The Honeywell 8,000 is another run-of-the-mill AC unit that underwhelmed our testers. While this unit had mostly average scores in our AC testing metrics, it seriously lacked in its cooling performance. It is reasonably energy-efficient, fairly quiet, and easy to move from room to room. It has some enjoyable features like a programmable timer but when it comes down to it, an AC unit with poor cooling abilities just isn't worth it.
While the Honeywell isn't the absolute worst performer in this metric, it came very close to last place in cooling abilities. With a starting temperature of 82 degrees, the ambient air temperature only dropped 6.9 degrees after an hour of this machine running, leaving us at 75.1 degrees. Given that this machine is listed as working for rooms up to 350 square feet, we were disappointed by these lackluster results.
This machine has a smooth plastic handle built into the very top of the device. The depth of the grip accommodates your whole fingertip, and despite its heavy weight, it is surprisingly easy to pick up. This unit doesn't fit in windows smaller than 36" unless you trim the plastic frame. The instruction manual makes no mention of this, so it's a little unclear if that is the expectation.
The noise produced by the Honeywell is relatively inoffensive. It makes a slight consistent hum while in use but no rattly sounds. When tested with our decibel reader, it was right in the range of all of the other units, coming in at 59.5 dBa. In our testers' subjective opinions, the noise was not annoying but not entirely unnoticeable, again putting it squarely in the middle of our AC test group.
Assuming you use the device for 12 hours a day over the course of the summer months, we calculated that the average use cost is around $128.00 per three months. The Honeywell isn't the cheapest to run, but it is also not the most expensive.
The Honeywell 8,000 is a mediocre air conditioning unit with a polished user interface. This unit hums along somewhere in the middle and is neither a top scorer nor at the absolute bottom in any of our testing metrics. Its cooling abilities weren't enough to merit a recommendation from us. However, it produces minimal noise, is decently portable, and runs on the lower side of energy costs.
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