AUX air condition
Like the other models we tested, the Frigidaire has a drain plug, a washable filter, and mostly seamless smart-home capabilities. Its capacitive buttons are a nice touch, too (no pun intended), although we found it difficult to remember where the power button was each time we tried to turn the machine off or on (it’s on the right side of the control panel, the opposite side from the positioning on most portables). However, the LED indicators—including the optional Quick Glance Light, which lets you know when your room has reached your target temperature—were a little too bright for our tastes. This light might be tolerable for some people in some situations, but it could be bothersome in the bedroom if you’re particularly sensitive to light. (Even after turning it “off” in the app, we still had some trouble with the Quick Glance Light annoyingly flashing in the middle of the night to warn us that the filter needed a rinse.)climatisation The Frigidaire app is fine overall, and it unlocks some additional functionality, including the unit’s built-in air ionizer. We’re typically skeptical of the health claims of these sorts of ionizers, but hey, if that’s what you’re into, go for it. Our bigger gripe with the app concerns the lengthy registration process, which requires you to give Frigidaire all of your contact information, including your home address and the unit’s date of purchase. If you wait to set up your AC until an already-sweltering day, you’ll be even more annoyed when you realize you need to sign up for more junk mail before you can get cool again. Finally, we found the Frigidaire’s window-installation kit to be somewhat lacking. Although the hose has some nice touches such as a lattice over the exhaust port and a nice cloth sheath to dress up the otherwise unsightly plastic accordion tube, this model also came with the least modular window-panel options. We had to snap one of the plastic plates in half in order to fit it snugly into a standard double-hung window. This is particularly disappointing since the window panels were one of the standout features of this model’s predecessor, the now-discontinued Frigidaire Gallery Cool Connect FGPC1244T1, which we previously recommended as an also-great pick. If you want to save a little money, the Frigidaire FHPW122AC1 is a similar model we tested that feels like a stripped down version of the GHPC132AB1 and costs about $100 less. It lacks some of the more luxury features, such as the haptic controls and the sleek hose cover, and ran about 5 decibels louder on average, but otherwise, it cooled the room nearly as well as the GHPC132AB1. We think it’s worth the extra $100 for the quieter performance and other thoughtful details, but the FHPW122AC1 is a great alternative.