Window air conditioners are notoriously heavy, hard to install and inefficient, but Zafro’s U-shaped Auro Window Air Conditioner puts an end to all that with a safe and easy to install design that blocks less of the window’s view.
Think of it as an upside-down Midea U window air conditioner. But apart from the aesthetics, the Zafro’s design means that you get better insulation from the outside, as your window is blocking the elements, rather than a thin accordion-piece of plastic.
But how does the Zafro Auro compare to the best smart air conditioners, such as the GE Clearview, which has a similar design? I tried it out for a few sweaty days in June to find out.
Zafro Auro review: Price and availability
Introduced in time for the dog days of 2026, Zafro sells three versions of the Auro. An 8,100 BTU unit (model 54091EWA1-8K-ZAZ) that also doubles as a heat pump in the winter lists for $599, but we’ve seen it on sale for $539. An 8,100-BTU unit that only cools is $519 (on sale for $467), and a 6,200 BTU unit costs $469 (on sale for $422).
That makes the $300 Garvee 8,000 BTU U-Shaped Window Air Conditioner and the $382 GE Clearview 8,300 BTU unit look like bargains. Each can cool 300 to 350 square feet.
Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Design
Instead of the traditional window air conditioner design that hangs the heavy compressor and condenser outside the window frame and risks falling during the installation or afterwards, Zafro’s Auro AC is balanced on the windowsill. Part of a new design generation, it’s shaped like a saddle or lower case “n” that balances the compressor outside with the condenser, fan and electronics inside. A thin 10-inch-long section connects the two and straddles the sill.
Like GE’s Clearview and the Garvee U-Shaped Window Air Conditioner, this design keeps the unit’s center of gravity firmly on the sill with less chance of it falling. It also blocks only about 4 inches of the window compared to more traditional air conditioners; Windmill’s 8,000 BTU AC blocks 13.2 inches of the window, as an example.
On the other hand, the Auro AC sticks out eight inches into the room with knee-high vents. The AC’s powered vanes direct the cooled air up-down and right-left to even out the cooling.
Zafro Auro specs
BTUs: 8,100 cooling (DOE/SACC standard)
Room size: 300 to 350 square feet
Combined Energy Efficiency Rating (CEER): 15.1
Works with: Alexa and Google Assistant
Size: 29.5 x 18.9 x 12.8 inches
Weight: 64 pounds
Based on the popular R32 refrigerant, its direct-current inverter design delivers 8,100 BTUs per hour of cooling potential, using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity (SACC) standard. It gets an optimistic 12,000 BTU/hr rating using the ASHRAE standard. It was too hot to test its 8,000 BTU heating potential.
The Auro AC’s front panel has an On/Off button and a bright green 1.9-inch circular screen showing the current temperature or the AC’s set temperature. Frankly, it’s hard to tell which is which. Using a different color or font would have been a big help.
In between are buttons for changing the mode from cooling to fan-only, Eco, Sleep, dehumidify, heat or to set the unit’s timer. The three fan speeds are augmented by a blast mode that’s activated with a 3-second press.
As it’s turned on, the AC’s vent LEDs light up. Thankfully for the sleepy, they quickly go dark.
On the left, the Auro AC has a short plastic pipe sticking out. While the air conditioner pumps its condensate wastewater to cool the compressor, this pipe may need periodic draining on hot and humid days.
Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Installation
At 29.5 x 18.9 x 15.4 inches and 64 pounds, the Auro AC is a lot but easier to maneuver than the 74-pound Garvee U-Shaped AC. Even if you’re a weightlifter, my advice is to have two people on hand to avoid an emergency room visit.
Before I read the AC’s quick-start card or watched Zafro’s installation video, I measured the window. In addition to being at least about 20 inches wide, the distance from the inside sill to the outside wall must be less than 10 inches for it to fit. Unlike GE’s Clearview, the Auro’s connecting section isn’t adjustable. In fact, I couldn’t install it where I originally planned, as the windowsill I wanted to use was too wide.
After I put the high-density foam base in place and the AC on top, I sealed the window with weatherstripping. The kit includes a window locking bracket.
Finally, I pressed the mode button for 3 seconds to connect with the house’s Wi-Fi and Zafro’s app on my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone; there’s also an iPhone version. The linking process took less than a minute.
Start to finish, the entire installation took 20 minutes.
Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Performance
With the temperature and humidity hitting the 90s, I was hot and sweaty from installing it. Its 35-degree Fahrenheit air cooled the 315 square foot bedroom to 65 degrees Fahrenheit in 25 minutes, delivering between a gentle 5.7 miles per hour and a robust 11.3 mph.
At full blast, the AC used 505.8 watts, while the consumption dropped to 250.8 watts in Eco mode and 6.4 watts when idle. The unit’s 15.1 CEER efficiency rating is one-third higher than GE Clearview’s 11.4 rating, making for a DOE annual estimate of $61 versus Clearview’s $70.
At its highest setting, the Auro AC was annoyingly loud at 56.4dBA measured 10 feet away; the room had a background noise level of 37.8dBA. Using the Eco and sleep modes lowered that to a more nap-friendly 48.2 and 43.2dBA, compared to Clearview’s 45dB. Zafro rates the noise level at 32dB.
After six hours on a day with 90+ degree Fahrenheit and 90 percent relative humidity readings, the unit’s outside gurgled and dripped condensate water. If I had ignored it, the unit would eventually have shut itself down, so I emptied the unit’s wastewater reservoir. After unscrewing the cap, I pulled the plug and 3 cups of water flowed out. My advice: have a small bucket handy.
Zafro Auro review: Remote control and App
It’s easy to adjust the AC without getting up using the infrared remote control. It uses two AAA batteries and its 23-foot range worked everywhere in the room. The 2.1-inch screen shows the temperature and settings, but it lacks backlit keys, making it hard to adjust on a hot night.
Although not as visual as Windmill’s app, the Zafro app gets the job done. I tapped to adjust the temperature fan speed and mode and even started it up on my way home. Ultimately, I ended up leaving the remote control on a night table and used the phone app more.
The Aura works with Google Assistant and Alexa, but does not support Matter.
Zafro Auro review: Verdict
If you have a mid-sized room that needs cooling and have been wary of installing a window air conditioner, there’s no excuse anymore. Zafro’s Auro air conditioner is not only efficient and chock full of features but is safe and easy to install. It’s efficient, can quickly cool a 350 square foot room and offers a bonus of being able to heat the room as well.
However, there’s a few things that keep it from the top of our list of the best smart air conditioners. For starters, its design limits it to windows that measure less than 10 inches from the outside of your house to the inner wall. While we found the GE Clearview a bit fussy to install, it could accommodate a wider range of windows.
I also found the Auro to be loud at full blast, and, unlike every other window AC we’ve tested, you’re going to need to empty its internal water tank manually. More to the point, its price of $539 could make you hot under the collar, no matter how cool your room gets.
