Windmill Air Conditioner Review: Cooling Off With a Viral A/C Unit

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The elevated design elements ensure that your air and your aesthetics stay pleasant all summer long.

Until recently, I thought a window air conditioning unit could only be an eyesore; a purely utilitarian device that was required to keep me from melting into my couch all summer long. For me, going without air conditioning is out of the question — I run hot, so when temperatures rise here in New York City, it's a must-have. The only problem is, most units out there are either too weak, won't stay cold all night or are just plain ugly. Worse than that, most fall into all three categories.

When I first found out about Windmill Air's smart window air conditioner, I was struck by the unit's modern looks and trendy direct-to-consumer branding that was perfectly minimal. It had the hallmarks of a company targeting Millennials and Zillennials and damn it, they got me (and everyone else on TikTok). I could pick up a perfectly good air conditioner from my local Home Depot, but I know I'd always be thinking about the cool one I saw online (insert guy-looking-back meme here). Not only does it look stellar, but the site promises unmatched cooling, minimal noise, a useful companion app and eco-friendly features. Not to be hyperbolic when speaking about a relatively banal home appliance, but it seemed like it was maybe too good to be true.

Naturally, when I got the chance to give it a go, I was (cautiously) ecstatic. I had to know if this was a true DTC darling or another trendy-yet-underwhelming product that would ultimately disappoint me. The looks of the unit are undeniable — it blends into my space like no other air conditioner I've used — but does it really blow cold all night? Are the smart features actually useful? Let's see if it's more than just a pretty face.

I'll just say it upfront: if you can bite the bullet on cost, you should buy a Windmill Air Conditioner (or two). I wasn't entirely sure which window the A/C would live in permanently, so I opted for a pretty minimal setup, but you also receive a handful of useful materials that make a more permanent setup just as easy. The remote control works like a charm (bonus points for coming with a battery). The 10,000 BTU unit that I tested was plenty powerful for my bedroom and the adjacent dining room. 10,000 BTUs might be overkill for my space, but I'd rather have too much power than not enough — you can always turn it down. Even with all that power, the machine is whisper-quiet (hence the WhisperTech moniker). I generally appreciate the hum of an A/C unit, and this one provides a peaceful white noise, but eschews the throaty growl that many units emit when they start struggling for power. I've left this on for 14 hours with no change in sound or output.

The best part though, is the smart features. Once I got signed into the app, I wondered how I ever lived without a smart air conditioner before. Aside from being able to control the machine in real-time, you can set up automation rules that turn the unit on or off at a specific time, all to your exact temperature and power specifications. This makes keeping things cool easier than ever, whether you're winding down and getting ready to crawl into bed or making sure the room is cool when you get home from a long day at the beach.

As I said, I opted for a simple setup because I was unsure of the permanent location of my unit. I took the unit out of its box and essentially lifted it straight into the window. It comes with the install kit pre-attached, so I didn't have to fuss with any screws or tricky attachments. The unit comes with adhesive and non-adhesive insulation strips to fill the gaps along with scissors, hardware and a lock to attach the unit to the window. You even get a little rubber plug to fill the screw hole, keeping the aesthetics on point.

The unit is heavy and awkward to lift, so you will definitely want to have someone there to help you install it, especially the part where you secure the unit by lowering the window. I made the mistake of doing it alone and was definitely a bit nervous about it crashing out of my third-story window.

I've never used a smart air conditioner before. I've never even had one that had a remote. I cannot be more thankful that I can stay where I am, pull up the Windmill app and make adjustments to the temperature, fan speed and cooling setting without moving a muscle. It sounds silly, but who wants to get up every time they need to adjust the air?

As I mentioned earlier, one of the best in-app features is the ability to set up automation. If I want the temperature to drop at a certain time, I can set it up to do so. You can even have the machine turn itself on and set the fan speed, cooling mode and temperature all at once. On days that I know I'm going on a big bike ride or heading into the office, I can have the temperature set up just how I want it in time for my return. If I want the unit to turn on at the same time every day, on weekdays, on weekends or any combination of days, I can do that, too. The automation is extremely versatile and easy to understand, making it an indispensable feature.

You'd think this should go without saying, but sadly, not all air conditioners are made equally. Granted, I've never wanted to spend a large sum on a unit in the past, so I've been stuck with an air conditioner that is gasping for breath after two hours of "cooling." At the highest setting, the Windmill pumps sweet, sweet cold air into the room in no time — a very welcome surprise after years of puny units that took up just as much space and energy.

Again, the 10,000 BTUs may be overkill for my humble Bushwick apartment, but I'm thankful that I can feel the cold air from two rooms away, even when the unit is running on its lower settings.

There are a ton of alternatives to the Windmill, as this is a relatively new brand to enter the air conditioner space. You'll rarely find such a complete package, but if you're looking for something different, it's certainly out there. For a similarly branded, DTC option, check out July, which also has made a handsome machine for the smart-appliance age. It shares a lot of the same features as the Windmill, though it leans a bit more into the aesthetics, offering just two sizes but seven color schemes and three different materials. Another well-loved unit is the Midea U-Shaped air conditioner, which allows you to leave the window almost completely shut thanks to its clever shape. This leads to more efficiency and safer window placement. LG and Frigidaire each make a range of trusted units, some of which feature up to 18,000 BTUs and can come in at a lower price point than the Windmill.