The LG LW8017ERSM is the value standard for an 8,000 BTU window AC. It cools a 340 sq ft room fast, pulls more humidity out of the air than most rivals at about 2.2 pints per hour, and includes Wi-Fi, app control, and voice assistants that usually cost more. The compromise is noise: as a single-speed unit it runs loud on high. For the price, reviewers consistently rank it among the best window ACs you can buy.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The LG LW8017ERSM earns its reputation as a value cooler by getting the fundamentals right. Top Ten Reviews measured it circulating more than 220 cubic feet of air per minute, and reviewers noted it drops a room's temperature quickly, with one test seeing a 10F drop in around 40 minutes. Rated for spaces up to 340 sq ft, it handles a standard bedroom or a small living room without strain, and its airflow is strong enough to push cool air across the room rather than just pooling it near the unit.
Where it quietly outperforms is dehumidification. LG rates it at 2.2 pints per hour, and reviewers repeatedly singled it out as removing more moisture than competing units in the same BTU class. On humid summer days that translates to a room that feels cooler than the thermostat number alone would suggest, which is a meaningful comfort advantage for anyone in a damp climate.
Value at This Price
Reviewed.com named the LW8017ERSM their best-value window AC, and the math behind that call is straightforward. It delivers cooling and smart features that typically appear on pricier units while staying near the bottom of the price band for an 8,000 BTU smart model. You get Wi-Fi, app scheduling, and voice control without paying the inverter premium, which is the right trade for buyers who do not run their AC around the clock.
Estimated annual running cost lands near $60 according to Top Ten Reviews, which is reasonable for a non-inverter unit and reflects its 12.1 EER and Energy Star certification. It is not the most efficient unit in this roundup, but for the purchase price it is hard to beat on cooling-per-dollar, which is exactly why it keeps showing up on best-value lists.
Smart Features
LG's SmartThinQ integration lets you control the unit from a phone anywhere, set schedules, and check the filter status, and it pairs with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. In practice that means you can start cooling a bedroom before you get home or tell a smart speaker to bump the temperature without getting out of bed. For a unit at this price, having the full connected feature set is a genuine differentiator.
The companion app is straightforward once paired, and the included LCD remote covers the basics for anyone who does not want to use their phone. The smart layer is a bonus rather than the reason to buy, but it is well executed and matches what you would find on units costing considerably more.
Where It Falls Short
The honest weakness is noise. Because the LW8017ERSM uses a traditional single-speed compressor rather than an inverter, it runs at full tilt or not at all, and Top Ten Reviews flagged it as one of the noisier units they looked at on its highest setting. LG rates it at 52 dB on low, but on high it is clearly audible and the compressor kicking in and out can be noticeable for light sleepers. If silence is the priority, the inverter-based Midea units in this lineup are the better fit.
The other limits are minor: a single-speed compressor cycles rather than modulating, the warranty is a standard one year, and the box-style chassis is bulkier than the U-shaped designs. None of these undercut its value proposition, but they are the corners LG cut to hit the price.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the inverter-based Midea MAW08HV1CWT, the LG is cheaper and cools nearly as well, but it gives up the efficiency and quiet operation that come with a variable-speed compressor. Against the U-shaped Midea MAW08V1QWT, it is far louder and lacks the open-window installation, but it is simpler to source and install. And against the small-room LG LW6023IVSM, it covers more square footage but at a lower efficiency rating.
The decision comes down to how much you run the unit. For occasional or seasonal use where up-front cost dominates, the LW8017ERSM is the smart buy. For all-day daily running where the electric bill and noise add up, one of the inverter alternatives in this roundup will serve better over time.
Who It's Best For
This is the window AC to buy when you want dependable cooling and smart-home control in a medium room without overspending. It suits renters and budget-conscious homeowners who want to cool a bedroom or living room reliably, value the strong dehumidification, and are not bothered by a unit that announces itself when the compressor runs.
It is not the right pick for light sleepers chasing the quietest possible bedroom unit, or for anyone running an AC all day every day who would recoup an inverter's higher price through lower bills. For everyone else, the LW8017ERSM remains the value benchmark the rest of the category is measured against.
Long-Term Reliability
LG has a long track record in window ACs, and the LW8017ERSM uses the proven rotary-compressor design that has cooled millions of rooms. There is less to go wrong than on a feature-dense inverter unit, and the simplicity is part of the appeal for buyers who want a cooler that just works season after season. The washable filter and check-filter alert make the limited maintenance easy to keep up with, which matters because a clogged filter is the single most common cause of weak cooling in any window unit.
The one-year warranty is shorter than some buyers would like, and a single-speed compressor will cycle more over its life than an inverter, which is the predictable wear pattern for this class. But owners report years of reliable service from LG's window line, and at this price the unit is inexpensive enough to be a low-risk purchase. For dependable cooling without the complexity of a premium unit, it is a safe long-term bet.
Strengths
- +Reviewed.com's best-value pick; strong cooling for the price
- +Moves 220 CFM and removes about 2.2 pints of moisture per hour, among the best in class
- +Wi-Fi with LG ThinQ app plus Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
- +Energy Star certified with a 12.1 EER, low estimated annual running cost
- +Cools rooms up to 340 sq ft and drops temperature quickly in testing
Watch-outs
- −Single-speed compressor is one of the louder units at high fan speed
- −Only a 1-year warranty
- −No inverter, so it cycles on and off rather than modulating
- −Bulkier traditional box form factor
How it compares
The budget-friendly pick of the group: cheaper than the inverter-based Midea MAW08HV1CWT and the U-shaped Midea MAW08V1QWT, with comparable cooling. The trade-off is that, lacking an inverter, it runs louder than either Midea and the LG LW6023IVSM.
Who this is for
At a glance: Value-focused buyers who want fast, reliable cooling and smart-home control in a medium room and can live with a louder unit to save money up front.
Why you’d buy the LG LW8017ERSM 8,000 BTU Smart Wi-Fi Window AC
- Reviewed.com's best-value pick; strong cooling for the price.
- Moves 220 CFM and removes about 2.2 pints of moisture per hour, among the best in class.
- Wi-Fi with LG ThinQ app plus Alexa and Google Assistant voice control.
Why you’d skip it
- Single-speed compressor is one of the louder units at high fan speed.
- Only a 1-year warranty.
- No inverter, so it cycles on and off rather than modulating.
Rating sources
“For the price, it's one of the best window AC units on the market.”
“The LG LW8017ERSM window air conditioning unit capably moves air, circulating more than 220 cubic feet per minute around the room.”
“8,000 BTU Smart Wi-Fi Enabled Window Air Conditioner cooling up to 340 sq. ft. with 2.2 pts/hr dehumidification and ThinQ app control.”
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
