Where to buy a portable air conditioner in the UK (and who actually has aircon in stock)

Every retailer worth checking, what each one is genuinely good for, who does click & collect - and how to find aircon in stock today instead of a wall of sold-out product pages.

The short answer

Plenty of UK retailers sell portable air conditioners. The hard part, every warm week, is finding one with aircon in stock: availability collapses within hours of a hot forecast, then trickles back as deliveries land. So the question splits in two - know what each retailer is good for (this guide), and check live availability instead of working through dead product pages one tab at a time. That second half is what our live aircon stock tracker does: all 17 retailers below, rechecked every 2 to 5 minutes.

Before you buy anywhere, two minutes of homework saves a summer of regret: our size guide (BTU per room) and running costs guide (pence per hour, honestly).

The high street: big names, big ranges

Currys

The widest mainstream range of recognised brands, from budget units to premium inverter models, mostly for home delivery. Range breadth cuts both ways: the popular mid-sized units sell out first while dearer models linger. Check the live Currys aircon stock page before you trawl the catalogue.

Argos

The click & collect champion: when a store near you has a unit, you can often be cooling a room the same afternoon. Stock is distributed across hundreds of stores and moves fast in hot weather. Our Argos aircon stock page and the tracker map show collection availability near you, so you only travel for a unit that is actually there.

Screwfix

The trade counter route - hundreds of branches, click & collect, and no-nonsense units aimed at tradespeople. Because its buyers skew trade rather than panic-buying households, Screwfix sometimes holds aircon in stock a day or two longer than the consumer chains. Live availability: Screwfix aircon stock.

B&Q

Sells portable air conditioners online at diy.com and seasonally in larger stores, alongside all the venting bits (window kits, sealant, ducting) you might need anyway. See B&Q aircon stock.

John Lewis

A shorter, better-curated range of reputable brands, with the service and guarantee terms the store is known for. Rarely the cheapest, rarely a dud. Check John Lewis aircon stock.

AO.com

An appliance specialist built around delivery logistics, which matters when the box weighs as much as a washing machine drum. Worth a look for named-brand units and clear delivery dates: AO.com.

Toolstation and Machine Mart

Two more trade-flavoured options. Toolstation carries a small range through its branch network, and Machine Mart leans towards workshop and industrial-style units, including larger capacities the consumer chains rarely stock.

Costco and Wayfair

Costco needs a membership but can be sharply priced when units are in. Wayfair lists a deep catalogue shipped by third-party suppliers - always check the dispatch estimate, because a unit arriving after the heatwave has rather missed the point.

The specialists (including the catering-trade secret)

Appliances Direct

A volume seller of portable air conditioning with its own house brands alongside the big names. Because aircon is core business rather than a seasonal sideline, it often has aircon in stock after the high street has emptied.

Air Con Centre

A dedicated specialist - Air Con Centre is one of the few places you will reliably see dual-hose and commercial models listed, not just the usual single-hose suspects. If that distinction is new to you, read our single vs dual hose explainer before paying the premium.

Aircare and Voltage Models

Two smaller specialists - Aircare and Voltage Models - that most buyers have never heard of, which is exactly why they are worth checking mid-heatwave when the household names are sold out.

Nisbets - the catering-trade secret

Nisbets supplies commercial kitchens, and commercial kitchens cannot wait for a restock. It sells to the public, carries sturdy commercial-grade portable units, and is routinely overlooked by consumer panic-buyers - a genuinely useful place to find aircon in stock when everywhere obvious is out. We watch it too: Nisbets aircon stock.

Buying direct from the manufacturer

DeLonghi sells its Pinguino portable range from its own UK site, on a separate stock pool from the retailers it supplies - so when retail allocations sell through, going direct sometimes still works. Premium pricing, manufacturer warranty handled in one place. Live view: DeLonghi direct aircon stock.

Marketplaces: eBay

eBay is the fastest-moving source of all: resellers, official retailer outlet stores, customer returns, graded units and private sales, with listings appearing and vanishing in minutes during hot spells. It is also the easiest place to buy badly - check seller ratings, watch for spares or repairs listings, and verify what is in the box. We wrote a full guide to buying aircon on eBay, and our tracker verifies each eBay listing on its item page before showing it, filtering the obvious junk.

Click & collect or delivery?

In settled weather, delivery is the comfortable choice - these are heavy, awkward boxes. The calculus flips in a heatwave: delivery slots stretch exactly when demand spikes, while click & collect converts stock into cooling the same day. That is why AirconWatch checks Argos and Screwfix collection availability store by store across the UK, not just their websites' delivery status.

How to actually find aircon in stock today

Bookmarking 17 retailers and refreshing them is a miserable way to spend the hottest day of the year. The AirconWatch live tracker does the refreshing for you - every 2 to 5 minutes, around the clock - and shows only units you can actually buy. If nothing suits right now, the free Telegram channel @AirconWatchUK posts every restock the moment it lands (or @AirconWatchRetailers for a quieter, retailer-only feed with no eBay listings).

Frequently asked questions

Who actually has aircon in stock in the UK right now?

It changes hour to hour in warm weather. Rather than refreshing sold-out product pages, check a live tracker: AirconWatch rechecks 17 UK retailers every 2 to 5 minutes and lists every portable air conditioner you can actually buy right now, including Argos and Screwfix click and collect stock near you.

Is click and collect better than delivery for a portable air conditioner?

In a heatwave, usually yes. Delivery slots stretch out just when you need the unit most, while click and collect at Argos or Screwfix can put a working air conditioner in your car the same day if a store near you has stock. Outside peak demand, delivery from Currys, AO.com or a specialist is the easier way to move a box that often weighs 25 to 35 kg.

Which UK shops sell portable air conditioners?

On the high street: Currys, Argos, Screwfix, B&Q, John Lewis, AO.com, Toolstation, Machine Mart, Costco and Wayfair. Specialists include Appliances Direct, Air Con Centre, Aircare, Voltage Models and catering supplier Nisbets. DeLonghi sells direct from its own UK site, and eBay carries a fast-moving mix of new, graded and used units. AirconWatch tracks all 17 so you can see who has aircon in stock without opening 17 tabs.