Midea air conditioning

Midea is one of the world's largest air conditioning manufacturers, and it also builds units and compressors for many other brands. In UK homes it plays the value card, giving you a strong specification for the money rather than a heritage premium badge. Two things make it worth a look. The first is price: capable inverter splits at keener prices than the premium Japanese names. The second is the PortaSplit, a mobile split with a small outdoor unit and no permanent installation, ideal for renters or homes that cannot take a fixed unit.

The range spans fitted wall splits and multi-splits installed by a professional, easy-fit consumer units, portable monoblocs sold under the Comfee name, and the PortaSplit. Fixed splits and the PortaSplit use lower-impact R32 refrigerant, portables use very low-GWP R290, and the main products reach A++ efficiency with smart-home and voice control.

The honest trade-offs: Midea is still a value brand in buyers' minds, its specialist installer and servicing network is thinner than the premium names, and the wide, rebadged line-up (Midea, Comfee, Luna, AE) can be hard to compare. Its best warranty, up to 10 years, applies only to professionally installed systems registered on Midea's accredited installer scheme; retail-bought units carry shorter cover.