Hisense
Hisense UltraSlim 12,000 BTU Smart Inverter Window AC (AHLW1225TW1W)
$449Cheaper
Released 2024
Best Air Conditioners · head-to-head
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Hisense UltraSlim 12,000 BTU Smart Inverter Window AC (AHLW1225TW1W) is cheaper at $449. Every spec and price links to its source.
Hisense
$449Cheaper
Released 2024
Whynter
$549
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Hisense UltraSlim 12,000 BTU Smart Inverter Window AC (AHLW1225TW1W) is the cheaper at $449.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | | |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $449 Best Buy price (SKU 6636567) | $549 Best Buy current price ($549.99) |
| Brand | Hisense | Whynter |
| Released | 2024 | — |
| Type | window | portable |
| Btu | 12000 BTU | 7000 BTU (DOE/SACC); 12000 BTU ASHRAE |
| Coverage (sq ft) | 450 | 400 |
| Noise dba | 37 | 52 |
| Smart Wi-Fi | Yes | No |
| Energy star | Yes | No |
| Inverter | Yes | No |
| Ceer | 15 | — |
Sources — Hisense UltraSlim 12,000 BTU Smart Inverter Window AC (AHLW1225TW1W): bestbuy.com (verified 2026-06-15). Whynter Elite ARC-122DS Dual-Hose Portable AC: sylvane.com (verified 2026-06-15).
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
No sourced tester review yet.
Two whitelisted testers cover this exact model. Wirecutter (republished on Engadget, 2018 hands-on lab test of eight finalists) names the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS its top pick, praising its quiet dual-hose operation and lowest-in-field infiltration draw. Reviewed's 2026 guide (updated 2025-06-23) states the ARC-122DS 'rose to the top as the best portable air conditioner' for cooling, room coverage, and value. Neither accessible page printed a per-model numeric lab measurement for the ARC-122DS itself. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Strong cooling / top overall pick among tested portable ACs; Quiet for a dual-hose unit (some of the quietest decibel figures); Dual-hose efficiency; drew the least infiltration air of the field.
Flagged: Wirecutter stresses portable ACs are inherently inefficient and can struggle in very hot weather, even this top pick; Cooling performance in this category is unusually hard to measure objectively (Wirecutter never developed a reliable per-model cooling metric); No numeric per-model lab measurement was printed for the ARC-122DS on either accessible page.