Air conditioners are selling out earlier than ever before - have you snapped yours up?

It's going to be a long, hot summer - the heat shows no signs of slowing down so you might be considering an air conditioner as your next home investment. But you'll want to be quick, as they're selling out earlier than expected. 

Meaco, a brand leader in air conditioner units, officially sold out for the summer yesterday - only weeks after temperatures have begun to soar. Their best portable air conditioners are some of the best on the market, with a variety of cooling powers to choose from, so it's not surprising that they've been so popular. 

'Consumers bought in record quantities before the hot weather arrived when there was no immediate need for the air conditioner', says Chris Michael, Managing Director for Meaco. 

'That’s not the buying behavior trait we’ve seen with portable air conditioners in Britain during the last 20 years. Consumers have clearly remembered how hot it got last year and during previous consecutive summers and are worried about being caught out without a cooling solution.' 

No matter how many tips you follow for how to keep a bedroom cool, sometimes sweltering nights are unavoidable. This is why we've rounded up the best places to buy air conditioners from this year, so you can make your home fresh and airy as soon as possible. 

Where can you find air conditioning units in stock?

• Robert Dyas: Save £68 on the Zephyrus 7000BTU portable air conditioner and score this portable air conditioner for under £50

• Argos: Take the opportunity to purchase one of Meaco's last air conditioners in stock for under £500

• Amazon: Get this Black + Decker portable air conditioner for £306.64 and this SereneLife air conditioner with built-in dehumidifier for £242

• Curry's: Get this Beldray portable air conditioner for £73.99

• AirConCentre: Save over £100 on this Midea portable air conditioner

• B&Q: Get the Igenix smart air conditioner for £159.99

Hot weather isn't something we're always used to in the UK, so it can be tricky to know what to look for when shopping for an air conditioner. Whether you have a stuffy attic bedroom that needs more airflow, or you work from home in a south-facing office, it's useful to have one on hand for when temperatures surge. 

'When shopping for an air conditioning unit, our top tip would be to check your space', says Colin Swift, Product Manager, Consumables & Accessories at AEG.

'You need to make sure you are buying an air conditioning unit that can cool the desired room size - if the room is too large, the appliance will not be able to cool the environment effectively. Our most powerful Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner is capable of cooling spaces between 24-36m², so check before you make the purchase.'

The Ideal Home team has also put several portable air conditioners to the test in our own homes, with our Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 Portable Air Conditioner review rating this powerful 11000BTU unit 5 out of 5 stars, the compact and lightweight MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars, and the GoodHome Malay 9000BTU air conditioner getting a solid 4 out of 4 stars.

When are portable air conditioners coming back in stock?

Due to unprecedented demand, Meaco's entire range of portable air conditioners is been sold out at the start of the summer months. 

'Incredibly, our data tells us that we could have sold three times as much stock of portable air conditioners as we have, but the level of interest in Meaco’s portable air conditioners is not something we could have predicted last Autumn. We have learned lessons for next year as unfortunately due to long manufacturing lead times, new stock ordered from the factory now would not arrive in time for summer.' 

Holly Male, Brand Manager at Duux, echoes 'everyone has their preference when it comes to an ideal temperature, with this in mind look into temperature range and power when considering what model works well for you. For ease of use opt for a tech-enabled device which allows you to adjust the temperature from your phone.'

'If you’re considering moving the aircon from room to room, a model which is compact and easily portable works best.'

The bad news is that you'll have to wait until next summer, but the good news is that many other air conditioners are guaranteed to keep your house cool, so you can enjoy the sun instead of struggling through it.