A window air conditioner in a living room does a different job from one in a bedroom. In a bedroom it runs on its gentlest setting in a silent room, so the lowest figure on the sheet is the one that matters. In a living room it runs while people are there: from late afternoon, after the sun has been on the glass for hours, through dinner and a film. That means medium and high fan, the rows makers print further down the table, when they print them at all.
This guide ranks window units of 10,000 BTU and up by those rows. Our main window air conditioner guide covers the whole category, mostly at 8,000 BTU. If the unit is for sleeping next to, our bedroom window AC guide ranks by the night setting instead. If your window cannot take a unit, the living room portable AC guide applies the same medium and high approach to portables.
Our picks are listed above, with full specifications for each.
The speeds a living room runs at
The headline on a window AC box is nearly always its lowest setting. LG's pages say "as low as 44 dB", which matches the sleep row of its tables. GE's ClearView pages say "as low as 40 dB", which is Quiet Mode. Midea says as low as 32 dBA for every U-shaped size and names no speed at all; our Midea air conditioner decibels page lists them.
On a hot evening a unit sized for the room starts on high to pull the temperature down, then settles to medium. On LG's 12,000 BTU inverter table, high is 14 dBA above sleep: 58 against 44. On Frigidaire's 12,000 BTU Gallery U, high is 13 above low: 55 against 42.
How much that matters with the TV on depends on the room. The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders puts normal conversation at 60 to 70 dBA. Every unit we picked lists a high figure below that range, but no maker states the distance its figure was taken from, so treat this as a rough guide and not a reading from your sofa. The National Park Service notes that an increase of 10 dB causes a doubling of perceived loudness, which is why a gap of 5 or 9 dBA between two units of the same size is worth paying attention to. Our decibel chart puts these numbers next to everyday sounds.
We compare figures only when they share a unit (dBA), a fan speed and a capacity band. LG labels its rows High, Mid, Low and Sleep. Frigidaire labels Low, Med and High. GE labels High Fan, Low Fan and Quiet Mode on its ClearView units, and High and Low on the others. We treat each maker's top row in Cool as "high", and we treat a gap of a decibel or two between brands as no gap, because none of them states a distance or a test standard. Why you cannot compare dB ratings across brands explains the reasons.
10,000 to 10,300 BTU, high then medium:
- Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ105WD1 (U-shape, inverter): 53 and 47 dBA.
- GE Profile ClearView PHNT10CC (saddle, inverter): 54 on high fan; no medium figure.
- LG LW1022IVSM (inverter): 58 and 54.
- Frigidaire FHWC103TC1 (fixed speed): 59.5 and 55.
- GE AWCS10WWB (fixed speed): 67 on high; no medium figure.
12,000 to 12,200 BTU, high then medium:
- Frigidaire Gallery GHWQ125WD1 (U-shape, inverter): 55 and 49 dBA.
- GE Profile ClearView PHNT12CC (saddle, inverter): 56 on high fan; no medium figure.
- LG LW1222IVSM (inverter): 58 and 54.
- Frigidaire FHWC123TC1 (fixed speed): 60.5 and 57.
- Frigidaire FHWW124WD1 (fixed speed): 61 and 59.
- GE AWCS12WWT (fixed speed): 67 on high; no medium figure.
14,000 BTU, high then medium:
- LG LW1522IVSM (inverter): 58 and 55 dBA.
- GE Profile PWDV14WWF (inverter): 67 on high; no medium figure.
- GE AWCS14WWF (fixed speed): 67 on high; no medium figure.
18,000 BTU, 230 V, high then low:
- LG LW1822IVSM (inverter): 59 and 53 dBA, with 56 on medium.
- GE AWCS18WWL (fixed speed): 60 and 54.
Some makers' figures fit no group. GE's Profile AHTR12AC lists "56/57 dBA (High Fan, Cool)" and "53/64 dBA (Low Fan, Cool)" and does not say what the two numbers mean. Friedrich's Chill Premier Inverter brochure gives one line for the whole range: "As low as 42 dB in cooling mode / 32 dB in fan-only". Friedrich's Kuhl brochure gives no decibel figure, only "As much as 45% quieter than competitor's products". Windmill gives its 10,000 and 12,000 BTU WhisperTech units a "42 Decibel Rating". TCL's 12,000 BTU H12W4MW says "as low as 40dB on Quiet mode". Soleus Air's 12,000 BTU saddle unit gives 38 to 48 dB(A) indoors at 3.28 ft. None of these names a medium or high speed. We found no current Haier window unit with a published figure.
Bigger is louder, on every sheet we read
The clearest pattern in this guide comes from makers that publish several sizes in one format. LG's Dual Inverter range lists these high, medium and low figures:
- 8,000 BTU (LW8022IVSM): 54 / 50 / 46 dBA.
- 10,000 BTU (LW1022IVSM): 58 / 54 / 50.
- 12,000 BTU (LW1222IVSM): 58 / 54 / 46.
- 14,000 BTU (LW1522IVSM): 58 / 55 / 52.
- 18,000 BTU (LW1822IVSM): 59 / 56 / 53.
- 23,500 BTU (LW2422IVSM): 62 / 59 / 55.
Sleep stays at 44 across the range, but high climbs 8 dBA from the smallest to the largest. Frigidaire's Gallery U does the same on high: 50 at 8,000 BTU, 53 at 10,000 and 55 at 12,000. LG's fixed-speed models climb further: 61 / 59 / 57 for the 15,000 BTU LW1516ER and 65 / 63 / 61 for the 18,000 BTU LW1816ER.
One oddity is worth knowing. LG's 12,000 BTU inverter lists a lower low figure than its 10,000 BTU model, 46 against 50, with the same high and medium. If your room sits near the 450 sq ft line, the 12,000 BTU unit costs you nothing on paper.
Size it for the room, not the biggest box
ENERGY STAR's sizing chart, for rooms with an 8-foot ceiling, covers living room sizes like this:
- 400 to 450 sq ft: 10,000 BTU
- 450 to 550 sq ft: 12,000 BTU
- 550 to 700 sq ft: 14,000 BTU
- 700 to 1,000 sq ft: 18,000 BTU
- 1,000 to 1,200 sq ft: 21,000 BTU
- 1,200 to 1,400 sq ft: 23,000 BTU
A living room often triggers the chart's adjustments. ENERGY STAR says to increase capacity by 10 percent if the room is very sunny, add 600 BTU for each person beyond two who regularly uses the room, and increase capacity by 4,000 BTU if the unit is used in a kitchen. A 500 sq ft open-plan room with a kitchen at one end is therefore a 16,000 BTU job by the chart, which in practice means the 18,000 BTU band. ENERGY STAR also says that bigger is not always better: an oversized unit costs more, wastes energy and does not provide better cooling. Given the figures above, it also lists louder.
Inverter or fixed speed in a room where people talk
ENERGY STAR describes a conventional compressor as working like an on/off switch, either on at maximum capacity or off, alternating to hold the temperature. A variable speed compressor varies its speed to continuously control the temperature, and ENERGY STAR says these units quietly keep you cool. In a living room the start of a fixed-speed compressor lands in the middle of a quiet scene. GE's manual for the PHNT units notes that after switching to Cool it may take approximately 3 minutes for the compressor to start.
On one maker's own sheets the steady figures favor the inverter. Frigidaire's 12,000 BTU fixed-speed FHWC123TC1 lists 55 dBA on low, the same as the Gallery U inverter on high. Its medium, 57, is 8 above the U's 49.
But the word inverter is not a figure. GE's 14,000 BTU Profile PWDV14WWF is an inverter and lists 67 dBA on high, 9 above LG's 14,000 BTU inverter and the same as GE's fixed-speed AWCS14WWF. At 18,000 BTU, GE's fixed-speed AWCS18WWL lists 60 on high and 54 on low, within a decibel of LG's inverter. GE's PHNT manual also says its inverter's compressor "will cycle on and off and also change operating speeds", so inverters cycle less, not never.
Energy saving modes that restart the fan
Every maker in our picks ships a mode that stops the fan between compressor runs. In a living room with conversation going on you may not notice, but in a quiet scene a fan that starts every few minutes is easier to hear than one that runs steadily.
- LG: the unit defaults to Energy Saver each time it is switched on, except in Fan mode. When the set temperature is reached the compressor and fan turn off, and approximately every 3 minutes the fan turns on to check the room.
- Frigidaire Gallery U: Eco is on by default in Cool, and the fan then cycles on for 2 minutes at 10 minute intervals.
- GE Profile ClearView: with Eco on, the fan cycles on and off with the compressor and may pulse to sample the room air. With Eco off, GE says the fan runs all the time while the compressor cycles.
For a film night, switch the energy saving mode off and set a fixed fan speed. LG's Fan mode, which runs the fan at High, Medium or Low without the compressor, is a useful middle ground once the room has cooled; none of the makers publishes a figure for it. Friedrich is the exception that gives a fan-only figure, 32 dB, for its Chill Premier Inverter range.
Window width, weight and support brackets
Large window units are heavy, and a living room window is often wider or older than a bedroom one. Check the maker's window range before you buy:
- Frigidaire Gallery U, 10,000 and 12,000 BTU: double hung, 23 1/2 to 36 inches wide.
- LG LW1222IVSM and LW1522IVSM: double hung, 27 to 39 inches wide, with a 16 inch clear opening; 85 lb.
- LG LW1822IVSM and LW2422IVSM: double hung, 29 to 41 inches wide, with a 19 inch clear opening; 112 lb.
- GE Profile ClearView PHNT12CC: 20 to 40 inches wide; 80 lb.
- GE AWCS18WWL: 30 to 39 inches wide; 114.6 lb.
Every one of these ships with support hardware, and the makers tie it to noise. LG's manual says to make sure the unit is installed securely and firmly to prevent vibration and noise, and it supplies a sill bracket and a support bracket for each side. It also says the unit should sit with its back about half an inch lower than the front so condensed water runs outside, and that supporting parts must be secured to firm wood, masonry, vinyl, fiberglass or metal. Frigidaire's U units sit on a support bracket tilted a quarter bubble toward the outside, with anti-tip brackets. LG says to use an assistant, and GE recommends two people. A heavy unit on a loose bracket is the rattle that owners blame on the compressor. Our guide to U-shaped and saddle window units sets out the sash opening, sill depth and wall thickness each of those designs needs.
The 230 V units need more than a strong sill. LG's manual for the 18,000 and 23,500 BTU inverters calls for a standard 240 V, 3-wire grounding receptacle rated 15 A, and says not to use an extension cord. If there is no such outlet near the window, budget for an electrician or stay at 14,000 BTU, which LG rates for 115 V.
The noise floor of a living room
A living room in the evening is rarely silent. The TV, people talking and a kitchen in an open-plan space all add sound, which is why a unit you would never sleep beside can be fine here. How quiet is quiet enough, room by room sets out what to aim for, and our page on planning a quiet open-plan kitchen covers the fridge, dishwasher and range hood that share the space. If you want the compressor out of the room entirely, our guide to the quietest mini-split for a living room covers the permanent option.
New to the units? Read dBA explained.
How we chose
We started from the 10,000 BTU and larger window units in our main guide and added LG's full Dual Inverter range, GE's AWCS and Profile units, Frigidaire's fixed-speed sheets, and the larger models from Friedrich, Windmill, TCL and Soleus Air. We read each maker's product page or spec sheet, and the owner's manual for the picks, on October 4, 2026, and recorded each figure with its unit and the speed label the maker gives. We ranked only within a capacity band and only at a named fan speed, and put units with a single figure or an unlabelled pair in What We Also Considered. frigidaire.com did not load that day; we used the spec sheets Frigidaire hosts and have no US price for its models. Prices are the makers' own, from the dates in the catalog.
We did not measure any of these units, in a living room or anywhere else. Every figure here is the maker's own, quoted with the unit and fan speed it gives, and none of the makers in our picks states a measuring distance or test standard. Your room's size, its furnishings and where you sit will change what you hear.
