This A/C Avoids Ugly Ducts And Can Cool a Whole Room

Air conditioning in certain regions can sometimes be tricky. If you’re a renter, it’s harder to permanently install a window unit, and swamp coolers are often ineffective in humid locations. Chinese company Xiaomi, however, has a new take on air conditioners that might be perfect for these situations –while looking pretty sleek in the process.

The so-called Xiaomi Mijia Air Conditioner Natural Wind Pro with Top Air Vent (yes, that’s its actual name) mounts towards the top of a wall, and doesn’t necessarily need to be placed near a window. Unlike other air conditioners, it pulls air in through a vent at the bottom, then pushes cool air along the ceiling.

The concept is essentially that since hot air rises, cooling a whole room means starting from the top. That also means that you won’t get freezing air blasted directly at you while you’re in the room. That’s without pulling air in from outside – a key component for anyone who hates the look of window units or those giant air ducts that pull air from outside.

The unit tackles heating too, in a very different way. Since, again, hot air rises, it switches the direction of the vents when it’s heating, instead blasting hot air directly towards the floor and along the ground.

Sure, it’s not as invisible as central systems that cool a whole home, but the very fact that it doesn’t have to pull air from outside means no ugly air ducts. It’s unclear exactly what it’s built from, and to be fair, it’s likely made from a plastic exterior. But, at least that plastic attempts to imitate a silver stainless steel, instead of being that white plastic that A/C units are typically built from.

The only downside? It seems as though the Xiaomi air conditioner is for Asian markets only, and likely won’t make it to the United States or Europe. Hopefully that’ll change – or someone will get inspired to build something similar that does get a global release.