Looking for an air conditioner in Germany as a tenant?  

Read this guide to understand fixed vs. portable ACs, and why a Portable Split AC is the best choice for many (especially tenants). 

[Note: This article contains affiliate links (read more at the end of the post)]

Summer temperatures in Germany are breaking new records. Combined with the country's widespread lack of residential cooling infrastructure, this creates a highly uncomfortable situation for residents. 

For vulnerable individuals - such as newborns (our daughter is just 2 months old right now) and the elderly, who have difficulty regulating their body temperature - these conditions can be dangerous.

After 10 years of living in Germany, and currently residing in a top-floor apartment (Dachgeschosswohnung), my wife and I decided to invest in an air conditioner (a.k.a. AC or Klimaanlage). Even if it is only utilized for a few weeks a year, in our opinion, the risk reduction for our newborn and the added comfort make the investment worthwhile.

Once the decision to buy an AC was made, the next logical question was: which type of air conditioner is best for a German apartment?

The German market offers four primary options:

1. Fixed split AC

2. Single-hose mobile AC

3. Double-hose mobile AC

4. Portable split AC

In this post, I am breaking down our decision-making process to help expats and residents evaluate their AC choices using straightforward logic and least required technical knowledge. 

Determine Your Primary Constraints 

Before selecting an air conditioning unit in Germany, evaluate your limitations:

• Rental Restrictions (Tenant Rules): Most German apartments lack the infrastructure for a fixed split AC. Installation requires drilling through exterior walls for the refrigerant pipes, meaning tenants must obtain explicit landlord (Vermieter) approval. Without it, Option 1 is eliminated, leaving the mobile/portable units (Options 2, 3, and 4).

• Budget: If your goal is the lowest upfront cost, a single-hose mobile AC (mobile Klimaanlage) (Option 2) is the primary choice. They are the cheapest to purchase but the least energy-efficient.

• Urgency: If you need immediate cooling during a summer heatwave, you will likely be restricted to single-hose mobile ACs (Option 2) due to high availability in stores like Amazon, Bauhaus, Saturn, or MediaMarkt. The other options often face severe backorders during peak summer demand.

Evaluating Our Constraints

• Rental Restrictions: As tenants, we did not want to request permission to drill into the walls. So, fixed split ACs were immediately ruled out.

• Budget: We were willing to pay a premium for a high-quality, long-term solution.

• Urgency: We wanted a unit for this summer but were willing to wait a few weeks for delivery, keeping Options 2, 3, and 4 viable.

The Decision Logic: Fixed vs. Portable ACs 

If you own your home, have a sufficient budget, and are not facing urgent delivery constraints, a fixed split AC is the optimal choice. They are the most energy-efficient, visually unobtrusive, and available in various capacities. While installation is costly - EU regulations mandate that only certified professionals handle sealed refrigerant systems in Germany - it remains the superior long-term solution.

By contrast, portable units operate at lower efficiency, require DIY window sealing kits, and are visually cumbersome. The window / door sealing part is especially irritating because this setup partially or fully blocks one window / door atleast. Therefore, portable options should only be selected if you face hard constraints preventing a fixed split AC installation.

How ACs Work: The Fundamentals

An AC relies on three primary components: a compressor, a refrigerant, and a condenser.

1. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the room's air.

2. The compressor and condenser extract the heat from the refrigerant. In doing so, these components become extremely hot.

3. This extracted heat is then expelled outside.

Therefore, the compressor and condenser are the main heat generators and also the hottest components in any AC system.

Comparing Portable AC Mechanics based on these fundamentals

• Single-Hose Mobile AC: It is just one unit so the compressor and condenser are housed inside the room with everything else. The unit pulls in room air to cool the compressor and condenser and expels the resulting hot air outside through a single hose. This constant expulsion of air creates negative pressure, forcing warm outdoor air to seep in through door gaps to equalize the pressure. So, long story short, this type of AC pushes hot air outside the room but negative pressure makes outside air seep in continuously. This makes single-hose ACs the cheapest but least efficient option.

• Double-Hose Mobile AC: It pulls outside air through one hose to cool the compressor + condenser, then expels that heated air through the second hose. This prevents negative pressure, yielding better efficiency than a single-hose unit. The downsides are the visual clutter of two large window hoses and internal heat generation because both compressor and condenser are still part of the same single unit which is inside the room.

• Portable Split AC: Similar to a fixed split AC, this system utilizes two distinct units. The heat-generating compressor and condenser are located in an exterior unit (put outside the room on the balcony or roof etc.). The cooled refrigerant travels to the indoor unit, absorbs the room's heat, and carries it back to the outside unit. This results in highly efficient cooling in the room with zero negative pressure. So, what's the difference between portable vs fixed? Unlike fixed split systems, portable split ACs do not require drilling or certified professional installation in Germany. They are designed to be portable so are kind of plug and play.

Our Final Decision: The Portable Split AC

After understanding the whole thing and our constraints, the decision was clear to invest in the Portable split AC (also called Portasplit). If you search in the German market, Midea is one of the best brands for Portasplit AC and offers two sizes which are Midea 8000 BTU* and Midea 12000 BTU*. 

BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a unit of energy and in the context of AC represents the cooling capacity of an AC. So, if you have a bigger room, you want to go for a higher BTU. Sometimes the same capacity is also mentioned as Ton where 1 Ton of cooling = 12000 BTU of cooling. 

We went for the Midea 12000 BTU* option because our room size is bigger than what 8000 BTU can cool during such hot temperatures.

Summary of AC Recommendations for Germany

While fixed split systems remain the gold standard, the Portable Split AC serves as the perfect compromise for tenants delivering near split AC level efficiency without landlord disputes or invasive installations. Simple plug and play with a bit of DIY efforts.

If you are finalizing your purchase, here is where our research concluded:

• Best for performance + tenant friendly - Portable Split AC (Midea 12000 BTU)* or Midea 8000 BTU*

• Best Fixed Split AC - Kesser Split AC (12000 BTU)* or Hantech Split AC (12000 BTU)*

• Best budget + urgency choice - Single Hose mobile AC - De'Longhi Pinguino Extreme, 8900 BTU (PACEX93)*

• Best mid. efficiency alternative - Double Hose mobile AC - Dual Hose Mobile AC - Whynter 14000 BTU*

Irrespective of the path you choose, hopefully these insights will make your decision-making process just a little bit easier.

Best of luck with your purchase, and wishing you some AC cooled, comfortable nights in Germany!

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