The shortest low profile window air conditioners – those with slim, narrow height – are all under 14” tall. Some are under 12”, depending on their BTU capacity.
One small height window AC, the Kapsul, is just 7” tall! But we’ll tell you upfront, we do not recommend the Kapsul W5 (the only model available) because it costs three times more than most others and isn’t highly rated by those who use it. See our Kapsul window AC review for details.
What’s Here? A full Buying Guide below is loaded with good research about low profile window ACs and choosing the right one for your situation.
Before that, we discuss a few key issues including whether two popular window air conditioners – the Soleus Air Saddle AC and the Midea U-Shaped window AC are low profile air conditioners.
Then, we list the 8 Best Low Profile Window Air Conditioners for this year. There’s a smart AC with Voice/WiFi control and one with heat to help in cold weather too.
Higher BTU / Bigger Air Conditioners Usually Have A Greater Height
In general, a low profile 10,000 BTU AC will be taller than a 6,000 BTU low profile AC. That makes sense, right?
As you browse the list below, you will see that the heights for the models are:
5,000 BTU – 12.06” / 6,000 BTU – 12.43” / 8,000 BTU – 12.44”
Once you get into the 10,000 BTU range, it is very difficult to find an AC less than 13 inches in height.
Midea U-Shaped AC Is Not As Low Profile As You Thought
The minimum window opening for the Midea U-Shape window AC is 13.75”.
Most of the short height window air conditioners in the list above are shorter than those – more slim from top to bottom.
Soleus Saddle Air Conditioner is Not a Low Profile Window AC In Terms of Installation Height
If you have a window that can open more than 16”, then this AC has a very low profile once installed.
But, you have to open the window quite a ways to get the outside part of the AC through the opening, so you can set it over the windowsill and close the window sash. The Soleus AC needs a window opening of more than 16” of clearance to install the AC.
The Best Low Profile Window AC Reviews
Everyone has a different idea of what low profile means. These are short window air conditioners in all popular sizes, and each has a slim, narrow height.
And they are all highly rated, so you can buy one with the confidence it will do a great job keeping the air cool and comfortable.
Frigidaire Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner
Best Low Profile 5,000 BTU Window AC
This low profile window air conditioner is barely 12” tall and it has excellent ratings from those who use it. The unit is a quiet small window ACs at about 50 decibels. It is light at less than 40 pounds.
- 5,000 BTUs / 150 square feet
- L x W x H: 13.19 x 16 x 12.06 inches
- Energy Star efficient: 12 SEER
- Remote / Programmable 24-hour Timer
- An “Amazon’s Choice” for quality and reliability
Best Use/Buy If: This low profile window AC is designed for a small bedroom or office – about 10’ x 15’ or 12’ x 12’. Buy it if you have a single-hung or double-hung window that opens at east 12.5”.
GE Profile, 2-in-1 Smart Air Conditioner & Dehumidifier
Best Smart Low Profile Window AC
This short window AC is one of the quietest available and works with your favorite smart home systems. It has Cool Mode and Dehumidify Mode (which dries the air without cooling it).
- 6,150 BTUs / Up to 250 square feet
- Voice (Alexa, Google) / Phone app control
- L x W x H: 18 x 21.25 x 12.43 inches
- Super-quiet at just 40 decibels
- Other sizes available – Not all low profile
Best Use/Buy If: You like the convenience or need smart control and have up to 250 square feet to cool. Ideal for any room 12’ x 20, 15’ x 15’ and similar. Needs about 12.75” minimum window opening.
LG 115V Window Air Conditioner with Remote Control
Best 6,000 BTU Low Profile Window AC
This is the lowest window AC on our list at less than 11.25”. Ratings are excellent for this digital low profile window air conditioner.
- 6,000 BTU / Up to 250 square feet
- 14.38 x 17.31 x 11.13 inches
- Fairly quiet at a noise level of 52 decibels
- 3 AC settings and fan speeds
- Remote control for convenience from anywhere in the room
Best Use/Buy If: You want a light, powerful and short low profile window air conditioner for a bedroom, office, kitchen or similar room. Typical room sizes are 12’ x 20’, 14’ x 18’ and 15’ x 15’
AMANA 115V Window-Mounted Air Conditioner
Alternate 6,000 BTU Low Profile Window AC
If the LG 6,000 BTU AC above isn’t in stock at the time you check, you might consider this Amana window AC that is quite slim from top to bottom.
- 6,000 BTU / Up to 250 square feet
- L x W x H: 15.6 x 18.6 x 13.3 inches
- Noise Level on Low: 51dBA
GE Profile Ultra Quiet Window Air Conditioner 8,100 BTU
Best 8,000 BTU Low Profile Window AC
This is definitely a short AC at less than 12.5” tall. It is very quiet with a noise level as low as 40 decibels, plus it is smart. Use it with Alexa, Google Assistant and WiFi. This is an Energy Star certified window AC.
- 8,100 BTU / Up to 350 square feet
- L x W x H: 18.63 x 21.25 x 12.44 inches
- Voice and WiFi Control
- AC/Dry/Fan/Eco Modes
- 24-hour Timer & Remote
Best Use/Buy If: You want to cut energy costs with an Energy Star AC and you live voice/WiFi control convenience. This AC fits rooms up to about 20’ x 16’.
Other Low Profile Options
The next three window ACs aren’t especially low profile in design, but they are the lowest / shortest window air conditioners in their niche.
Because they aren’t “short” ACs, our reviews are brief. We want Pick HVAC readers to know they are available if you have a window that opens about 14 inches.
LG Electronics LG 8,000 BTU Heat and Cool Window Air Conditioner with WiFi Controls
Best Low Profile Window AC with Heat
- 8,000 BTU / Up to 320 square feet
- L x W x H: 20.88 x 18.44 x 13.88 inches
- Control with Alexa, Hey Google, WiFi app
- 24-hour Timer and Remote for convenience
- Just 50 decibel noise level
Best Use/Buy If: You have a room that gets chilly in fall/winter too. This short window AC is ideal for rooms 20’ x 16’ and similar – bedrooms, offices, living rooms, kitchens.
Frigidaire Inverter Quiet Temp Smart Room AC
Best 10,000 BTU Low Profile Window AC
- 10,000 BTU / Up to 450 square feet
- L x W x H: 23 x 19.45 x 13.9 inches
- Energy Star certified
- Super quiet for its size – 42 decibels
- WiFi app and control
Best Use/Buy If: You have a living room, bedroom, office or kitchen about 20’ x 20’, 24’ x 18’ or similar.
GE Profile Inverter Window Air Conditioner 12,000 BTU
Best 12,000 Low Profile Window AC
- 12,000 BTU / 550 square feet
- L x W x H: 19.89 x 20.52 x 13.91 inches
- Energy Star certified
- Super quiet – Just 40 decibels
- Voice (Alexa, Google) and WiFi control
Best Use/Buy If: You enjoy voice/WiFi control and want to cut energy use with an Energy Star certified unit in rooms 23’ x 23’, 30’ x 18’ and similar size living rooms, zones, kitchens and bedroom suites.
Research Notes – Helping you Find the Right Low Profile Window AC
Here are notes on a few other short window ACs – low height window air conditioners.
LG 5,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Manual Controls
This unit is just 11.13 inches high. That’s very low profile! But there are a few things to consider:
Here is why we mention it here and not in our list above. This short LG window air conditioner is available from Amazon, but it is sold by third parties and comes with shipping costs. It is not a Prime product. It gets decent ratings, and it is light at just 40 pounds. So, if you haven’t found the low profile AC you want, this is worth checking out.
GE Profile ClearView 8,300 BTU AHTT08BC Window AC
This unit is pretty narrow top to bottom at just 12.75” tall, but it is not available on Amazon at this time. Plus, the GE Profile Ultra Quiet Window Air Conditioner 8,100 BTU AC in our list above is just 12.44” tall.
Low Profile Window Air Conditioner Buying Guide
Let’s start this section with an obvious question and then go on to other important issues regarding low profile window ACs.
What About the Kapsul Window AC?
Here is our Kapsul AC review.
The only version available is the Kapsul W5. Here are the pros and cons of the Kapsul window air conditioner:
Pros
- Very low profile at just 7” – It is called the world’s slimmest air conditioner, and it probably is.
- WiFi app (Google and Alexa control planned for the next generation)
- Fairly energy efficient, though not Energy Star certified
- Attractive
- MERV-rated built-in filter
Cons
- Just 5,000 BTU – not large capacity
- Very expensive – at about $800 for this year, that’s up to 4 times more costly than other window air conditioners
- Weighs 48 pounds, so fairly heavy
- Window opening must by 10”
Could I Remove the Sash Completely to Get More Opening Room?
Yes, you will get a taller opening if you remove the lower sash on a double-hung window and the only sash on a single-hung window.
How much more room will you get? It is easy to tell.
1). Open the lower/only sash all the way
2). Measure the distance from the bottom of the upper sash to the bottom of the opened lower/only sash. This is how much extra opening you will have.
Should you do this? There are pros and cons.
Pros
- You’ll gain 1 inch to 3 inches on most single-hung and double-hung windows.
- Depending on your window, removing and reinstalling the sash can be quick and easy – It’s a DIY job.
Cons
- The side panels that come with the AC won’t fit tightly anymore – you’ll have gaps, and the best options are plastic taped over the opening or rigid foam board used to fill the gaps.
- For older windows, removing the sash might be difficult or impossible. At minimum, trim might have to be removed. DIY homeowners without good skills risk damaging the window frame and/or sash and needing a pro to fix the window when the AC is taken out.
Removal/re-installation Tips: Sashes that tilt in for cleaning are usually easier to remove than non-tilting sashes. But don’t remove the lower sash until you are sure you know how to put it back in.
There are different methods for removing lower sashes. Your best bet is to search for videos from the window brand you have – whether Pella, Jeld-Wen, Andersen, Marvin, etc.
This video shows how to remove a tilting sash (your brand might be slightly different). You can try it with your window, obviously, to see if it is a quick DIY project or if you better forget it – or pay to have a pro do the sash removal.
This video shows how to remove a non-tilting sash. Again, your windows might be different, so search by brand or contact the company that installed the windows for advice.
Low Profile Window AC Alternatives
There are two genuine air conditioning options available to consider.
Portable Air Conditioners
This is the best true AC alternative to a window air conditioner. It has advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Window only has to open 6” to 8” depending on the brand (6” is most common).
- Portable ACs have wheels and are super-easy to move compared to window air conditioners.
- Most are evaporative, so they don’t have to be emptied often, if ever.
- Hoses up to 6’ long allow you to move the AC closer to where you are seated.
Cons:
- Efficiency is about half that of a window AC. In other words, if the portable AC has an ASHRAE rating of 14,000 BTU, the new DOE BTU rating will be 7,000 to 9,000 BTU. Simply put, you don’t get as much cooling power with a portable air conditioner. As a result, there are no Energy Star certified portable models.
- Cost can be a little bit to quite a lot higher.
Mini Split AC or Heat Pump
Have you considered a single zone ductless mini split system for the room you want to cool?
Pros
- Much higher efficiency – up to 40+ SEER, though the most affordable models have SEER ratings of about 17 to 22.
- Most are heat pumps, so they heat about as efficiently as they cool.
- Sizes from 6,000 to 48,000 BTU for single zones.
- Don’t need a window at all.
Cons
- Professionally installed systems start above $2,000, so this is really only a choice if you need a permanent, long-term solution in a room that isn’t adequately cooled (and heated in the case of a heat pump) by a central HVAC system.
- Fully DIY mini splits from MrCool and Klimaire start below $1,400, so you might consider one of them if you have good DIY skills.
It is absolutely ludicrous that decent low profile window units are so difficult to find.
The Kenmore Plasmaire (6,000BTU) is 10″ high inside (12″ outside), requires no external brackets/mounts, and works perfectly in vinyl clad casement windows with zero fuss. Open window, set unit, close window.
They had a sleek modern design, not a clunky white box which is all you can find these days.
They were rebranded by GE, and LG for a while… but sadly no longer available. I’ve been running 3 of them for almost 20 years (in 10×12 rooms) with no trouble – until one just died. They were about $150-$250 each.
LG Version:
lg.com/us/air-conditioners/lg-LP6011ER-low-profile-air-conditioner
GE version (7000BTU):
geappliances.com/appliance/GE-115-Volt-Low-Profile-Electronic-Room-Air-Conditioner-AGP07LH
If a mfgr brought back this form factor and functionality, they’d make millions.
Hi Thrash
You can use an portable ac instead as there is no 10″ high window ac currently. Although portable ac is a bit noisy but the inverter portable ac is almost as quiet as window ac.