VonHaus Energy-Efficient 4-in-1 Air Conditioner review: my verdict on this affordable portable AC unit

Price on writing: £220 | Buy now from Amazon

As a perimenopausal mum of two who lives in a recently renovated house that’s been designed to keep in the heat, you’ll forgive me for not getting excited when I hear that dreaded word….‘heatwave’. 

While I love sunny, summer days, I really struggle to sleep when the temperatures rise. While this is primarily due to the stifling, muggy heat, it’s also because my 8-year-old daughter insists on getting out of bed every 5 minutes to remind me that it’s hot - you know, in case I’d forgotten.  

I’d always fancied the idea of air con, but with Britain’s unpredictable climate, I struggled to justify the luxury. It turns out, you can pick up portable air conditioning units at surprisingly affordable prices. There are even compact, energy-efficient models like the VonHaus Energy Efficient 4-in-1 Air Conditioner that can cool your surroundings without ramping up your energy bills.

During a hot and sticky week in early June, I put this budget-friendly air conditioner to the test, feeling just a tad smug in my comfortable ice cube of a bedroom. Here’s everything you need to know.

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Our verdict

Retailing at under £250 and suitable for small to medium spaces (up to 10 m²) with two window kits (for sliding or hinged windows) included with the purchase, I believe the Von Haus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner offers excellent value for money.

Overall, I found this air conditioner easy to set up and use, with clear instructions, a simple LED screen and a handy remote control, allowing me to trigger it from my starfished position on the bed. 

While it’s certainly not quiet, the sleep mode dims the light and lowers the fan speed for overnight use, creating a more comfortable white noise for your slumber. 

With a choice of fan, cooling and dehumidifier modes, the air con unit performs well and made my room feel pleasantly cool, even when it was 28 degrees outside. 

My only quibbles? While you can angle it in your preferred direction, this model lacks an oscillation function, which would have been welcome in fan and cooling modes. Since there's no evaporator, you’ll need to use the drain outlet when operating the dehumidifier. 

Related: Best air conditioners for bedrooms

How easy is the VonHaus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner to set up and start using?

As it contains refrigerant, you must leave the product upright for 24 hours after delivery before using it for the first time - something to bear in mind if you’re planning for warmer weather.

Inside the box is the main air conditioning unit (a simple white box with castors), a remote control (batteries included), a small drainage pipe, a long concertina exhaust hose and hose connector, a window kit adapter, and two window kits.

It’s worth following the instructions closely when setting up the vented hose. My partner was convinced he didn’t need instructions, but initially struggled to attach the window adapter. After a quick glance at the manual, he learned this was actually incredibly easy, using a simple clockwise spin that threads it securely into place. (I resisted saying “I told you so”). 

I loved that the VonHaus 4-in-1 unit came with the window kits included – one with universal ‘fabric’ and Velcro for hinged windows and an extendable plastic panel suitable for sliding windows and doors.

Setting it up for hinged windows is more complex than sliding windows, and since our window hinges are at the top, I watched a short online video to help. 

The process involves cutting strips of Velcro and sticking them around your window and window frame, before attaching the fabric ‘bag’ in place with the zipped section at the opening. Once secured, open the zip and insert the hose attachment, then zip it tight to create a secure seal around your open window for venting warm air. 

Some of the Velcro popped open a couple of times during use, but this was quick and easy to fix. 

VonHaus advises you to keep the exhaust hose as straight as possible and avoid bends, which, I must admit, was impossible tricky to achieve. However, thanks to the long 1.8-metre-long power cable, I didn’t need an extension cable to reach the nearest socket. 

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Does it look good?

Honestly, no. But did I care when my room temperature dropped from 26 degrees to 20 degrees in just under an hour? Of course I didn't - it was bliss.

The air con unit has an internal tank to collect condensed water, or it can be used with a drainage hose, continuously draining into a bucket or container. I opted for the latter so I could keep an eye on the water levels, which were low in air con mode but significant in dehumidification mode.  

The control panel is easy and intuitive to use. Choosing between Fahrenheit and Celsius (the latter being my preference), you can set temperatures between 16 °C and 31°C and select from two speed settings (high and low). You’ll also find a built-in timer (for up to 24 hours) and a sleep mode, which dims the lights and reduces the fan speed to the lowest setting for quiet operation. However, this model does not have a child lock, so if you have young children, you’ll need to keep curious fingers away from the settings. 

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How effective is the VonHaus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner?

I tested the VonHaus 4-in-1 during a particularly hot week in June, where the days were muggy and 30 degrees and the evenings felt fairly oppressive, making sleep almost impossible.

While it's called a 4-in-1 unit, this term is somewhat misleading. There are actually three main options for this appliance: fan, air conditioner and dehumidifier, with the fourth ‘mode’ simply referring to the sleep setting.

In fan mode, it provides ventilation only, so while it was refreshing (and powerful), it moves air around the room rather than actively cooling it. You can change the airflow direction vertically and horizontally by angling the air outlet, allowing you to position the airflow directly towards your bed or desk. Unfortunately, it does not automatically oscillate – something I did miss a little compared to a traditional tower fan.

As a dehumidifier, the VonHaus 4-in-1 can actively dry the air in your surroundings. During testing, it collected a significant amount of water (a whole saucepan full) from my bedroom in just over an hour - a stark reminder of the humidity in my home. While I don’t see myself using this mode often, it would help speed up laundry drying on a heated airer or for drying a room after plastering or painting. 

The air con mode impressed me the most, noticeably lowering the temperature in my room even after a short duration. On the first night of testing, it dropped 6 degrees in my bedroom in just over 50 minutes.

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Is it quiet enough to use at night?

If you’re a light sleeper, you may find this unit too noisy, even in night mode. Night mode reduces the fan noise to a low level, but in all honesty, it’s still quite loud. I actually like white noise and find it helpful, so I was able to sleep with the air con unit running, setting a timer so it turned off automatically. 

If you’re used to a more peaceful slumber, you may prefer to run it for a few hours before bed, cooling your room in advance. 

Read next: Best cooling bed sheets

Price: is the VonHaus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner worth it?

With three main functions, a remote control and a sleep mode, I believe the VonHaus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner offers excellent value for money, especially when compared to our other top portable air conditioning picks and best air conditioners for bedrooms, the majority of which retail between £300 and £500.

How we tested

I tested the Von Haus 4-in-1 Air Conditioner in several rooms of my three-bedroom semi, which was very welcome during a heatwave in June. I took detailed notes regarding its ease of setup, usability, and, most importantly, its cooling performance.

• Tested across a particularly hot week during June

• Used to cool my office and overnight in my bedroom 

• Tested as an air conditioner, dehumidifier and fan

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in family and lifestyle product reviews and roundups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help parents make confident purchases that benefit their families.

As someone who struggles with seasonal temperature hikes, Lucy knows a thing or two about trying to keep cool. She has written several guides for Mumsnet on how to beat the heat, from the best fans to cool your home to the best pram fans to keep your little ones cool on the go.