Unfortunately a split level air conditioner is the only type that really works while being efficient. Maybe you can pitch your landloard to switch to a heat pump and use it for cooling, too.

It depends a lot on your room size. There are some split level air conditioner for camping for example that might be an land lord friendly alternative. You might want to look into the Midea PortaSplit for example, but I have not tried it yet.

We have a mobile air conditioner in our roof top apartment but barely use it because it’s quite loud and also creates no „nice“ air.

@brgmn I completely agree, split units and heat pumps are definitely the most efficient, but unfortunately my landlord/Hausverwaltung isn’t open to installing anything with an external unit or making major modifications.

@jill-heitmann the Midea PortaSplit is actually exactly what I looked into. I reached out to my Hausverwaltung about it, since it technically just hangs out the window - but no luck there either. They said no to anything that sticks outside, even temporarily.

I can imagine that our two pro testers, @dennis-esser and @fabian-praschl, might have some great recommendations here. They’re usually on top of every new product and brand launch.

Personally, I don’t use an air conditioner, but I did hire a company to install custom fly screens on all our bedroom windows. That way, I can keep them fully open all night, absolute game changer. No mosquitos in summer, just fresh air.

I also sometimes take a hot shower before bed, it helps my body cool down afterward and improves sleep.

@ori-raz if your budget allows, you might also want to check out Eight Sleep, could be worth exploring.

@ori-raz What if you only put the outside part out for a few hours at night when it gets really hot outside? I‘d question whether your landlord can forbid this. .

I published a video about the Midea PortaSplit this weekend: Midea

https://youtu.be/UlhgSkL6A_c

It’s a game changer. It’s a split device but made for people who live for rent.

Around 900€. Cools down from 25 to 18 degrees is 1,5-2 hours. Costs about 0,5-1€ per night. The only negative part is that you can’t make the room dark. So we start it 1-2 hours before sleep and stop it when we go to bed.

@karol actually much rather do the same - sleeping with an open window and fly screen sounds ideal. I used one last summer, but unfortunately I can’t keep the window open at night because it’s directly above a street that’s just a bit too loud for me.
The hot shower trick is something I already do, but once it’s 25–26°C in the bedroom, it just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Eight Sleep is definitely on my radar for the future, but not quite in scope at the moment.

@jill-heitmann Yes, that was exactly my plan, just putting the outside part to cool for a bit and put back in, but I really don’t want to mess with my landlord if they’ve already said no. It’s also not something I ever see people do in Berlin, and until recently I actually thought external devices were completely prohibited in Germany. So I was surprised to learn otherwise.

That said, after @fabian-praschl 's top notch video (thanks for that!), I’m even more convinced that the PortaSplit might be worth another attempt at convincing them.

My only concern, even if I do get approval and buy it, is that I need full blackout to sleep well. so running it through the night might not be an option for me.
@fabian-praschl do you find that the room stays relatively cool through the night if you pre-cool it to 18°C and then turn it off before sleep? Did you ever check what was the temperature when you walk up, in that case?

@ori-raz I don't think the landlord is allowed to prohibit you from doing this. It's only a temporary installation without drilling. If you leave the outdoor unit outside 24/7 and you live in a beautiful old building and this disturbs the appearance of the façade, then I understand the problem. But the appliance is usually only outside for a few hours.

We also want it to be dark. That's why we have to put the device away in the evening. We usually fall asleep at 18.5 degrees and wake up at 22-24 degrees. But that totally depends on your home. Ours heats up very quickly, even without a warm outside temperature.