By far the best way to have AC in a tiny house is with a mini split. Most tiny homes have mini splits for AC and as a back up heat source. We do not recommend using a mini split for AC unless you are okay with having a higher electricity bill.
My husband and I have been living off grid in our tiny houses for almost 4 year now! Here are the brands that we have used and have done significant research on. We have broken these down into simple informational components.
See more information on mini splits in tiny houses in my post, here.
Best Option: Gree Mini Split
Pros
- Reputable Company
- Good SEER Rating (should be at least 20)
- Heat and Cooling Options
- Can Get WiFi
Cons
- Price (Will cost an additional $600 to have someone else install it)
- Doesn’t come with a line set, so there will be additional costs to installation even if you do it yourself.
You can buy this mini split off of Amazon here.
Good Option: Pioneer Mini Split
Pros
- Comes with everything you need to install, except AC disconnect
- Price
- Heat and Cooling
- Can get WiFi
- Good SEER Rating
- Able to Install Yourself
Cons
- Outdoor unit is louder than a Gree, but not unbearable
- Not as efficient with power as the Gree unit
You can get this mini split off of Amazon, here.