The Lowdown
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner offers powerful cooling, smart connectivity, and quiet operation, making it a great solution for rooms up to 400 square feet. Its portability, energy-efficient ECO mode, and built-in dehumidifier add to its appeal, especially for renters or homeowners dealing with limited HVAC options. However, it lacks a heating function and requires venting, which may limit its use in colder months or certain room configurations.
Overall
Pros
- Powerful Cooling with 14,000 BTU
- WiFi connectivity allows control via the DREO app or voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home
- Quiet Operation
- Easy to move between rooms thanks to caster wheels
- Easy Installation with an included universal window kit
- Dehumidifier Mode
- Comes with a remote that allows full function control from up to 26 feet away
- Compact Design; Doesn’t require permanent installation, great for renters or those with HOAs that restrict window unit; Self-Evaporating Technology without the need to drain water manually in areas with lower humidity
- Available in black or white to better match your home’s decor
Cons
- It does not have a heating function, so it won’t be useful during colder months
- It is only powerful enough to cool rooms under 400 square feet
- The unit may struggle in larger or poorly insulated spaces
- Requires venting through a window, which may limit placement options
If you’ve been sweating it out in what’s left of the lingering summer heat and are looking for a reliable way to keep cool through the fall and beyond, the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner is worth checking out. With a cooling power of 14,000 BTUs, The DREO AC516S is designed to comfortably cool up to 400 square feet, making it a solid option for living rooms, bedrooms, or even your home office.
Extreme Heat Isn’t Just an Inconvenience; It Can Be a Killer
I don’t know where you live, but in West Central Texas, even in October, we still hit the high 80ºs and low 90ºs daily. In the height of summer, we can go months on end where the temperature doesn’t fall below 100º until after dark.
It’s no exaggeration to say that I’d be miserable without reliable air conditioning in my home. Being outside on a hot Texas day can leave me feeling completely drained and exhausted.
Excessive heat is more than just a comfort issue, though; it can make you seriously ill, and it can even kill you. According to a New York Times article on August 27. 2024:
Heat kills more people in the United States than any other type of extreme weather, according to researchers. The study noted a 117 percent increase in heat-related deaths over the past 24 years, with a significant upswing since 2016.
That same article pointed out that “about 48 percent of heat-related deaths took place in Arizona, California, Nevada, or Texas,” which, to be fair, isn’t atypical. However, the rising number of deaths in the past few years certainly has been.
Other US states with traditionally milder weather—like the Pacific Northwest, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Maine, the Upper Midwest, and the Great Plains—have also experienced significant heat-related illnesses and deaths. Even as we enter October, it hasn’t cooled down significantly in much of the US.
When public services advise people to go outdoors as little as possible during a heatwave, having access to a cooling center or being able to cool down in your home becomes more important than ever. Still, not everyone has that luxury because not everyone has a nearby cooling center, and far too many homes don’t have air conditioning.
Making the Case for Portable Air Conditioners
Not every house has central heat and air conditioning, especially if it was built before the 1960s or is located in an area of the US that used to enjoy a milder climate.
Adding a heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) system and the necessary ductwork to an older home or a home that never had central heat and air can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The expenses go far beyond adding the necessary condenser outside and the furnace inside (usually in a closet or an attic), as installing an HVAC can require substantial remodeling to accommodate the indoor ductwork unless you’re a fan of the industrial look.
Even when your home has an existing HVAC system, certain rooms will likely never get quite cool enough. On top of that, if you were to ever add onto your home, tying that new bedroom, home office, or bonus room into your existing HVAC system could add significant costs to the build, and it might mean having to upgrade your existing HVAC system to accommodate the newly added square footage.
In a situation like this, adding one or more mini-split air conditioners can be an excellent option; they are efficient and quiet when running. The inside unit can be installed on just about any wall, and they’re fantastic for controlling the cooling of a particular area separate from the main HVAC system, assuming you already have one.
If you own your home and are willing to have a hole drilled through a wall for the necessary piping and wiring to the outside portion of the unit (the condenser), which is typically placed on the roof or mounted on the side of your house, you’ll still be looking at spending thousands of dollars.
Depending on where you live—especially if you rent—getting your landlord to agree to allow you to install a mini-split, much less getting them to pay for what is essentially a permanent improvement that would leave damage if removed, might be a Sisyphean experience.
Many times, the easiest and most affordable option—whether there is an existing HVAC system in the rest of the house or not—is to add a window unit air conditioner in one or more rooms, especially if you live in an apartment or condo that offers heating but no cooling.
However, window units also have caveats. They can be noisy and have a negative aesthetic impact on the building’s exterior due to the AC’s condenser sticking out of the window. For this reason, many American HOAs and condo associations won’t even allow them.
That’s where a portable air conditioner like the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner can offer the perfect solution—especially for renters or those in homes governed by an HOA.
While this air conditioner requires installing an exhaust hose vent at the bottom of a window in whichever room you place it, the condenser and air conditioning unit are housed in an attractive, compact indoor unit that doesn’t create an outdoor eyesore.
Best of all, it can easily be uninstalled if you’re a renter, so it can move with you when you move out.
Managing Expectations
Before we begin this review, I want to reiterate a few things so you can manage your expectations of what this unit can and can’t do.
The DREO AC516S is a 14,000 BTU air conditioner rated to blow air up to 14′ away and cool a room up to 400 square feet, though DREO notes that 300 square feet is optimal.
You shouldn’t buy this air conditioner expecting it to cool an entire 700-square-foot apartment or bring a larger, poorly insulated room with uncovered windows receiving direct sunlight to icebox temperatures; that is not what it is intended for.
This air conditioner can chill a normal-sized bedroom, home office, smaller living room, kitchen, or even a small, studio-style apartment to temperatures between 65ºF and 86ºF, but it is not a heating device.
As long as you understand its limits, you should be pleased with its cooling power.
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner Unboxed
The DREO AC516S is available in black or white. The package includes a universal window kit containing four extension panels. The first, which has the hole for attaching the exhaust hose, is roughly 18″ long. If you have a window with a slightly narrower width, you can measure and cut this panel to fit. There are also three more extension panels measuring 9″, 17.3″, and 15.3″ long; each is 6.5″ tall.
These extension panels have a slot on their backside. If you’re connecting two or more extension panels (assuming that your window is wider than the initial 18″ panel), you’ll insert one of the three included butterfly bolts into the back slots on the panels before installing the now-extended panel into the window.
The box also includes a 5′ long expandable/collapsible air exhaust hose, 60″ of adhesive foam tape, 79″ of non-adhesive foam, a 4′ long flexible plastic drainage hose, a window security bracket with two screws, a remote control, and two AAA batteries.
Finally, there is a user manual and a quick start guide with a QR code to download the DREO app from the App Store or Google Play.
The DREO AC516S measures approximately 28″ tall by 17.5″ wide by 14.5″deep and weighs about 63 pounds. It has four caster wheels on the bottom, making it easier to roll around should you need to move the AC into another room. Trust me, you don’t want to try to pick it up unless it is absolutely necessary.
On the front of the DREO AC516S, from the top down, there is a louver opening that will blow the air, a control panel of touch buttons includes power, mode (cool, fan, and dehumidify), timer (0-12 hours)/WiFi connect, increase and decrease (pressing them together for three seconds switches between ºF and ºC), fan speed (low, mid, high, and auto), swing louver (set the louvers to oscillate up and down), and sleep (only available in cooling mode).
An attractive, 3.25″ round LCD shows (starting clockwise in the upper left) the WiFi indicator, timer indicator, vertical swing indicator, F or C temperature unit, humidity percentage/hour indicator, fan/auto indicator, ECO function (if it is on), a fan speed indicator bar (low, medium, and high), Sleep function (if on), the icon for the fan speed indicator bar, and modes (cool, dry, or fan). In the center is a large numeric indicator for the temperature, humidity, and timer hours.
There are built-in handles on each side, but the unit is so heavy that you likely won’t use them often.
On the back of the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner, there is a flat, magnetic shelf where you can place the remote control, an air inlet with a cleanable filter inside, a cool/dehumidification drain outlet, the air exhaust hose housing outlet, a plug cable storage tie and plug receptacle (for winter storage if you aren’t using it as a fan), an exhaust air inlet, and a bottom drain outlet.
The DREO AC516S requires a normal US outlet with a grounding plug. Although the power plug is larger than normal due to the built-in Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), it should still leave enough clearance for using the second socket in your outlet.
Installing the DREO AC516S
Setting up the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner is about as simple as it gets. When it arrives, you’ll need to let it sit for about a day after unboxing to allow the compressor oil to settle before powering it on; this is an important step for getting the most out of your air conditioner’s lifespan.
After removing all of the blue protective tape around the unit, it’s a good idea to wipe it down with a soft cloth or spray it with compressed air to remove any styrofoam hangers-on.
Using the air conditioner requires running a hot air exhaust hose to a window; to that end, a universal mounting kit is included, allowing you to place the hose into any vertical or horizontal window measuring 17″ to 53″ wide/tall.
The instructions say the DREO AC516S should be placed 20″ away from any walls to allow plenty of inside air to flow into the air inlets. The exhaust hose can be collapsed or expanded to reach the window; you’ll want to ensure it is unobstructed without any kinks for proper airflow.
There are thoughtful little touches, too, like a sticker on the window vent kit showing which side should face indoors, making installation even easier.
This video shows you the entire installation process:
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner has built-in WiFi connectivity, so you can link it up to your favorite voice assistant—Amazon Alexa or Google Home—and control the unit hands-free.
Using WiFi, the Dreo app offers even more control; you can use it to adjust everything from fan speeds to set timers without leaving the couch. And for those times when you can’t be bothered with an app, the included remote does the job just as well.
Using the DREO AC516S
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner has a temperature range of 65º to 86º in AC and ECO cooling modes. You can use the “+” and “-” buttons to set your target temperature and press the fan button to adjust the speed. It will cool quickly if your room is 400 square feet or less.
It’s worth saying again that this unit doesn’t include a heating function, so if you’re looking for an all-in-one year-round solution, this might not cover you in the colder months. But as a pure cooling machine, it really shines.
The remote control can perform the same functions as the app or the buttons on the front of the device; it will work within 26′, but you can use the app from anywhere. This is handy if you want to cool your room before arriving after being away to make it less cool or turn the unit off if you forgot to adjust it before leaving.
In addition to acting as an air conditioner, the DREO AC516S can run as a dehumidifier or a fan. So, if you’re dealing with stuffy air or high humidity, you can easily switch modes to find your ideal comfort level.
In areas with lower humidity, like where I live, condensation occurs during cooling but remains minimal. A motor pumps the condensed water to the condenser, where it evaporates.
The system includes patented auto-drain or self-evaporating technology, automatically removing condensation when humidity levels are below 85%. In areas with higher humidity, you can attach the drainage hose to the port on the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner’s back and place a bucket to collect excess condensation.
You might think a portable AC would be as noisy as a window unit, but the DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner has a redesigned compressor with noise isolation, so it hums at a mere 46 decibels—about as quiet as a library.
So, whether you’re trying to catch some sleep, get through a marathon of emails, or watch a movie, you won’t be competing with a loud, rumbling AC unit.
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner offers powerful cooling, smart connectivity, and quiet operation, making it a great solution for rooms up to 400 square feet. Its portability, energy-efficient ECO mode, and built-in dehumidifier add to its appeal, especially for renters or homeowners dealing with limited HVAC options. However, it lacks a heating function and requires venting through a window, which may limit its use in colder months or certain room configurations.
Ready to upgrade your cooling game? You might want to give the DREO AC516S a closer look.
The DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner retails for $499.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Powerful Cooling with 14,000 BTU; WiFi connectivity allows control via the Dreo app or voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home; Quiet Operation; Easy to move between rooms thanks to caster wheels; Easy Installation with an included universal window kit; Dehumidifier Mode; Comes with a remote that allows full function control from up to 26 feet away; Compact Design; Doesn’t require permanent installation, great for renters or those with HOAs that restrict window unit; Self-Evaporating Technology without the need to drain water manually in areas with lower humidity; Available in black or white to better match your home’s decor
What Needs Improvement: It does not have a heating function, so it won’t be useful during colder months; It is only powerful enough to cool rooms under 400 square feet; The unit may struggle in larger or poorly insulated spaces; Requires venting through a window, which may limit placement options
Be the first to comment on "DREO AC516S Smart Air Conditioner Review: Powerful, Portable, and Quiet Cooling with Smart Features for Year-Round Comfort"