Frigidaire Gallery 10,000 BTU Inverter Window Air Conditioner, Wi-Fi, White

Why it's worth it

Frigidaire's 10,000 BTU inverter is Energy Star certified, rated for rooms up to 550 square feet, and genuinely quiet once the compressor settles. The Wi-Fi works with Alexa and Google Home, and the panel tells you when the washable filter needs cleaning.

This is the pick if the Midea is too small. Frigidaire rates the 10,000 BTU inverter for rooms up to 550 square feet, though that's optimistic once you apply the 20 BTU-per-square-foot rule — call it a comfortable 500 square feet, less if the room gets afternoon sun. For a big bedroom, a living room, or a small apartment that's mostly one space, it's a sensible step up.

The app is the best-sorted of the group, and you'll need it. Wi-Fi setup runs through the Frigidaire app, which also handles scheduling, Alexa, and Google Home. A built-in sensor reports room air quality there too, which is a nice-to-have rather than a reason to buy. The catch is that some settings, including the timer, are only available once you've connected the unit to your network.

From our review of 8 window air conditioners, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +This is the pick if the Midea is too small
• +The app is the best-sorted of the group, and you'll need it
• +Like the Midea, it's an Energy Star certified inverter model, so it modulates instead of cycling hard
• +Maintenance is handled sensibly

What to know

• –Several owners describe a noticeable vibration for the first ten seconds or so after the compressor starts
• –The clean-filter reminder beeps, and it beeps on its own schedule rather than yours — owners have been woken up by it