10,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners: Which One to Buy
A 10,000 BTU window AC is the size for a large bedroom or a home office: about 400 to 450 sq ft by ENERGY STAR's chart. Buy the TCL T10WV9S ($439.99 on Amazon): it is the most efficient 10,000 BTU window AC on Amazon today, CEER 16, about $88 a year to run.
Our pick at 10,000 BTU
TCL T10WV9S
$439.99 on Amazon
Check price on Amazon- CEER 16, the highest of the 10 certified 10,000 BTU window ACs on Amazon today (ENERGY STAR / DOE).
- About $88 a year to run at U.S. average electricity prices.
- The maker publishes no noise figure.
Need something different?
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$351.49 on AmazonLowest price
ROVSUN TIWC-10CRD1
$88.50 less. CEER 15, about $94 a year to run ($6 more than our pick). It is the same unit sold under the PHILODECO name, with the same certified ratings.
-
$619 on AmazonQuietest
Friedrich CCV10A10A
42 dBA while cooling (32 dBA with only the fan running), the maker's own figure and the quietest at this size among units on Amazon today. CEER 15.
Is 10,000 BTU the right size?
| Room size | Size to buy |
|---|---|
| 300 to 350 sq ft | 8,000 BTU |
| 350 to 400 sq ft | 9,000 BTU |
| 400 to 450 sq ft | 10,000 BTU |
| 450 to 550 sq ft | 12,000 BTU |
| 550 to 700 sq ft | 14,000 BTU |
ENERGY STAR's chart for an 8-foot ceiling. The BTU calculator adjusts it for sun, people and a kitchen.
One size up or down?
One size down, the 8,000 BTU pick (Midea MAW08V1KWT-A) costs $299.99, $140 less, and about $15 a year less to run. It suits a room up to 350 sq ft.
One size up, the 12,000 BTU pick (TCL T12WV9S) costs $489.99 and about $18 a year more to run. Only step up for a bigger, sunnier or busier room than the chart above.
Before you buy a 10,000 BTU unit
Every window AC certified at 10,000 BTU runs on a standard 115-volt outlet. Give it an outlet that does not also feed a microwave, space heater or other big load.
Our pick weighs 50 lb and is 19.8 inches wide, so measure the window opening first.
Want heat too? 8 of the certified 10,000 BTU window ACs also have a heat mode. Look for it on the listing before you buy.
Every 10,000 BTU window AC on Amazon today (10)
| Unit | CEER | To run per year | Quietest (dBA) | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCL T10WV9S | 16 | $88 | — | $439.99 | Buy |
| ROVSUN TIWC-10CRD1 | 15 | $94 | — | $351.49 | Buy |
 Windmill 10W2Wi | 15 | $94 | — | $399 | Buy |
 ELEMENT EHWR10BE | 15 | $94 | — | $399.99 | Buy |
 Midea MAW10V1UWT | 15 | $94 | — | $399.99 | Buy |
 Keystone KSTAW101WA | 15 | $94 | — | $429.99 | Buy |
 Frigidaire Gallery GHWW105TE1 | 15 | $94 | — | $448 | Buy |
 LG LW1022FVSM | 15 | $94 | — | $499 | Buy |
| Friedrich CCV10A10A | 15 | $94 | 42 cooling (32 fan only) | $619 | Buy |
 Keystone KSTAW10INV | 15 | $94 | — | $630.50 | Buy |
We pick the most efficient unit, the same rule as best window air conditioners. At this size the units here cost within $6 a year of each other to run, so if you would rather save up front, the lowest-price unit above cools the same room. CEER is the certified DOE rating. Noise is the maker's own figure, with its mode: cooling, fan only, low fan speed, or not stated. A unit Amazon sells under another name is shown by its Amazon name. Prices read on Amazon today.
Questions buyers ask
- How much does a 10,000 BTU window AC cost?
- $351.49 to $630.50 on Amazon today, and about $88 to $94 a year to run.
- Is 10,000 BTU enough for a living room?
- For a living room up to about 450 sq ft, yes, by ENERGY STAR's chart. A bigger or open-plan room needs 12,000 BTU or more; a kitchen adds 4,000 BTU.
- Can a 10,000 BTU window AC cool two rooms?
- It cools the room it sits in. Cold air does not travel well through a doorway, so a second room usually needs its own unit.
- Will a 10,000 BTU window AC fit my window?
- Most will fit a standard double-hung window. The middle certified 10,000 BTU unit is 19.2 inches wide. Our pick is 19.8 inches wide. A casement or slider window needs a model made for it.
Every certified window AC rated 9,500 to 10,499 BTU (75)
The full certified list at this size, ranked by CEER, with each unit's certified capacity. Use it to check a unit you see in a store. The table shows the 20 with the highest CEER; the full product list has all 75.
The 20 highest-CEER of 75 certified units · 2 with a verified place to buy
| Brand & model | CEER | Certified BTU | Quietest (dBA) | Price | To run | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midea MAH09B1AGR | 17.6 | 9,500 | 43 (mode not stated) | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MAH09H1AGR | 17.6 | 9,500 | 43 (mode not stated) | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MAH09N1AGR | 17.6 | 9,500 | 43 (mode not stated) | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MAH09S1AGR | 17.6 | 9,500 | 43 (mode not stated) | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MAH09W1AGR | 17.6 | 9,500 | — | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MWCUPWHP-09HEFN8-BCL1 | 17.6 | 9,500 | — | — | $76/yr | — |
| Midea MWCUPWHP-09HEFN8-BCL1N | 17.6 | 9,500 | — | — | $76/yr | — |
| GE PWJV10W | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea 1010451479 | 16.0 | 10,000 | 32 (mode not stated) | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea 1014264129 | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MAW10U2QWT | 16.0 | 10,000 | 32 (mode not stated) | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MAW10V1WWT | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MAW10V1WWT-T | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MWAUQB-10CRFN8-BCP0 | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MWEUWA-10CRFN8-BCP0 | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| Midea MWFUQB-10CRFN8-BCP0 | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| TCL T10WV3S | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
| TCL T10WV9S | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | $440 | $88/yr | Buy |
| TCL T10WV9SB | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | $440 | $88/yr | Buy |
| TCL W10WC72 | 16.0 | 10,000 | — | — | $88/yr | — |
CEER and capacity are certified ENERGY STAR / DOE values. Yearly running cost is computed by us from the certified power draw and EIA average electricity prices; see methodology. Quietest setting is the maker's own published figure; a dash means none is published. A price shows only for a listing read on Amazon today.