Best Air Conditioner in India 2023 – Review, Comparison & Buyer’s Guide

Buying the best air conditioner in India, sometimes becomes a challenging task because of numerous brands as well as their promoters available in the market. If you are going to buy an air conditioner for your home, just wait for a minute, first, you need to research properly and should be aware of different products, models, and brands available in the Indian market. 

However, researching and picking up the best air conditioner or anything else might be time consuming and boring task for somebody or can’t do so properly on your own. 

No need to worry, we are here to help you out in selecting the best air conditioner in India. We already did lots of research, surveys and gathered real customers’ feedback regarding top air conditioners available in India.

Our experts derived a list of the top 10 air conditioners available in the Indian market, you should go through the list to buy the best air conditioner for your home.

5 Important Parameters needs to consider before buying an Air Conditioner –

Before we go ahead, let me explain how we rated the best air conditioners which could be the Best Buy for you. 

Although there are several significant parameters to rate an AC is whether it is the best or not. But these five factors are extremely important when it comes to buying an air conditioner.

1) Energy Efficiency –

It is the most important parameter which should be considered before buying an air conditioner because it consumes more electricity which may increase your budget. The air conditioner runs at least 10-16 hours daily in summer which would surely affect your pocket. Hence, you should buy energy-efficient air conditioners for your home.

2) Technology –

Technologies are evolving day by day to make our life easy and comfortable. The different home appliance companies are continuously trying to develop new technologies to enhance the experience of air conditioners. Hence buying the latest technology-enriched AC might be a beneficial deal for you.

3) Durability –

Buying an AC is a big investment so your product should be long-lasting. There are many parameters that ensure the durability of an air conditioner which we kept in mind at the time of preparing this review guide.

4) Cost –

Obviously, the cost of the machine should also be a major concern. That’s why we not only considered the upfront price but also the operating and maintenance costs.

5) Consumer Feedback –

Ultimately, real feedback can be obtained from actual consumers. Therefore, it is not possible to review any product accurately without considering the customer’s feedback. 

Now let us explore the list of top 10 air conditioners in India for 2021.

Top 10 Best Air Conditioner in India 2023 –

Best Air Conditioner in India –

1) Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 star Inverter Split AC (Model – FTKF50TV)

Daikin is a Japanese multinational company known for its top-class air conditioners. The company is specialized in the manufacturing of air conditioners and is present in not only India but also in the United States, Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa. 

Daikin (FTKF50TV) is super power efficient, super quiet, and provides some other classic features to keep your room cool and pleasant. 

Its inverter technology compressor enables the air conditioner to adjust the power required according to the room temperature. That means if your room is too hot the compressor will function at its full capacity and gradually as the room temperature reduces, the speed of the compressor will also decrease. 

Hence, it utilizes less electricity as the compressor runs slow, once your room achieves the desired temperature. 

Its copper condenser coil ensures effective cooling as well as durability because copper is a great conductor of heat. It uses R-32 refrigerant having zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and GWP (Global Warming Potential) and being a single component, has less emission and better life cycle performance.

In addition, the Daikin machines provide features like stabilizer-free operation, sleep timer off, smell-proof operation, self-diagnosis, etc to enhance overall user experience and convenience.

Some other notable features provided by this model are as follows.

• Coanda AirFlow: The indoor fan throws the air not only in front but also in every corner of your room which ensures instant cooling within 10 minutes.

• Neo Swing Inverter Compressor: This unique design inverter compressor is smooth and produces less vibration and friction. It doesn’t leak the refrigerant gas and hence ensures quiet and effective cooling.

• Daikin XLPE Insulation Kit: The insulation kit typically encounters direct sunlight, rain and dust, hence XLPE insulation kit designed to protect UV radiation. Thus ensures longer life than other conventional insulation kits available in the market.

• Polystyrene Indoor Units: Daikin uses high impact polystyrene materials to build indoor units. Due to this, your air conditioner looks always new even after many years of purchase. 

• Outdoor Power Supply ensures extra safety to the users in case of any miss-happening like short circuit or fire. 

Cons –

Although Daikin provides many extensive features as compared to other devices, yet there are few cons as follows.

• It doesn’t have a temperature display on the indoor units.
• As per customer reviews, the installation process might take some time but only a few customers reported about such grievances.

2) LG 1.5 Ton Dual Inverter Split AC (Model – lKS-Q18HNZD)

LG requires no introduction, it is the most trusted and credible home appliances company not only in India but also around the globe. LG is known for its premium quality electronic and home appliances. 

Although LG provides several models of air conditioners fulfilling the requirements of every household in the Indian market, yet there are some air conditioners that are simply awesome in terms of power consumption, durability, innovative features, safety, and performance. 

It was very difficult to choose the best air conditioner among multiple models made by the company. Nevertheless, we finally picked the best product out there.

Now let us see some incredible features of this product which made it one of the best air conditioners in India.

Top Features & Benefits:

• Dual Inverter Technology: Compressor is the backbone of an air conditioner and LG undoubtedly has taken care of it. The dual inverter compressor is capable of rotating at variable speed as per the requirements. Thus it produces as much cooling as required into your room which ensures long-lasting and faster cooling (when required) saves electricity and produces less noise.

• Himalaya Cool Technology: The unique Himalaya cool technology ensures the fastest cooling experience as soon as you switch on your AC. 

• Monsoon Comfort Technology: The LG air conditioners simultaneously control room temperature, air distribution and humidity inside the room to provide you comfort even in humid conditions. 

• Ocean Black Protection: LG’s products are known for durability as well. Therefore, to make their ACs durable, it utilises Ocean Black Protection over the evaporator as well as condenser which protects them from corrosion and provides longer life. 

• Hi-Grooved Copper: It causes refrigerant for oscillatory movement which encourages refrigerant to better heat exchanges. 

• Multidimensional Airflow: The machine throws the air in 4 directions to ensure consistent cooling throughout the day.

In addition, the product has an inbuilt stabilizer, smart diagnostic system, the low gas warning which ensures optimum service with the risk-free operation.

3) Blue Star 1.5 Ton Inverter AC (Model – IC318QATU)

Blue Star is an Indian multinational company specialized in designing, developing, and manufacturing air conditioners and commercial refrigeration around the world, with a turnover of 813 million USD. That means it is one of the most reliable air conditioners brands available in India. 

Blue Star manufactures several epic air conditioners for your home, however, we found Blue Star (Model No) is superior to other available units when it comes to performance, power consumption, customer reviews, and durability. Let us explore some classic features offered by this machine.

Top Features & Benefits:

• Precise Cooling Technology: The Blue Star inverter AC provides precise cooling because you can set the room temperature as accurate as 24.5 C to feel optimum comfort at your home.

• Anti-Corrosive Blue Fins: The bluefins coating over the evaporator and condenser protect not only them from corrosion but also facilitate appropriate heat transfer which means instant cooling even at extreme temperature.

• Invisible Display: We personally liked this awesome display which is visible only when the machine starts. Besides, it is very comfortable for your eyes at night and also adds beauty to your room. 

• Self Clean Technology: As soon as you turn your AC off, the indoor unit runs for a few minutes so that any kind of moisture or dust may not accumulate in the evaporator. This self-cleaning procedure keeps your IDU absolutely clean and dry so that next time, it may provide fresh air.

Apart from this, the product carries several essential features as well such as self-diagnosis, turbo cooling, auto restart, etc.

Cons –

The product had few cons when we were collecting feedback from the users. 

• No inbuilt Stabilizer 
• Installation might be delayed in some regions. 

4) Carrier 1.5 Ton Inverter (5Star) Split AC

Carrier is an American-based company headquartered in Florida, United States. The company was founded in 1915, a leading manufacturer and distributor of heat, ventilation, air conditioners, and refrigeration solutions to more than 180 countries around the globe. 

Carrier is also a well-established brand for air conditioners in India and produced plenty of superb devices. That’s why Carrier () fits our top 10 list of best air conditioners in India.

Top Features & Benefits:

• Hybrid Jet Compressor: Carrier AC is built with Hybrid jet compressor with Flexi cool technology which allows you to operate your air conditioner at 4 different modes. For instance, normal, 100%, 75% or 50% which means you can operate your AC at low, medium or high capacity (depending upon weather conditions) through which you can save more electricity. 

• PM 2.5 Filter: Another amazing feature of Carrier air conditioner is PM 2.5 filters which are capable enough of filtering out PM 2.5 particles from your room. PM 2.5 are those particles whose diameter is 2.5 Microns (or even less) which are emitted from cars, buses, other vehicles or chemical fires etc. That means ensuring ultimate air purification to keep a healthy environment inside the room.

• Unique Sleep Mode: It enables your AC to automatically increase the temperature by 1C/ hour for the first 2 hours and then maintains the constant temperature for the next six-hour and finally shut it down. 

• Follow Me Feature: Once you activate this feature, the sensor of the remote control gets activated and the air conditioner maintains the temperature around the remote. 

• Auto Clean Feature: This feature ensures 100% dust, moisture and pathogens removal from the evaporator. Hence provide fresh air from the beginning.

The list of features doesn’t end here, besides, it comes with R32 refrigerant safe for ODP, stabilizer free operation, copper condenser coil ensures optimum heat transfer and low maintenance, highly energy-efficient as holds 5 Star BEE ratings and ISEER value 4.62. 

The machine functions efficiently at 150-280 Volts even at 48 C. Moreover, the air conditioner delivers powerful cooling even if the temperature rises up to 55C at which point most of the ACs fail to deliver sufficient cooling.

5) Sanyo 1.5 Ton Dual Inverter 5 Star AC (Model – SI/SO-15T5SCIC)

You might not have heard this name before but Sanyo is the most reputed electronic appliances company founded in 1950. The Japanese company is a member of Global Fortune 500 and a pioneer in developing some exceptional refrigeration solutions. 

Sanyo (SI/SO-15T5SCIC) also fulfils our criteria of best air conditioners in India of 2021. Sanyo ACs are more suitable according to the Indian climate. Let us go through some of the exciting features of this product. 

Key Features & Benefits:

• Duo Inverter Technology: We know that compressors are the heart of air conditioners. Sanyo has taken care of it with two independent rotors which ensure high performance in less workload. Hence deliver instant and uniform cooling in lesser electricity bills.

• Glacier Mode: Its glacier mode is so effective that it chills the room within a few minutes even at extreme temperature. 

• Hydrophilic Fins: The condenser coils are coated with hydrophilic technology which prevents water droplets to stick on the fins. 

• PM 2.5 Filtration: It filters out the smallest particle and moisture inside the room. 

• Black lit Remote: The unique designed remote control buttons glow in the dark so easy to use. 

• Auto Restart: This function automatically resumes your temperature settings in case of a power cut. You needn’t set the room temperature once the power is back.

Moreover, Sanyo (SI/SO-15T5SCIC) has 100% copper coils and R32 refrigerant which provides faster heat exchange. 

6) LG 1.5 Ton 5 Star Split AC (Model – LS-Q18YNZA):

The second product from LG, the most renowned company in electronics appliances. Thanks to LG for providing such an unmatched product. 

The LG (LS-Q18YNZA) is a perfect choice for those who are looking for an energy-efficient air conditioner at an affordable price. The BEE 5 Star rating and ISEER 3.4 score ensure great energy savings. The R32 refrigerant provides enhanced heat transfer and is also safe for the environment. The stabilizer free operation ensures no voltage fluctuation and hence provides uninterrupted cooling throughout the day.

100% copper coil with Ocean Black hydrophilic protect them from sand, smoke, water ensuring longer life and low maintenance. Their Himalaya cool features are really amazing which provides you with instant cooling even in minutes. 

The product comes with numerous benefits, let us see some other highlighted features of this product.

• Low Refrigerant Alert: LG air conditioner can automatically detect the low refrigerant gas level.

• Monsoon comforts: Effectively Remove humidity inside the room during monsoon season. 

• Smart Diagnostic: LG ThinQ App helps you to troubleshoot errors associated with devices through your smartphone.

7) Voltas 1.5 Ton 3 Star Inverter Split AC (Copper 183VCZS)

Voltas air conditioners are more popular in Indian market because they provide highly efficient, affordable and most durable air conditioners. It is the most reputed air conditioner brand of India.

• DC Inverter Technology: Voltas (183V CZT3) is powered by DC inverter technology with variable speed that reduces power consumption and maintains the required temperature quickly. The DC inverter compressor doesn’t shut down, unlike conventional compressors that’s why it can maintain a steady temperature inside the room.

• Multistage Filtration: Its multistage filtration technology assures you to provide a fresh environment inside your room. 

• Super Dry Feature: This mode allows dehumidification of room during raining seasons so that you may enjoy a comfortable atmosphere inside the room.

• Turbo Cooling Mode: This feature delivers highest cooling performance even in peak summer.

8) Panasonic 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter AC (Model – CS/CU-NU18WKYW)

Panasonic, another Japanese company, provides heating and refrigeration appliances to businesses and commercials since 1935. The company is known for its incredible electronic products like washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners and several homes and kitchen appliances. 

We comprehensively researched all the air conditioners offered by Panasonic. As a result, we found Panasonic (CS/CU-NU 18 WKYC) the most superior as well as the suitable product. It is compatible with Alexa devices, hence can be operated with a voice command. 

• MirAle Control System: Panasonic (CS/CU-NU 18 WKYC) allows you to connect your air conditioner to MirAle App. It not only allows you to control your machine through your smartphone but also it can detect any problems associated in advance. 

MirAle platform offers some other significant features as well.

• Temperature Control: Enables temperature control even outside the room.

• Voice control: Compatible with Amazon Alexa, hence following voice commands. 

• Digital Manual: The application stores all annual maintenance contracts, hence provide a one-touch service request.

• Twin Rotors: Panasonic air conditioner is powered by twin independent rotors in the compressor which balance the load and hence smoother, stable and faster rotation. Thus providing longer life to the compressor. 

• Comprehensive Warranty: In addition, it offers a 5 years warranty on PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and 10-year warranty on compressor. 

Moreover, Panasonic () includes all other essential components such as R32 refrigerant, 100% copper coils, anti-corrosion blue fins, stabilizer free operation and PM 2.5 filters. 

9) Daikin 1.5 Ton 4 Star Inverter Split AC (Model – FTKP50TV)

If you are looking for WiFi inbuilt air conditioner along with the trustworthiness of the companies like Daikin, this AC will match up all your requirements. Daikin (FTKP50TV) can be operated by Amazon’s Alexa devices through voice commands as well as its in-house mobile application. 

Key Features & Benefits –

Daikin (FTKP50TV) provides some other lucrative features with this product which are as follows.

• I feel Comfort: The inbuilt sensor in the remote enables your air conditioner to create a comfortable environment around you instantly with one touch. 

• Fuzzy Logic Feature: This unique and innovative feature provides you with comfortable sleep throughout the night. It adjusts the room temperature at night in such a way that your sleep doesn’t break due to cold.

• Econo Mode: It enables the machine to minimise power consumption, hence reduces electricity bills. This mode could also be beneficial when another device simultaneously on the same circuit. Therefore, it doesn’t affect the functioning of other electronic devices.

• Remote free Control: As we mentioned above, the device is WiFi-enabled and can be controlled with a mobile app or Google Home and Alexa. You just need to integrate your air conditioner either with Google Home or Alexa. The major benefits of this new way of the control system are that if you are about to leave the office simply you can switch on your AC so that when you reach home, you may get a ready comfortable environment. 

Besides, it also provides the latest technology and components which makes it one of the best air conditioners available in India. 

10) Voltas 1.5 Ton 5 Star Window AC:

The first and only window AC occupies the space in our list of top 10 best air conditioners only because of its awesomeness, customer acceptance, and affordability. This window air conditioner is powered by inverter technology which ensures smooth operation and simultaneously makes it energy efficient. 

It comes with R32 refrigerant gas and copper condenser coils which not only provide powerful cooling but it is environmentally friendly at the same time. 

• The 1.5 Ton capacity is sufficient for medium size room (e.g. 110-150 sq feet) with an operating voltage of 230 Volts.
• 5 Star rating and ISEER value 3.74 value are best for widows ACs.
• 2 stage filtration ensures free from allergens, microbes, dust and pollutants. 
• Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the room hence ensuring optimum comfort even in monsoon. 
• Lastly, the product is also cost-effective as compared to other windows air conditioners. 

Cons – 

Avoid installation for the bedroom, as it is a little noisy (54dB) which might disturb your sleep.

Best Air Conditioner in India – Buyer’s Guide

If you’re still confused, we elaborate below a detailed guide on how to buy/ choose the best air conditioners for your home. This guide not only provides you with the tips but also you’ll be able to understand the meaning and explanation of some technical terms related to air conditioners and refrigeration solutions. 

Before we go ahead, you must understand how an air conditioner functions. Don’t worry, we won’t make you a mechanical engineer, instead will explain the basic principle of air conditioners functioning. 

Basic Functions of an air conditioner –

There are basically four components of an AC e.g. compressor, condenser, evaporator, and Expansor.

1) Compressor –

The main function of a compressor is to pump and increase the pressure of refrigerant gas due to which the temperature of gas increases and hence converted into gaseous form.

2) Condenser –

Its function is to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant by transferring the heat outside. Hence, the refrigerant (high pressure & low temperature) turns into liquid form and leads towards expansor. 

3) Expansor –

When the high-pressure refrigerant gas passes to expansor whose main function is to decrease the pressure of the gas. It is converted into liquid form and the refrigerant temperature drastically decreases. 

4) Evaporator –

In the evaporator, the chilled gas (in the liquid stage) travels which causes heat exchange from the room. Now the liquid gas turns again into gaseous form and goes to the compressor, hence the cycle repeats. 

Another major element of an AC is the refrigerant Gas itself because it plays a vital role in the whole cooling process. 

The refrigerant gas has a special property such as the lowest freezing points so that it doesn’t convert into solid estate easily. It should have the lowest boiling point as well so that it can easily convert into a gaseous estate. 

What are the types of Refrigerant? 

The latest type of Refrigerant gas is R32 which is widely used in most air conditioners these days. R32 is environmentally friendly, doesn’t cause ozone depletion and global warming potential (GWP). It doesn’t cause fire and is safe for humans as well. 

Hence, before buying an air conditioner or refrigerator, check whether the device has an R32 refrigerant or not. 

However, previously there were its older versions called R22 which was withdrawn due to some safety purposes. Therefore, avoid buying a machine that has R22 refrigerant. 

Air Conditioner – Buying Guide

Before purchasing any air conditioner, you should primarily consider the following parameters so that you may choose the best air conditioner out there. 

Compressor Types – 

Compressors are the heart of an air conditioner that pumps refrigerant gas all time. Therefore, you should wisely choose the types of compressor at the time of purchase.

There are typically two types of compressor available in the market these days such as conventional compressor and inverter compressor.

The conventional compressor operates at a uniform speed which shuts down completely if the room temperature reaches the desired level. Further, if the temperature of the room rises, it will restart and work at its full capacity due to which it consumes more electricity. 

As it functions at its full capacity, it produces more noise at the same time. Therefore, if you buy an AC which has a conventional compressor, you can never get a power-efficient and quiet air conditioner. 

On the other hand, the modern inverter compressors are capable of functioning at variable speeds, which can adjust their speed depending upon the requirement. That means if the room is too hot, it will operate at its maximum capacity and gradually it will slow down but as the temperature becomes normal.  

Therefore, the inverter compressors deliver the fastest and constant cooling as it never stops functioning. That’s why they’re more power-efficient and quiet as compared to other compressors. 

However, inverter compressor ACs are more expensive than others. Nevertheless, it’s a one-time investment but you can save even more money in the long run.

Condenser & Evaporator Types –

The outdoor unit is a condenser and the indoor unit is an evaporator whose main function is to exchange the heat. The condenser coils can be made of either copper or aluminum. 

Copper is a better conductor of heat and more durable as compared to aluminum. Although there are both types of condenser & evaporator available in the market. 

The air conditioners built with aluminum coils are cheaper than the copper built but you should buy the copper coils ACs because it is more durable and delivers excellent performance. 

Hydrophilic Coatings – 

The outdoor units of split ACs are exposed to the environment, hence encounter sunlight, rain, chemicals, smoke, or other pollutants. Therefore, to encounter such pollutants, the condenser coils come with a unique hydrophilic coating to protect them from corrosion and further damage.

There are different types of hydrophilic coating such as blue fins, black fins, and golden fins. However, Black fins are superior to other types of coating.

Therefore, make sure to check whether the copper coils are protected with such hydrophilic coating or not.

AC Capacity (1TON or 1.5 TON or 2 TON) –

You should buy an appropriate capacity air conditioner according to your room size and location because if you don’t, you won’t be able to get optimum cooling and it would increase the workload on your machine as well.

The appropriate tonnage of an air conditioner depends on various factors such as room size (length*width*height), number of windows, floor position (top, middle, or ground floor), and number of persons expected to be in the room. 

Moreover, if your room or its sides are exposed to direct sunlight, probably you will require a higher tonnage AC comparatively. 

To better understand the concept of tonnage, you need to clarify the principle of BTU (British Thermal Unit). 

“1 BTU refers to the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of water (1 pound) by 1F.”

You may refer to the formula 1 Ton = 12,000 BTU/h or 3.5 kW. By means of which 1 Ton air conditioner is capable of removing 12000 BTU per hour. 

Still, if you’re unable to calculate the capacity of your AC, follow the link below. 

Window AC vs Split AC:

Although both windows and split ACs should be used for different purposes according to requirements. Both have their own pros and cons, we can understand their differences based on the following aspects. 

Cooling Capacity:

Window ACs typically suitable for small rooms or offices don’t have multiple technologies and features to enhance the cooling potential, on the other hand, split ACs are designed for large rooms or bedrooms and offer various features for an instant, stable and optimum cooling experience.

Power Consumption: 

The power consumption of window AC and split AC depends on various factors like BEE star ratings, time of working, compressor types, room size, etc. 

Nevertheless, let us consider a scenario, a window AC and split AC having the same BEE star ratings, time, room size everything same but still split AC would be more energy-efficient than the window because of its inverter technology and multidimensional airflow. 

Therefore, when it comes to energy efficiency the split ACs are more power-efficient than window ACs.

Price –

The split ACs are almost priced double as compared to window ACs of the same capacity. Hence, if you need an AC for small rooms or offices, you shouldn’t invest money over a split AC, however, for large rooms like living rooms or bedrooms, you can go for split AC as it would be beneficial in the long term. 

Maintenance –

When it comes to maintenance the window ACs are less expensive because of their compact design, however, split ACs are more susceptible and require regular service. 

What are BEE Star ratings, EER or SEER value?

The BEE stands for Beuro of Energy Efficiency which allots certain star ratings to each electronic appliances something like 1-5 stars. The more stars a device has meaning more energy-efficient the device is. In other words, the electronic devices having 5 stars are more energy efficient (30-40%) than the devices having only 1 star. 

However, an EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio refers to the ratio between the cooling capacity of an air conditioner (BTU) and power input (in watts). For instance, if the cooling capacity measured in BTU (British Thermal Unit) is divided by the power consumption (measured in watts), the value obtained is known as EER.

The higher value of EER indicates the device is more energy-efficient and vise versa.

The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) value represents the energy efficiency of an electronic device throughout a season. In the case of an air conditioner, it is the most accurate measurement of power efficiency because EER is the standard data whereas SEER is more specific data for a device. 

Conclusion –

Hope this comprehensive review will be able to help you to choose the best air conditioners for your home. We have covered each and every aspect which needs to be taken care of while buying an air conditioner. Therefore, you don’t need to research and study a lot to choose an air conditioner. Please note that our reviews are neither influenced nor sponsored by any particular brand, person, or company.

Best Air Conditioner in India – Frequently Asked Questions