Dreo AC318S Review

Initial Analysis

The Dreo AC318S is an 8,000 BTU portable air conditioner according to older ASHRAE guidelines for measuring cooling capacity.

It is only a 5,000 BTU air conditioner according to newer stricter US DOE guidelines for measuring cooling capacity (Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity – SACC).

We could also say that the AC318S has 8,000 “traditional” BTUs vs only 5,000 “SACC” BTUs.

In our testing, the Dreo performed just about as well as we would expect a 5,000 SACC BTU portable air conditioner to perform.

It performed better than models with less than 5,000 SACC BTUs (models like the Shinco SPF1-08C and SereneLife SLPAC8).

It performed just about as well as models with a similar number of SACC BTUs (like Black+Decker BPACT05SM).

And it performed much worse than models with considerably more SACC BTUs (like the top rated Midea Duo and Whynter ARC-1230WN).

In our first cooling test we measure how long it takes the portable AC unit to lower room temperature from 86° F down to 72° F with an outdoor temperature of 83° F.

It took the Dreo 46 minutes to do so. Lower SACC units like the Shinco couldn’t even get the room temperature down to 72° F. The Black+Decker had a similar time, and the top rated Duo did so in only 12 minutes.

In the second test outdoor temperature is 89° F. In this test the Dreo could only lower room temperature down to 74.1° F, even after 2 hours of operation. The Shinco had a worse result, the Black+Decker had a similar result, and the Duo cooled the room to 72° F in 15 minutes.

In the third test the outdoor temperature is 91° F. In this test the Dreo could only lower temperature in the room down to 76.3° F (we only ran this test for one hour though). Again, the Shinco had a worse result and the Black+Decker a similar result. The top rated Duo lowered room temperature down to 72° F in 17 minutes.

The Dreo has a Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER) of 6.6. CEER for the Black+Decker isn’t listed. It’s only 6.0 for the Shinco and 12.3 for the Duo.

These manufacturer specifications match our test results.

The Dreo drew slightly less power than most other small AC units we tested. It was measured at 760 watts of power draw vs 781 watts for the Shinco and 783 watts for the Black+Decker.

The top rated Duo drew 1269 watts but it cools much, much faster, which is why its energy efficiency ratio is more than double that of the Dreo, despite the fact that it draws almost twice as much power.

The Dreo runs more quietly than any other portable AC unit we tested. On high fan speed it was measured at only 58.2 dB of noise output which is the lowest reading we’ve recorded so far on this setting.

For comparison, the Shinco was measured at 65 dB, the B+D at 60.2 dB, and the top rated Duo at 63.2 dB.

The Dreo also runs very quietly on low fan speed. On this setting it was measured at only 53.9 dB vs 63.2 for the Shinco, 57.2 for the B+D, and 52.5 dB for the Duo.

The Dreo weighs just about as much as the Shinco (55 lb.) but is slightly heavier than the Black+Decker (42 lb.). It’s considerably lighter than the Duo (74 lb.). It’s just about the same size as most other small portable AC units we tested and about 7” shorter than the Duo.

The Dreo is also very well built. Handling it during testing it was clear that this unit has very similar build quality to much bigger much more expensive units. It is also of clearly better quality than that of most other small AC competitors like the Shinco and Black+Decker.

On the negative side of things, it is usually much more expensive than other small AC units with similar SACC BTUs. The Dreo usually retails for between $390 and $440. The Shinco is just over $200. The Black+Decker is usually in the sub $300 range.

To evaluate value we like the use the SACC/$ ratio. This ratio for the Dreo is worse than any other portable AC unit we tested – 12.0. The Shinco (21.7), B+D (18.2), and even the very expensive top rated Duo (19.7) all have better ratios.

Pros and Cons

The Dreo's evaporator (1/4). Scroll to the right to see more.

A filter covers the evaporator during normal operation (2/4)

The evaporator filter standing up next to the AC unit (3/4)

The unit's condenser is visible with the bottom filter removed (4/4)

Conclusion

Outside of price, the Dreo AC318S is the best small portable air conditioner we’ve tested. It cools reasonably well for its size, it has good energy efficiency for its size, it’s very well built, and it’s easy to install (with an extensive window kit).

The problem for this unit is price.

It usually goes on sale for about $390. For just $10 more you can buy the Frigidaire FHPC142AA1 (at its usual retail price), which has a seasonally adjusted cooling capacity (SACC) of 10,000 BTUs.

That’s double the cooling capacity of the Dreo for only $10 more!

The Frigidaire is bigger and isn’t as light, but it cools significantly better than the Dreo and it’s much more energy efficient doing so.

If you’re on a tight budget (and/or you want a small AC unit), we recommend the Black+Decker BPACT05SM over the Dreo. It cools just about as well and has very similar energy efficiency. The Black+Decker isn’t as well built and can be more difficult to install (it has a less extensive window kit), but it’s usually at least $100 cheaper than the Dreo.

If you’re shopping around the $400 price point the Frigidaire is a much better option than the Dreo (for the reasons I outlined above).

If can expand your budget a bit, the Midea Duo is the best portable AC unit we’ve tested overall.

Additional specifications and notes

The Dreo's extensive window kit (1/5). Scroll to the right to see more.

A short extension panel inserted into the primary panel (2/5)

This wing nut secures the extension panel to the primary panel. There are extra wing nuts included to secure extensions to both sides of the primary panel (3/5)

A demonstration of how the exhaust hose connects to the primary window panel (4/5)

The weather stripping included with the Dreo AC318S (5/5)

Number of Window Panels – 4 (primary panel with hose cutout + three extensions)
Minimum Window Width (one panel) – 17 11/16” (length of primary panel)
Minimum Window Width (two panels) – 17 12/16” (primary panel + shortest extension)
Maximum Window Width (all panels) – 53 1/2” (primary panel + 3x extensions)
Weather stripping included – 2x adhesive hard foam (long), 2x soft foam (long)

Notes

The Dreo comes with a much more extensive window kit than most other small portable AC units on the market. With three extension panels, all of a different length, you can fit this kit into a wide variety of different size windows.

You can also connect extensions to either side of the primary panel, which further enhances the versatility of the kit.

The exhaust hose attached to the back of the AC unit (1/7). Scroll to the right to see more.

From this angle you can better see how the hose is attached to the back of the unit (2/7)

A wide angle view of the back of the AC unit with no hose connected. (3/7)

The exhaust hose slides down over the square area on the left side (4/7)

The end of the exhaust hose that connects to the AC unit (5/7)

The end of the hose that connects to the window kit (6/7)

The exhaust hose standing up next to the AC unit (7/7)

End Adapters – pre-installed? - yes
AC Side Hose Connection – drop down to lock into place
Window Kit Side Hose Connection – push forward to lock into place
Hose Length Min/Max – 13 to 62"
Hose Diameter – inner diameter was measured at 5.25”

Notes

Connecting the exhaust hose to the back of the AC unit and to the window kit is straightforward. Interestingly, the Dreo has one of the longest exhaust hoses we’ve measured (62”). Only the Frigidaire FHPC142AA1 has a longer hose (63”). Most other small AC units have a slightly shorter hose (60”). The top rated dual hose Duo has a fairly short hose (48”).

The Dreo's front control panel (1/2). Scroll to the right to see more.

The included physical remote control (2/2)

Modes – cool, dry, fan, eco, sleep
Set temp range - 61 to 86° F
Fan speeds – low, med, high, auto
Swing – yes
Smart – yes

Notes

This is another strong point for the Dreo. It has several features other small competitors simply do not have. For example, it gives you the option to set its louvers to auto-swing. This is a feature you usually only see on more expensive AC units. The Dreo can also be controlled remotely via an app. Again, this feature is usually reserved for more expensive options.

The unit's bottom drain (1/3). Scroll to the right to see more.

The unit's top drain - to which you connect the included drain hose on dry mode (2/3)

The included drain hose (3/3)

Dehumidifier mode pints/day – NA
Drainage options - 2x drain outlets – the first at the bottom and back of the unit is used to drain condensate collected from cooling. The Dreo has a built-in evaporator but in especially humid conditions condensate may build up, and you may have to drain the unit through this bottom drain to continue cooling in such conditions.

The second drain outlet is higher, midway up the back of the unit (the “top” outlet in the photos above). This outlet is used only in “dry” mode to drain condensate (through the included drain hose) that accumulates when the Dreo is actively dehumidifying.

Drain hose – included

Top filter (over evaporator) - very easy to remove – clips in with no screws
Bottom filter (over condenser) – very easy to remove – clips in with no screws