As I write this there’s a heat wave going on. Unfortunately, air conditioning is one of those product categories that China manufacturing has all but dominated. I’ve been blogging long enough to see the patterns.
- It’s a product category that’s so old with not a lot of innovation, so it’s been commoditized as cheap manufacturers can steal with impunity without worrying about violating patents.
- The components or raw materials needed to make them are highly specialized, so it’s easy pickings for China to monopolize the supply chain and ultimately flood the market.
For example, in the case of air conditioners, China has pretty much monopolized production of compressors. Again, it’s hard to fault China with this—they just took advantage of the greed of American executives who didn’t think twice about going with the lowest bid, even if it meant destroying the future of their brands in the process. They got their short-term profits and fat bonuses so they’re happy.
So regardless of where you buy your AC, it’s probably that some of the components are going to be from China. Still, the tide is turning. Companies like Daikin are starting—wisely—to look outside of China for its AC parts. Let’s hope that other companies follow.
As I do for categories like this, I started with Consumer Reports and similar trusted sites (I also check Wirecutter a lot, but it’s clear their parent company The New York Times is pressuring them to monetize their site more and more, which means a lot more cheap China-made junk than you’ll find on CR).
As always, be sure to CHECK THE LABEL in person if you can or CONTACT THE SELLER to read the label to you and not buy blindly online, as manufacturers can change on a dime.
Best Air Conditioners Not Made in China
1. – LG LW6023IVSM 6,000 BTU – Best Window Air Conditioner
This was rated the best window air conditioner on the market by Consumer Reports with an overall score of 90/100 (which is far above the runner up which is rated 80/100).
Years ago I bought a Kenmore “Smart AC” and have grown to regret it. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the company that used to be Sears and Kmart essentially went out of business and its assets were purchased by a hedge fund. For years I loved my Smart AC and being able to control my air conditioner using voice commands with my Amazon Echo device (“Alexa, turn on the AC”. “Alexa, set the temperature to 70”). But it’s become routine now that Kenmore’s app will stop working because its new owners are too cheap to invest in maintaining it.
I did a little snooping and realized that Kenmore’s AC’s were actually white labeled LG units all the time, and of course LG does a much better job at maintaining their ThinQ app, as well as their connections to Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
The unit itself is great—it cools the room quickly, is quiet, and in my case has been running smoothly for years. I love that on Amazon’s page it says clearly that it’s made in Thailand, and this is corroborated on other sites like Costco. I do have to give the disclaimer that companies can always change their production on a dime, but South Korean companies like LG and Samsung have been better than most.
I have two LGs in my apartment (the Kenmore one and an actual LG) and both have been super-reliable. If I ever need a replacement, it will be a no-brainer for me to get this one again.
2. Friedrich KCQ06A10A 6,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner
The second- and third-highest rated AC units on Consumers Reports are made in China, one by Soleus and the other by Frigidaire. Both have dived head-first into China manufacturing.
Friedrich is one of those companies where you need to be careful. It also has a lot of products made in China, but some of them are made in Mexico. eBay confirms that this one is.
If you need an AC with a bit more power, this 12,000 BTU model is made by Friedrich and on Sylvane’s site the manufacturer also confirmed that it’s made in Mexico.
3. Whirlpool WHAP131BWC 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner
If you’re in the market for a portable AC, which unlike a window AC you can move around the house. Water collected during cooling is immediately evaporated, or if you choose to run the unit in dehumidify mode, you can run a drain hose into a drain or sump pump.
As of 2024, a comment in Home Depot’s Q&A states that this portable air conditioner is made in Taiwan. It’s within the top 10 best scores for portable air conditioners by Consumer Reports, and the only one on the list (which includes Hisense, Midea, Frigidaire, Whynter, Toshiba, and Amazon Basics) not to be made in China.
4. Daikin or Mitsubishi Mini-Split Air Conditioner
If you’re not familiar with mini-splits, here’s how they work. As with a central air conditioner unit, you have a large outdoor unit that contains the compressor, condensor coil, and expansion valve (it basically looks like a giant fan). Unlike a central air conditioner, instead of having to have ducts that have been built into your walls, you mount an indoor unit with an evaporator coil and fan inside any room you like and connect it to the outdoor unit using refrigerant lines and wiring. I remember seeing these all over Asia, but it’s only relatively recently that they’ve become popular in the US.
Generally speaking, you’ll usually (but not always) have a better chance of finding mini-split systems not made in China simply because they’re larger, more complex, and therefore not as easy to transport as, say, a single window AC or portable AC.
Mitsubishi Electric is the most common option in North American markets. The MUZ-FS12NA is a popular model, and I confirmed that it’s made in Mexico. The nice thing about Mitsubishi Electric is that it’s so popular that you won’t have problems finding installers and service people.
Daikin mini-split systems are also known for their reliability. As I wrote above, Daikin has committed to going outside of China to source its parts and manufacturing which will only improve their reliability. Surely enough, one of their distributors lists on its Amazon page that the units are made in Malaysia.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, if you search on a site like Amazon you’ll invariably get a flood of options from GE, Midea, Black and Decker, Frigidaire, and of course the companies with gibberish or no brand names that sell units from China. The no-name brands don’t care if your unit breaks down in a year—they’ll just start up a new brand. The established brands don’t care either—most of their brand names are just dim shadows of once-great brands whose last remaining bits of meat are being picked off the bone by greedy vultures.
The good news is that a few options still exist, and we’d be best to support them before they go away, especially those who have publicly committed to serving their customers first and not their executives and shareholders at the customers’ expense.
Do you know of other air conditioners not made in China? Please share it in the comments!
Here in Europe, we don’t use window AC units. We only have split-air systems.
You see the well-known brands like Panasonic, LG, Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric or Heavy.
Most of these units are made in Turkey, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Thailand or China.
Daikin (and most likely also the other mentioned brands) also makes some products in China, so always pay attention when you buy a unit. The outdoor units usually come from Turkey or the Czech Republic. I do see the indoor units regularly from China.
The Mitsubishi units usually come from Thailand.
The Panasonic units usually come from Malaysia.
The LG units usually come from Korea or Turkey.