After Testing Windmill’s Smart A/C, I Understand the Hype

During non-stop heat waves, an A/C unit is your best friend, but only if it can stand up to the rising and near-constant 100+ summer temps. The Windmill can and does so in a way that feels so elegant and effortless, it’s hard not to celebrate. As someone who has recently owned less energy efficient units (you know, the kind that almost feel like they’re revving up just to combat the heat), the Windmill operates in a way that’s exactly the opposite. “Is this thing on?” I found myself repeatedly asking my spouse following the initial install. That’s how quiet it is. (The correct term for what makes the machine so silent and energy-efficient is something the brand calls WhisperTech.) It doesn’t help that the display, while still being fully powered on, enters sleep mode, meaning the LED-based digital screen turns off until the time comes for you to fiddle with the temp. If it wasn’t for how crisp and cool your surroundings feel, you’d assume the Windmill had stopped working. But that’s not the case.

In the face of a 100+ degree heat wave, I found myself relaxed and comfortable inside my Brooklyn-based apartment. And with the app downloaded to my phone (there’s also a sleek and easy-to-navigate remote control), I didn’t even have to get up to adjust the temp should the chill become too much. In fact, the interface is particularly clear and allows you to toggle between all the A/C unit’s different modes (eco vs. cool vs. fan).

The unit I tested came with 12K BTU, which is designed to cool a room that’s 550 square feet in size. In other words, it cooled the entire downstairs of my home—living room, playroom and bathroom all included.

This is another area where Windmill really shines. Yes, an A/C unit’s primary job is its functionality and ability to combat the heat, but one of the perks of central air is its minimized presence. In other words, window units, in contrast, often feel like an eyesore due to bulkiness and, quite frankly, an appliance-like appearance. (Don’t even get me started on the standard-seeming—and dust-collecting—front panel.) The Windmill is anything but, with a dot-like design that feels extra sleek and modern. The top vents blow the air up, as opposed to typical styles, where all the vents blow in one direction (another reason it cools a room so quickly). There’s also a tiny red dot that indicates when it’s time to wash or swap out the filter. But, overall, the minimalist design feels clean and un-obtrusive. This is an A/C unit that blends in with its surroundings.

Quick Stats and Installation

We paid someone to install our A/C unit in order to feel extra confident about safety and performance, but there’s a handy guide online that shows: Setting up the Windmill A/C is pretty much plug and play. It shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes, though it likely requires a second person to ensure proper positioning and to hold in place.

A medium-sized unit—like ours—is designed for a machine that fits a width of 23 to 37 inches wide with a vertical double-hung window opening that’s at least 14 inches. You’ll also need approximately two feet of clearance on all sides (front and back) to ensure proper air flow.

The app is also easy to use: Simply hold the wifi button down on the unit for 5 seconds and you’ll be automatically prompted to pair with your phone. It took less than two minutes to activate before we were happily adjusting the room temp without moving a muscle, imperative on hot days, but also a win for eco-friendliness (i.e. when you’re out of the house and want to get a jump start on cooling things down ahead of returning home). Voice control is also an option when paired with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, FYI.

In terms of energy efficiency, following the replacement of our previous A/C unit, we noticed that our bills dropped significantly even with the unit running almost ‘round the clock to combat soaring temps. Compared with last summer, our monthly energy bill dropped by nearly $200, which speaks to many things (including how old our previous non-efficient unit was).

The Only Downside

I did find that there was an occasional rattle with our unit, but it was minor, and I think largely related to the age of our window frames in our apartment and the fit of the Windmill A/C vs. the machine itself. I was able to fiddle with the fit a bit to get it to stop, but worth noting if your window frames have seen better days. (It still is perfectly functional and the sound is minimal.)

Bottom Line

The next time I need to replace an A/C unit, I won’t look anywhere other than Windmill—honestly. The sleek aesthetic in combination with the performance is everything I need in the perfect package. The fact that my monthly energy bill dropped so significantly, too? That’s just icing on the cake.