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Customer Ratings & Reviews

Your price for this item is $529.99
The comparable value price is $649.99

Customer reviews

Rating 4.1 out of 5 stars with 95 reviews

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  • Value

    Rating 4.1 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars

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81%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers are impressed with the cooling capabilities and ease of use of the ARC-14SH portable air conditioner. The unit is easy to set up and the installation documentation is clear. However, some customers have noted that the unit can be quite noisy. While some find it larger than expected, many feel its performance exceeds expectations.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 95 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great unit, shipping could be better...

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Knocked a star due to shipping damage (had to disassemble unit to remove a screw that broke off on the inside of the blower vent housing and fell into the blower.) The unit works great besides the shipping damage. Probably lucky that was all that was wrong with it. Works great for what I need it for and is fairly easy to assemble and install. Mine cools my well insulated 200sqft area to a cool 58°f no problem.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Ease of use, Installation

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great all in one a.c./heater

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this unit to replace a window a.c. unit for my mother's mobile home...the installation was a piece of cake. The simple straight forward remote was easy to teach my mother who is 82 and has minor dementia...she can easily switch from heat to a.c. and adjust the temperature the way she wants. We have a single wide 2/1 home and the unit can keep the whole house comfortable with no issues...in my opinion this is just what was needed to fix the problem.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Own 2 now.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I had still have one of these still in my house, my last whynter is over 9 years old now. I hope the second one works as long. This new one I use in my bedroom it cools it down pretty fast, it is a little noisy kicking on and off. I would suggest putting it at a little cooler temperature an hour before going to bed then raising it a couple degrees when starting to go to sleep in your bed.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Ease of use
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Best Portable AC under $500

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I have a 2013 version of this Whynter ARC and just bought this newer model two months ago. The 2013 model still holds up like a champ! It was mainly used at my apartment for 4 years. Moved into a house this year and purchased this unit for our upstairs bedroom. I was amazed the 2013 unit survived the move as it was not a smooth ride! It simply holds up. The model you get today has a few improvements. The vibrant blue LED auto shuts off after about 3 min which is appreciated. The unit itself is noticeably quieter, although it's still not whisper quiet (It's a portable AC so know what to expect), my fiance & I had no issues sleeping through summer nights with it running. Most importantly, it disperses cold cold air & does so very well in a living room or large bedroom. Easy to set up w/replaceable filter & looks great. 2013 model purchased from Amazon. 2017 purchased through Best Buy. Both delivered without issue. Deserves my highest recommendation.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Whynter ARC-14sh is very quiet

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Whynter ARC-14sh is very quiet and puts out a lot of cold air. IT is ideal for a single room. Warnings 1. the window installation kit is more involved than indicated. In order to get a tight, bug-free installation, it is necessary to use weather-stripping around the window kit. 2. The warranty requires that you ship the air conditioner back to Whynter, postage-paid

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Size
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    yup, it works!

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    We use this in an approx 320 square foot room that gets the brunt of the sun in the morning. It's big, REALLY big ... it's loud, not as loud as other units I've seen, but still louder than I would have expected, but it cools very well. The 'hose structure' and the way it connects is a but bulky and cheaply made (the 'tabs' to click the hoses into have already broken on one side). I would recommend this unit, but with the caveat that it is mjuch bigger and heaver than it looks in the pics.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Performance

    Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    DOES NOT HEAT UP MY 300 SFT ROOM

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Here is an honest review and I'll keep it short and raw if you want something that will give you cold air AC this will work for cold air perfectly fine but if you are looking to warm up your place and you want Heat then you are looking at the absolute wrong product I return this because of that reason I bought it for a 300 square foot garage with well installation while it claims to heat up a 500 foot garage now if my garage is 300 ft and it claims to heat up 500 square foot and it did not do what it said it has failed to heat up my 300 ft garage it does not heat up your place if you want to heat it up but it will definitely keep it cool if you are in a hot weather season and need cool air that is about it I returned it for that reason so be careful if you need it to heat up your place

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Whynter Customer Service
      Posted .

      Hi EleenA,

      Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We’re glad to hear that the unit provided the cooling performance you needed, but we’re truly sorry it did not meet your expectations for heating your space. Heating performance can vary depending on factors such as insulation, outdoor temperature, and ventilation, and we understand how frustrating it can be when a product does not work as expected for your specific setup.

      Please contact our Customer Support Team, available Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM PST at 1-866-WHYNTER (1-866-949-6837) and at support@whynter.com if you have additional feedback or questions, we can assist you with. We are here to provide support and ensure you will be satisfied with your Whynter product. Whynter

  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Ease of use

    Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Worst Experience Ever!

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    DON'T purchase this! I bought this 14000 BTU unit to cool a 475 sq ft second floor open area. After running it for over 2 hours, the temp in the room increased by 1 degree and it was on the AC setting! The prior owners of my newly purchased house, left a 8000 BTU window unit which did much better at cooling the room, than this unit. It was easy to set up, and it's really nice that it's on wheels. The unit was shipped on a crate type base and the box goes over the top of it and is secured on with packing straps to keep the box over the base. Unit is very heavy, 100 lbs. My handyman brought it to the 2nd floor for me. Returning this was an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!!!! I called within the 15 days to start the return process. Every time I called everyone was very nice, but I always got a different story. Then USP wouldn't pick it up because there wasn't packing straps on the box to secure the box to the base. Best Buy.com said UPS would have something on their truck to secure the box to the base. That I didn't need to worry, I only needed to have it in the original box. Then was told just to bring it to the Best Buy store to return it. I called 2 local stores and they said I can't return it there because by then it was after the 15 days and I needed to deal with Bestbuy.com. Not to mention, that would have meant I had to carry the 100lb unit all the way to my car! After speaking with over 15 reps and managers, I spent $30 on reinforced packing tape and plastic shipping wrap. I had to find some way to secure the box to the base long enough for it to make it onto the UPS truck. Never again! This experience might have even made me stop buying from Best Buy as well!

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Works great bot as A/C and Heat Pump

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Works great for AC and heat! Living in a manufactured home, I bought this to replace my mini split heat pump that died after 11 years. So I bought this mainly for winter use. I have a window A/C rated at 15K BTU, but when I installed this one, it outperforms my window A/C. The temperature finally turned cold and I switched to heat and it works great. The one plus of the portable for a heat pump it that it takes warm air from the room instead of a traditional heat pump drawing air from outside. So this should work much better that traditional heat pumps. I supplement my heat with a oiled filled radiator, so this produces warm air and the heat pump takes the heat out of the indoor air. The only drawback is the fan noise, but it's not as loud as my window A/C and I've gotten used to that.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Air conditioning

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Such a great air conditioner, it has definitely changed the weather inside my room. It used to be hot with the ac I had previous but this one just hit a lot different gets so cold sometimes I put blankets on but hey that’s how I like it, its the best

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Installation

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good AC/heating unit.

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The ac unit is working well but the panel is hard to see. I was able to set it up fairly easily. I have moved it once and it moved easily and I was able to switch window’s quickly. The cooling system works well and I think the heating system is going to also. I have only tried it once so far.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great AC!

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This Ac is definitely worth the price. Easy setup and cools my Room down quick. You only have to drain it about every 4 days with heavy use (i have it on basically all day. If im not using it my brother is. And it definitely stays on at night). You will have to disconnect the hose before draining but it's super easy. Small plug on the back of the AC unit makes it SO EASY to drain. 30 seconds and you're done. I live in Los Angeles and my room faces the sun all day. This AC still does wonders in about a 400sq ft room. (Buy stronger than what you need for your room)

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Ease of use

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Easy to set up. Works great

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    We bought this mostly to cool off our living room dining room area. It works great as long as we block off the doors to the rest of the house. (We just hung a sheet over the doors, doesn't look great but keeps the cool air localized.). It kept the large room between 75-80 degrees when it was 100 degrees outside. Works even better in smaller rooms. It's a little big and clunky to move around to different rooms but not impossible. It was really easy to set up and we had it working in minutes.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Installation
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    recommend

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    Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    good a/c and heater! a bit loud but easy to set up and heats/cools room fast

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling
    Cons mentioned:
    Noise level

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Gets the job done!

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Not bad for the price if you have a large bedroom. It's great for the winter since it also has a heater. Not nearly as loud as most people say it is

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Installation

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good air conditioner

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The air conditioner provides significant cooling. The installation document is easy to understand. However, the window kit documentation does not warn the reader that additional steps, such as weather-stripping will be required to make it air tight.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Gets the job done

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I purchased this to help cool/ heat a large space. It runs a lot and blows pretty cold air. I have a wall unit with lower btu's (12000) also which seems to perform better then this one but it still works well. It puts out a lot of heat so make sure you duct it out well. HAven't used the heat option yet. Overall I'm happy with it for the price.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    I love my AC heater combo

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    Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Hello, I bought the combination heater air conditioner. It’s a great looking model and so far I have not had any problems that works great on the cold nights he my Camper Up on the hot summer days. Keep it nice and cool inside.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Cooling, Installation

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Works Well

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I'm using this to cool my garage and it lowers the humidity and temperature enough so I can work in it during the day. The garage doors are not yet insulated and I believe that insulating them will further increase the performance. It was very easy to install although I had to modify it slightly to fit the garage window.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good portable AC unit

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The heat waves in Los Angeles summertime were excruciating, and our new residence has no central AC. So I looked at the online reviews from different YouTubers and decided this unit may be the best fit for our need. I calculated the BTU needed based on the room's cubic dimension, number of people in the room, the room's ceiling, windows, insulation, and exposure to the sun during morning and afternoon times. The AC provided enough cooling for the room during normal summer days, but I do wish it would cool the room more during the heat waves. We set the temp control at 70 F during the heat wave days and running the AC at full blast for 12 hours, but the room never reached the desired temp. Rather, the room was hovering at 80+ degrees. Knowing it is one of the known factual weaknesses of portable AC, and that we have no other cooling options other than tearing down the house and install central AC, we feel this unit is acceptable, and in fact, better than a few other better known name brand portable AC's we have used in the past.

    I would recommend this to a friend