When summer comes, you will quickly notice how fast a given space is heating up. Although some people benefit from the luxury of a certain type of air conditioning unit, there are still many who do not. If you don't have central air conditioners or window air conditioners in your house or space, your next best option may be to buy a portable air conditioner.

Depending on your budget, finding affordable air conditioners can seem daunting. Although most actual air conditioning units, even if they are portable, will cost buyers hundreds of dollars, there are some affordable alternatives. Fortunately, there are a variety of portable air conditioners available today that can meet almost anyone's budget.

In most cases, the best option for buying a cheap cooling solution is to buy a portable air conditioner—especially a non-evaporative air conditioner. Although much more expensive than most evaporative air coolers (also called swamp coolers), these air conditioning units are very effective in cooling the room and quickly proved the price for those who can afford it.

Evaporative air coolers, sometimes called portable swamp coolers, are a more affordable but less efficient method of cooling any small and medium-sized room. In addition to being less effective than actual portable air conditioners, swamp coolers require more maintenance. Swamp coolers use ice, water, or both, and fans to push moist, cool air to the entire room. Although less powerful, evaporative air coolers can be a more cost-effective way to cool a given space, and are usually small and super portable.

SereneLife 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner: Available on Amazon

Our view: This ultra-portable free-standing air conditioning unit can help cool rooms up to 300 feet high with its powerful 10,000 BTU and easy-to-install wheel sets.

What we like: 10,000 BTU cooling, dehumidification and fan modes. Quieter than many other portable air conditioner models. Including installed wheels, it can achieve super portable and convenient transportation. With automatic swing mode to increase airflow.

What we don’t like: some users report receiving leaked units.

Midea's three-in-one portable air conditioner: available on Amazon

Our opinion: Although it has one of the lower BTU ratings in the range of portable air conditioners, the device can provide super cooling air, especially considering its low price.

What we like: Very affordable compared to most portable air conditioners. It contains 8,000 BTU and is suitable for rooms up to 150 square feet. Includes remote control. Later versions of this model have onboard Alexa voice control. Including dehumidifier, cooling and fan modes.

What we don’t like: Not as powerful as some other portable air conditioner models.

Black Decker BPACT10WT Portable Air Conditioner: Available on Amazon

Our view: This portable air conditioner has three independent cooling modes and is usually suitable for small and medium-sized rooms.

What we like: Installation is very simple. Including intuitive graphical display interface. It has a convenient detachable filter that can be rinsed clean. Includes low, medium, high and automatic fan speeds and a useful remote control. With dehumidification, cooling and fan only modes.

What we don’t like: more expensive than some other cheap portable air conditioner models.

HIFRESH three-speed portable evaporative cooler and tower fan: available on Amazon

Our view: This portable evaporative air cooler has three speeds, 70-degree swing, remote control and 12-hour timer, which is very suitable for use in hot summer days.

What we like: quite affordable. There are three independent wind speed modes. Can store up to 1 gallon of water or ice. Includes a remote control. The rated room size is 250 square feet. 42 inches high, it is perfect as a tower fan. Eight hours of running time. Comes with four ice packs.

What we don’t like: Some users reported that the model stopped working after a period of use.

AMACOOL 700ml Water Tank Portable Evaporative Air Cooler: Available on Amazon

Our view: This super convenient and portable evaporative air cooler is perfect for any desktop, campground or small room. It has 700 ml of ice or water space.

What we like: cheap. Small and portable, very suitable for any desktop or too narrow space. Equipped with 500mAh rechargeable battery, making it more portable. Including the automatic oscillation setting of the internal sector angle. 700 ml water or ice can. 12 hour timer.

What we don’t like: Best for close-up use, not the entire room.

NOLTSE 4 in 1 Portable Air Conditioner Evaporative Air Cooler: Available on Amazon

Our opinion: This ultra-compact and smallest swamp cooler is currently the best portable air cooler with multiple speeds. It has a compact circular design and is very suitable for portable use.

What we like: very cheap. Quieter than most other evaporative air coolers or portable air conditioners. It works well in very small spaces, especially on the desktop directly in front of the user. Each filling can run for up to five hours. Includes three airspeed modes and a humidifier.

What we don’t like: the water and ice tanks can only hold up to 300 milliliters.

TaoTronics 3-in-1 evaporative air cooler: available on Amazon

Our view: This 3-in-1 evaporative air cooler is one of the best swamp coolers currently available, with 80-degree swing, four airspeeds and a convenient remote control.

What we like: The price is affordable compared to most portable air conditioners. Four independent fan speeds. Six liters are used to store water or ice. Used as a humidifier, tower fan or evaporative air cooler. Includes a convenient 15-hour auto-off timer. 80 degree swing.

What we don’t like: More expensive than most other portable swamp coolers.

Zachary Visconti is a contributor to BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company whose mission is to help simplify your buying decisions and save you time and money.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products, recommending the best choice for most consumers. If you purchase a product through one of our links, BestReviews and its newspaper partners may receive a commission.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.