The Lowdown
The ZAFRO 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner effectively cooled an overheated upstairs bedroom while also offering fan and dehumidifier modes. Setup was quick once the window configuration was understood, with included panels, hoses, and clear written and video instructions. Its app, remote, and onboard controls are simple to use, while scheduling lets it cool the room before bedtime and shut off automatically in the morning. Compact, mobile, and quieter than typical standing fans, it is a flexible alternative to costly HVAC zoning—though pricier than a basic window fan.
Overall
Pros
- Incredibly easy to set up
- App lets you easily control the timing of the system
- Flexible options ranging from fans to full AC
- Dehumidifies as well as cools
- Easy to rotate the location with 360 degree wheels
Cons
- Make sure you know how to open your own windows
- Can be pricier than a window fan so prepare your budget accordingly!
I love being cold. Maybe I’m exceedingly warm-blooded, my partial werewolf genetics have kicked in, or I’m simply a weirdo, but I keep my house at a brisk 67 degrees year-round. If anyone complains, I have plenty of hoodies and sweaters ready. Unfortunately, my townhouse traps heat upstairs. No matter how low I set the AC, my bedroom still runs hot. Let’s see whether the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner can finally cool it down.
The ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner solves a number of climate issues in my upstairs rooms. It can be used as a full AC, a dehumidifier, and/or a tower fan to circulate extra air. It’s been warm enough that I have kept it in AC mode, but I’m excited for the fan option as well. The same phenomenon that keeps the upstairs toastier than it should be in summer means that it gets REALLY hot in winter, and there are no overhead fans to circulate air (thanks, 80s-style townhouse design!). I’ve used standing fans before, but they’re noisy and inefficient, so a cleaner, smoother solution is really appealing.
ZAFRO makes several different AC units. The one we tested provides 12,000 BTU, enough to cool off a 400-square-foot room. In my experience, it easily cooled my master bedroom and seemed to keep the hallway outside it cooled off as well. They also offer more powerful ones that cover up to 600 square feet if you need to cool a larger space.
Installation and Setting UP the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner
Setting up the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner looked intimidating at first, but it turned out to be incredibly easy. They include several window panels so you can connect the outside hoses, the hoses themselves, a drainage hose, and connectors for various configurations as needed. I admit, I got very confused at first because my windows opened out, which didn’t seem like an option, but then I figured out how to raise them without using the hinged side. It’s worth noting that if you don’t normally open your windows, maybe get a sense of how they work before you tackle the setup so you’re prepared with a plan. ZAFRO does help with this by providing both written instructions and a YouTube video for visual demonstration.
Once I sorted out how to open a window, an issue that was 100% on me and not ZAFRO’s excellent instructions, the entire setup took less than 5 minutes. The hoses slide into the back of the unit and can be expanded or collapsed to suit your space, and they click nicely into the window panels. From there, I plugged in the unit, and it began humming away. It’s easy to position it wherever you want, thanks to smooth-rolling wheels on the bottom and indents for gripping on either side.
You can control the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner a few different ways. There’s a companion app, a remote control, and a control panel along the top of the unit. The top controls are straightforward, and the LED display is easy to read. I also liked that the buttons had some clicky depth, which gave them a nice tactile feel. The remote works easily from across the room, and it also has an LED so you can see what you’re setting for temperature and fan speed. Finally, the app setup took no time, and the remote and unit itself have straightforward controls to change the temperature, fan speed, dehumidifying, etc.
The app also gives easy access to the manual, with videos on setup and maintenance. You can review how to remove and clean the filter, which is recommended every 600 hours of use (a maintenance light will also appear). It also walks you through draining any water collected in dehumidifier mode, plus tips on using the drain tube for continuous draining if you’re in a high-humidity area. Finally, it covers how to clean and store the unit if you’re not using it for a long time.
I love that they include all this, including the videos, right in the app, since you won’t have to stress about saving the user manual and then frantically searching it while you’re troubleshooting.
The best part of the app, by far, is the scheduling. You can set it for different temperatures and rules at different times of day, and I’ve found that to be the smoothest and most useful thing about the app. I have it set to run in the low 70s around 6:30 pm, and it turns off automatically at 7:30 am. I’m not as concerned about having a cool bedroom during the day when I’m at work, but this setup means that when I get home, it’s started cooling my bedroom. By the time I go to bed, it’s a comfortable temperature. And the automatic shutoff at 7:30 am means that I don’t have to worry I left it running while I’m not home, which saves both electricity and peace of mind.
I was excited for the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner but also a little bit skeptical. As I said, I have used standing fans and other tools to try to cool down my upstairs and have been disappointed by the results. The AC unit is fairly compact, and I wondered if it would be effective. It’s 100% effective, and while admittedly I’m using it to augment a central air system and not shoulder the full AC itself, it’s doing a fantastic job of cooling things down. I’m excited to use it this winter!
In the past, I’ve gone as far as turning the heat off at night to get my bedroom to a comfortable temperature, but even I have to admit it’s probably not the best idea when that means waking up to a house that’s 50 degrees in the morning. Hopefully the ZAFRO can let me keep the heat going without boiling me every night.
Removable and reusable air filter makes maintenance easy.
If you’ve struggled with maintaining smooth climate control across your home, the ZAFRO Portable Air Conditioner could be the right fit. It can dehumidify, circulate air with the fans, and cool things down, all without being too loud or bulky. It’s normally $599.99, but is currently on sale for $499.99. Before you balk at the price, consider this: retrofitting a dual-zone HVAC system can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $20,000. If you’re just trying to augment your HVAC and even out cooling in a few spots, this is much cheaper and more flexible!
The ZAFRO 12,000 BTU Portable AC retails for $499.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer provided review sample
What I Liked: Incredibly easy to set up; App lets you easily control the timing of the system; Flexible options ranging from fans to full AC; dehumidifies as well as cools; Easy to rotate the location with 360 degree wheels
What Needs Improvement: Make sure you know how to open your own windows; Can be pricier than a window fan so prepare your budget accordingly!