Look out of the window. Do you like that view and sunlight? That’s the view the old clumsy window air conditioners will likely destroy. This is precisely why the new-age saddle air conditioners like Midea U Inverter and Air Soleus saddle air conditioners are becoming so wildly popular. In fact, they are one of the best-rated window AC units in 2023. They are:
- Extremely energy-efficient; more than 35% more efficient than conventional window units.
- Quieter than conventional window units (by far).
- Have up to 80% lower profile.
- Piece of cake installation.
Over-the-sill air conditioners are the new revolutionary types of AC units. It’s not a far-fetched dream that in 10 years, everybody will replace their existing window AC units with new saddle air conditioners.
What is so special about Midea U Inverter and Soleus Saddle AC units?
For one, the standard window air conditioners are, on average, 20 inches wide and 15 inches high. If you mount it on the window sill, you will effectively lose:
- 300 sq ft inches of window.
- More than 30% of natural light (average window size).
- Interior design will be negatively affected by the box-shaped window AC.
Window dimensions of the Soleous Air "saddle" window air conditioner.
In contrast, the saddle air conditioners are installed over the window sill. They are also extremely energy-efficient (electricity-saving) and quieter than any other window AC unit.
In this article, we will explain what over-the-sill window air conditioners are, what are the 5 advantages of installing them, and exactly how energy efficient they are.
On top of that, we'll look at 2 brands - Midea and Soleus Air - that were the first ones to design and introduce the saddle design for air conditioners. We will also quickly go over all their 6,000 BTU to 12,000 BTU models, explain the differences, and head you in the right direction if you're thinking of purchasing them right away.
If you're in a hurry, you can just skip to the comparison of the new-age window AC unit and where to buy them here:
Skip To The "Saddle" Soleus Air AC Units Here Skip To "U-Shaped" Midea AC Units Here
Let's look at the few distinct advantages the over-the-sill air conditioners offer:
5 Key Advantages Of Saddle Air Conditioners Vs. Window Air Conditioners
When the over-the-sill Midea U Inverter and Soleus Air air conditioners hit the market, everybody realized they will in time replace the old clumsy window air conditioners.
The advantages of saddle-designed air conditioners are quite apparent. In this 'saddle vs window air conditioner' table, we'll focus on the main differences, and later on, we'll explain in detail what these differences actually entail.
Here is why saddle air conditioners will likely surpass the conventional window ACs:
| Feature | New Saddle AC Units | Old Window AC Units |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | Low-Profile (Less Window Covered) | High-Profile (More Window Covered) |
| Installation Difficulty | Easier | Harder |
| Energy Efficiency | Very High (EER Rating = Over 10) | Average (EER Rating = About 10) |
| Noise levels | Below 51 dB | Over 55 dB |
| Aesthetics | Appealing | Clumsy And Boxy |
| Overall Rating |  |
Let's look at each of these advantages of the saddle air conditioners over conventional window AC units individually:
1. Over-The-Sill AC Units Have Low Profile
The first thing we see is that saddle AC units are over the sill low-profile air conditioners. Windows are the main source of natural light; nobody really likes to reduce the total window space.
Conventional window AC units are about 15 inches high. All of that height restricts the natural light that comes through the window. It also restricts you from having a clear and natural view through the window.
Low-profile is what saddle air conditioners are primarily known for. Midea U Inverter U-shaped AC units cover less window space, but the difference between U-shaped AC vs. window AC is not drastic.
Soleus Air, on the other hand, are the absolute best saddle air conditioners with the lowest profile. Here is all the profile that overlooks the window (just compare it with the conventional window AC):
Soleus Air air conditioners have the absolute lowest profile. The red arrows indicate the total window coverage; it's minuscule compared to conventional window AC units.
You can see that the saddle design of the air conditioner (Soleus Air) covers about 80% less window space than old window AC units.
That's just the beginning of the advantages U-shaped air conditioners have:
2. U-Shaped Air Conditioners Are Far Easier To Install
If you've ever installed an AC unit on the window, you know that you have to deal with the installation kit. That's because a high-profile AC unit installation results in a big opening in your window. Kits are used to cover that big hole.
The advantage of low-profile saddle air conditioners is that the window hole that is created is many times smaller. In fact, the opening on the left and right side of the over-the-sill installed air conditioner can be up to 80% smaller than with conventional units.
With the saddle design, you simply either:
- "Saddle" the over-the-sill AC unit over the sill (simple enough). Example: Soleus Air air conditioners.
- Pull down the window in the U-shaped hole in the air conditioner. Example: Midea U Inverter.
If you check the hole on the left and the right of the AC units, it's much smaller. Only this hole has to be covered by the saddle air conditioner or U-shaped air conditioner installation kits:
You can imagine that window AC installation kits provide less isolation than the window. The bigger the area kit has to fill, the bigger the cool air loses. The saddle-designed minimized that area, and by doing that, it minimized the loss of cool air from within the house.
Note: When installing a U-shaped unit, you have to correctly size the over-the-sill air conditioner sleeve.
In short, everybody can DIY saddle AC installation. Not everybody can DIY a conventional window AC unit, and calling an HVAC technician for help incurs additional unnecessary costs.
3. Over-The-Sill Air Conditioners Are More Than 35% More Energy Efficient
If you ask any HVAC technician, he or she will tell you that energy-efficiency is the single most important specification of an air conditioner. The difference in electricity costs over 10 years between a high energy-efficiency and low energy-efficiency can be more than $1,000.
Here is where the U-shaped air conditioner's superb engineering is most evident. Conventional window AC units have, on average, an EER rating of about 10. Fairly energy-efficient but not out of extraordinary. CEER rating (Combined Energy-Efficiency Ratio rating) is about 9-10.
Soleus Air over-the-sill units have an EER rating of 12.1. Impressive, right?
Now check the CEER rating of Midea U Inverter (8,000 BTU model):
This saddle air conditioner has an Energy Star certified CEER rating of 15. This is not a mistake; 15 CEER rating. How much does that mean in electricity savings?
If you check the EnergyGuide label above, you can see that, on average, the 8,000 BTU Midea U Inverter will use $39 in total. That's record level low electricity expenditure.
If you focus on the scale itself, you will see it starts at $65 and goes to $127 for 8,000 BTU units. Not only is the energy-efficiency of over-the-sill air conditioner lower than the lowest energy expenditure limit. It's lower by a huge margin.
No other window AC is that efficient. The reason for the record-level energy efficiency is in the saddle-design as well as in the Midea's inverter compressor (hence the 'Midea U Inverter') because that inverter is of utmost importance. Inverter tech alone makes the Midea U-shaped air conditioner more than 35% energy-efficient than comparable window units.
All in all, due to extreme energy-efficiency, the U-shaped air conditioner can save you about $1,000 on electricity bills alone in 10 years (compared to old clumsy window AC units).
4. Noise Levels: U-Shaped AC Units Are Much Quieter Than Old Window ACs
As we have written in the article about the quietest window air conditioners, it's important to keep the noise levels of window ACs down. These units are elevated, they can create vibration, and the goal of that article is to find (wasn't easy) window ACs with below 60 dB noise levels.
Now, the Soleus Air over-the-sill air conditioners are ultra-quiet. That means that their whole noise level range is below 50 dB. These are exceptional specs.
Midea U Inverter, however, is the record-breaking quiet saddle air conditioner. At the low setting, it will generate a grand total of only 42 dB. Sitting next to this U-shaped AC sounds almost as quiet as sitting in the library:
The low noise levels are the results of the whisper silent operation of the inverter compressor Midea uses. What is even more important, the operating compressor makes less vibrations that could potentially result in noisy sounds.
All in all, the saddle air conditioners are quieter than conventional window air conditioners by a good margin.
5. Aesthetics: Which Units Look More Appealing To You?
How the air conditioner looks is important. It can make or break your interior design. Aesthetics is not an objective measure - we don't have a specification for how good-looking saddle or window air conditioners are. It's a subjective parameter, and everybody needs to look at the unit and decide which one he or she prefers to see on the window sill.
If you look at the Midea U Inverter or Soleus Air over-the-sill air conditioner and visually compare it to standard window AC units, you can tell which one you prefer. Most homeowners would probably say that the modern design of saddle air conditioners is more appealing.
In general, window AC units can have a boxy and old-school design. Looks don't matter; it only matters if the cooling effect is adequate.
With an over-the-sill air conditioner, the next technology went hand in hand with the new design preferences. So much so that it's hard to call these units ugly. There are a number of people that are more than willing to call the conventional window ACs 'ugly boxes'.
With all that in mind, we think it's a good idea to look at the 2 brands that first introduced saddle air conditioners to the world. Today, everybody who buys the over-the-sill air conditioners chooses either Midea U Inverter units or Soleus Air units.
The ultimate choice is, of course, yours but as we'll see in the 'Midea U Inverter vs Soleus Air' section below the two comparison table, Midea has an edge as far as the extreme energy-efficiency is concerned.
In these 2 comparison tables, you will also find information about where to buy the units right away (row: Availability):
Comparison Of Soleus Air Exclusive Over-The-Sill Air Conditioners (4 Models)
Soleus Air Exclusive are the quietest over-the-sill air conditioners. The whole range of noise levels is below 50 dB; that's absurdly quiet. No other window air conditioner can even begin to compare.
You can choose between two capacities; 6,000 BTU units for 275 sq ft and 8,000 BTU units for 375 sq ft. Each capacity has an option without or with Wifi. Wifi is quite useful but it adds about $20-$30 to the overall price.
Here are the window dimensions requirements to install the saddle AC unit:
The most important advantage of the Soleus Air over-the-sill air conditioners is the extremely low profile. You will most likely not even notice the change in natural light you get; these low profile over-the-sill units are up to 80% lower than conventional window profiles.
Here are all the advantages of Soleus Air units neatly summarized:
Comparison Of Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioners (3 Models)
Midea U Inverter air conditioners are 1st class U-shaped AC units. 3 models are available:
- 8,000 BTU for up to 350 sq ft spaces.
- 10,000 BTU for up to 450 sq ft spaces.
- 12,000 BTU for up to 550 sq ft spaces.
Here is the representation of the coverage areas for all 3 models:
They are the ultimate best U-shaped air conditioners because they have:
- Record-level energy-efficiency.
- Record-level quiet noise levels.
On top of that, these are reliable units that will last for more than 10 years.
Midea U Inverter vs. Soleus Air Saddle (Which Is Better)
If you have to choose between Midea U Inverter vs. Soleus Air saddle-design, which one would you choose?
Well, both brands have tremendous units. You can choose either one and will get a much better unit than any other conventional window air conditioner.
The biggest difference between Midea U Inverter and Soleus Air saddle units is this:
- Profile. Soleus Air has a much lower profile and allows more natural light to enter your home.
- Energy-efficiency. Midea U Inverter has absurdly high energy-efficiency (CEER rating = 15) while Soleus Air has very high energy efficiency (EER rating = 12.1).
If you want an air conditioner that doesn't restrict your window in almost any way, choose Soleus Air.
If you want an extremely high energy-efficiency air conditioner that can save $1,000s in the next 10-20 years in electricity bills, go for Midea U Inverter.
If you have any additional questions about the saddle air conditioners, you're most welcome to use the comments below, and we'll try to solve everything together.
