Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner review: This smart design efficiently cools, plus you can still open the window for fresh air

The vigor destroys my brain. I can't think. I can't focus. All I'm truly bully for during a vigor question is staring disconnected into space. Unfortunately for me, my older location lacks a ventilation system, truthful cardinal aerial is retired of the question. Instead, I crook to model aerial conditioning. I've tested 34 units, and the best aerial conditioner you tin bargain is the Midea U-Shaped Inverter Window Air Conditioner.

It's rated Energy Star Most Efficient and has a unsocial U-shaped plan that allows you to unfastened the model with the portion installed. But, what I attraction astir astir is the Midea U's cooling capabilities. In that department, it gets the occupation done portion balancing powerfulness usage and quiescent operation. Read connected for much connected my experiences with this AC, who should bargain it, and alternatives you mightiness see instead.

Design

While astir aerial conditioners are a basal rectangular prism, the Midea U has a information missing wherever the model would typically remainder connected apical of the AC. Instead, your model tin astir adjacent successful the U conception betwixt the 2 main bulky sections of the unit. This means you request little insulation to capable gaps near by the unfastened window. It easy installs successful single-hung oregon double-hung windows with a width of 22 to 36 inches, with a minimal tallness of 13.75 inches. 

Additionally, alternatively than relying connected the model to support it successful spot similar astir ACs, the Midea U comes with a enactment bracket, truthful you tin unfastened your model with the AC installed. The enactment bracket is simply a bully diagnostic if you person a nagging fearfulness of your AC falling retired and squashing radical down below.

These 2 plan features marque the Midea U a crippled changer. When the AC is installed, you tin unfastened your model each the way. This diagnostic is large if you unrecorded wherever the somesthesia fluctuates drastically during AC season. For instance, if you person 90-degree days and 60-degree nights, you tin tally the AC during the hottest portion of the day. When the temp drops, crook disconnected the AC, unfastened the window, and bask the chill breeze. 

I liked it successful Michigan, wherever we mightiness person freezing temperatures 1 week and a vigor question the next, arsenic summertime gives mode to fall.

Our reappraisal of the Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner

Setup

If you person a screwdriver, 25 minutes, a hung window, and a beardown backmost (or idiosyncratic to help), you tin instal the Midea U Inverter model AC. For the astir part, the installation process was a breeze. However, the instructions were confusing astatine times. For instance, the directions referenced a "side limb hinge" that I couldn't look to locate, but that didn't interaction the installation.

First, you instal the enactment bracket and presumption the AC connected it. Once installed, you adjacent the model and seal immoderate gaps with the foam provided. If you don't program connected opening the model erstwhile the Midea is installed, you tin usage the included model information bracket to support intruders out. 

The Midea U has a distant control, but I recovered the Midea Air app was much user-friendly and connected seamlessly to my Android phone.

Energy Use

The Midea U has an inverter compressor with a variable-speed centrifugal that makes flimsy adjustments to enactment astatine the people temperature. Most ACs conscionable rhythm connected and off. The changeless low-level cognition of the inverter compressor is overmuch much efficient. That's wherefore it earned Energy Star's "Most Efficient" certification; 1 of the archetypal ACs to gain this designation.

I utilized a astute plug to measurement however overmuch vigor it consumed implicit 24 hours. Running connected high, it consumed 9.6 kWh, which works retired to 0.4 kWh per hour. This was amended than astir of the ACs I've tested. If you tally the Midea connected precocious for 8 hours regular each summer, you tin expect to wage astir $47 for energy based connected the current US average. That's beauteous reasonable.

Cooling performance

To trial cooling performance, I tally an aerial conditioner connected precocious for an hr successful a 650-square-foot room. Then, I comparison the earlier and aft readings of a integer thermometer positioned connected the other broadside of the room.

The Midea U Inverter AC lowered the room's somesthesia by 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which is awesome considering its minimal vigor use, but lone mean among the units I've tested. Keep successful mind, successful cooling mode, the Midea U besides removes moisture and circulates the air, which makes the country consciousness adjacent cooler. As you tally it longer than an hour, the room's somesthesia volition proceed to decrease, though astatine a slower pace.

Noise

The Midea U is the aerial conditioner to bargain if you privation soundlessness portion sleeping. A dependable metre positioned 6 feet from the portion registered 48 decibels portion it ran connected high, a small little than a refrigerator running, and it's the champion I've tested.   

As astir compressors displacement betwixt disconnected and on, they volition marque a startling sound. The Midea U didn't person this issue. The inverter compressor shifted seamlessly betwixt speeds. It wasn't noticeable.

Smart features

While the Midea U's power sheet and distant power connection basal functions, similar cooling mode, temperature, and instrumentality velocity adjustments, the Midea Air app offers overmuch more. For instance, you tin pat the LED fastener to crook disconnected the power panel's lights astatine night. You tin besides mute the sheet buttons. 

These options complement the modular instrumentality speed, mode accommodation (including cool, fan, auto, and dehumidify modes), and scheduling. I liked utilizing the scheduling diagnostic to powerfulness down the portion erstwhile my inferior institution imposed surge pricing during highest powerfulness usage hours.

It was casual to brace the Midea with Alexa to alteration dependable control. It besides works with Google Home, but I didn't trial that.

The app notifies you erstwhile it's clip to cleanable the filter, a fortnightly task. Just vacuum oregon rinse the filter with h2o and let it to adust thoroughly earlier reinstalling. This volition guarantee optimal performance.

Care and maintenance

The main attraction task you'll request to execute is cleaning the aerial filter each 2 weeks. To bash this, I conscionable opened up the grill connected the AC and pulled retired the mesh aerial filter. I similar to vacuum it past lavation it thoroughly with lukewarm water. If you usage water, you request to marque definite the filter dries wholly earlier you reinstall it. Cleaning the filter is an casual task. The hard portion is retrieve to bash it. Fortunately, an indicator airy connected the portion tells you erstwhile it's time.

Other attraction tasks — similar cleaning the cabinet, fins, and coils — are little predominant and much involved. For details connected however to bash that, sojourn my nonfiction connected how to cleanable model aerial conditioners.

Cons to consider

I would person liked to person seen the Midea U bash a amended occupation of cooling. It performed astir average. Still, we tested it successful a 650-square-foot room. It volition bash amended successful the 350-square-foot country it's rated for.

While astir ACs diagnostic louvers that fto you nonstop the chill aerial close wherever you privation it, the Midea U lone offers horizontal adjustment, directing the aerial to the close oregon near broadside of the room. This isn't a large woody if you privation to chill a afloat room, but it's not optimal if you privation each the cooling aerial to spell close wherever you're located successful a room.

What are your alternatives?

Before the Midea unseated it, the Friedrich CCF08A10A Chill Premier Smart Window Air Conditioner was the apical wide prime successful our usher to the best aerial conditioners. In our tests, it did a amended occupation of cooling portion lone utilizing a small much energy. It's priced likewise and is the champion stake if you're chiefly acrophobic astir cooling. However, you can't unfastened the model portion it's installed, it runs louder, the app isn't arsenic user-friendly, and the on-unit controls malfunctioned, which was precise inconvenient. 

When it comes to portable aerial conditioners vs model aerial conditioners, model units are superior. However,  if your country can't accommodate a model aerial conditioner, 1 of the best portable aerial conditioners volition beryllium your champion bet. Our apical pick is besides made by Midea, Read our Midea Duo Smart Inverter Portable Air Conditioner review for the details.

The bottommost line

The Midea U-Shaped Inverter Window Air Conditioner is energy-efficient with an uncommon plan that lets you easy unfastened your model for caller air. It comes with a enactment bracket and a utile app. With its quiescent cognition and quality to chill rooms up to 350 quadrate feet successful size, we urge this for bedrooms and different quiescent areas. It's the quietest you'll find.