As sweltering heatwaves shatter temperature records across Europe, Chinese cooling appliances have become runaway bestsellers — with portable air conditioners and electric fans flying off shelves and often selling out entirely.

Chinese home appliance brands, especially Guangdong brands, have long targeted structural pain points in the European market. By launching drill-free portable air conditioners and building diversified cooling product lines tailored to local conditions, manufacturers have secured steady growth in Europe's cooling sector with market-specific solutions.

Portable split air conditioners made in China are now hotly sought after by European consumers and local overseas Chinese, thanks to their tool-free self-installation and compliance with building regulations for older properties. Midea's Europe-exclusive PortaSplit portable split AC has sold out in multiple countries, with second-hand units resold at two to three times their original price. 

TCL's Western European air conditioner sales jumped over 27% year-on-year in Q2. Growth hit 300% in Northern Europe and France, while Spain saw a 100% year-on-year rise. Portable AC inventories at its subsidiaries and partner distributors in the UK, France and Germany have all sold out.

Gree Electric also posted robust results: its retail sales in France surged 50% year-on-year from January to June. The brand's energy-saving, quiet and durable wall-mounted air conditioners remain hugely popular among European buyers, with installation appointments in France booked through late August.

Official industrial data shows that China's exports of household air conditioners to Western Europe rose 9.7% year-on-year between January and May 2026. Portable air conditioners led the growth with a year-on-year increase exceeding 70%, with portable split units and drill-free mobile cooling systems ranking as key export staples.

Chinese appliance makers are no longer just low-cost manufacturers — they are solving real problems with smart, localized innovation, and winning over a continent in the process.

Source: Guangzhou Daily
Reporters: Zhao Fangyuan, Chen Weiwei
Photos: Handouts
English Author & Editor: Lyu Yun