Best Products > Smart Home The 2 Best Smart Air Conditioners Keep temperatures and energy bills from heating up By Anton Galang Anton Galang Facebook Twitter Writer Northwestern University Anton Galang has 10+ years' experience writing and editing for publications like PC Magazine and PCMag.com. He specializes in consumer tech. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2021 Tweet Share Email Smart Home Audio Camera & Video Car Audio & Accessories Computer & Laptops Computer Components Gaming Gifts Networking Phones & Accessories Smart Home Software Tablets Toys & Games TVs Wearables We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. The Rundown Best Budget: LG Smart Window Air Conditioner at Amazon Best Smart A/C Control: Sensibo Sky at Amazon Best Budget: LG Smart Window Air Conditioner Amazon View On Amazon View On Home Depot With the numbers of options still fairly limited, you won’t find a huge variation in the price of smart A/Cs. But LG offers window air conditioners with smart features that get the job done without a lot of extra costs. Wi-Fi enabled versions are available for their 8,000, 10,000, and 12,000-BTU models, so you can choose which amount of cooling power is most appropriate for your room. All models are Energy Star-certified and include an auto-restart feature to get things back up and running after a power outage. The Wi-Fi connection built-in to the LG appliance shows some tendency to be problematic, but this can happen to basically any smart A/C across the board, and for most homes, it works just fine. As part of the company’s LG SmartThinQ line of smart home devices, the same free app controls the air conditioner as well. It handles all the A/C’s basic functions, like the important one of getting your house cooled down before you get home. Google Home and Amazon Alexa virtual assistants are also supported. Best Smart A/C Control: Sensibo Sky Amazon View On Amazon If you want to keep your existing air conditioner or can’t find a Wi-Fi-enabled version that meets your needs, there are ways to add smart features to a “dumb” A/C. Connecting it to a smart plug will give you the most basic control. But for more advanced air conditioning-specific tools, you’ll want a smart A/C control device like the Sensibo Sky, an affordable way to get a whole lot of smart cooling functionality. Setting up the small Sensibo Sky device is simple. You plug it in and can stick it to the wall if you’d like. You pair it through your air conditioner’s infrared sensor—meaning your unit needs to support a remote control to work. Then you connect the Sensibo Sky to your home W-Fi and download the Sensibo app, available for iOS or Android (and as a web app if you’re not at a mobile device). The app is rich with features—besides basic A/C operation, you can create schedules and set up temperature adjustments based on your phone’s location or the weather around your house. The Sensibo Sky is compatible with Alexa and Google Home, but it doesn’t stop there. Its open API allows for a number of community-built integrations with services that aren’t officially supported, like Samsung’s SmartThings and, indirectly, Apple’s HomeKit. You can also set up your own automated tasks through IFTTT. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit