BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner Review | Beating The Summer Heat

Featuring a lightweight and compact design with a powerful built-in compressor, the BougeRV Portable AC is an option to consider for van life. Its adjustable dual outlet design and extendable hose give it a versatile quality, making it a feature-packed portable air conditioner for all situations.

The summer heat can quickly put a damper on all the fun of exploration when on a camping trip.

And since summer is the time to go out and explore, the heat can be quite uncomfortable. That’s where portable air conditioners can be quite useful, giving you and your party a nice cool breeze.

So, to see if it can help you stay cool and beat the heat, read my BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner Review!

BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner Review

BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner, 2899BTU Tent Air...

• 【Take and Go】: With an Ergonomic handle & compact air...
• 【Enjoy Cool in Summer】: Built-in the powerful Panasonic...

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Design: Compact And Convenient

Featuring a compact stereo-like design, the BougeRV portable AC is meant to be carried around without any hassle. And the ergonomic handle atop the air conditioning unit further adds to its mobility. The air conditioner is longer than it is wide, making it fit easily in the boot space of any car without requiring extra space. And its low weight makes it even easier to carry.

This portable air conditioner is operated using a touch panel that is responsive and easy to use. You can switch between AC and thermostat modes instantaneously, and the same goes for the fan mode.

It comes in a yellow-and-black color scheme, which is not a color option often seen in air conditioners. You may use it as a cooling device in a Recreational Vehicle (RV), camper van, camping tent, and more.

Cooling Capabilities: Quick And Functional

Rated at 2899 BTUs, the BougeRV air conditioner has a high cooling capacity that can be activated through a touch-operated control panel.

In hindsight, it aims to be as powerful as your office or home air conditioners packaged in a small unit. Its powerful Panasonic compressor makes its operation pretty quiet on all modes. Plus, it can start cooling within 15 seconds of turning it on, which is quite fast.

The unit also comes with three fan speeds and a cooling mode that can reach temperatures between 60 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Its high air output rate, combined with the adjustable thermostat, allows the air conditioning unit to cool down spaces up to 54 square feet. That said, since it is a small unit, larger spaces may take a while to have a cooling effect.

A prominent feature of this portable AC is its dual outlet design, with an inlet port on either side of the unit. The other port seen close to the inlet port is the outlet port, to which you have the option of connecting a vent hose. This allows you to extend the reach of what would otherwise have very little coverage area.

Much like a home air conditioner, the BougeRV air conditioner lets out warm air from the exhaust port while expelling cold air from the outlets. You can also adjust the angles of the dual exhaust ports, ranging from 30 to 180 degrees, in increments of 30. This allows the air conditioner to cool air in nearly all directions.

In typical camping tents, you can have the AC facing your direction, with the exhaust port allowing hot air out through the window. 

Noise Levels

As for its driving noise level, the BougeRV portable air conditioner lets out around 45 dB of noise at its lowest fan speed. On a higher driving mode, it may reach up to 65 dBs, which is still relatively quiet.

I rarely noticed its whirring noise unless the environment was completely silent, which only happens at nighttime during a camping trip. During the day, it may not even be noticeable that the unit makes any sounds.

Outdoor Performance: Requires A Power Source

The BougeRV portable air conditioner is designed to be used outside as well as indoors. As such, it comes with features to handle any outdoor or indoor situation.

You may use it by connecting it to a number of different power sources without much trouble. And since it’s a 24V and 10 amp unit, the air conditioner uses very little power to bring the temperature down in your space. This makes the AC energy efficient, which is a critical feature for any outdoor portable model.

Additionally, the portable AC comes with a 360W AC adapter if you ever want to connect it to the power supply of your home. As such, it can be used in your patio and garden as well, giving it applications beyond camping trips and exploration.

Being a portable plug-in-and-run type of air conditioner, the BougeRV air conditioner requires no setup or installation. It works much like a home air conditioner, with the sole difference being the unit works in an outdoor setting. Thus, this portable unit can work for several hours, as long as it has access to a power source.

There is a slight caveat to its small size and portable design, which is its lack of an electrical battery for off-grid use. Since it is not a battery-operated AC, you will have to find a wall outlet to power it from. This can be a bit troubling if you don’t have a portable power station or battery pack while you’re out camping.

Price: Premium Range

Like the BougeRV portable refrigerator, the BougeRV is a premium product for all the features that it comes with. Its price competes with other portable air conditioners like the Zero Breeze Mark II, albeit without a few key features. The feature-packed BougeRV is a decently hefty investment.

That said, the high build quality and cooling volume provide the desired returns on investment.

Verdict

If you’re a frequent camper, you may look at the BougeRV Portable Air Conditioner as a dedicated cooling device for camping. Its 2899 BTU rating may seem a little low at first glance, but has sufficient cooling power for smaller spaces.

With its dual outlet design, the air conditioner can cover many directions without issues. Its vents can be adjusted by a large degree, and it features outlet hose support to extend its fast cooling effect.

Its compact size, low weight and long handlebar lean into its use as an outdoor cooling device. The BougeRV portable AC was designed with several settings in mind, and it functions sufficiently in them.

To sum up all the information, the BougeRV portable air conditioner will perform well in most scenarios, so long as it has access to power.