Global Heatwave: Who Is Reshaping the Air Conditioner Battlefield
July 24, 2025 17:08 United States
NoahWise Insight
Cross-Border Insights Global Overview|Air Conditioner Category
Source: NoahWise Insight - Cross-Border Insights Global Overview - June 2025 Air Conditioner Category Sales Revenue
2025 Jul.
Global
Heatwave
Who Is Reshaping
Air Conditioning
the Battlefield
This summer, many places worldwide have broken historical heat records. Bangkok, Thailand, even reached a record 45°C. Under extreme heat, people view air conditioners as
"one of humanity’s greatest inventions"
but consumers in different regions have different preferences for AC types.
01
In the United States, central air conditioning still dominates
Portable AC Becomes the Surprise Bestseller
Mainstream AC Types in the U.S.:
Central Air Conditioning
Central Air Conditioning
- Use cases: large spaces such as detached houses, villas, and commercial buildings
- Structure: outdoor compressor + indoor duct system, typically integrated with HVAC heating
- Advantages: even temperature distribution, high cooling/heating efficiency, and whole-house control
- Drawbacks: high installation cost, requires prebuilt ductwork, not ideal for old-home renovation
Window Air Conditioner
Window Air Conditioner
- Use cases: apartments and single rooms
- Installation: embedded in a window frame, no floor-space use
- Advantages: low cost, easy installation, suitable for short-term rentals or temporary use
- Drawbacks: louder noise, average efficiency, and reduced daylight/window usability
Portable Air Conditioner
Portable Air Conditioner
- Use cases: small homes, renters, temporary room cooling
- Installation: indoor placement with an exhaust hose vented through a window
- Advantages: flexible mobility, no fixed installation, suitable where fixed AC cannot be installed
- Drawbacks: limited cooling performance, relatively noisy, and exhaust affects efficiency
Ductless Mini Split
Ductless Mini Split System
- Use cases: older homes without central ducts and localized independent temperature control
- Structure: one outdoor unit + multiple indoor units connected by piping
- Advantages: flexible installation, high efficiency, supports multi-zone independent control
- Drawbacks: high upfront installation cost; wall-mounted indoor units require suitable interior setup
Source: NoahWise Insight-Cross-Border Insights
Central AC is not suitable for online retail, so portable ACs became Amazon’s summer sales driver. According to Amazon U.S. AC sales data for June 2025, portable ACs account for nearly 60%, window units around 30%, and mini splits about 10%. At first glance this makes portable AC seem mainstream in the U.S., but in fact this is only
"a snapshot of the online retail side of the non-central-AC market."
Offline Market Core: Central AC Is Still the Absolute Dominant Type
In the United States, especially in most southern and midwestern states, central AC
has penetration above 85%
and is almost a standard feature in new homes. Because the system is complex and requires local installation, maintenance, and utility integration, it is not suitable for online sales and is rarely seen on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
Online AC products mainly serve
"localized supplemental cooling, temporary use, and non-permanent modifications"
needs, which explains why portable AC has such a high share on e-commerce platforms.
Why Do Portable ACs Sell Best on Amazon?
1. "Central AC + Portable AC" has become a mainstream combination
Many U.S. households already have central AC, but not all rooms are covered, or they avoid cooling the entire house for energy savings. Portable AC then serves as supplemental local cooling, commonly used in
bedrooms, basements, and workrooms
and similar spaces.
2. Strong demand from renters
In the U.S., renters account for nearly 35%, and many older apartments cannot install central AC or window units. Compared with the mini-split systems common in China, portable AC offers
"no fixed installation, mobility, and plug-and-play"
features,
without expensive labor installation costs
which makes it popular with renters. It does not damage the property structure and can be taken away when moving out.
BLACK&DECKER
Source: NoahWise Insight-Cross-Border Insights
In Amazon U.S. portable AC, Black&Decker has long ranked among top sellers, with some models consistently carrying
Best Seller
top labels and annual shipments in the hundreds of thousands, becoming almost synonymous with portable AC.
Founded in 1910, Black&Decker is a
well-established American power tool manufacturer
and became famous for inventing the world’s first portable electric drill. As business expanded, the brand moved into small appliances such as portable AC, vacuum cleaners, and blenders, and gained high recognition in North America through a durable, practical, engineering-driven brand image.
For American consumers, Black&Decker represents
“garage & home”
a trusted name. Many households already own its tools and vacuums. When extending into AC products, consumers naturally trust its quality, after-sales service, and design logic.
Take its bestseller BPACT08WT: it highlights "8,000 BTU cooling for up to 200 sq ft," simple operation, and flexible movement. Its remote control + digital panel are clear and intuitive, precisely matching light-renovation needs,
fully serving non-professional installation users.
Black+Decker has deeply cultivated the U.S. market with complete local after-sales and warehousing networks, greatly reducing purchase concerns. Its Amazon operations are also very mature, with consistent listing visuals, high-quality reviews, and active Q&A interaction, forming a strong trust loop.
Black+Decker’s AC products
do not overemphasize flashy AI or app features, but focus on "practicality + reliability + localization"
For cross-border sellers, instead of stacking features, it is more effective to invest in trust building, review management, and scenario-based product communication.
02
Thailand Shopee AC Market Continues to Heat Up
"Inverter" Becomes the Keyword for Premium Bestsellers
In hot year-round Thailand, AC demand continues to rise. According to
Shopee
Shopee data, within Home Appliances > Large Appliances > Cooling Appliances, AC products account for the largest sales share, with year-over-year growth of
nearly 60%
making it one of the most promising appliance segments in the first half of 2025.
Source: NoahWise Insight-Cross-Border Insights
Not only is total demand rising quickly, the product structure is also upgrading. The keyword
"inverter"
is becoming a key driver in consumer search and purchase, representing trends toward energy saving, low noise, and smart functionality.
Among AC products, listings containing the "inverter" keyword already account for
35%
of the entire category, making it one of the strongest technical tags in both search popularity and conversion.
More importantly, the average price of these "inverter" products is
twice the category average
showing strong premium potential. Growing acceptance of inverter technology reflects higher expectations among Thai consumers for efficiency, lower electricity use, and better user experience.
Source: NoahWise Insight-Cross-Border Insights
From the price-band structure, RMB 2,000-2,500 remains the main range, while products above RMB 3,000 are rising quickly. Shopee Thailand AC products are still concentrated in the mid-range, and the share above RMB 3,000 has
increased by 18% year over year
which indicates
high-quality, smart AC products
are being accepted by more consumers. Products combining keywords like "inverter," "smart control," and "low noise" are more likely to break premium price ceilings.
Heatwaves are not only a trigger for AC sales growth, but also a
mirror reflecting regional consumption logic
In the future, as extreme weather becomes more frequent, brands that truly understand user demand and rapidly adjust product positioning will be the ones that secure a place in this global heatwave appliance competition.
About NWi
Since 2023, NWi (NoahWise Insight) has expanded into overseas data services. We now cover major global e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok, tracking full-category market sales performance across nearly 30 country sites in Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. We help brands deeply understand domestic and overseas market differences, identify growth opportunities in each market, and plan global expansion.
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