Portable Air Conditioner That Doesn't Need Venting

We often get people writing in to us to inquire if there is a portable air conditioner that doesn't need venting. I guess that people would like a little machine that the can set up and it will just work.

Unfortunately, a portable air conditioner - by definition - must have a vent. The vent is required to dispel the hot air.

There is a full explanation here.

But some folks still insist that they have seen portable units without vents. In reality, however, those were probably evaporative coolers as pictured below. These aren't air conditioners, though they look like portable units. They work in a completely different way than an air conditioner and that is why they don't require venting. Also, evaporative coolers will only work in dry, arid climates. They don't fix humidity.