I’ve Used This Black+Decker 4-in-1 Portable A/C for a Month—Here’s My Take So Far
After one too many sweaty nights using my overworked fan, I realized that I needed a new home cooling solution. I have a ductless air conditioner installed in my 600 square-foot apartment, and though it does a very good job of keeping the right temperature in the main areas, my bedroom barely gets any airflow. Pair that with hot summer weather and I’m borderline miserable.
Since early spring, I’ve been knee-deep in all things air conditioning, researching specs and features, comparing models, and digging into details that most people skip. I’ve obsessed over BTUs, noise levels, and whether or not a unit can actually cool down a room without being too disturbing.
For about a month, I’ve been living with the Black+Decker 14,000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner, and putting it through its paces to see if it would earn a spot amongst our top recommendations for the best air conditioners.
Black+Decker 4-in-1 Portable A/C, Reviewed
Even with my swing-out window, setup was easy.
What initially stood out to me is the size. It’s relatively small compared to other portable air conditioners we’ve tested. Measuring only 27-inches high and 16.5-inches wide, it tucks nicely between my bookshelf and clothing rack.
Everything you need to install it in a standard single-hung window is included, but because I have a swing-out window, I had to purchase a separate kit for installation. Still, I was able to creatively repurpose the plastic slider bracket by turning the piece vertically to vent the exhaust hose and using the sealing on the inside edges of the window. The separate kit actually served to cover spaces where the window was open.
Even though my setup was a special-case scenario, the Black+Decker was pretty straightforward to assemble out of the box. In addition to brackets and foam seals, the unit comes with an exhaust hose, drain hose, hose inlet and outlet, and locking screws. You pretty much just pop each piece into place to get it up and running. Plus, this unit sits indoors on the floor, so you don’t need any additional mounting hardware like you might with a window unit.
My room was noticeably cooler in 10 minutes.
The Black+Decker is designed for spaces up to 700 square feet—and that’s proved to be more than enough for my tiny bedroom. When I first powered on the unit, I felt a cool breeze almost immediately. After about 10 minutes with the bedroom door closed, I sensed a noticeable shift in the air temperature.
On average, I have my unit set to 72 degrees on the highest fan setting for about six to eight hours a night (because I’m not kidding, my room gets hot) and I’ve slept comfortably. I also use the sleep mode to auto-control the temperature at night, as it turns on and off periodically for better efficiency.
It has a solid lineup of features for the price.
Along with sleep mode, some other features worth highlighting are the remote and LED control panel. I normally just change settings on the air conditioner itself because it’s right next to my bed, so backlit controls are helpful. I like having the remote handy if I’m already laying down and need to adjust the temperature or speed, or want to pre-cool my room.
black and decker portable air conditioner bpt10hwtb drain hose
The a/c has a 0.5-liter water collection tank, and after a month I still haven’t needed to empty it. There’s a port for a drain hose at the back of the unit so you can rig it to continuously drain, or you can just manually empty the tank. It shouldn’t collect too much water unless it’s being used in a very humid environment, and even then the a/c doubles as a dehumidifier to help combat this. I also appreciate that there’s a washable filter for trapping dirt and dust, too.
In addition to cooling and dehumidifying, this model has a fan and a heat pump, so when my room gets chilly in the winter I’ll keep the Black+Decker where I have it.
The exhaust hose got hot fast.
There are two types of portable air conditioners: single-hose models and double-hose units, and this Black+Decker is the former. Single-hose units, which tend to be less expensive, pull in the room’s air, cool it internally, and expel hot air through the same exhaust hose, whereas more efficient double-hose models have one to pull in fresh air from outdoors and a second to expel exhaust.
I noticed that the exhaust hose on this a/c got noticeably hot fast—which is completely normal, since its purpose is to expel hot air. It isn’t a dealbreaker for me, but then again I don’t run the a/c continuously all day. If you do, you may want to wrap some insulation around the hose to prevent heat transfer into the room.
It can be loud during operation.
The sound of the a/c is soothing background noise to me, but it can be more noticeable when it turns on and off throughout the night. Black+Decker says the noise level on this model is 52 decibels on its highest setting, comparable to a refrigerator hum. This unit seemed louder than that, but it wasn’t loud enough to interrupt my sleep. Still, if you’re a light sleeper, I’m not sure I’d recommend this model.
black and decker portable air conditioner bpt10hwtb
The Bottom Line
Overall, I’m pleased with the performance of this portable Black+Decker model. Using it has significantly changed how comfortable I am in my home on warm days, particularly at night. While I found it to be quite loud on its highest setting and wouldn’t recommend it for light sleepers, the noise level may not be an issue for some. Considering it’s from a reputable brand and provides year-round heating and cooling (plus a dehumidifier) for a 700-square-foot space, it offers value for the price point. Extras like a washable filter, remote control, and digital LED display make it an even more attractive buy.
