Which air conditioner has the best features?

The most important criterion when purchasing an air conditioner remains ensuring that its cooling capacity is optimally matched to the size of the room where it will be used. Bosch offers an excellent air conditioner calculator to help determine the optimal capacity.

The air conditioning system must have sufficient capacity (usually specified in kW or BTU) to ensure efficient cooling despite high outdoor temperatures, yet it must not be oversized.

Considering an air conditioner's energy efficiency class makes sense for both sustainability and cost reasons. Therefore, before purchasing, one should look for high SEER* values ​​(for cooling) and SCOP** values ​​(for heating).

* SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio: The SEER describes the average cooling efficiency over an entire cooling season. It is calculated according to EN 14825 based on multiple part-load points and varying temperature conditions, making it a more realistic measure of cooling efficiency over the course of a year than the COP or EER—even though it is also based on laboratory measurements. In the EU, the SEER is the key metric for determining the energy efficiency class for cooling operation.

** SCOP: Seasonal Coefficient of Performance: The SCOP is the counterpart to the SEER but applies to heating operation. It describes the average efficiency of an air conditioning system over an entire heating season under various load conditions (also in accordance with EN 14825). A high SCOP indicates that the unit heats efficiently throughout the winter, not just under ideal conditions. In the EU, the SCOP determines the energy efficiency class for heating operation.

For high indoor air quality, end customers are increasingly placing greater emphasis on features in air conditioning systems that enhance well-being in addition to temperature control. These include aspects such as

Ease of use is an essential aspect of modern air conditioning systems. Many people expect open interfaces with smart home systems or flexible control of the units in their daily lives—whether via voice command, smartphone, or even across multiple devices.

Naturally, this includes:

• a handy remote control
• app control
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• often voice control via Alexa or Google Assistant
• smart timer functions

In-demand additional features in this category:

Additional features—such as temperature zone control for multi-split systems or sleep modes—are particularly desirable for larger systems and for nighttime use. These allow individual rooms to be cooled to varying degrees during the day to suit lifestyle needs, while noise levels are reduced at night to minimize disturbance and optimize the indoor climate for restful sleep.

Neben Propan (R290*) steht hier in Klimaanlagen für Privathaushalte meist noch R32** zur Auswahl.

* R290 (Propan) ist ein Kohlenwasserstoff mit einem extrem niedrigen GWP-Wert von 3. Das natürliche Kältemittel bietet eine sehr gute Effizienz und ist überaus zukunftssicher, weil es umweltfreundlich, breit verfügbar und günstig ist. Aufgrund seiner potenziellen Entflammbarkeit wird R290 vor allem in Propan-Wärmepumpen zur Außenaufstellung eingesetzt, da hohe Sicherheitsvorschriften für brennbare Kältemittel gelten.

** R32 ist ein fluoriertes Gas mit einem moderaten GWP-Wert von 675, das sich auch in naher Zukunft einsetzen lässt. Es bietet eine hohe Anlageneffizienz und ist deutlich umweltfreundlicher im Vergleich zu konventionellen Kältemitteln wie R410A. Deshalb ist R32 eine der gängigen Alternativen für Kältemittel mit höherem GWP. Auch wird es häufig in Split-Klimaanlagen verwendet, welche aus einer separaten Innen- und Außeneinheit bestehen.

For permanently installed systems, appearance and aesthetics play a significantly more important role than for mobile units. Compact indoor units that blend well with the overall living environment in terms of design and color are becoming increasingly popular, and manufacturers are responding to end customers' higher expectations regarding design.

Sometimes the budget for a new air conditioning system is limited, yet customers want to keep the option open to extend the system to other rooms at a later date. Alternatively, the room layout may need to be flexible and adaptable to changing life circumstances over time; in such cases, it makes sense to choose a system that ensures expandability at any stage, thereby offering maximum flexibility.

For split-system air conditioners, the outdoor unit is crucial to the system's operation; it is here that the heat absorbed inside the building is released into the outside air. Consequently, its location impacts efficiency, noise levels, and even the system's lifespan. Anyone who values ​​good relations with their neighbors will therefore opt for particularly compact and quiet outdoor units—ideally ones that operate with minimal vibration.

In the premium segment, consumers are constantly offered new technological highlights. While features such as 3D airflow, automatic louver control, and occupancy detection are already available in many systems, automated adjustment of cooling capacity based on weather data is found in significantly fewer units. The same applies to adaptive usage profiles.