DGH Dorm AC Fit Score

The DGH Dorm AC Fit Score is a 0-10 composite (higher = better fit for cooling an actual dorm room); ranks each portable air conditioner and dorm-legal cooling alternative by how well it cools a 100-to-200-square-foot single room without tripping the housing policy that bans most vented compressor units composite score. weighted composite (0-10): dorm_policy_legality 30% + real_cooling_power 30% + room_and_noise_fit 25% + setup_and_running_cost 15%. dorm_policy_legality credits a product that clears the near-universal residence-hall ban on window/vented portable ACs (a fan or evaporative cooler scores highest, a vented compressor unit lowest); real_cooling_power credits a measured temperature drop or SACC-rated cooling over a fan that only moves air; room_and_noise_fit rewards a 100-to-200 sq ft coverage match and a low decibel level next to a roommate's bed over an oversized or loud unit; setup_and_running_cost scores how cleanly the product installs on move-in day and what it adds to the power bill. Published by DormGearHQ and last updated 2026-06-19, the score currently evaluates 4 products.

weighted composite (0-10): dorm_policy_legality 30% + real_cooling_power 30% + room_and_noise_fit 25% + setup_and_running_cost 15%. dorm_policy_legality credits a product that clears the near-universal residence-hall ban on window/vented portable ACs (a fan or evaporative cooler scores highest, a vented compressor unit lowest); real_cooling_power credits a measured temperature drop or SACC-rated cooling over a fan that only moves air; room_and_noise_fit rewards a 100-to-200 sq ft coverage match and a low decibel level next to a roommate's bed over an oversized or loud unit; setup_and_running_cost scores how cleanly the product installs on move-in day and what it adds to the power bill.