Best-Rated Air Conditioner Brand

See Our Ratings Methodology.

cns-msc-air-conditioners-2024

Most Satisfied Customers | Hisense

Aussies have rated Hisense as the coolest pick in Canstar Blue’s latest portable air conditioner ratings, with five-star reviews for value for money and overall satisfaction.

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How we rate air conditioners

Our review compares air conditioners on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which air conditioner they think is best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 912 Australians for their feedback on the air conditioner(s) they’ve purchased, installed and used in the last three years.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.



Respondents rate their satisfaction with their air conditioner brand(s) from zero to 10, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with an air conditioner brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Value for money: quality and longevity of product for price paid.
  • Performance: performs as described given frequency of use.
  • Ease of use: process for use is simple and efficient in achieving results, instructions are easy to understand.
  • Features and functionality: adequate settings and features for purpose and/or advanced settings and features that enhance performance.
  • Quietness: sufficiently quiet while operating that its use isn’t disturbing.
  • Design: aesthetically pleasing without compromising functionality, appropriate size and weight for product.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.


Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
  • Hisense
  • Fujitsu General
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • Daikin
  • Panasonic
  • Mitsubishi Electric
  • LG
  • Samsung

Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.


1. Hisense


Hisense Installed AC

Ratings result

Hisense received five stars for value for money and overall satisfaction, as well as four stars for performance, ease of use, features and functionality, quietness and design.

Editor’s notes

Hisense is an appliance and electronics manufacturer that sells home appliances such as air conditioners, dishwashers and televisions. Hisense air conditioners have features including app control, self-cleaning capabilities and smart-assistant connection.

2. Fujitsu General


Fujitsu Installed AC

Ratings result

Fujitsu General scored five stars for performance, ease of use, features and functionality, quietness and design, as well as four stars for value for money and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Fujitsu General is a home cooling and heating company that was founded in Japan in 1936. Fujitsu’s installed air conditioner models have features including artificial intelligence, app control and scheduling capabilities.

3. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries


Mitsubishi HI Installed AC

Ratings result

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries received five stars for performance, features and functionality, quietness and design as well as four stars for ease of use, value for money and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is an industrial group that operates within many sectors including energy, infrastructure and logistics. Mitsubishi Industries offers a range of installed air conditioners, split, multi-split, ducted and commercial systems.

4. Daikin


Daikin Installed AC

Ratings result

Daikin earned five stars for performance, ease of use and quietness as well as four stars for features and functionality, value for money, design and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Daikin is a Japanese heating and cooling company that came to Australian shores in 1969. Daikin sells a variety of mounted and ducted air conditioners as well as air purifiers and hydronic heating and cooling systems.

5. Panasonic


Panasonic Installed AC

Ratings result

Panasonic scored four stars for performance, ease of use, features and functionality, value for money, quietness and design, as well as three stars for overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Panasonic is another Japanese brand that sells electric appliances and consumer electronics across the world. It offers a range of single and multi-room air conditioners, as well as control panel systems and air purifiers.

6. Mitsubishi Electric


Mitsubishi Electric Installed AC

Ratings result

Mitsubishi Electric scored five stars for quietness, four stars for performance, ease of use, features and functionality, value for money and design, as well as three stars for overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Mitsubishi Electric, formerly a part of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Company, is a manufacturer of electrical products for commercial and residential use. The brand sells mounted air conditions for single rooms, as well as ducted air conditioners and multi-room air conditioners.

7. LG


LG Installed AC

Ratings result

LG scored four stars for value for money, as well as three stars for performance, ease of use, features and functionality, quietness, design and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

LG is a South Korean brand that sells home appliances from televisions and washing machines to ovens and fridges. The brand has ducted, single-split and multi-split air conditioners with features including voice control, energy use monitoring and built-in troubleshooting.

8. Samsung


Samsung Installed AC

Ratings result

Samsung received four stars for features and functionality and design as well as three stars for performance, ease of use, value for money, quietness and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Samsung is another South Korean brand that sells technology and home appliances, including mobile phones, televisions, smart home devices and kitchen and laundry appliances. Its installed air conditioners have features such as built-in wifi, anti-allergy, bacteria and virus filters and artificial intelligence that memorises your cooling and heating patterns.

9. Other air conditioner brands

Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.

  • Braemar
  • Dimplex
  • Hitachi

  • Kelvinator
  • Kogan
  • Rinnai

Compare more products featured in our Most Satisfied Customers Awards

About our consumer experts


Rachel Bollerman: Content Producer

This article was written by Canstar Blue Home & Lifestyle Content Producer, Rachel Bollerman. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology. She has worked in a variety of public relations, marketing and communications roles, gaining experience in community management, social media marketing, blog writing and other styles of copywriting. When she’s not working, Rachel enjoys doing arts and crafts projects at home and spending time with friends.

 

Meet the Editorial Team

 

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Sam Howse Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

 

Meet the Research Team

Past ratings

Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s air conditioner ratings:

  • 2023: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • 2022: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • 2021: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • 2020: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • 2019: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • 2018: Kelvinator
  • 2017: Panasonic
  • 2016: Panasonic
  • 2015: Fujitsu General
  • 2014: Panasonic
  • 2013: Daikin
  • 2012: Fujitsu
  • 2011: Daikin
  • 2010: Fujitsu General

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