Whats the best air conditioner of 2020 in India? We compare the features and price of best selling AC in India to create this list of top 10 best AC in India
If you want to avoid spending hours researching air conditioners, trying to understand which AC you need, then you’re at the right website. In this review, we will find out whether to go for 1.5 ton AC or 1 ton AC, inverter AC or normal AC, window AC or split AC, should you pay more to buy a 5 start BEE rating AC, or which air conditioner offers the best value for money.
In a Hurry? Click the button below to go direct to the list of best selling Air Conditioners by customer choice.
Below are our comprehensive review and comparison to answer the all-important question: “What’s the best air conditioner for the majority of people?”
Here goes..
Table of Contents
- Which AC Do You Need?
- Top 10 Best Air Conditioners in India?
- Sanyo 2 Ton 3 Star Inverter Split AC
- Sanyo 1 Ton 3 Star Inverter Split AC
- Hitachi 1 Ton, 5 Star Window AC
- Voltas 1.5 Ton 5 Star Window AC
- Sanyo 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC (Best Seller)
- LG 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
- Godrej 2 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
- Blue Star 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
- Carrier 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
- Voltas 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Window AC
- Conclusion
Which AC Do You Need?
This is the most important question you should ask yourself before reading any further. Air conditioners don’t come cheap and you don’t buy a new AC every next year like your mobile handset. So, its important that you buy a great machine that remains good for years to come and meets requirement of your family not just on regular days but also during small family get togethers.1 Ton, 1.5 Ton or 2 Ton Air Conditioner?
This can also be measured in terms of BTU by calculating area of a room in sq. ft. and then multiplying it with 30 or with 40 if your room is at top floor and exposed to sunlight from roof or from more than two sides. The number of windows, area of windows, max summer temperature in your city, no of people occupying room, ceiling height, head emitting appliances in room, and lots of other factors affects the BTU calculations.
| Important Note: When calculating BTU for your room, add 600 BTUs for every additional person that is expected to be in the room. Also add 10 percent more BTUs if room is sunny or if your city temperature goes above 40°C in summers. |
Once you have calculated the BTU required for your room, compare it with BTU power supplied by different air conditioners as given in table below and then decide the capacity required for your AC.
Power of 1 ton, 1.5 ton and 2 ton AC
| AC Capacity (tons) | Power (BTU/hr) |
|---|---|
| 1 Ton AC | 12000 BTU/hr |
| 1.5 Ton AC | 18000 BTU/hr |
| 2 Ton AC | 24000 BTU/hr |
If that calculation is tough for you (It actually is), then refer to the simplified information below:
| Condition | 1 Ton AC | 1.5 Ton AC | 2 Ton AC |
| If Max Temp in Your City goes past 40°C | Avoid, unless you stay in muhalla with 4 feet wide roads and the room is not at top floor. Room 110 Sq. Ft | For rooms under 140 Sq. Ft | For rooms upto 180 sq ft |
| If Max Temp in Your City remains under 35°C | For rooms under 110 Sq. Ft | For rooms under 150 Sq. Ft | For rooms upto 200 sq ft |
| If you expect AC to keep it cool during gatherings of up to 15 people including your family. City Temp Above 40°C | Avoid | Avoid | For rooms under 120 Sq. Ft |
| If you expect AC to keep it cool during gatherings of up to 15 people including your family. City Temp under 35°C | Avoid | For rooms under 120 Sq. Ft | For rooms upto 160 sq ft |
Inverter AC, Normal AC, or AC with 5 Star BEE Ratings?
In short, go for Inverter AC with 5 star energy rating. Don’t fall for low upfront cost, discounts, or freebies. Inverter ACs are more comfortable, highly durable, and ACs with 5 star BEE ratings save you 20 to 40 % in electricity bills.If you buy a 5 star inverter AC, it will save you more money than its cost over a span of 10 years.
On an average, an AC uses 350-700 units a month (for 12 hours of use daily) costing you ₹1800 to ₹4500 per month in electricity bills in all major cities of India. With inverter AC, this cost comes down significantly.
| Pro Tip: If the power department in your city does not allow for a fixed unlimited use yearly power connection for AC, then it makes all the sense to go for AC with 4 or 5 start BEE rating. |
Whats so special about Inverter AC?
An inverter type air-conditioner operates at constant speed after achieving desired indoor temperature so that the temperature never goes up again. Whereas in ordinary AC, compressor turns off after achieving desired indoor temperature and turns on again when temperature goes up.
Non-inverter air-conditioners stops and starts repeatedly. A 1.5 ton inverter AC would work at 0.3 to 1.7 ton power based on cooling requirement. As a result, inverter air conditioners are more energy-saving and comfortable than non-inverter air-conditioners.
See the Diagram below for better understanding:-
Source: https://www.daikinindia.com/inverter-technology-0
Split AC or Window AC
Making a choice between these two is relatively easier. As far as efficiency is concerned, there is no difference. Both are equally good at cooling a room.
But there are still, many differences, Lets look at pros and cons of a window AC and a split AC.
| Window AC | Split AC | |
| Cost | Cheaper by ₹3000 to ₹8000 | Product is costlier by around ₹5000 and the installation cost is also higher |
| Looks | Looks Old Fashioned | Looks fashionable |
| Comfort/Features | Makes lots of noise. Usually has less features. | Quiet Operation, Usually comes with features like auto clean, bacteria filter, air purifier, etc |
| Maintenance | Service cost is almost half. | Service cost is high and customers frequently face the problem of water dropping inside the room due to blockage in drain pipe. |
Now that we know the pros and cons of window and split AC, it should be easier for you to make a final decision on the type of best air conditioner to buy. We recommend going for a split AC but purchasing a windows AC in not a bad idea either.
Top 10 Best Air Conditioners in India?
Sanyo 2 Ton 3 Star Inverter Split AC
2 Ton split air conditioners are generally very expensive, but not anymore. If you are okay with Sanyo brand, then you can have a 2 ton AC for the price of 1.5 ton AC. This makes it a deal not to miss. And its not an ordinary machine. It is an inverter AC with 3 Star BEE rating which is not bad at all.
This is hands down buy not just for price sensitive customers but also for others as you get a much better machine, which is cheaper, energy efficient, and comes with latest inverter technology. The company Sanyo is a Japanese company that has been around for several decades. Further, it has its service centers (in tie up with Panasonic) all over India and thus can provide excellent after sales service.
The best air conditioner in India for this year is Sanyo 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC Click To TweetFurther, the customer reviews you see on Amazon for this model are too good. It has a over all rating of 4.2 and over 65% people have rated it 5 star and only 8% customers have rated it 1 star. This is very good rating and there is no other model that beats this rating.
For it’s value of money, product features, and great customer reviews, Sanyo 2 Ton AC is our #1 pick among best air conditioners in India.Sanyo 1 Ton 3 Star Inverter Split AC
Our #2 pick among best air conditioners in India is again a Sanyo AC. This is for smaller rooms and costs same as a window AC. So why buy a window AC when you can purchase a split AC with inverter technology and 3 star energy ratings for the same price.
Sanyo SI/SO-10T3SCIA is suitable for rooms under 100 sq ft area. It is a split AC with inverter technology, R32 refrigerant and 3 star BEE rating. Sanyo offers 1 year comprehensive and 5 year compressor warantee on this model.
There are 342 customer reviews on Amazon for Sanyo SI/SO-10T3SCIA 1 Ton Split AC. The average rating currently is 4.1 stars with 11% customers giving 1 star rating and 53% customers giving 5 star rating. On reading reviews, you come to know that most of the negative reviews complaint about the fact that Sanyo does not provide components like power cable to connect indoor unit with power source, drain pipe, etc and one has to pay extra for them. This is not a big issue and may cost you additional 300 rupees or so. Not a big issue..
If you buy Sanyo AC, we recommend purchasing your own bracket for fitting outdoor unit and getting it fitted from a third party technician from your neighborhood market or urban-clap etc. This way you can save on your installation cost which according to some customers was too high.Hitachi 1 Ton, 5 Star Window AC
Hitachi 1 ton AC is our #3 pick in best air conditioners in India.
Hitachi RAW511KUD is our top pick for 1 Ton Window AC. It is suitable for cooling a small room of upto 100 square feet. It has 5 Star BEE rating, which delivers best in class efficiency. ISEER Value: 3.4 .
It is a very efficiently AC with several features that are not present in a 1 ton window AC like auto mode, Aluminium Fins, Auto Fan Speed, Auto Power Save Mode, Low Derating, Kaimin Function, and more.
Voltas 1.5 Ton 5 Star Window AC
Voltas 1.5 ton AC ranks #4 in our list for best air conditioners in India.
Voltas 185DZAR32 is the best selling 1.5 ton AC this year on Amazon India. The reason for this out performance is very clear. It comes with a 5 star energy rating and still does not cost a bomb.
This AC comes with copper condenser coil, two stage filtration, eco-mode, turbo cooling and other regular features. At this cost, you can’t ask for more. This is the best window AC a price sensitive customer can buy.
Sanyo 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC (Best Seller)
Sanyo SI/SO-15T5SCIA is another AC from Sanyo inverter series. It is suitable for rooms under 150 sq ft area. It is an Inverter split AC with R32 refrigerant, 5 star BEE rating and ISEER Value: 4.6. Sanyo offers 1 year comprehensive and 5 year compressor warantee on this model.
The customer ratings on Amazon confirm the popularity of this model and the fact that this AC offers best value for your money and that’s the reason this AC finds itself at #5 in our list for best air conditioners in India.
Just like other AC brands, Sanyo provides 3 meter copper pipe and you will need to pay extra if that is not sufficient to cover the distance between your AC’s inner unit and outer unit. This is normal policy for all AC companies and some people rate 1 start for this reason.
Because installation is not free, you have the option of getting it done from any technician you trust.
LG 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
LG Split AC with inverter compressor is our pick# 6 in our list for best air conditioners in India. LG KS-Q18YNZA is 1.5 Ton inverter split AC with 5 star energy rating and 4.73 ISEER Value. LG offers 1 year comprehensive and 10 year compressor with gas charging warantee on this model. It is fitted with copper condenser coil and R32 Environment friendly refrigerant gas.
The auto clean feature is really useful if live in area with high humidity. It evaporates moisture from AC body, thereby preventing bacteria or mold from breeding and eliminate potential odors.
LG is a time tested brand, has good service network of its own and manufactures great quality product. These facts help it attain rank# 6 in our list.
Godrej 2 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
Purchasing a 2 ton AC makes absolute sense if you stay in cities like Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, etc where the maximum temperature crosses 45 C. Our top pick in 2 ton AC is Sanyo AC that offers great value for money but if you didn’t like it, then you can go for Godrej’s 2 ton AC which has advantage of being a 5 star AC.
This AC comes with alloy condenser coil and anti-corrosive coating on condenser & evaporator. This AC is capable of operating across voltage range of 160 to 280V, making it operate able without transformer.
Also, it provides customer a flexibility to install the outdoor unit up to 30 meters away from the indoor unit. This is something unique but the cost of this AC already seems to have factored that in.
Godrej offers 1 year warantee on product, 5 years on condenser and 10 years on compressor.
Blue Star 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
Bluestar IC518QATX uses dual rotary compressor which has twin rotors, they results in faster cooling, high energy savings, low operational noise & greater stability. It is a 1.5 ton split AC with 5 star BEE rating. Bluestar offers 1 year comprehensive, 5 years on condenser, and 10 year compressor warantee on this model.
Overall, it looks a great machine and thus takes #8 place in our list of best air conditioners in India.
Carrier 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC
Carrier CAI18EK5R39F0 is a powerful 1.5 ton inverter AC with 5 star energy rating. It has R32 refrigerant which is eco-friendly and more efficient than the R410A. Carrier company offers a 10 year warantee on compressor of this model. It is suitable for a room of upto 150 Square feet.
There are 130 customer reviews on Amazon for Carrier CAI18EK5R39F0 1.5 Ton AC. The average rating currently is 3.9 stars with 19% customers giving 1 star rating and 57% customers giving 5 star rating. On reading reviews, you come to know that most of the negative reviews are a result of installation problems. You can easily avoid this situation by getting AC installed by a local mechanic at cheaper rate.
This Carrier AC takes #9 place in our list of best air conditioners in India but that does not mean that you should not buy it. It only means that it won’t fit into the requirements of majority of Indian customers. Every customer has unique requirements and different experiences with different brands and based on that, the choices may differ.
Voltas 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Window AC
Voltas WAC 185VDZA is our top pick among Inverter Window ACs. It is suitable for a room of upto 140 Square feet. It is an Inverter AC and has a 5 Star BEE rating. It has a wide operating voltage range of 45~270 volt. As its an inverter AC, your savings on monthly electricity bill will easily pay back for the extra amount you will sepend in purchasing this air conditioner.
This model is not popular among customers as its costly and one can get a split AC for that price. Purchasing this model makes sense only for someone who does not like split AC or if its not feasible to fit a split AC in his home/office.
This voltas AC is our #10 pick in our review of best air conditioners of this year in India.
Conclusion
We reviewed the most popular 50 air conditioners on the market, across a range of uses and settings. For it’s outstanding performance at a reasonable price, 5 star BEE rating, inverter technology, copper coil, service quality, and sleek design, the Sanyo 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC is our number 1 pick in split AC and 
Voltas 185DZAR32 is our top pick in 1.5 ton window AC.
Last update on 2019-12-11 / Images from Amazon
