It’s half in the living room and half hanging out the window. In France, after the hottest June on record, the Midea PortaSplit has become one of the most searched for devices of the summer, with stocks sold out and deliveries tracked shop by shop. The manufacturer claims to have sold over 300,000 of them in Europe since launch in 2024 and admits that, in some markets, demand continues to exceed availability.
The heat offered a rather effective demonstration. According to Météo-France, June 2026 reached a national average temperature of 22.7°C, which is 3.8°C above the 1991-2020 norm. Since June 17th, a historic heat wave has hit the country, with the most anomalous values concentrated between the 22nd and 26th. Faced with a house that can no longer cool down during the night, even the air conditioning that has been postponed for years acquires a certain urgency.
However, the race for the PortaSplit tells something more interesting than the success of an appliance. Many European homes are rented, are located in old buildings or have facades in which drilling a hole requires authorisations, work and a certain financial availability. This luminaire was born exactly inside that space: it offers a true external unit, without transforming the wall into a construction site.
Half in the house, half out the window
The system is made up of two elements already connected. The indoor unit remains in the room and moves on four wheels; the external one is placed on a bracket fixed to the window frame. A two meter long and 2.7 centimeter thick refrigerant pipe passes between the two, thin enough to allow the door to be closed with the appropriate insulating material.
The circuit arrives sealed from the factory. Whoever buys it must mount the bracket and place the outdoor unit, without connecting pipes, adding refrigerant or calling an installer. According to the manufacturer’s documentation, the operation requires three steps and does not involve drilling. However, optional supports may be needed for skylights, French windows and French balconies.
The separation between the two units makes the difference compared to the classic monobloc portable air conditioner. The latter expels hot air through a large pipe, often creating a depression in the room which draws in more air from outside. In the PortaSplit the heat is transferred directly to the exchanger located outside the house. However, the window remains partially open to allow the connection to pass through and must be carefully insulated: even a few cracks can draw in hot air and reduce the efficiency of the system.
The declared power is 3.5 kW, equal to 12 thousand BTU. Midea indicates a maximum coverage of 42 square metres, although this depends on the height of the room, exposure to the sun, insulation and external temperature. A red-hot attic and a well-shielded room are unlikely to offer the same experience, even when the same number appears on the box.
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How much it cools, consumes and makes noise
The European EPREL label assigns the PortaSplit the A++ class in cooling, with a seasonal SEER index of 6.1, and the A+ class in heating, with SCOP 4. The standard consumption calculated for cooling is 201 kWh per year, a conventional figure that changes a lot based on the hours of use, the set temperature, the insulation and the room.
The advertised 39 dB(A) also requires a small side note: it refers to the sound pressure of the indoor unit in silent mode. At the highest speed the declared value rises to 49 dB(A), while the energy label reports an internal sound power of 59 dB. It remains more discreet than many portable air conditioners, without magically turning into silent cool air.
The system contains 0.62 kilograms of R32 refrigerant. The user can assemble the device because the circuit arrives sealed; any leaks, repairs or interventions on the pipes must instead be entrusted to qualified personnel. The technician skips the initial installation, not all possible future visits.
Availability varies from store to store
In France the PortaSplit is generally sold for around 999 euros. On July 29, Boulanger showed it available according to the point of sale, while Castorama offered it on promotion for 949 euros, calling it a very successful product. Stocks, therefore, reappear in patches and can run out quickly: a different situation from the absolute impossibility of finding reported in some reconstructions.
In Italy the model has arrived at various chains indicated by Midea itself. Unieuro reported a recommended price of 999 euros and the product was sold out at the time of consultation. The combination of heat, intermittent availability and an easy-to-visualize solution did the rest: one unit in, one unit out, no holes and the technician free to do other things.
The higher efficiency compared to many monoblocks reduces the consumption necessary to obtain the same cooling, without eliminating them. The French Agency for Ecological Transition reminds us that bringing the set temperature from 23 to 26 °C can divide the electricity used by the air conditioner by three. Sun protection, windows closed during the hottest hours and night ventilation remain part of the work, even after spending almost a thousand euros.
The PortaSplit has intercepted a very real problem: bringing fresh air into homes where a fixed system requires work, authorizations or additional money. The technician can stay at home during assembly and the wall remains intact. For those who live in rent or cannot install a traditional split, this is no small thing.
Midea PortaSplit 12000 BTU, Without Installation, Cooling and Heating
