Car Air Conditioners Reviews – Portable Air Conditioners For Your Car

Lets say your car air conditioner needs repair: it’s broken, or old and no longer blows cold air, or for that matter lets imagine your car doesn’t have an air condition at all!  Many cars made in colder countries dont have one for obvious reasons.  If you lived in Ireland, for example, you will probably never need one.

To install a car air conditioner – something you would never use anyway – would only increase the cost of your car and the cost of it’s maintenance.  But lets assume you live in Canada and wanted to drive to New Mexico; now you got a problem, because you will definitely need a car air conditioner for the south western heat.

How much would a portable car air conditioner cost?  Surprisingly little, and certainly not as much as having a permanent one installed.  Portable car air conditioners are small, fit in the front or back seat, and are not meant for cooling large rooms, but rather for “spot cooling”.  It’s generally enough to cool down your car on a long drive through a hot region, so lets take a look at some examples of portable car air conditioners.

A Review Of Three Car Air Conditioners

1. KoolerAire 12 Volt Portable Air Conditioner

This particular model’s concept began with an outdoorsman who wanted a small, portable air condition that was simple, required little power, and would keep him cool in his boat.  After not being able to find what he wanted online, he set out to draft his own model, and the rest as they say air conditioner history.

The only things you’ll need to operate this model are an ice chest filled with ice, and a 12 volt power outlet.  That’s right, you can plug this into your car’s lighter outlet and get the power you need to stay cool!  The item itself is only 3 pounds (around 1.4 kgs), and will generally cost you less than 50 dollars.  How’s that for convenience?

Pros:

A portable air conditioner that you can put on your lap

• Size: Extremely small and light weight, fits in any passenger seat.  Even sits in your lap!

• Cost: Quite inexpensive, and requires very little power.  Your car’s engine should be able to keep the unit running, as would any cheap power source inside a tent or RV.

• Convenience: Speaking of tents and RVs, dont limit yourself to just your car.  If you happen to pull over at a rest stop, the unit goes with you.  As long as you have a power source, you can set it next to you on a park bench and enjoy a cold drink.

• Simplicity: An ice chest, some ice, and a power source are all you need.  No hoses, no water supply, or anything fancy.  Easy to set up, and takes only minutes.

Cons:

• Power: Due to it’s small size and lower power requirements, this model may not provide you with the icy crisp air you might be looking for from a fully functioning and permanently installed car air condition.  It’ll keep you cool on a warm day, and warm on a blistering hot day.

• Ice: The key principle behind this unit is to use ice to supply cold air (hence the use of an ice chest), then to blow that air out across a small area.  So on a hot day, you may go through more than one load of ice.

2. O2 COOL Battery-Operated Air Conditioner

This model from O2 Cool is a very small, very effective, and very versatile portable car air conditioner.  It can be powered using your car charger OR 8 D sized batteries.  Weighs only 7.5 pounds (around 3 kgs), small enough to sit in your lap, and keeps your entire car feeling cool as you drive through the most intense summer heat.

Pros:

Get versatility with this battery powered air conditioner unit

• Adaptor/Batteries: Can be powered with batteries or with your car adaptor

• Optional cooling: Comes with either fan only, fan plus mist, or fan and air cooling (can accommodate up to 4 pounds of ice for this feature).

• Convenience: Feel free to take the O2 Cool with you once you leave your car.  Small enough to carry under your arm as you walk (so your friends can stay cool too!)

Cons:

• Price: The old adage “you get what you pay for” definitely applies here.  This unit will easily cost over 100 dollars, and more so if you count the cost of replacing batteries.

3. MightyKool “Ice” Model M400

The MightyKool Model M400 is the mother of all car air conditioning.  It uses ice rather than a compressor, refrigerants and gas, so it needs no hoses or special ventilation. It also keeps your car cool no matter what the weather is like, and keeps it that way all day.

This unit can operate on 12 volts, 110 volts, or solar power.  It even comes fully assembled once you order, so its literally as easy as dumping ice in a box and turning the power on.

Pros:

Use solar power to power up this air conditioner unit

• Endurance: The MightyKool conditioner can last for up to 25 hours of continuous operation when using batteries.  As you may remember from school, a typical day last only 24 hours.

• Efficiency: A single load of ice can last up to 5 hours, and using only cool water, the unit can last almost 40 hours before needing refilling.

• Power: This unit can produce 300 feet of cool air per minute, so even if you live in the back of an 18 wheeler, you’re good to go

Cons:

• Price: This car air conditioner cost quit a bundle.  It can run you over 500 dollars.  However, it’s still worth the money, considering a permanent car air conditioner can easily cost several thousand to install or repair.

• Size: This unit can be moved around, but is heavy.  It can hold up to a gallon of ice water, which means it doesn’t fit as easily under your arm, unless your name starts with “Hulk” and ends with “Hogan”.

Before You buy:

Car air conditioners definitely work according to price.  The more you pay, the more you’ll get.  This is good as it allows you to choose what kind of cooling power you’ll need based on what you can afford.  No matter what the price, it’s still cost less than getting an old car A/C repaired, or getting a new one installed.  So shop around, and decide according to your budget.