The Soleus Air is a 3-in-1 12,000 BTUs portable AC with cooling, fan, and dehumidifying modes. It’s rated for use in rooms up to 450 square feet.
A single-hose system vents out hot air and moisture through one hose, which means it doesn’t need any draining (most of the time).
The Soleus also comes with a 12-hour timer, washable filters, fan speed settings and a remote control.
Keep reading to get our full review, below.
NOTE: if you are looking for a different type of portable AC - perhaps one with a heating function - then see our portable AC buying guide for more good choices.
Pros
- Easy installation and operation.
- Multiple climate control modes.
- Powerful cooling capacity.
- Easy portability from room to room.
Cons
- 12-hour instead of a 24-hour timer.
- No heating function.
Best Features
12,000 BTUs Cooling Capacity
The Soleus Air is rated for use in rooms of up to 450 square feet. You can also use it in a slightly larger room of max 550 square feet and it will still cool the room quickly and efficiently.
It’s great for most kinds of rooms including the living room, bedroom, garage or nursery.
Using the included remote control or the buttons on the control panel, you can set it to maintain any temperature between 64F and 90F.
There is a display on the control panel and on the remote control showing the target temperature.
Multiple Modes
The AC has four modes which you can select either with the remote control or the physical buttons on the unit.
Cool mode – the main operational mode for the AC. It cools down the room until it reaches the target temperature after which it maintains that temperature.
Dry mode – the dehumidification mode for removing excess moisture from indoor air. It can remove up to 106 pints of water from the air per day.
The moisture is exhausted outside though you may sometimes need to drain it yourself when there is too much humidity.
Fan mode –this mode operates just the fan. It’s ideal when it isn’t too hot, and you just need a gentle breeze. It keeps the room cool without using a lot of energy. There is a button to change fan speed depending on how cool you want the room to be.
Fan speed options are high, medium, low and auto.
Auto mode –this is the default mode for the AC. It will automatically select the best mode and fan speed depending on the current room temperature.
In addition to these modes, there is a sleep mode which lowers fan speed to reduce noise and varies temperature to provide an optimal sleeping environment.
12-hour Timer
You can set the timer for auto-on or auto-off anywhere between half an hour and 12 hours.
This is unlike most portable ACs where you schedule for up to 24 hours.
Self-evaporative
As I mentioned, the moisture collected in Dry mode is exhausted outside along with the warm air.
This eliminates the need to drain the AC using a hose or pan for most of the time.
Sometimes however, when the humidity level is too high, the AC cannot exhaust all the water outside and water will accumulate inside the AC - so you’ll need to drain it. To do this, place a pan under drain plug or connect a drain hose.
If you find that you have to keep draining the AC, then route the hose outside permanently for continuous drainage.
Easy to Install and Operate
Most customers will have no problem installing this unit. It comes with the vent hose and slider kit you need to vent it outside.
It attaches securely to the window and can be adjusted for different window sizes.
Operating it is just as easy. The control panel and remote control are well laid out and both have displays to show you the current settings.
If you need to move the AC to another room just wheel it on the four caster wheels at the bottom.
If you are moving it down or up the stairs, there is a convenient carry handle to safely lift the AC.
Limitations
It doesn’t have a heat mode which means you can’t use it all year round. You can only use it for cooling .
Another limitation is the timer. It’s only 12 hours long whereas most portable ACs have a 24-hr timer. But I think 12 hours is enough for most people’s scheduling needs.
As with most portable air conditioners, it can be a bit noisy when operating at the highest fan speed.
Specs
Room size: up to 450 square feet (21' x 21').
BTU rating: 12,000 BTUs
Drainage: Manual and automatic
Dehumidification: 106 pints a day
Price:
Summary
The Soleus Air portable AC is an extremely affordable large-room portable air conditioner and dehumidifier that provides powerful cooling capacity, easy installation, portability and versatile modes.
