De'Longhi Pinguino EX100 Silent review
De'Longhi Pinguino PAC EX100 Silent Portable Air Conditioner
By Tom Calder
The most efficient single-hose label on this page: A++, EER 3.6, 0.7kWh an hour, so it costs the least to run for the cooling it gives. The catch is the box. De'Longhi sells it as 10,000 BTU, but its EN 14511 label says 2.5kW, about 8,500 BTU, so size it like a 9,000 BTU unit. At £949.99 it's priced as a premium machine, and its 64dB(A) label noise is typical rather than quiet, despite the 'Silent' name.
- Best for
- The cheapest single-hose unit to run, per kW of cooling
- Skip it if
- You want the quietest unit for a bedroom
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- A++, EER 3.6: the most efficient here
- 0.7kWh an hour on the label
- Condensate recycling, no tank to empty
Worth knowing
- '10,000 BTU' box, 2.5kW label
- 64dB(A): 'Silent' is relative
- £949.99 list price
Out of stock when we checked: our alternatives
Closest in size first, then by our score. None of them was showing out of stock when we last checked.
Best for The most cooling of any single-hose unit here
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
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Our review
De'Longhi's long-running efficiency leader among single-hose portables: an A++ label, EER 3.6 and 700W of input for 2.5kW of cooling, with no tank to empty. It is sold as 10,000 BTU but its label puts it in the 9,000 BTU class, and the Silent name does not make it quiet on paper. It suits someone cooling a medium room for many hours a summer who watches the electricity bill.
What the numbers mean
It is marketed at 10,000 BTU, and De'Longhi's UK page footnotes a test at 35°C and 80% humidity, wetter than the EN 14511 conditions (35°C, 40%) behind the energy label. The label gives 2.5kW, roughly 8,500 BTU, so it belongs with the 9,000 BTU units. Where it stands out is efficiency: an EER of 3.6 and class A++, against 2.6 and class A for most single-hose rivals, with 0.7kWh an hour in cooling under standard test conditions and 700W of input on De'Longhi's page. At the Ofgem price cap unit rate of 26.32p per kWh for October to December 2026, that is about 18p an hour at full output. Label noise is 64dB(A) sound power; De'Longhi's sound-pressure range is 49 to 53dB.
In a British home
The manual suggests setting 24 to 27°C in summer rather than chasing a much lower figure. The box holds a 1.2m exhaust hose of 130mm diameter, a window kit for sash and double-casement windows, and a wall flange for a 134mm hole if you want a semi-permanent installation; De'Longhi says to keep the hose short and uncurved.
The practical advantage is drainage. The manual says the unit auto-evaporates its condensate in both cooling and dehumidifying modes, so there is no tank to empty in normal use; a capped drainage hose on the back empties the circuit at the end of the season. Dehumidifier mode moves up to 32 litres a day on De'Longhi's figures but needs the exhaust hose fitted so the moisture goes outside. Fan mode runs without the hose.
How it compares
The De'Longhi Pinguino EX93 is the same 2.5kW and 30kg with a lower label noise of 60dB(A), the lowest of the De'Longhis we list, but a lesser label of A+, EER 3.1 and 0.8kWh an hour. The De'Longhi Pinguino AP98 GentleJet gives a little more cooling at 2.7kW, 62dB(A), A+ with EER 3.1 and 0.9kWh an hour, weighs 31.9kg, and has been through a Which? test. Pick the EX100 for the lowest running cost, the EX93 for a bedroom, the AP98 for a slightly bigger room. All three were out of stock at De'Longhi UK in October 2026; the comparison page has the rest of the field.
Living with it
It is 30kg and 806mm tall, on castors with carry handles, so it moves between rooms on one floor but not up stairs alone. There are three fan speeds plus an automatic setting, a 24-hour timer for delayed start or stop, and a Silent function that works only in air-conditioning mode and trims the noise further. Eco Real Feel modulates compressor and fan to hold comfort once reached. Vacuum or rinse the dust filter weekly. De'Longhi UK includes a two-year warranty and, for orders from its own site, returns within 30 days.
Safety
The refrigerant is R290 (propane). De'Longhi's safety warnings say to keep the unit 50cm from flammable substances and away from continuous ignition sources such as open flames or working gas appliances, to avoid power cord extensions, and never to puncture or burn it; refrigerant gases can be odourless. If it has been on its side, the manual says to wait at least six hours, ideally 24, before switching on so compressor oil settles. It is rated for room temperatures of 18 to 35°C and is not for wet rooms such as bathrooms.
Our verdict
Buy it if you will run an air conditioner for long stretches each summer in a medium room and want the most efficient single-hose label here, with no tank to empty. Skip it if the room is a bedroom and quiet matters more than efficiency, where the EX93 is the better De'Longhi, or if you need true 12,000 BTU cooling for a large space. And read whether a portable air conditioner is worth it first; for a few hot nights a year a fan and shading are the cheaper answer.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 21 Oct 2026. Sources: De'Longhi UK — Pinguino 100 Silent PACEX100SILENT EX:2 product page (technical specifications, warranty); De'Longhi UK — PACEX100SILENT EX:2 support centre (instructions for use, safety warnings, energy label downloads); EPREL — energy label product fiche, De'Longhi PAC EX100 SILENT (2.5kW, EER 3.6, A++, 0.7kWh/h, 64dB, R290); Ofgem — energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 October to 31 December 2026).
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want the quietest unit for a bedroom: De'Longhi's EX93 Extreme has a 60dB(A) label for less.
Key specs
| Box rating | 10,000 BTU |
| Rated cooling | 2.5 kW |
| Room size (maker) | 30 m² |
| Type | Single-hose, 3-in-1 |
| Label noise | 64 dB(A) |
| Heating | No |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
Questions
Is the De'Longhi PAC EX100 Silent really 10,000 BTU?
Only in De'Longhi's hot-and-humid test at 35°C and 80% humidity. On the EN 14511 energy label, the common standard, it is 2.5kW, which is roughly 8,500 BTU, so compare it with 9,000 BTU units.
How loud is the De'Longhi Pinguino EX100 Silent?
Its energy label gives 64dB(A) sound power indoors, typical for a single-hose portable. De'Longhi quotes 49 to 53dB sound pressure, and a Silent function in cooling mode reduces the noise further at the cost of cooling speed. For a quieter De'Longhi, the EX93 is labelled 60dB(A).
Does the PAC EX100 Silent need emptying?
Not in normal use. The manual says it auto-evaporates condensate in cooling and dehumidifying modes through the exhaust hose. A capped drainage hose on the back is for draining the circuit fully at the end of the season.
How much does the De'Longhi EX100 Silent cost to run?
About 18p an hour at full output, from the label's 0.7kWh an hour at the Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh for October to December 2026, and less once the thermostat or Eco Real Feel is cycling the compressor.
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