LG Portable Air Conditioners

LG’s current lineup of portable air conditioners includes the following models:

LG model numbers always follow this format:

LP [first two numbers of BTU size class] [year of release] [letters that distinguish one design type from another]

So, for example,

For the LP0721WSR

07 = 7,000 BTUs
21 = released in 2021
WSR = a particular design shared with all other “WSR” units. Thus, there are three “WSR” models that all have the same design: the LP0721WSR, LP0723WSR, and the LG LP0621WSR. The only real differences between them are BTU size class and the year they were released.

Note that the numbers in the model name that designate BTU size class usually correspond to the SACC BTUs for that particular model (we'll talk more about SACC in just a minute). The LP0721WSR, for example, has 7,000 SACC BTUs.

The one exception is the LP1419IVSM. The "14" in its model name corresponds to its traditional cooling capacity of 14,000 BTUs. This model has a Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity (SACC) of 10,000 BTUs.

LG portable air conditioners vs models by other brands

Two different standards are used to specify portable air conditioner cooling capacity.

By the old standard, units would be tested in favorable conditions and most units on the market (including LG units) would fall into one of these four “size” categories:

• 8,000 BTUs
• 10,000 BTUs
• 12,000 BTUs
• 14,000 BTUs

By the new standard, units are tested under more difficult conditions (at higher outdoor temperatures indicative of temperatures over different seasons) and two major portable air conditioner inefficiencies are accounted for:

• heat added back into the conditioned room by the unit’s ducting radiating heat back into the room
• heat added back into the room by infiltration air

The heat added by these inefficiencies is essentially subtracted from the unit’s total cooling capacity to give a new adjusted cooling capacity. Combine this with the new outdoor temperature requirements and you have the new standard – seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC).

SACC is much more indicative of actual real life cooling capacity than BTUs measured by the old standard.

As such, we will use SACC to compare LG units to units made by other brands for the rest of this guide.

Low SACC Units

The LP0821GSSM, LP0721WSR, LP0723WSR, and LP0621WSR all qualify as "low SACC" units because they all have a SACC under 9,000 BTUs.

We tested several different portable AC units in a 150 sq. ft. room and saw a distinct difference in performance between units with more than 9,000 SACC BTUs (high SACC) and units with less than 9,000 SACC BTU (low SACC).

The 9,000+ SACC BTU units cooled the room much quicker and to much lower temperatures.

The <9,000 SACC BTU units took much longer to cool the room and couldn't get it to as low of a temperature.

As such, we generally recommend you buy a portable AC unit with at least 9,000 SACC BTUs.

And so, we generally do not recommend any of the models we referenced earlier - LP0821GSSM, LP0721WSR, LP0723WSR, LP0621WSR.

If you end up purchasing any one of these models, it should only be used in

• a small room AND
• a room that's not very difficult to cool (i.e. NOT a second story room or a room with many windows that gets hot easily)

Let's say that the room you need to cool does fit the description above (it's small and easy to cool). Among the low SACC LG options, we would recommend the LP0821GSSM as the best option because it has the highest SACC (8,000 SACC BTUs) and the best energy effiency (7.5 SACC/watt). At current pricing it is more expensive than the other low SACC LG models, but it's just as good of a value (with a SACC/$ ratio of 18.6).

High SACC Units

High SACC (9,000+ SACC BTU) LG options include the LP1419IVSM, LP1022FVSM, LP1021BSSM, and the LP1021BHSM.

The first two models are very similar to each other, and the last two models are very similar to each other.

The LP1022FVSM is essentially an updated version of the LP1419IVSM. Both models offer 10,000 SACC BTUs and so they easily clear the 9,000+ SACC BTU threshold we talked about earlier.

Both models have relatively poor energy efficiency relative to their SACC - with a SACC/watt ratio of 7.3. Both models are also a relatively poor value - with a SACC/$ ratio of 14.3.

In the past, the LP1419IVSM was actually recommended as the best portable air conditioner we tested. But that was mostly because it had the highest SACC of any portable AC unit on the market at the time. Today, there are many more units with the same and even more SACC. And many are more energy efficient and cheaper.

And so we generally do not recommend the LP1419IVSM (or, by extension, the LP1022FVSM) anymore.

The LP1021BSSM and LP1021BHSM are all but identical to each other. The only difference between them is that the latter model adds a heater (which is why it has an "H" added to its model name).

These models also offer 10,000 SACC BTUs, but they have much better energy efficiency (an 8.3 SACC/watt ratio) and are a better value (they're usually at least $100 to $200 cheaper) than the LP1419IVSM and LP1022FVSM.

The LP1419IVSM and LP1022FVSM do have a pre-attached hose and an on-board compartment for their included window kit, which allows for easier storage, but we don't think this benefit is worth the added cost of these units.

Conclusion

We generally don't recommend low SACC LG units like the LP0821GSSM, LP0721WSR, LP0723WSR, and LP0621WSR.

We also now don't recommend the LP1419IVSM (or the LP1022FVSM).

The LP1021BSSM and LP1021BHSM are solid 10,000 SACC BTU units, though they're rarely in stock during peak parts of the summer. A good alternative to these units, and our overall top pick if you're shopping for a 10,000 SACC BTU unit is the Midea MAP12S1TBL. The Midea has the same energy efficiency and is priced similarly to the LP1021BSSM and LP1021BHSM, but it has much better availability.

The MAP14S1TBL has even more cooling capacity (12,000 SACC BTUs) and better energy efficiency (a 9.2 SACC/watt ratio). If you have the budget for it, it's the best portable air conditioner we've tested overall.