Best Portable Air Conditioners in Switzerland (August 2026)

June 2026 brought Switzerland a heatwave that MeteoSwiss calls "historic": the hottest ten-day stretch ever measured at stations in Basel, Neuchâtel, Zurich and Davos. If your flat spent those nights at 28 °C, you are probably shopping for an air conditioner right now. This ranking covers only devices you can actually buy in Switzerland, with CHF prices, honest noise figures and the rental question answered. One thing upfront: we run splitclima.ch, and two of the winners are our own products. We name their weak points anyway. You would find them on Reddit in five minutes.

The quick picks

• Best overall: Midea PortaSplit. Real split efficiency and 39 dB(A) without drilling, an installer or a permit.
• Best value: SplitClima S12. Same category, same 3.5 kW cooling power, CHF 799.– with the window kit included.
• Best for bedrooms: Midea PortaSplit Cool. 38 dB(A), right-sized for one room, cooling only.
• Tightest budget: a monoblock. Acceptable for two hot weeks a year. Loud and inefficient beyond that.

How did we rank these devices?

Openly: we sell air conditioners, and two devices below are ours. We did not run lab tests ourselves and do not pretend to. This ranking rests on manufacturer datasheets, Stiftung Warentest's measurements of mobile air conditioners, owner feedback collected on Redditrecs and in the r/MideaPortaSplit community, and on what is actually purchasable in Switzerland with a Swiss warranty. Criteria in order: efficiency, indoor noise, fit for rentals and Swiss windows, price, availability.

What is the best portable air conditioner in Switzerland?

For most Swiss apartments it is the Midea PortaSplit. It cools with 3.5 kW at SEER 6.1 (energy class A++), heats in spring and autumn (SCOP 4.0, A+), runs at 39 dB(A) in silent mode and needs no drilling, no installer and, as a mobile device, generally no permit. No monoblock comes close to those numbers.

The trick is the construction. Like a fixed split system, the PortaSplit puts the compressor outside. Indoor and outdoor unit connect through a 2 m line that is just 2.7 cm thin, so it fits through a tilted window; with a window seal the opening closes almost completely. TIME picked the PortaSplit as one of its Best Inventions 2025, and for once the hype matches daily use: 3.5 kW handles typical living rooms and bedrooms of roughly 25 to 40 m², depending on sun and insulation.

Owners confirm the promise and the flaws. The Reddit consensus: no negative pressure in the room, and "it's way more quiet. You can easily sleep with it on." The honest cons: the main unit weighs around 45 kg, so stairs are a two-person job, the 2 m line limits where the outdoor unit can go, and the outdoor unit hums and releases some condensate water.

Price and availability are the sore point. Swiss retailers listed it between CHF 999.– and CHF 1'349.– before it sold out almost everywhere; heise even documents fake shops exploiting the scarcity. Our price is CHF 1'190.– (list price CHF 1'349.–), our next batch arrives in spring 2027, and the free waitlist on the product page gives you 48 hours of early access.

What is the best value portable split?

The SplitClima S12, our house brand, at CHF 799.–. You get the same 3.5 kW cooling, heating with the same SCOP 4.0, R32 refrigerant, WiFi control, a normal Swiss T13 plug and the window kit already in the box. In sleep mode it runs at 39 dB(A).

The honest limit: its SEER is 5.6 against the PortaSplit's 6.1. At the 2026 median electricity price, that gap costs about CHF 5.– per summer (the math is in our running cost guide). If pure efficiency decides, buy the PortaSplit. If CHF 391.– in your pocket decides, buy the S12.

What is the quietest option for bedrooms?

The Midea PortaSplit Cool, specified at 38 dB(A), the lowest figure in this list. With 2.35 kW it is sized for a bedroom or home office rather than a living room, and that is the point: it holds 24 °C in a small room without working hard.

Know what you are buying: the Cool looks nearly identical to the full PortaSplit but does not heat, a mix-up Notebookcheck explicitly warns about. It costs CHF 1'090.– at our shop. If you want winter use or a bigger room, take the full PortaSplit or the S12. More on sleeping next to these machines in our quiet AC guide.

Is a cheap monoblock ever the right choice?

Yes, in a narrow case: you need cooling two or three weeks a year, the budget stops well under CHF 500.–, and one rollable box beats two units. For everything beyond that, the physics work against you.

A monoblock blows hot air out through a thick hose, which pulls warm replacement air into the flat through every gap. Stiftung Warentest put the verdict in its test title: flexible, but not very efficient. The compressor also sits in your room; typical monoblocks are specified between 55 and 65 dB(A), which rules out sleep for most people. And it draws roughly 26 Rp. of electricity per hour against about 11 Rp. for a portable split. If you go this route anyway, German roundups such as china-gadgets.de consistently name the Climia CMK 3500 as a compact, comparatively quiet pick. Check current stock at Galaxus or Fust and compare prices on Toppreise.

What if the 2 m line is too short?

The most-named alternative is the Argo Ulisse 13, a portable split with a longer connection line, recommended in German Reddit threads and alternative lists when the outdoor unit has to sit further from the window. Trade-offs: heavier, usually pricier, and Swiss availability is spotty. For most flats with a balcony or an outside window sill, 2 m is enough.

The August 2026 comparison table

Model	Type	Cooling	Heating	Efficiency	Noise, quietest mode	Price	Status
Midea PortaSplit	Portable split	3.5 kW	Yes	SEER 6.1 (A++)	39 dB(A)	CHF 1'190.–	Sold out, waitlist
SplitClima S12	Portable split	3.5 kW	Yes	SEER 5.6 (A+)	39 dB(A)	CHF 799.–	Sold out, waitlist
Midea PortaSplit Cool	Portable split	2.35 kW	No	A++	38 dB(A)	CHF 1'090.–	Sold out, waitlist
Typical monoblock	Monoblock	2.0 to 2.6 kW	Rarely	EER approx. 2.6	55 to 65 dB(A)	from approx. CHF 300.–	Mostly available

Monoblock or portable split: what is the difference?

A monoblock is one box with an exhaust hose; a portable split is two units with the compressor outside. That single difference decides efficiency, noise and whether you can sleep. The split cools a closed room; the monoblock fights the warm air it pulls in itself. The full breakdown, including who should still buy a monoblock, is in our monoblock vs portable split comparison.

What do these devices cost to run?

Less than most people fear. At the Swiss 2026 median household tariff of 27.7 Rp./kWh (ElCom), a PortaSplit-class split costs about 11 Rp. per hour and roughly CHF 55.– over a 500-hour summer. A typical monoblock lands around CHF 130.–. The formula, all assumptions and a per-canton table are in our running cost guide.

Do you need a permit for a portable air conditioner?

Generally no. Mobile devices, including portable splits, are not fixed to the building, so they usually need no building permit; the city of Zurich, for example, requires none for non-fixed units. Fixed split systems are different: landlord approval plus, in many cantons, a permit. Geneva restricts air conditioning the most and regulates it through the cantonal energy office, so check locally before buying. Noise rules apply to every device, always. Details for tenants in our renter guide and in Homegate's tenancy advisory.

FAQ

Why is everything sold out?

Two record summers in a row met a category with one dominant device. After the June 2026 heatwave, retailers sold through within days, and German tech media report only scattered stock. Our next batch is ordered for spring 2027. The waitlist is free, works per product and gives 48 hours of early access before public sale.

Can one person set up a portable split?

The setup itself, yes: no tools, no drilling, roughly 30 minutes. Carrying is the issue. The PortaSplit's main unit weighs about 45 kg, and owners on Reddit call the stairs a two-person job. Once the unit is in place, positioning the outdoor unit, routing the flat line and sealing the window is comfortable solo work.

Is it worth over CHF 1'000.– for a few hot weeks?

The electricity is trivial, about CHF 55.– per summer. The purchase price is the real cost, and the answer depends on your sleep. MeteoSwiss data shows Swiss nights warming even faster than days, so hot spells are getting longer, and a device that also heats earns its keep in spring and autumn. Our 30-day return right exists precisely for this doubt.

Where can you still buy a PortaSplit in Switzerland?

Check Galaxus, Digitec, Interdiscount and ecofort; Fust sells the identical device under Midea's second brand as Comfee PortaSplit. Compare live prices on Toppreise. Buy only from shops with a Swiss address and a real imprint: heise documents fake shops around this exact product. Or join our free waitlist for the spring 2027 batch.

Can these devices replace heating in winter?

No. The PortaSplit and the S12 heat efficiently with SCOP 4.0, but they are shoulder-season heaters for single rooms, not a substitute for your building's heating. Where they shine: a chilly home office in March or October, warmed for about 7 Rp. per kWh of heat at 2026 median tariffs instead of 28 Rp. with a resistive heater.

Want cool nights before the next heatwave instead of during it? Browse our portable air conditioners: free delivery, a 2-year warranty handled in Switzerland, a 30-day return right, and payment by TWINT, card, PayPal or invoice. All models are currently sold out, so join the waitlist on the product page; it costs nothing and unlocks 48 hours of early access when the spring 2027 batch arrives.