Black & Decker 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Heat

Why I reached for a portable AC with heat

I needed a single appliance that could keep a 300–350 square foot space comfortable year-round: cool and dry in a humid summer, then warm enough to take the bite out of shoulder-season mornings. I’ve used a lot of portables, and they’re rarely perfect, but this Black & Decker portable AC stood out on paper with an 8,000 BTU SACC (12,500 BTU ASHRAE) rating, built-in heat, a self-evaporating system, and a “follow me” remote. After several weeks of daily use in a south-facing room and a smaller office, here’s how it performed.

Setup and installation

The kit is complete for standard installs: exhaust hose, slider window panel, foam weather seal, and a simple remote. If you have a double-hung or sliding window, you’re covered; if you have a casement/crank window, you’ll need a different approach.

A few practical notes from the install:
- The hose length is about five feet, which is typical but limits placement. Measure your distance to the window before you commit to a spot.
- The panel is lightweight plastic; it seals fine with the included foam but benefits from patient, careful handling to avoid cracking.
- Plan your outlet location. The power cord length is serviceable, but like most portables, the manufacturer discourages extension cords. I positioned the unit by a different window to share an existing outlet.
- Put it on a smooth, level floor (casters work best on hard surfaces). At 56 pounds, it’s a one-person move on tile or hardwood; carpet adds some friction.

First-time setup took me under an hour, including sealing the window gap cleanly. Once it’s vented and plugged in, it’s essentially plug-and-play.

Cooling and dehumidifying performance

The most meaningful spec on modern portables is the SACC/CEC rating—8,000 BTU here—because it reflects real-world performance with the duct in place. In practice, the unit has no trouble getting a mid-size room comfortable. In a 320-square-foot room with afternoon sun, it brought the temperature down to the low 70s and kept humidity in check without a separate dehumidifier. Keeping doors closed and blinds drawn during peak sun made a noticeable difference.

The self-evaporating design is a plus: in cooling mode, I didn’t have to empty a bucket under typical summer conditions. In very humid spells or in dedicated dehumidify mode, plan to use the included drain hose for continuous draining or empty the reservoir periodically. Either way, the unit excels at drying the air—comfort improved as much from moisture removal as it did from temperature drop.

Air distribution is better than average thanks to the swing function on the louvers. The “Max” and “Auto” fan settings give you a good split between aggressive cooldowns and quieter maintenance. The “Sleep” mode softens the fan and moderates setpoint adjustments overnight.

A quick note on expectations: this is a single-hose design. That’s the norm at this price and size, but it does pull a bit of indoor air out of the room, creating slight negative pressure that can draw warm air in from adjacent spaces. The impact isn’t severe in a closed room; just know that dual-hose units are inherently more efficient if you’re pushing the limits in very hot climates.

Heating performance

As a space heater, the unit performs well for what I consider its job: making shoulder seasons comfortable without firing up whole-home heat. It brought a home office from chilly to comfortable and kept it there. Like most portable ACs with heat, it’s not meant to be a primary heat source in deep winter. Treat it as a versatile supplement—excellent for mornings, basements, workshops, or rooms the central system struggles to reach.

Controls, features, and the “follow me” remote

The top-mounted LED display is bright, simple, and quick to navigate. You get the expected modes—Cool, Heat, Fan, Dehumidify—plus:
- 24-hour on/off timer for pre-cooling or pre-heating
- “Sleep” for overnight quiet
- “Max” for fast pull-down
- “Auto” to let the unit chase your setpoint
- “Air Swing” to sweep the airflow

The remote is genuinely useful because it acts as a thermostat when you enable “follow me.” That means the unit can regulate based on the temperature where you are, not just at the machine. In practice, it reduced the tendency to overshoot on the far side of the room and helped even out comfort.

There’s a built-in compressor delay of about three minutes after changes in mode or setpoint. That protects the compressor from short-cycling. If the unit doesn’t immediately roar back to life after an adjustment, it’s not broken—it’s protecting itself.

Noise and day-to-day comfort

Portable ACs make noise—there’s a compressor, a blower, and air rushing through a hose. This one is no exception. On higher fan settings, it’s a steady, broadband hum that fades into background white noise after a while. “Sleep” mode steps the fan down and is acceptable for bedrooms if you’re not an ultra-light sleeper. For work calls, I tended to keep it in “Auto,” which balanced noise and cooling well.

One small tip: keep the exhaust hose as straight and short as possible. Sharp bends add turbulence and noise and reduce cooling efficiency. A tight install also keeps the hose from radiating heat back into the room.

Build quality and portability

Fit and finish are in line with the category. The unit’s body panels fit cleanly, the casters roll smoothly, and the side handles are secure. The window panel kit is effective but mostly thin plastic; it’s fine once installed, but it’s the piece I handled most carefully. The included foam helps seal gaps and cut down on recirculated hot air.

At 56 pounds, portability depends on the surface. Rolling it from living room to office on hardwood is easy; up or down stairs is a two-person ask. The footprint (about 16.5 x 14 inches and 27 inches tall) is compact enough to tuck beside most windows without dominating the space.

Efficiency tips and maintenance

A few habits improved performance and kept maintenance low:
- Keep doors and windows closed in the active room. That SACC rating assumes a reasonably sealed space.
- Use the included foam and consider a bit of extra weatherstrip if your window sash is drafty.
- Give the unit a little clearance behind and around it for airflow.
- Clean the air filter regularly—dust buildup cuts airflow and makes the unit louder.
- If you run in dehumidify mode, set up the drain hose to a floor drain or a pan you can empty easily.
- Before storing for the season, let the unit run on fan-only for a while to dry internal moisture, then drain and cap the ports.

Where it shines, where it stumbles

What I liked:
- Strong real-world cooling for rooms up to about 350 square feet
- Effective dehumidification with self-evaporating operation in typical conditions
- Handy “follow me” remote that regulates temperature where you sit, not just at the unit
- Useful modes (Auto, Sleep, Max) and a genuinely easy 24-hour timer
- Simple installation with all the essentials in the box

What could be better:
- Single-hose design isn’t as efficient as dual-hose units in extreme heat
- Hose length limits placement; you have to live close to the window
- The window panel is functional but feels delicate; treat it gently
- Noise is average for the class, but it’s not whisper-quiet on high

Recommendation

I recommend the Black & Decker portable AC for anyone who needs a single, flexible unit to cool, heat, and dehumidify a closed room up to roughly 350 square feet. It’s easy to set up, it genuinely improves comfort in both summer and shoulder seasons, and the “follow me” remote and self-evaporating design make day-to-day use painless. You’ll get the most from it in a reasonably sealed space with a standard window and a realistic expectation of portable AC noise and hose limitations. If you need maximum efficiency in extreme heat or absolute quiet, look at a dual-hose model or a mini-split; otherwise, this unit hits a very practical balance of performance, features, and price.