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Hot Deals, Cool Comfort: The Top Air Conditioner Sales to Beat the Heat This Columbus Day Weekend!

The best window, portable and through-the-wall air conditioner deals from LG, Frigidaire, GE and more, with the BTU sizing that matters more than the discount.

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2026 sales on air conditioners

Is Columbus Day Weekend a Good Time to Buy an Air Conditioner?

Yes, and it's one of the best windows of the year. By late summer retailers are clearing AC inventory to make room for fall and winter stock, so discounts run deep right through Columbus Day Weekend. You get the double benefit of end-of-season clearance pricing and a selection that's still broad. If you can handle one more warm stretch before your unit arrives, waiting for these sales pays off.

Air conditioner prices swing wildly by type, from a sub-$150 window unit to a mini-split that runs into four figures installed. So we sorted the live Columbus Day Weekend deals below by the kind of AC you actually need, with sale prices shown in real-time.

Top Pick
THE BEST AC DEAL ON AMAZON
Our top-ranked window AC by current discount, updated live. Editor’s choice for the best overall deal of the day.
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Early Columbus Day Air Conditioner Deals

The air-quality specialist is clearing window units at the end of the cooling season, which is the cheapest time of year to buy one. These are the live prices, checked against the product page.

Buy at the end of the season, and buy the BTU rating your room actually needs. Sylvane has the Friedrich Chill Premier 6,000 BTU at $249 against $389, the Frigidaire 12,000 BTU WiFi at $449 against $599 and a refurbished LG 6,000 BTU at $174.99 against $399, with more than sixty window units marked down across its range. Sizing matters more than any of those percentages, because a unit with too many BTUs for the room cools the air before it dries it and leaves the room clammy. So measure the room, pick the BTU rating for that square footage, and then take whichever of these fits.
Up to 56% offSylvaneThe air-quality specialist’s end-of-season window AC markdowns, 25% to 56% off, sized by square footage
Friedrich Chill Premier 6,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner
For Small Rooms

Friedrich Chill Premier 6,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner

  • 6,000 BTU
  • Up to 250 sq. ft.
  • WiFi enabled

The small Friedrich, rated in the listing for residential spaces up to 250 square feet, with WiFi so it runs from a phone or tablet. Six thousand BTU is the size for a bedroom or a play room, which is where most people wrongly buy bigger.

Our Take

This is the size a small room actually wants, because an oversized unit cools fast, shuts off early and leaves the air damp. At $249 it is the cheapest new unit of the three and the right one for a single bedroom.

$249$38936% off

Check Price at Sylvane

Frigidaire 12,000 BTU WiFi Enabled Window Air Conditioner
For Big Rooms

Frigidaire 12,000 BTU WiFi Enabled Window Air Conditioner

  • 12,000 BTU
  • Up to 550 sq. ft.
  • Multi-directional airflow

The large unit, rated in the listing for spaces up to 550 square feet, with WiFi, smart-device compatibility and multi-directional airflow. Twelve thousand BTU is living-room sizing rather than bedroom sizing.

Good To Know

Only buy this much capacity if the room really is close to 550 square feet, because the same oversizing problem runs in both directions. If it is a large open-plan space, this is the unit, and $150 off is a real cut on a current model.

$449$59925% off

Check Price at Sylvane

LG 6,000 BTU Refurbished Window Air Conditioner
Deepest Cut

LG 6,000 BTU Refurbished Window Air Conditioner

  • 6,000 BTU
  • Up to 250 sq. ft.
  • Refurbished

The same 250 square foot sizing as the Friedrich above, in a refurbished LG unit, which is why it is the cheapest thing on the page at $174.99 against a $399 list. The listing rates it for spaces up to 250 square feet.

Heads Up

Read the word refurbished before the percentage: this is returned or restored stock, so check Sylvane’s warranty terms on the listing before you decide. For a spare room or a rental, the saving is hard to argue with.

$174.99$39956% off

Check Price at Sylvane

Prices come from Sylvane at the time this page was last refreshed. The retailer does not date these markdowns, and the LG unit is refurbished rather than new, so check the current number and the condition on the product page before you buy.

Top 3 AC Deals on Amazon

The three air conditioners with the steepest discounts on Amazon. Start here if you just want the best deal.

When Air Conditioners Actually Go On Sale

AC prices follow the weather. The best deals land when demand cools off and retailers clear seasonal stock. Here is how the year breaks down.

Time of YearWhat to Expect
Late August & SeptemberBest window of the year. End-of-season clearance as stores dump summer inventory. Deepest discounts, still-good selection.
Memorial Day & July 4thSolid holiday sales, but early-season, so discounts are shallower and stock moves fast.
Amazon Prime Day (July)Strong one-off drops on popular units, though selection is hit or miss.
October & NovemberLeftover clearance continues, but selection thins out fast as units sell through.
Peak Summer (June-July)Worst time to buy. Demand is highest and discounts are smallest.

What Actually Counts as a Good Price

Discounts are only meaningful against a fair baseline. Here is roughly what each type should cost when the deal is genuinely good:

  • Window units (5,000-10,000 BTU): $150 to $300 is a solid sale price. Under $150 for a small unit is a steal.
  • Through-the-wall units: $350 to $550 on sale. They run pricier than window units for the same cooling.
  • Portable ACs: $250 to $450 is a good deal. Much over $500 and you're paying for smart features or extra BTUs.
  • Mini-splits: $600 to $1,000 for the unit on sale, before install. Real markdowns here are rarer, so grab them.

Where Else to Check

The deals above update live, but it’s worth a two-minute look at these too before you commit:

  • Walmart runs deep end-of-season AC clearance, and often has the widest range of budget window and portable units.
  • Sam’s Club can beat everyone on mini-splits and higher-BTU units if you have a membership.

How to Pick the Right Air Conditioner

Start with your room size. Measure the square footage and match it to BTUs. Undersized units run constantly and never cool; oversized ones cool too fast and leave the air damp.

Decide how it mounts. Window units are cheapest and cool best per dollar. Portables go where windows won't work. Through-the-wall units free up the window but need a sleeve. Mini-splits cost most but run quietest.

Check the efficiency rating. A higher CEER or SEER means lower running costs. On a unit you'll run all summer, that gap adds up fast on your power bill.

Match features to how you live. Smart control and scheduling are worth it if you want the room cool before you get home. If you set it once and leave it, skip the premium and save.

Air Conditioner Deal FAQ

Is Columbus Day Weekend a good time to buy an AC?+
Yes. Late summer is clearance season for air conditioners as retailers make room for cold-weather stock, so discounts are deep and selection is still good. If you can wait out one more hot spell, the savings are real.
What size air conditioner do I need?+
Match BTUs to room size. Roughly 5,000 to 6,000 BTU cools up to 250 square feet, 8,000 to 10,000 handles a bedroom or small living room, and 12,000 or more suits large open spaces. Oversizing wastes money and leaves the room clammy, so measure first.
Window unit, portable, or mini-split?+
Window units are cheapest and cool best per dollar but block the window. Portables roll anywhere and need only a vent hose, though they're less efficient. Mini-splits cost the most and need installation, but they're quietest and cheapest to run long-term.
How much should I spend on an air conditioner?+
A capable window unit runs $150 to $350 depending on BTUs and smart features. Portables land around $300 to $500. Mini-splits start near $700 before install. Buying on an end-of-season clearance can knock a real chunk off any of those.
Are smart air conditioners worth it?+
If you want the room cool before you walk in, or the unit to cycle down overnight on a schedule, yes. App and voice control genuinely help. If you just set it and forget it, a standard unit at a lower price does the same cooling.

The Bottom Line

The best AC deal is the one sized right for your room and your install. Grab a window or through-the-wall unit for the best cooling per dollar, go portable if you can’t mount anything, and step up to smart or mini-split if control and efficiency matter more than upfront cost. Sale prices are shown in real-time, so what you see is what it costs.