operation — lower than most other units I reviewed.

Finally, I have to mention Emerson’s excellent warranty. This air conditioner comes with a 1-year warranty for labor, 2 years for parts, and 5 years for the compressor.

If your unit happens to give up the ghost prematurely, you can likely get it replaced.

Reducing noise often isn’t manufacturers’ priority with small units. Emerson Quiet Kool is the best quiet 5000 BTU air conditioner and a breath of fresh air among this AC cohort (pun intended).