• Mitsubishi Electric- the eternal number two on the Russian market. In my opinion, the quality of the equipment is in no way inferior to Daikin, but the large thick internal blocks of a person who sees them with their own eyes will definitely make you think. At the same time, the trend in the series is simple - the larger the dimensions of the block, the more functional and sophisticated it is... Everything would be great, but more than $1000 for a coffin on the wall would not make me happy... The most advanced series to date, FH or LN in rooms of 15 meters (and God forbid with low ceilings) it looks depressing with any renovation. Although full functionality, noiselessness and quality are above all praise.
• Mitsubishi Heavy. I don’t know the correct slogan for this company, but in Russia it would sound something like this: “we are no worse than Mitsubishi Electric, but cheaper.” And I agree! Excellent quality, discreet design, stable operation, noiselessness and good technical support from official services make you vote for it if you use your reason. All cars of the Mitsubishi Motors concern are equipped with car air conditioners from this particular company - and this also says a lot.
• Panasonic- good air conditioners... They were... They were good until March 2012: until they began to steam defective batches in official deliveries for several months. And these are premium inverter series! I’ll note the design - it’s probably the best after Daikin, but the quality of the air conditioners is oh so lame. Whistling boards of internal units, automation glitches, and service centers overcrowded with complaints are only saddening. An absurd situation in 2012: the new NKD series was sold for a long time cheaper than the old MKD by $70-100! Right next to the house there are Panasonics from 4 years ago, I’m happy as an elephant, but for now there’s no point in looking in their direction. Although... wait... I completely forgot. To launch sales of glitchy equipment in October 2012, Panasonic launched an incentive program: buy 2 air conditioners and get a bread machine as a gift! Why, their bread machines seem to be nothing, I’ve even heard people praise them! It’s sad in general, although there’s nothing to be surprised about: 10 years ago Panasonic didn’t make air conditioners, just like their brother SONY still doesn’t make them... This is probably correct.
• Hitachi– good reliable air conditioners. I see only one minus - despite the low noise level stated in catalogs, in fact, for some reason, air conditioners operate louder than the above-mentioned competitors. Although the catalogs indicate the same minimum noise levels of up to 26 dB for almost all Japanese manufacturers, it turns out that Hitachi is a little, but still audible, and for some reason there is no similar Panasonic or Mitsubishi. And almost all Hitachi inverters are assembled in China. Not an indicator - you will say, and you will be right. The Chinese are already flying into space, and there is no need to doubt their capabilities, but I personally still doubt the veracity of the technical noise characteristics.
• Toshiba– this is certainly complete harmony of price and quality. For rational buyers - just the thing! They are harmonious, they are reliable, they do not break down and are not prone to the most barbaric executions such as “I forget to clean the 3rd year” or “Oh, why can’t you turn it on at minus 25?” Simply unkillable devices! By the way, the first to come up with a split system was TOSHIBA, and without greedy markups, Toshiba representative offices in Russia sell them in unlimited quantities every year. Alas, the most unprofitable brand according to the markup of any climate control company (even ours) - but this is a secret...
• Finally General or Fujitsu. This is one plant and the same blocks. But in “our rush” this brand is sold under both brands, with different labels (the difference is one letter, so no one would guess) and with different prices. There are also two suppliers of these air conditioners in Russia. This move avoids direct competition. However, excellent, good, high-quality equipment. Decent design and characteristics. The price is too high due to an artificial monopoly on the import of this brand into Russia - nothing can be done. The choice is worthy no matter how you look at it, otherwise you can vote with your wallet.

Judging by the reviews, the question of which air conditioner is best to choose for an apartment is one of the most pressing questions this summer among residents of stuffy high-rise buildings. This season has once again proven to the townspeople the need installing an air conditioner at home. After all, this device is capable of cooling any room, and in winter some models are capable of heating, which makes such a household appliance literally vital for many apartments.

However, every potential buyer invariably faces the question of how to choose an air conditioner and which company to give preference to. After all, among the variety of options offered on the market, it is easy to get confused. And the high cost of air conditioners forces you to approach their choice with the full degree of responsibility.

What to look for when choosing an air conditioner?

Let's consider which air conditioner is better to choose in 2018. To do this, we will give as an example the most common options for household air conditioners for the home, which on average will last from 7 to 10 years. So, what nuances should you pay attention to first when purchasing a device?

TOP 10 air conditioner models among Yandex.Market buyers

Model	Characteristics	Design
Split system AUX ASW-H07A4/LK-700R1	Wall split system. Heating and cooling. Cooling power 2100 W / heating 2200 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 650 W / heating 610 W. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 24 dB - 33 dB.	Buy
Split system Electrolux EACS/I-09HSL/N3	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling of rooms up to 25m². Cooling power 2610 W / heating 2650 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 820 W / heating 730 W. Fine filter. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 24 dB.	Buy
Split system LG PM09SP	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling. Cooling power 2500 W / heating 3200 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 670 W / heating 840 W. Deodorizing filter. Control from the remote control and from a smartphone (wi-fi). Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 19 dB - 41 dB.	Buy
Split system Panasonic CS-UE7RKD / CU-UE7RKD	Inverter Wall Split System Heating and Cooling. Cooling power 2050 W / heating 2800 W mode ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification. Power consumption cooling 525 W / heating 690 W. Deodorizing filter. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A Noise level of the indoor unit 22 dB - 39 dB.	Buy
Split system Carrier 42UQV025M / 38UYV025M	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling. Cooling power 2500 W / heating 3200 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 770 W / heating 890 W. Deodorizing filter, fine filter. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 30 dB - 41 dB.	Buy
Split system Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-DM25VA / MUZ-DM25VA	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling. Cooling power 2500 W / heating 3150 W. ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. power consumption for cooling 710 W / heating 850 W. Remote control. Energy efficiency A+ class. The noise level of the indoor unit is 22 dB - 43 dB.	Buy
Split system Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-HJ35VA / MUZ-HJ35VA	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling of rooms up to 30m². Cooling power 3100 W / heating 3600 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 1040 W / heating 995 W. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 22 dB - 45 d.	Buy
Split system Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-SF25VE / MUZ-SF25VE	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling of rooms up to 20m². Cooling power 2500 W / heating 3200 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 600 W / heating 780 W. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 19 dB - 45 dB.	Buy
Split system Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-HJ50VA / MUZ-HJ50VA	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling of rooms up to 54m². Cooling power 5000 W / heating 5400 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption for cooling 2050 W / heating 1480 W. Remote control. Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 27 dB - 47 dB.	Buy
Split system Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-LN25VG / MUZ-LN25VG	Inverter wall split system. Heating and cooling of rooms up to 20m². Cooling power 2500 W / heating 3200 W. Ventilation, temperature maintenance, night, air dehumidification mode. Power consumption cooling 485 W / heating 580 W. Deodorizing filter, plasma filter, fine filter. Control from the remote control and from a smartphone (wi-fi). Energy efficiency class A. The noise level of the indoor unit is 19 dB - 45 dB. Motion Sensor.	Buy

Air conditioner type

1. Mobile.
2. Window.
3. Split system.
4. Multi-split system.
5. Duct.
6. Cassette.

The most relevant and suitable option is currently considered split system, wall mounted. It is divided into two blocks: an external one, which is placed outside on the wall of the house, and an internal one. The latter is located on the wall indoors directly under the ceiling. It is installed within reach of connecting pipes. Such air conditioners have sufficient power that can cool even a room measuring 60 square meters. m.

Advice! It is worth remembering that special pipes are needed to connect the outdoor and indoor units of the air conditioner. Their diameter is indicated in the instructions for the device.

Installing an air conditioner in every room is expensive and impractical, because there are options that can cool several rooms at once. And for this you can pay attention to multi-split systems. In this case, one outdoor unit is installed, and several indoor units are connected to it.

However, if you live outside the city, a different type of air conditioner will be more suitable for you. pay attention to channel devices. The cooled air will be distributed through thermally insulated air ducts, which are directed to different rooms. In this way, you can achieve cooling of several rooms at once - up to five. This possibility is also ensured by the fact that these devices have exceptional power, reaching 25 kW.

Non-standard options

Another worthy option is cassette devices. They require special suspended cassette ceilings. The lower part of the block of this device is responsible for the distribution of cooling air.

Option for busy people - mobile air conditioner. When choosing it, you will not have to stand in line at the service center and tire yourself with everyday problems. Such devices are easy to install: you just need to lead the hose outside, for example, through a window. Hot air will escape through it. The air conditioner unit is placed on the floor and looks like.

Advice! Installing mobile devices is advisable only if there is not enough free space to install a full-fledged air conditioning system consisting of two blocks. The same applies to window models.

They stand apart inverter air conditioners. They have a device for smoothly adjusting the power of the device. Unlike a conventional air conditioner, the compressor of an inverter device operates without interruption, only changing its power depending on the temperature. All this allows the temperature in the room to remain constant, fluctuating only slightly within a fraction of a degree.

The advantages of inverter devices over conventional air conditioners are undeniable, but they have one significant drawback - high cost. So, they cost about $200 more, which is quite significant at the current exchange rate.

Choosing an air conditioner based on room parameters

When choosing an air conditioner, it is important to take into account various nuances of the room:

1. ceiling height;
2. ;
3. additional sources of heat radiation.

All this needs to be known to determine the power of the air conditioner - one of the most pressing issues that every buyer faces.

Rating is based on reliability and only secondarily on functionality. The priority is reliability, which assumes the absence of manufacturing defects, as well as uninterrupted operation over a long service life.

All brands of air conditioners can be divided into two groups: 1st brands that have their own factories and scientific research centers. 2nd OEM brands - this is when the owner of a certain brand places an order for the production of air conditioners or any other equipment at a manufacturing plant under his brand. Their rating can be called unpredictable, due to the frequent change of the brand manufacturer's plant. This category must be treated with extreme caution.

This rating is subjective, based on personal experience and does not claim to be 100% objective. We hope that our air conditioner reliability rating will help you more easily decide on the choice of air conditioner.

Premium class.

Ultra-high level of reliability.

1. Daikin(Japan) - assembly Czech Republic, Malaysia, Belgium, China
2. Mitsubishi Electric(Japan) - Thailand assembly.
3. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries(Japan) - Thailand assembly.
4. TOSHIBA(Japan) - Thailand assembly.
5. FUJITSU
6. GENERAL- Fujitsu General Ltd. (Japan) - assembly China, Thailand.

High level of reliability.

1. Gree
2. HITACHI(Japan) - assembled in Malaysia.
3. Panasonic(Japan) - assembled in Malaysia.
4. SHARP- OEM brand (Japan) - assembly in Malaysia.

Middle class

1. Electrolux- OEM brand (Sweden) - assembled in China, Gree plant.
2. Midea(China) - own factories in China.
3. KENTATSU- OEM brand (Japan) - assembled in China, Midea plant.
4. MDV- Midea Group Co., Ltd. (China) - Midea's own factories.
5. Hisense- (China) - own factories in China.
6. Tosot- Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai (China) - Gree's own factories
7. Carrier(USA) - assembled in China.
8. LG- (Korea) - assembly Türkiye, Ukraine, China, Korea
9. Samsung(Korea) - assembly China, Korea
10. Haier(China) - own factories in China

Budget class

1. Ballu- OEM brand (Russia) - assembly plant Hisense
2. AUX- own factories in China
3. TCL- own factories in China
4. Airwell(France) - assembled in China
5. Lessar- OEM brand (Czech Republic) - assembly plant Midea
6. General Climate
7. Zanussi
8. Dantex- OEM brand (UK) - assembled in China, Midea plant.
9. Quattroclima- OEM brand (Italy) - assembly plant Gree.
10. Neoclima- OEM brand (Russia) - assembly plant Gree, Midea, Chigo.
11. Aero- OEM brand (Russia) - assembly plant Midea
12. Сhigo(China) - own factories in China.
13. Hyundai(Korea) - assembled in China
14. Venrera- OEM brand (Italy) - assembly plant Gree, Midea.
15. Aeronik- OEM brand (Russia) - assembled at Gree plant.

OEM brands that have been produced for less than 5 years and place their production in well-established factories in China Gree, Midea, Hisense, Hier, and Chigo

1. Oasis
2. Green- OEM brand (Russia) - assembly plant Hisense.
3. Royal Clima- OEM brand (Italy) - assembly plant Midea, Hisense.
4. Shivaki- OEM brand (Japan) - assembly plant Midea.
5. Akvilon- OEM brand (Russia) - assembly plant Midea.
6. Komatsu- OEM brand (Japan) - assembled at Chigo plant.
7. Timberk- OEM brand (China) - assembly factory Hisense.
8. Leberg- OEM brand (Norway) - assembly plant Midea.
9. Roda- OEM brand (Italy) - assembly plant Midea
10. Sakata- OEM brand (China) - assembly plant Midea.

Brands with their factories in China, with low build quality and cheap components

1. Galanz- own factories in China
2. Hualing- own factories in China
3. Chunlan- own factories in China
4. Kelon- own factories in China

OEM brands assembled at the above factories. There are a very large number of these brands. We will not list them.

OEM brands with unpredictable reliability - We do not recommend purchasing

1. MYSTERY
2. SUPRA
3. DAEWOO
4. KRAFT
5. Polaris
6. VITEK
7. etc.

Summer is just around the corner, and thousands of people are faced with questions: which air conditioner is better to choose for an apartment, what is the rating of air conditioner manufacturers, what are the differences between air conditioners from different manufacturers...

For ordinary buyers who do not have the opportunity to compare air conditioners from different brands, all these gray wall boxes differ only in size and color. And even professional installers on forums rarely come to agreement on many models and manufacturers, because... Everyone's experience is different.

It is clear that everyone will have their own rating of air conditioners. In this article, we do not claim to be the Truth, but only generalize our own 14 years of experience, and divided air conditioners into five groups according to quality level. So, how to choose an air conditioner for an apartment:

Top air conditioners.

The best air conditioners for apartments - produced by Japanese companies Mitsubishi, Daikin, General Fujitsu. The price/quality ratio of air conditioners of these brands may seem overpriced to some. But most professional market participants will agree that these are the highest quality air conditioners.

Mitsubishi Electric, ME. The most technologically advanced, structurally thought out, impeccably assembled. A lot of additional options make it universal for any application. Highest reliability and a “trendsetter” in the climate control market, No. 1 in our rating of air conditioners.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, MHI. It is inferior to ME in terms of range, but shares first place with it in terms of reliability. MHI is the main supplier to the Japanese Ministry of Defense; the corporation's factories produce almost all the equipment of the Japanese army: fighters, transport aircraft, tanks, warships... And this “military” approach extends to the corporation’s climate division. Nothing superfluous, but the whole design is brought to perfection.

Daikin. It is considered the most expensive brand on the Russian market. Daikin equipment is distributed on the Russian market through two distribution channels.
The first, the Daichi company, through professional climate companies, supplies top models that are produced at Daikin factories. The equipment is decent, but, in our opinion, unreasonably expensive.
The second, the United Elements company, through trading houses and household appliance stores, supplies junior series of equipment produced at McQuay Chinese factories. They have nothing in common with top models except the nameplate.

General Fujitsu. The same models are sold under two brands: General and Fujitsu. Slightly inferior in quality to both Mitsubishi, but has several unique solutions. Flexible Multi - has no competitors in terms of price-quality ratio for those cottages or apartments where there are large routes from the outdoor unit to the indoor ones. The Nordic series is the best choice of air conditioner for heating a country house, according to the Finnish Best i Test award.

The second group of our air conditioner ratings - Toshiba, Panasonic, Hitachi. They are good middle-of-the-road cars that have their own “tricks”, but in terms of technical solutions they do not reach the first four Japanese.

Toshiba. Relatively inexpensive, but at the same time they do not skimp on materials, and have an interesting price-quality ratio. Although there are unsuccessful models, it is worth looking for reviews before purchasing.

Panasonic. The situation is similar with Daikin. The equipment produced at Panasonic's own plant in Malaysia is of high quality and competitive. But there are lines produced in China under a franchise, in which only the name is from Panasonic.

Hitachi. Their share in the Russian market is extremely small, due to inept commercial policies. Hitachi's share of the global market is also declining, and in 2015 the company decided to focus on the domestic Japanese market, transferring international sales of air conditioners to Johnson Controls.

The third group is the Chinese "Big Three": Midea, Gree, Haier. They also belong to her MDV And Tosot(own brands Midea and Gree). These three companies produce 70% of all air conditioners in China, and are the undisputed leaders in quality, innovation and range in the Chinese market.

In the market for industrial climate control equipment (VRF systems), the Chinese lag behind the Japanese for many years, despite the fact that every major Chinese corporation has a joint venture with the Japanese (Midea cooperates with Toshiba, Haier with Mitsubishi Heavy...). They lag behind in build quality, in the thoughtfulness of technical solutions, and in electronics.

But in the segment of household split systems, the level of leading Chinese factories has increased significantly, and the defect rate has decreased significantly over the past 5-7 years. They are still inferior to the Japanese in the quality of materials (plastic, metal), but in terms of price-quality ratio, air conditioners from Chinese brands are becoming more and more interesting.

Important: unlike OEM brands, the Big Three air conditioners undergo voluntary Eurovent certification, confirming their technical characteristics.

Fourth group - other Chinese factories(Chigo, Galanz, TCL, AUX, Hualing...) as well as the so-called OEM brands. These are brands that do not have their own production, but place orders at various Chinese factories, including the Big Three factories.

International OEM brands: Electrolux, Zanussi, Whirlpool, Vestel, Braun, AEG, Shivaki... Sold mainly through chain stores of household appliances, they have a very significant variation in quality (from different batches).

Russian OEM brands: Ballu, General Climat, Dantex, Lessar, Kentatsu, Quatroclima, Roda, Pioneer, IGC, Royal Clima, Venterra, GoldStar, Huyndai, Timberk, Aironik, etc. As a rule, these are models that were sold in previous years under original Chinese brands, but due to a change in the model range, these production lines were transferred to OEM. On the one hand, the production of the model has already been completed, and design flaws have been corrected. On the other hand, Russian customers are forced to save on the materials used in production in order to maintain a competitive price-quality ratio.

Important: No one checks the characteristics of OEM brands in the factory. This means that the technical data given in the catalogs cannot be trusted by default.

The fifth group is cheap “like brands” sold in chain stores: Erisson, Techno, Elenberg, Sakura and other no-name. They are ordered for production on the basis of the lowest price; the word “quality” is not applicable here at all. Professional installers, as a matter of principle, do not undertake the installation of such equipment, because the time and nerves spent dealing with dissatisfied customers will not pay off. In the case of this group of air conditioners, the price/quality ratio is clearly too high, only on the downside.

Air conditioners by country of origin

Due to the difficult economic situation in recent years, the market share of Japanese air conditioners is falling in favor of cheap Russian OEM brands. Last year, the share of manufacturers by country looked like this:

Manufacturers in the tables below are listed in descending order of their share in the Russian market for household split systems.

Japan

Among the Japanese, only Daikin’s market share has increased since 2013 due to the appearance of economical inverters produced at McQuay Chinese factories.

Daikin

Mitsubishi Electric

Toshiba

General

Panasonic

Mitsubishi Heavy

Fujitsu

Hitachi

Fuji

Sanyo

Sharp

Korea

Only LG and Samsung have a significant share, although their sales are decreasing every year as they try to move into the “above average” price segment. Daewoo and Hyundai's market share is approaching zero.

American and European brands

Production is physically located in Southeast Asia, so the corresponding low prices help them maintain their 1 - 1.5%.

Carrier

Airwell

McQuay

Chinese brands of air conditioners

Haier's high share in the split systems market is due to the fact that more than half of their direct sales are to large customers: Megafon, Russian Railways, Magnit... Sales to end consumers are much more modest.

Midea is formally in 5th place. But if you also count MDV and Russian OEM brands produced by Midea (Kentatsu, Lessar, Dantex, General Climate, Venterra...), then its share will approach 30% in the Russian market.

Haier

Gree

Hisense

MDV

Midea

Tosot

TCL

Chigo

Aux

Galanz

Baohua

Kelon

Russian OEM brands

The largest segment on the market due to low prices and developed sales channels.

Ballu

Lessar

Kentatsu

Dantex

General Climate

Roda

Oasis

Royal Clima

Kraft

Mystery

Centek

Quatroclima

Aeronik

Rovex

Rix

Erisson

Pioneer

Venterra

Timberk

Green

Vertex

Jax

Avex

Kitano

Akvilon

Goldstar

Polaris

Aero

I.G.C.

Niagara

Starwind

Vico

Renova

Itsumo

Centurion

Leran

Galatec

Bork

Denko

VR

Korting

Vitek

Omaks

Magnit

Optima

Euronord

Laretti

Berlington

Dahaci

Tadilux

Rolsen

Dax

Scoole

Nikai

Aerotek

Soling

International OEM brands

The international OEM segment is relatively narrow and there are clear leaders in it - Electrolux, Neoclima, Zanussi, Supra. The share of this segment has been stable for the last three years.

When it comes to purchasing climate control equipment, it can be difficult to decide on a brand that you can completely trust. First of all, a potential buyer focuses on the ratings of air conditioner manufacturers, looking for available information on the Internet or among friends. User reviews, advertising, advice from friends, educational articles - all this makes up a certain opinion about a particular company, but not always a positive review from one person will benefit another buyer.

How to choose the right air conditioner according to rating

First of all, you need to decide for yourself what is fundamental in choosing an air conditioner relative to the manufacturer’s rating, namely:

• user reviews (the highest purchase rate for any brand);
• price of the device (cheapest or more expensive);
• quality and reliability.

The fact is that with this division, manufacturers can change places in any order. For example, in terms of price, brands like or will certainly occupy leading positions, and or, on the contrary, will occupy the last positions in the list, since their cost is 2-3 times higher.

You should also always consider the location where you purchase the climate control device. If you are choosing an air conditioner for an apartment, then the rating of manufacturers is built according to one scheme, and when purchasing a cooling device for a semi-industrial or industrial premises - according to another.

Although factories such as DAIKIN, MITSUBISHI, etc., equipment for any purpose is always distinguished by a high level of assembly and high-quality technical characteristics.

Quality and reliability rating

So, first, it’s worth focusing on the most important point - the rating of manufacturers in terms of quality and reliability, because even with a limited budget, any buyer wants to purchase a more or less functional device that will cause a minimum of problems.

In the table below, brands are sorted taking into account the following points:

• frequency of failure of the entire device or its individual parts;
• country of assembly – the most reliable are considered to be air conditioning systems made in Japan, Malaysia, Belgium and Thailand; Chinese equipment has proven worse;
• quality of performance of all basic and additional functions;
• noise level.

Air conditioner rating - summary table

Manufacturer	Country of assembly	Reliability level	Noise and vibration level
DAIKIN	Japan/Thailand/Belgium	Highest	Short
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC	Japan/Thailand	Highest	Short
	Japan/Thailand	High	Short
FUJITSU GENERAL	Thailand	High	Short
	Thailand	High	Short
	Malaysia/China	High	Short
	Malaysia/China	High	Average
SHARP	Thailand	High	Short
FUJI	Thailand	High	Short
BORK	Germany/China	Average	Average
DELONGI	China	Average	Average
	Malaysia	Average	Average
CARRIER	USA/Malaysia	Average	Average
	China	Average	Average
	Korea/China	Medium/low	Average
LG	Korea/Türkiye/China	Medium/low	Average
KENTATSU	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
	Korea/China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
GREE	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
VITEK	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
AIRWELL	China	Short	Average
AEG	China	Short	Average
	China	Short	Average
DAEWOO	Korea	Short	Average
SATURN	China	Short	Average
SENSEY	China	Short	Average
EUROFAN	China	Short	Average

All air conditioners that have a low reliability rating are most often made in China, are transported incorrectly (boxes with external units can even be transported horizontally) and often have a manufacturing defect in any part or design as a whole.

Devices that rank high among manufacturers in terms of build quality and operational reliability are not sold in household appliance departments. They can be purchased only in specialized stores that sell only climate control equipment. They are equipped with the best compressors, electronics and other components of the main working unit.

In addition, non-competitive Japanese manufacturers of apartment air conditioners have earned high ratings and are regularly chosen by customers due to:

• the presence and appearance of minimal defects in the first years of operation;
• convenient and varied functionality, using the latest technologies;
• equipped with a multi-stage protection system;
• power and efficiency;
• low noise;
• interesting design.

It is the highly rated manufacturers that provide high-quality and reliable cost savings by creating “smart” inverter air conditioners that operate in a mode of smoothly varying speeds and constant temperature maintenance. No shock jumps or changes in start and stop cycles like splits with linear compressor control.

This table did not consider industrial refrigeration units, so this rating of manufacturers is more relevant to the selection of a system for an apartment, small office or semi-industrial facility.

Rating by price and reviews

If you rely on the price per unit of goods, then, of course, all the data will be placed exactly the opposite, since climate control equipment with low positions costs much less than its competitors from the first lines. Each buyer decides for himself what equipment to purchase, and the above information is only advisory in nature.

Assuming that the quality rating is not a fundamental factor for purchase, which air conditioner should you choose for your apartment then? In order not to risk the money invested in the purchase and at the same time not to overpay for the brand name and bells and whistles of the cooling device, you should pay attention to the category with an average level of reliability rating.

Such split systems and mobile units are distinguished by good functionality and decent quality of factory assembly - all this for an affordable price. Here you can focus on user reviews, which usually reveal the main points:

• noise level;
• cooling/heating power;
• ability to maintain a given temperature;
• dimensions;
• case design.

• HITACHI;
• PANASONIC;
• HYUNDAI;
• CARRIER.

Buyers respond well to appliances from the brands GREE, MIDEA, DANTEX, GENERAL CLIMATE and BALLU.

With splits and mobile devices from, DELONGI, MCQUAY, you should be more careful before choosing them. The fact is that the BORK company initially has an opaque history of creating a brand. The company is registered as a German brand, but assembly takes place in Russia, China and other countries. The rest of the companies mentioned, although they are in the middle positions in the rating of air conditioners in terms of reliability, quality may still suffer if the place of assembly is China. Just a few years ago these brands were considered one of the best, but now such expectations are not always justified.

What else should you consider when choosing an air conditioner for an apartment according to the manufacturer’s ratings? What is the best device to buy with a minimum budget?

In conditions of severe budget restrictions, it is advisable to give preference to such popular brands as ELECTROLUX, SAMSUNG, DANTEX, BALLU, KENTATSU. In most cases, consumers leave good reviews about them. The only disadvantage of such devices is a higher level of noise and vibration.

Many cheap air conditioners have an unpleasant plastic smell, which can make a cracking noise when the temperature changes while the device is operating.

As a rule, inexpensive air conditioner models are not equipped with such bells and whistles as infrared motion sensors, a multi-stage filtration system with catechin and plasma filters, a weekly on/off timer, heat exchanger dehumidification, and the like.

Although the rating of air conditioners for an apartment (or other small room) in terms of manufacturer reliability and build quality is conditional, the likelihood of breakdowns for expensive devices is extremely low compared to cheap Chinese climate control models.

Among all climate control equipment, DAIKIN and MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC are recognized as the best brands.