8 Best Air Conditioners For Camping (2023 Reviews)

1 - Zero Breeze Mark 2 – Best Battery Operated AC For Campers (24V)

If you’re a regular camper, it’s really worth investing in an air conditioner for camping as well as several other quality products. From your tent to your sleeping bags, enjoying camping can really boil down to having the right equipment. Your air conditioner is no exception – tents can get hot and sticky, especially if you’re camping in the warmer months.

The Zero Breeze Mark II tent air conditioner is perfect for campers, as it’s highly portable and compact, fitting into your tent easily.

Arguably the best portable air conditioner, the Zero Breeze ideally works to cool down an area of about 40 square feet or a 3-person tent. This is an increase from the previous Zero Breeze Mark 1 camping AC (sometimes known as the Z-19 model) as it was designed for a 2-person tent camping.

With these latest design changes, you’ll be able to maintain your ideal temperature inside a larger camping tent easily, even in the heights of summer.

With a cooling power of 2300 BTUs, this tent air conditioner is pretty powerful! Again, this is almost double the previous model’s 1100 BTU capacity. The 24V micro-compressor, again, doubled from the Zero Breeze Mark1 model, allows for multiple charging options. Standard power supply or electrical outlet can and should be used but a 24-volt DC car is also available.

Arguably one of the best battery-powered AC units today, the Zero Breeze Mark II ‘smart’ battery comes with several options, including USB, 12V, etc. We recommend adding this as part of any purchase.

Performance-wise, most users have been impressed with what the newest Zero Breeze can do. It’s designed to be leak-/drip-proof and comes with a gravity drain system for removing runoff.

Another updated feature for Zero Breeze Mark 2 is the dual hose function. Previously, only a single hose venting system was used. With the dual hoses, the air is dragged into the device, converted to cold, fresh air, with the hot air escaping out from the back of the unit. This reduces the annoying sogginess or dampness from condensation that some tent air conditioner can generate inside a tent!

While others have given this system a 6/10, we believe it’s more like an 8/10 when used for camping. There really is nothing like this personal space cooler on the market, and although it may not be perfect, it certainly provides relief in small-to-medium-sized tents, cars or campers.

In our experience using the Mark 2, this unit is good, but you will have to calm your expectations of what it can do. It is not cheap, will only cool small areas, and can feel loud inside a small tent. It also requires users to follow set up and instructions closely.

For peace of mind, it does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year warranty when purchased on their website. They also offer some regular discounts at the Zero Breeze website.

The Zero Breeze Mark 2 is best suited to regular, experienced campers and caravaners who want a little extra comfort.

2 - IcyBreeze 4038A – Best 12V Battery Powered Portable Cooler

It’s not quite as reliable as most of the electric portable or window air conditioning units, but if your next camping adventure is off-grid or you’d just like to be as green as possible, then the IcyBreeze Evaporative Cooler Blizzard Package may be the right choice for you.

Evaporative coolers rely on ice and water so be sure to have access to those! It runs on a 12V battery, and when filled with ice and water will run for about 7 hours. This package comes in several different colors and with both a wall charging unit and a car charger adapter, which means that if you did have an electricity hook-up that you could still run it even if the battery is dead.

The major flaw in this product is that the battery is not removable. This means you cannot swap it with a back-up battery and keep using the same tent air conditioner, and when you’re charging it you must move the whole unit instead of just putting the battery in your car, for example.

It also produces minimal cooling power and doesn’t compare with a real and the best portable air conditioner. I have used one of these on a recent camping trip and found it was suitable for someone who needs a reprieve from the heat and doesn’t have any electricity options.

3 - GoCool – Best 12V Evaporative Air Cooler When Camping

The GoCool 12V is made for small spaces and an ideal air conditioner for camping. As far as sleeping goes, this evaporative cooler would be ideal for a person camping alone or for two people sharing a very small tent.

The tent air conditioner is lightweight and easy to maneuver at just 33 pounds, and it can amazingly hold up to 40 pounds of ice.

What I love about most about this evaporative cooler is that because it runs on a battery, it is extremely quiet and there is never any exhaust that you have to worry about breathing in or sending off into the woods. This is one of the most eco-friendly portable, evaporative coolers available.

The downside to this product is that the battery only lasts about 6 hours, and unlike some of the other products we’ve looked at, the battery charger for this one is sold separately.

It is suited to those who want a small slice of relief from the heat without dealing with a complicated set up.

4 - Ontel Arctic – Personal Air Cooler Fan

This next one isn’t exactly an air conditioner, but it works in a similar way to cool the surrounding air.

It’s a great choice like small enclosed spaces, perfect for a number of camping situations – whether that involves camping in a tent or small camper van. The name “personal space evaporative cooler” is exactly what you can expect from the Ontel; it cools your personal space, but it’s not suitable for cooling large areas.

The Ontel has 3 functions: Cooling, Dehumidifying, and Purifying. It works not only to cool the air but also to improve the overall air quality.

Here’s how it works: “Simply fill with water, plug it into any standard wall outlet or USB port and enjoy. It runs up to 8 hours per fill. Arctic Air is an evaporative cooler that allows you to create your own personal climate!”

This is by far one of the best evaporative coolers on this list, weighing just over 3 pounds for easy carrying and optimal portability. It may not have higher cooling power, but it still works well in a small space like tents, reading nooks, dens, home offices, campers, and small bedrooms.

The cooling space may be small (about 45 square feet), but most tents and campers aren’t much larger than this.

Another thing outdoor enthusiasts love about the Ontel is its quiet operation. It’s ultra-quiet, so you won’t be taking away from the overall experience exploring the great outdoors.

Aside from the lack of cooling power compared to traditional ACs, the Ontel doesn’t come with a heating option, so it won’t be of much use during cold-weather excursions.

5 - Frigidaire FFRA051WAE – Best Window AC For Tents

I love that this little window-mounted air conditioner is about as easy of an appliance as they come. The temperature and mode dials are simple, and you basically plug it in and you’re up and running. It is 46.55 pounds, but it’s compact sizing makes it easy to carry.

I highly recommend this one for camping if your tent has a ground vent made to fit an air conditioner – it will be perfect!

This “little guy” easily cools off an area of 150 ft indoors, but if you’re in a tent will need to work a little bit harder since air will obviously escape more easily.

For that reason, I would recommend this for a 4-person to 6-person tent at most and areas of approx. 100 square feet. Larger BTU options are available for bigger tents.

The Internet praises this product too, with 92% of customers saying they would recommend it to their friends. One thing that should be noted is that this one must be completely ventilated to the outdoors.

The back blows out warm air and failing to vent this would defeat the purpose of the product.

If using in a tent you also need to make sure that it’s not sitting on the level ground. It needs to be up on at least bricks to vent properly. It does come with a pleated window kit although in my experience, some stable wooden blocks or bricks will do the job just fine.

Also be aware and keep an eye on the draining condensation as this can build up at the base of your tent.

6 - Black + Decker BPACT14HWT – Portable AC + Heater For Camping

Black & Decker has been a trusted brand for many years, and their portable camping air conditioners are high quality and long-lasting.

I first used a unit just like this one when I was living in an apartment in NYC. It was perfect because the exhaust hose was five feet long, which allowed me to point the air conditioner towards the living room during the day, and into the bedroom at night.

This 14000 BTU cooling power tent air conditioner is great at cooling a 350 square foot indoor space. It would easily keep a large family tent cool if you keep the indoor “walls” open to each other.

This portable air conditioner is 83 lbs and must be stored upright, so you’ll have to consider this when packing for your camping trip and making sure you give it enough space in the tent too.

But perhaps the best feature of all is that this air conditioner doubles as not only an AC unit but a heater, which makes it ideal for going camping in places that blows hot air during the day and super cold at night.

This is a superb choice for a commercial tent as well and once set up correctly can cool (or heat) large enclosures. It is not as quiet as the window AC although because it is best suited to larger spaces because it does not need to be drained and noise is then less of a concern.

Some of the unique features of this true air conditioner include three fan speed variations, 24 hour time, remote control, effective cooled air, trendy design and more.

7 - Emerson Quiet Kool EAPC8RD1 – Best Portable AC For Tents

For smaller tents (that fit 2 to 4 people), the Emerson Quiet Kool is a fantastic option, especially for those searching for a portable air conditioner. There are a lot of features packed into this true portable air conditioner that make it ideal for a camping situation.

First, although it does weigh 53 pounds, it has both side handles and wheels for easy maneuverability. It will need a little space of its own inside your tent, but its nice ventilation system is can easily be put in a window or door vent of your tent.

And it might need to work a little harder in extremely humid climates, but the Emerson Quiet Kool tent air conditioner is also a dehumidifier.

Unlike some air conditioner/dehumidifier combos, this evaporative cooler has a built-in evaporation technology, which means you don’t have to empty a drip pan every 4 to 6 hours on a humid day. Win-win!

Most of the other reviews I read commented on just how quiet this portable air conditioner is, and it’s true! I would compare the noise that it makes to that of a refrigerator or 52 dBa which is the lowest of any system we have reviewed.

The remote control and timer options allow you to set and forget this system when out boating, hiking or fishing on your camping adventure.

8 - Nakatomi X Uninex KoolZone – Large Evaporative Cooler For Big Tents

I love evaporative coolers because they are just like bringing mini-versions of your home AC along with you (and they also come in extremely handy when your home AC isn’t working, too!)

Unlike the units from the Portable AC section above, a spot cooler like this Nakatomi X Uninex will sit on the outside of your tent and will vent cool air inside the tent. That means more tent space for everyone and industrial strength cooling. This model is a top choice for smaller areas and comes with heating options for cold nights.

This evaporative cooler does have a dehumidifier that works like a charm, but unlike some of the other models the condensation will need to be drained every few hours in extra humid climates.

These units are quite bulky but are generally not too loud with a dBA of around 60. Due to their large size and the fact that they sit outside your tent, don’t be surprised if your camping neighbors want to come over and check this one out!

Great not only for camping, but many people find that evaporative coolers are essential to outdoor gatherings like weddings and celebrations.

There are many commercial grade portable AC systems available for large tents, such as our recommendation of the Movincool Classic Plus 26 Commercial Portable Air Conditioner.