{"id":4118,"date":"2023-08-09T21:55:42","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T21:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highermag.com\/?p=4118"},"modified":"2023-08-10T22:18:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T22:18:35","slug":"the-best-camping-air-conditioner-for-2023-our-top-4-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highermag.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/09\/the-best-camping-air-conditioner-for-2023-our-top-4-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Camping Air Conditioner for 2023: Our Top 4 Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"
Summer means heat, and heat means you need a way to stay cool while camping. Fortunately, you have plenty of options to stay cool that don\u2019t involve bringing along a bulky, loud fan. Best of all, portable air conditioners exist for all types of camping.<\/p>\n
Modern camping air conditioners are designed to keep you cool longer without disturbing your sleep, which is why they use less energy and make less noise than their predecessors.<\/p>\n
Keep reading to learn all about the best camping air conditioners for 2023 for every type of camping. We\u2019ll walk you through our favorite picks, then provide you with a buyers\u2019 guide and frequently asked questions by buyers of camping air conditioners.<\/p>\n Best Overall\u00a0<\/strong> Best for RVs Best for Cars, Vans, and Trucks Best for Outdoor Spaces The ZERO Breeze Mark 2 is the most innovative camping air conditioner on the market. It\u2019s the world\u2019s first ultra-portable air conditioner. This camping air conditioner is lightweight (at only 16.5 pounds) and drops 30 degrees in just 10 minutes.<\/p>\n It fully charges in 6 hours, and its battery lasts 3-8 hours, depending on the setting. Settings include cool, fan, sleep, and strong. You can also choose between buying one or two extra batteries when making your purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\n This camping air conditioner reaches 2300 BTU and cools 25 to 40 square feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wattage: <\/strong>250W<\/p>\n Noise: <\/strong>52 dB<\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you own an RV, you seriously need to consider investing in the Coleman Mach 15+ Air Conditioner. This air conditioner sits on your rooftop and is capable of cooling your entire RV at 15,000 BTU. This is the most powerful camping air conditioner on the market!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to be camping in an area without an electric hookup, you will need a generator designed for RVs<\/a> to run this air conditioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n (This AC unit requires at minimum a 3,500-watt generator and a dedicated 30-amp service. Using a lower-rated generator may cause trouble when you start the AC unit, or you may need a soft starter<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Wattage: <\/strong>1800W<\/p>\n Noise: <\/strong>70 dB<\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t want to run your vehicle\u2019s AC the entire time while you\u2019re car, truck, or van camping, so invest in the BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner Portable Air Conditioner which cools 54 square feet of enclosed space at 2899 BTU. This is also an ideal camping air conditioner for cooling down tents.<\/p>\n The EVA Foam Board <\/a>can be purchased separately to easily vent the BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner through your vehicle\u2019s window, which will greatly improve the cooling effect of this product.<\/p>\n You can pair this camping air conditioner with a Jackery Explorer Power Station<\/a> (which can be charged with solar panels<\/a> to conserve energy plus help keep the air conditioner and generator running off the grid). This camping air conditioner requires a power station with at least a 360W AC adapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n This camping air conditioner has four modes: strong, sleep, cooling, and fan. It\u2019s super lightweight and easy to move around. It includes dual exhaust venting hoses that are adjustable from 30, 60, 90, up to 180 degrees<\/p>\n Wattage: <\/strong>250 Watts<\/p>\n Noise: <\/strong>50 dB<\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re just looking for an option to cool down your campsite but not your tent or RV, take a look at the HESSAIRE MC37M Portable Evaporative Cooler. This portable 40-pound camping cooler is perfect for setting on your campsite and cooling down the outdoor space on a hot day.<\/p>\n While this is technically an evaporative cooler (also sometimes called a swamp cooler<\/em>), not an air conditioner, it is efficient at shooting cool air farther than many camping air conditioners, covering up to 950 square footage.<\/p>\n It uses little energy, which makes it perfect for camping with a low-wattage power station like the Goal Zero Yeti 500X<\/a>. You can attach it to a garden hose for continuous use or fill water in the tank for 3-4 hours of cooling.<\/p>\n This is also what we recommend having at your campsite if you plan on sleeping in a hammock<\/a> on a hot summer night.<\/p>\n Hessaire also has portable evaporative cooling fans available to cool various square feet, so you can choose the best cooling fan for your budget and needs. Check out the models for 500-square feet<\/a>, 700-square feet<\/a>, and 1600-square feet<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wattage: <\/strong>85 Watts<\/p>\n Noise:<\/strong> 53 dB<\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n You might decide to pay close attention to energy ratings if you\u2019re trying to reduce your carbon footprint.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll only need to know about a camping air conditioner\u2019s energy usage if you are camping at sites without electricity (requiring you to use a portable generator) or if the campground you stay at charges for utilities by usage (rare, but some luxury campgrounds do).<\/p>\n If you are looking to buy a portable power system for camping<\/a> off-the-grid or primitive camping, you will want to be positive your generator can handle your camping air conditioner\u2019s energy needs.<\/p>\n All of the best camping air conditioners have a low decibel rating. A camping air conditioner that is too noisy can be bothersome for light sleepers, and no one wants to be kept up at night while trying to stay cool.<\/p>\n You want to consider how much space your camping air conditioner will cover or needs to cover. Some options will require you to be right by the camping air conditioner to feel relief, but others will easily cool down the whole space.<\/p>\n Cooling power is typically measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). The higher this number, the more powerful the device is.<\/p>\n You might be wondering why an air conditioner\u2019s cooling power is measured in BTU. BTU isn\u2019t just about your air conditioner. It\u2019s a unit of measurement used all over the world for measuring how much heat is needed to increase or decrease one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Follow this chart to determine how much cooling power you need. (Most 4-person tents range from 55 to 65 square feet, and a 40-foot RV typically is around 320 square feet.)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n
\n<\/span>Our Top Picks<\/span><\/h2>\n
Zero Breeze Mark 2<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>Coleman Mach 15+<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>HESSAIRE MC37M Portable Evaporative Cooler<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nBest Overall\u00a0<\/h3>\n
ZERO BREEZE Mark 2<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\nBest for RVs<\/h3>\n
Coleman Mach 15+<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
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\nBest for Cars, Vans, and Trucks<\/h3>\n
BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
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\nBest for Outdoor Spaces<\/h3>\n
Hessaire MC37M Portable Evaporative Cooling Fan<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
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\nCamping Air Conditioner Buyer\u2019s Guide<\/h2>\n
Watts\/Energy Usage<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n
Noise<\/h3>\n
Cooling Space\/Square Footage<\/h3>\n
Cooling Power<\/h3>\n