The Dry setting uses the room’s ambient temperature to run the compressor and it behaves a bit like a dehumidifier, drawing moisture from the room. You can’t select a temperature in this mode because it’s all controlled by a processor. You will also need to fit the supplied drainage hose to the rear of the unit when in Dry mode so excess water can drain away. With rated maximum noise levels of 65dB in high mode and 53dB in low fan mode, the MC 7000 is noticeably louder than your average tower fan (we measured the noise levels at 62dB and 56dB respectively). There’s also a slight buzzing that accompanies the unit while it cools, too, so it isn’t the ideal choice to run overnight in a bedroom. The first item of note is how easy this model is to use. There are no unfathomable icons to get your head around because all controls on top of the unit are written in plain English. Starting on the left there’s a timer, followed by a Speed button: the Low setting is surprisingly quiet; Medium produces more clout without excessive noise and High belts out a mini gale that thankfully still isn’t loud enough to irritate.

The MeacoCool MC 7000, for instance, delivers full air-conditioning capabilities for less than the cost of a Dyson desk fan like the Pure Cool Me. It isn’t the quietest thing in the world but it’s a lot more effective at keeping you cool than a simple air blower. All MeacoCool air conditioning units come with a 3 year exclusive warrantyonly available from Air Con Centre for ease of mind when purchasing. I also tested the Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner Unit at the same time as the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner and while both are effective units, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is best suited to those seeking a compact and lightweight unit that's easy to move around the house or transport. Noise-wise, I found the Meaco Portable Air Conditioner slightly louder than the Russell Hobbs one, but only marginally so, and a little extra noise kind of comes as part of the deal if you're running an air con unit, and is well offset by the relief of that icy air during a heatwave! Verdict The fact that one of the drainage hose outlets was positioned midway down the rear of the unit made it much easier to drain than alternative models I've tested in which the outlet is much lower down. I put the Dry Mode to use on a very muggy rainy day and noticed an almost immediate improvement in the moisture levels in the room.verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ This is the ideal choice for large conservatory or orangery areas, for home gyms and for bedroom suites. It’s also perfect for office spaces that don’t have enough ventilation or suffer from the heat during the summer. The trouble is that if you don’t expel the hot air, the machine’s efficiency will be cancelled out and it will struggle to lower the temperature in the room. It will also have to work harder for longer and therefore use more energy which will be more easily understood when you receive your electricity bill. I would recommend it to anyone looking to cool down a small bedroom, home office, nursery, or similar over the summer. It doesn’t take up too much space to store either and is very easy to set up and use.

The MeacoCool MC Series 7000 has an energy rating of A and maximum power consumption is quoted at 780W. We didn’t see power draw reach that level, though. It's not the most powerful option out there in terms of BTU, but Meaco offers plenty of alternative models, ranging from this the smallest 7000BTU through to a 14000BTU model. The remote control allows the settings to be changed from a distance without the need of having to directly go to the unit. The units 53dB(A) sound pressure level at its lowest fan speed makes this an easier unit to live with.Another review says: ‘Does the job, it is very loud. All sleep mode does is switch the brightness of the display down. It’s a bit heavy so not ideal for going up and down stairs but has wheels to be able to move around.’ We do wish it had a lower fan speed to keep the noise levels down but, having said that, this isn’t all that different from most air conditioners at around this price. MeacoCool MC 7000: Is it energy-efficient?

We’ve also added a timer. This allows you to set the air conditioner to operate for anytime between one and 24 hours, so you can set it to come on for an hour before you go to bed, or before you get home in the evening, resulting in rooms that are the perfect temperature when you need them. I used a sound-monitoring app on my phone to record how loud the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner was, and whilst I can't vouch for the reliability of the app, when positioned one metre away from the unit I measured 52dB noise levels whilst operating the unit in Cool Mode on the Low speed setting. This increased by approximately five decibels when the fan speed was increased to High speed which is in line with Meaco's own guidance of the unit producing 51-53dB levels. Design-wise, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner looks pretty good when assembled, although it does have a bit more going on visually than other models we tested and I wouldn't say style was one of the key elements of its design This series of portable air conditioners have an Energy Rating of A, making them our most energy efficient air conditioners yet, allowing you to enjoy a cooler summer without having to worry about your energy bills. Not only has the energy efficiency increased, but we have also used the new R290 refrigerant making the air conditioners much more environmentally friendly.The smaller, lighter and more compact MeacoCool is fitted with castors making it easy to move from room to room allowing you to feel cool throughout the day as well as enjoying a peaceful, cool sleep at night. The easy-to-use remote control enables you to control the air conditioner as required without having to move. All MeacoCool air conditioning units come with a 3 year exclusive warranty only available from Air Con Centre for ease of mind when purchasing. In Cool mode, it hovered at around 667W with the fan speed set to low and rose to around 672W with the fan at high speed. That’s with the temperature set to its coldest level of 16℃, so over time that should fall to a lower level. Like all air con units, when in Cool Mode the air duct needs to be positioned out of the window so you’ll just need to make sure it’s positioned close enough to a window to do this. To get the best out of your air conditioner we recommend pre-cooling rooms, such as your bedroom, so that the room is nice and cool before it needs to be used. This is easy to do with the timer function allowing you to set both an on and off timer anytime between 1 and 24 hours. Combined with the use of Sleep Mode lowering the fan speed and noise level, the MeacoCool is the perfect product to allow you to get a good night’s sleep.

The Fan mode is the next in sequence and that’s self explanatory, which leaves one more option: Heat. This is a strange one because it seems to follow the same parameters as the Cool mode, with a temperature range from 16˚C to 32˚C. I set it to 32˚C and it didn’t seem to do anything more than blow air that was roughly the same temperature as the room, about 21˚C. The upshot is that if you want to keep warm, buy a proper blow heater. When in Cool Mode on High setting, and with the temperature set as 16, it brought the temperature down by approximately two degree Celsius in a super speedy ten minutes. (This was with the thermometer positioned at the side of the room close to the unit). A really immediate and noticeable impact. It’s also – relative to most air conditioning units – a very affordable option, and delivers reliable cooling performance. The MeacoCool comes with two types of window kits: the standard window kit and the flexible window kit. The standard window kit is suitable for sash windows, whereas the flexible window kit is suitable for all types of windows. The use of a window kit prevents warm air from outside entering the room, making the cooling more efficient. Air conditioning units are most effective when the duct can be positioned outside a window. This expels any excess heat outside and the unit doesn’t have to work as hard.At just 20.5kgs in weight, this is one of the lighter air conditioning units I've tested which makes it much easier to transport around the house. All Meaco products come with a two-year parts and labour warranty, as well as the option of extending the warranty to a total of five years. The MeacoCool comes with two types of window kits: the standard window kit and the flexible window kit. The standard window kit is suitable for sash windows, whereas the flexible window kit is suitable for all types of windows. We know it’s annoying to have to keep fiddling with your air conditioner units to get the temperature just right. We’ve added some great features to the MeacoCool range, to help you create the best environment for work, play or sleep. Our units are perfect for the areas in your home that get the hottest – conservatories, glass-roofed kitchen extensions, bedrooms, home offices and home gyms or exercise rooms. And they’re just as good in an office environment where you need to keep people comfortable to help them work productively.