5 Cool Home Gadgets That Can Upgrade Your Air Conditioner

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During the hot seasons, a reliable air conditioner can be one of the most important appliances you own. Whether you have a central air system in your home or a standalone air conditioning unit keeping you company in the living room, these systems provide much-needed cooling on what would otherwise be sweltering days. As vital as air conditioners are, though, they could always be a little more reliable and multifunctional.

Even if your air conditioner is fairly good at moving cool air around your room or home, it could always be better, and you don’t even need to replace the entire device or system to facilitate that. You can find all sorts of nifty gadgets and upgrades for your air conditioner on Amazon, including standalone air purifiers and vent-mounted booster fans. These devices improve your air conditioner’s ability to keep you cool from anywhere in a room and operate according to your precise needs and schedule. All of the products on our list are backed up by positive ratings from Amazon shoppers and have average user scores of at least 4 out of 5 stars.

If you have a central air system, it’s likely managed via a thermostat somewhere in your home. Most basic thermostats have some degree of automated functionality, such as automatically kicking in when the temperature gets too high. That said, your thermostat could always be a little smarter, and if your thermostat gets smarter, so too does your air conditioner. For a smarter thermostat, try the Google Nest Thermostatavailable on Amazon for $129.99.

This Energy Star-certified smart thermostat allows you to easily control your air conditioner’s output either by adjusting the touch bar on its side or remotely via your smartphone, tablet, or PC. Using the Nest Thermostat’s programmable schedule, you can automatically set different temperature thresholds for different times of day to meet your preferences, both for optimal cooling and for saving power. As an extra perk, this thermostat uses sensors to detect whether you’re actually home or not. When you’re not, it automatically switches to Eco Temperatures so your AC isn’t wasting power when nobody’s around.

Amazon users have given this thermostat a cumulative 4.1 out of 5 score, and it’s also an Amazon’s Choice product. One user said that, while it was a little tricky to set up, it did a great job of regulating temperatures in multiple parts of their home, thanks in part to its user-friendly interface.

While an air conditioning unit or system is great at cooling and moving air around, there’s no guarantee that the air in question will be completely free of irritants and contaminants. Some people actually experience allergic symptoms while an AC is running, as it may circulate airborne substances like pollen and dust, triggering sneezing and coughing. If allergies are preventing you from enjoying your home’s AC, try supplementing your setup with a Levoit Core Mini-P Air Purifieravailable on Amazon for $49.99.

This desktop air purifier utilizes a three-stage filtration system to draw in and capture all manner of airborne irritants like lint, pet dander, loose hair, pollen, and more. It’s rated to capture 99.97% of airborne particles, helping keep irritants out of the air you’re breathing. It’s small enough to sit comfortably on your desk, coffee table, or nightstand, and runs quietly so as not to be annoying and intrusive. It only weighs about 2 pounds, as well, so you can also pick it up and move it around the house with you fairly easily.

This compact air purifier has proven popular with those in need of cleaner air, scoring a 4.6 out of 5 rating from Amazon shoppers. One user found it to be invaluable during wildfire season, saying the device filtered out the worst particulates and smells of wildfire smoke and helped protect both them and their pets, especially while sleeping at night.

Different types of air conditioners work differently. For example, some smaller, portable air conditioner units need to be vented out of a nearby window via a hose. This is because, much like window-mounted air conditioners, they need to vent drawn-in heat and moisture. Unfortunately, this is a downside of portable ACs, with hose-based setups being less than optimal due to a lack of a sealed window. If you’re using a portable AC and want to improve its performance, consider trying the Loviga Portable AC Window Vent Kitavailable on Amazon for $17.98.

This kit consists of a fabric seal and an opening for a portable AC ventilation hose. Just set up the seal in a window by attaching the included Velcro pads, feed the ventilation hose into the opening, and use the drawstring to seal it shut. It’s a simple setup, but by sealing the window around your hose like this, you help keep cooled air inside the house and hot outdoor air outside. As an added perk, the seal removes some of the potential headaches of leaving the window open, such as bugs flying in, and it can fit both vertical and horizontal sliding windows.

This ventilation kit has garnered a 4.0 out of 5-star rating from Amazon shoppers, with one user calling it their go-to window seal for portable ACs thanks to its easy installation and durable, waterproof construction. Another user especially liked that they could still open the window slider when the AC wasn’t in use, as well as easily relocate the seal by simply removing the Velcro.

On the subject of window-mounted air conditioners, how cool a window-mounted AC unit actually makes a given room can vary a bit depending on the window’s relative position. If it’s just spraying cool air near the floor, you won’t really feel the cooling effects, and the same goes if it’s angled too high. To get your cooled air to the proper elevation, you should employ a deflector panel, such as the PeachBasket AirFlow Pro Window Air Conditioner Deflectoravailable on Amazon for $24.99.

This clever gadget is designed to clamp onto most window-mounted air conditioners, allowing you to force the air to flow either upward or downward in a more concentrated stream based on your needs and preferences. It doesn’t require any particular tools or know-how to install; just stick it right on, and you’re ready. It’s made of sturdy ABS plastic that’s easy to wipe clean, and it even has a small negative ion module built in, which the manufacturer says helps prevent the circulation of irritants like dust and pollen.

This deflector panel has proven to be a modest success on Amazon, where users have given it a 4.3 out of 5-star rating. One user was having trouble with their window AC constantly blasting cold air onto their legs, a problem the deflector remedied by moving air up toward the top of the room for better circulation, with the ionizer module being a nice bonus.

Even if you have a central air system working to circulate cool air through multiple rooms in your home, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get optimal cooling through your preferred vent, especially if it’s on the other side of the room from where you’re sitting. Poor airflow is a common problem with various types of AC, so if you need a little extra oomph from your central air vents, try installing an AC Infinity Airtap T4 Booster Fanavailable on Amazon for $59.99.

This standalone fan module is designed to be installed over a typical central air vent. When your home HVAC system activates, the fans automatically detect it and kick in, propelling cooler (or warmer) air more forcefully to ensure greater circulation through a room. When your HVAC system turns off, the fans also turn off, and the vent shutter automatically closes to prevent dust and particulates from getting into the system. It comes with an IR remote for manually controlling temperature settings, fan speeds, and other settings, though you can also sync it up with a smart home framework like Google Home or Alexa.

This booster fan is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon among products in the Household Ventilation Fan category and has earned a 4.3 out of 5 score from users. One user called it one of the best booster fans on the market, comparing it to several other models they’ve used over the years, praising the ease of installation and control, and multiple fan speeds and functions. Their only real point of contention is that the fans can get a little noisy depending on the size of your home’s ducts.

If you’re going to add various gadgets and accessories to your air conditioner, you definitely want to be sure that they’re reliable before you go to the trouble. There’s nothing quite as miserable as trying to upgrade your AC and finding you’ve accidentally made it worse, after all. This is why, in order to help narrow down the options, we focused on AC-related products available on Amazon with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars, with preference given to feedback that explains helpful real-life use cases. Additional consideration was given to products that work with different types of air conditioners, including portable standing models, window-mounted models, and central air systems.