Best Budget Portable Air Conditioner for UK Homes? My Honest Devola Review After Buying One
I bought the Devola 9000 BTU portable air conditioner to survive the UK heatwave. Here's my honest review after using it, including cooling performance, noise, running costs and whether it's worth £350.
Best Budget Portable Air Conditioner for UK Homes? My Honest Devola Review
If you're thinking about buying a portable air conditioner this summer, I'll save you some time.
Yes, I think it's worth it.
After buying the Devola 9000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner, I honestly wish I'd bought one years ago.
Is it perfect? No.
Is it noisy? Yes.
Does the hose annoy me? Absolutely.
Would I spend the £350 again? Without hesitation.
As UK summers continue getting hotter, I genuinely think portable air conditioners are going to become as common as washing machines. After living through another heatwave, I don't think fans alone are enough anymore.
This isn't a sponsored review, and I bought the unit myself. These are simply the things I liked, the things I didn't, and what I'd tell a friend before they spent their own money.
Why I Finally Bought a Portable Air Conditioner
Like most people in the UK, I'd always convinced myself I didn't need one.
"We only get a week of hot weather."
"Just open the windows."
"Stick a fan on."
But after another run of 30°C days, my office and bedroom became uncomfortable to work and sleep in. Opening the windows didn't help much, and a fan was simply blowing warm air around the room.
That's when I decided to try a portable air conditioner instead.
The Model I Bought
devola air con unit review
I chose the Devola 9000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Wi-Fi, which cost around £350.
If that is sold out try it here.
If it’s sold out there aswell then i’d recommend this model instead.
It's designed for small to medium-sized rooms up to around 15m², making it ideal for bedrooms, home offices and smaller living rooms. It includes cooling, fan, heating and dehumidifier modes, plus Wi-Fi control through a smartphone app.
There are cheaper portable air conditioners available, but I deliberately avoided the very cheapest options.
My thinking was simple.
If I'm spending £150 on something that struggles to cool a room, I'd rather spend another £200 and buy something that actually works.
Does It Actually Cool a Room?
air con unit tube outside window
Yes, and this is the reason I'd recommend it.
Within a relatively short time, my office felt noticeably cooler than it had with a fan.
That's the biggest difference people often misunderstand.
A fan doesn't lower the room temperature. It just moves the air around.
A portable air conditioner actually removes heat from the room, which makes the whole space more comfortable. That's why they're much more effective during heatwaves.
If all you want is a cooler bedroom to sleep in or a home office you can comfortably work from, it absolutely delivers.
Setup Was Easier Than I Expected… Until the Hose
Air con unit with tube out window.
Getting the unit running only took a few minutes.
The one thing that immediately frustrated me was the exhaust hose.
Because the hot air has to be vented outside, every portable air conditioner uses an exhaust hose through a window.
The problem is that many UK homes have top-opening windows rather than side-opening ones.
In my house, the hose simply wasn't long enough to comfortably reach the window while the unit sat on the floor.
I actually ended up putting the air conditioner on a chair just to make it reach.
It worked.
It just looked ridiculous.
If your windows open from the side, you'll probably never notice this problem.
If your windows open from the top like mine, it's definitely something to be aware of.
The Smart Features Are Better Than I Expected
smart features on a smart air conditioning unit
I expected the Wi-Fi feature to be a gimmick.
It actually turned out to be one of my favourite things.
The app lets you:
Turn the air conditioner on remotely.
Adjust the temperature.
Change operating modes.
Check whether it's running.
One afternoon my wife was across Manchester and was still able to change the settings from her phone.
It's one of those features you don't think you'll use until you have it.
Is It Loud?
Yes.
Let's be honest.
Every portable air conditioner is louder than a normal fan because the compressor is inside the room rather than outside the house.
This Devola model includes a sleep mode, but I still found it fairly noisy overnight.
Some people actually like the constant hum because it becomes white noise.
Personally, I noticed it.
Having said that, I'd still rather sleep in a cool room with some background noise than lie awake in a silent room that's 28°C.
What About the Other Modes?
The Devola has four operating modes:
Cooling
Heating
Fan
Dehumidifier
I've mainly used the cooling mode, so I can't fairly judge the heating function yet.
As for the dehumidifier mode, I wasn't particularly impressed.
If you genuinely need a dehumidifier, I'd recommend buying a dedicated one instead.
For me, all the extra modes feel like nice bonuses rather than reasons to buy the machine.
The cooling performance is what matters.
Running Costs
This is one of the first questions people ask.
The Devola 9000 BTU model is rated at around 780 watts, meaning that at current UK electricity prices it will typically cost around 20p per hour to run, depending on your tariff.
That sounds expensive compared to a fan.
But you're paying for something completely different.
A fan costs very little because it's only moving air.
An air conditioner is actively removing heat from the room, which naturally requires more energy
Can You Move It Between Rooms?
moving around a portable air conditioning unit
Yes.
It's heavy enough that you wouldn't want to carry it upstairs every day, but once it's on the same floor, the wheels make moving it surprisingly easy.
This is one of the biggest advantages over built-in air conditioning.
You can cool the bedroom before bed, then move it into your office the following morning if needed.
Who Should Buy This?
I'd recommend it if you:
Work from home.
Have a hot upstairs bedroom.
Live in a flat.
Want proper cooling without spending over £1,000 on a fixed air conditioning system.
Experience uncomfortable summer temperatures every year.
Who Shouldn't Buy It?
I'd probably look elsewhere if you:
Want to cool your entire house.
Need near-silent operation.
Have nowhere practical to vent the exhaust hose.
Are already planning to install a permanent split air conditioning system.
Pros and Cons
What I Liked
Cools rooms surprisingly quickly.
Excellent value at around £350.
Easy to move around the house.
Smart Wi-Fi controls actually useful.
Feels well built.
What Could Be Better
Exhaust hose could definitely be longer.
Still fairly noisy in sleep mode.
Dehumidifier mode isn't particularly useful.
Setup is awkward with many UK top-opening windows.
My Final Verdict
If you asked me today whether I'd buy this air conditioner again, the answer would be yes.
It isn't perfect.
The hose is frustrating.
The noise is noticeable.
The extra modes don't add much value for me.
But none of those things outweigh the reason I bought it in the first place.
It cools a room quickly, makes working during a heatwave far more comfortable and has genuinely improved sleeping on hot nights.
For around £350, I think it's one of the best-value portable air conditioners currently available for UK homes.
I'd happily give it 8 out of 10.
Not because it's flawless.
Because it does exactly what I wanted it to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a portable air conditioner worth buying in the UK?
If you regularly struggle during summer heatwaves, I'd say yes. Unlike a fan, a portable air conditioner actually lowers the temperature of the room rather than simply circulating warm air.
Is 9000 BTU enough?
For a bedroom, home office or other small to medium-sized room, 9000 BTU is usually enough. Always check the manufacturer's recommended room size before buying.
How much does it cost to run?
Expect roughly 20p per hour for a model like this at current UK electricity prices, though the exact cost depends on your energy tariff.
Is it better than a fan?
In my experience, yes. Fans make you feel cooler by moving air, while an air conditioner actually removes heat from the room, making a much bigger difference during very hot weather.
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