Whynter - ARC-14S
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
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15
"reliable ... I’ve been using the same inflatable pad for 6 or 7 years now and I’ve never had an issue with punctures or leaks"
"I’ve had them for 5 years now, use daily, and have had zero issues."
"used a double wide exped for numerous years with zero issue."
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"I have a 1400 square foot house that has, in the past, had three portable single hose units trying to cool it down unsuccessfully. I bought a dual hose Midea unit used and have since bought two more. Now the house is cool"
"It hit 90 outside, but my living room was a comfortable 72!"
"I have the Midea. Combined with the inadequate central AC in the bedroom it's in, the room got down to a lovely 62 degrees last night. This is in Alabama. ... pretty badly insulated. it's a house built in the 1960s with humongous old windows that take take up 1/3 of the outer wall. the sun directly hits the windows all day and heats it up. but it still never goes above 70F"
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5
"I have a 1400 square foot house that has, in the past, had three portable single hose units trying to cool it down unsuccessfully. I bought a dual hose Midea unit used and have since bought two more. Now the house is cool"
"The important thing is, whatever brand you choose, it needs to be dual hose. The single hose models we've tried in the past caused so much negative pressure in the house that the humidity went sky high, along with the electric bill, and they didn't cool very well. ... Dual hose with an inverter compressor is the best you can do for performance and efficiency, short of getting an inverter window unit."
"Get a 2 hose portable or a Midea with it's 2 in 1 hose system. ... 1 hose models are sold in America 'because installing 2 hoses is too hard for that market to figure out'. They are the single dumbest invention in the history of inventions, blowing out the very air you are trying to cool."
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3
"I've not had to empty either unit in all the time I've had them."
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1
"We have a large 14000btu whynter portable ac in the garage. Its fully insulated and no windows. Works well to keep the space below 80 and around 50% humidity on most days."
"making it less humid"
"I use both hoses and don't have a problem with humidity."
Disliked most:
5
1
"When it is over 100F out, it struggles but still the attic is tolerable if not ideal."
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5
"I have the Q3 keyboard, it is EXTREMELY HEAVY. ... I mean, I can’t move it by one hand as it is basically a solid aluminum ingot. ... So yeah, I never move it and I am very satisfied with it!"
"However the arc 14s is a beast and quite heavy."
"moving it between rooms isn’t ideal"
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"The fan that circulates the air is so ridiculous it sounds like an airplane is idling inside my house, and it literally changes the air pressure in my kitchen and hurts my ears"
"The biggest issue is the noise it makes, I move a lot from side to back and vice versa during the night. The noise sounds like balloons rubbing against each other. I've tried wrapping it in a blanket, which helps a bit but still makes a lot of noice."
"Loud as hell. ... Ditto works really well, but loud as hell."
0
2
"The unit I bought said around 1300 continuous watts. Bullshit. This thing regularly pulls 1800 for lengths of time."
"Also for the price you can get 2 small window units that will run just as good, if not better and will be cheaper on the electricity bill"
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"the splash motor wasn't connected at the factory. Opened it up, attached the connectors and it hasn't needed to be drained once even in South FL summer."
"Draining the water is tricky. The hole’s too low for a bowl to fit under, so we used a plastic tube."
"I did this while using the heat mode and it still shut off every hour because the tank was full ."
alwaysforward31 1.0I had this one and it was great! [https://a.co/d/dawjy0e](https://a.co/d/dawjy0e)
bananapanqueques 1.0I have a [Whynter ARC 14S/14SH](https://www.whynter.com/product/compact-dual-hose-14000-btu-portable-air-conditioner-arc-14s/). GoodHousekeeping awarded it best of its class.
blanketkingdom 1.0This is also the model I have and I just set it up for the summer on Friday. It hit 90 outside, but my living room was a comfortable 72!
ChuckOfTheIrish 1.0How would you compare the 14S and 1230WN? From what I have seen the 1230WN has a significantly higher cooling rating than 14S and others (Gasbye Inverter 14,000 and Midea Duo Inverter 14,000). The price point is not the greatest but don't want to get a lesser unit to save $100.
Felonious-Monkey196 1.0I own 2 Whynter units. This will be my 3rd summer with an Arc 14S, and I purchased a 1230WN in April. I've not had to empty either unit in all the time I've had them. It sounds like you may have it set on de-humidify instead of cool. The hoses are so bulky because they are dual hose portable air conditioners. They're better than single hose because they draw air from outside to cool the unit and exhaust it back out instead of pulling from the interior, creating negative pressure and sucking in outside air like single hose units. They're much more efficient, and they do a really good job of cooling 500-600sqft.
Keyspace_realestate 1.0Yes, it definitely exists! For a studio apartment, a high-efficiency portable AC like the Whynter ARC-14S or a quiet window unit like the Midea U Inverter are great options—they're both energy-efficient, powerful, and can cool your space fast without wrecking your electric bill. The Midea U is especially popular for its ultra-quiet operation and ability to cool like a beast while letting you still open the window a bit.
kg215 1.0Second all this, don't get a single hose unit because it starts to pull in air from the rest of the house (instead of from the outside like dual hose units) so it's less efficient. Also for portable AC you need a higher BTU rating compared to window units. Currently I am using the dual hose Whynter ARC-14S 14000 BTU for an average sized bedroom and it works well. It is really loud compared to most other portable ACs though (if that matters to you). Previously I've used other models like a single hose Sharp 11500 BTU unit, and single hose SPT 12000 BTU unit that were much weaker. If you can find anyway to use the window unit (use a plastic panel, a wood panel, anything) you should definitely use it, it's a much better value than any portable unit. Just make sure that your HOA allows it, in all the neighborhoods I've lived in window units are always banned because of aesthetics.
KyFly1 1.0Single hose a/c units are a scam. You need a dual house unit. This is a good one. I have it. https://a.co/d/dOx9ef4
markbroncco 1.0I did tons of research before buying the [Whynter ARC-14S](https://www.reviewni.com/product/B0028AYQDC) and was nervous about ordering online, but Amazon made the return policy very easy to understand, which gave me peace of mind. Shipping took about five days (a bit disappointing for Prime), but thankfully I ordered it in May last year. Setup was simple. I let the unit sit upright overnight, per instructions, and had to fit the window kit using particle board due to our tall horizontal slider. Hooking up the hose was easy, and while I haven’t bought the optional filter or insulation tape, the unit has worked great without them. Cooling performance is fantastic so far. We use this in our north-facing, well-insulated 2-story home. It easily cools our open-concept living room, kitchen, dining area, hallway, and even helps with the master bedroom—about 1,200 sq ft total. It held up well during a 109°F day, keeping our main areas in the low to mid 70s. Yes, it’s loud, but no louder than any other major appliance. The remote is finicky, and moving it between rooms isn’t ideal, but we just leave it in one spot and it does the job. Draining the water is tricky. The hole’s too low for a bowl to fit under, so we used a plastic tube. Honestly, I haven’t drained it in six weeks and it’s been fine. Not the prettiest unit, but totally worth it to stay cool.
Mortimer452 1.0Just get any portable AC unit with dual hoses, it will vent the moisture out the window so no emptying needed. I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Whynter-ARC-14S-Conditioner-Dehumidifier-Activated/dp/B0028AYQDC) and it's an absolute beast at cooling.
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