DeLonghi Pinguino EL110 Review: a connected 11,000 BTU portable AC for medium rooms

The DeLonghi Pinguino EL110 ERF is a portable air conditioner aimed at people who want strong cooling in a medium-sized room, without drilling walls or installing a full split system. On paper, it offers a cooling capacity of 11,000 BTU, which the brand pairs with a recommended floor area of up to 36 m²Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth control and compatibility with Alexa, which is still not standard on all mobile ACs.

The average rating sits at 4.1/5 over 32 Amazon reviews, so buyers are generally satisfied, but it is not flawless. The comments often highlight good cooling power and decent build quality, but also recurring complaints about noise, app reliability, and some design choices. The price is not displayed here, yet user remarks like “for over £700” show that it is clearly sold as a premium model, above many basic units in the same capacity range.

Technically, the EL110 checks several up‑to‑date boxes: R290 propane refrigerant (more eco‑friendly than old R410A), an advertised energy class A with SEER 14, and DeLonghi’s Real Feel mode, which is supposed to manage both temperature and humidity automatically. Noise is given as 63 dB, which is standard for portable ACs but far from quiet fan territory. The manufacturer also advertises “Silent” technology, which clearly clashes with some real‑world expectations in the reviews.

In my opinion, this model targets users who want a relatively efficient, plug‑and‑play AC that can be moved between rooms, and who like the idea of app and voice control. It is not trying to be the cheapest or the tiniest; instead it leans on connectivity, eco‑friendly gas, and a solid cooling capacity. The key question is whether those extras justify the premium price, given the feedback on noise and app stability. That is what the rest of the analysis explores: strengths, weak points, and who this model really suits.

Even though the exact price is not shown here, one buyer explicitly mentions paying “over £700,” which clearly positions the Pinguino EL110 ERF in the upper price range for portable air conditioners of this capacity. The question is whether the feature set and real‑world feedback justify that premium. On the plus side, you get 11,000 BTU of cooling, coverage up to 36 m², multi‑mode operation (cooling, fan, dehumidifier), and DeLonghi’s Real Feel comfort algorithm. The use of R290 refrigerant, an Energy Class A rating, and SEER 14 mean running costs and environmental impact are relatively controlled for a portable unit. An estimated running cost of about 30 pence per hour is reasonable considering the power.

The connectivity (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa support) is another part of the value argument. Many cheaper portable ACs do not offer integrated smart control, so if you care about managing the unit remotely or by voice, this is a real plus. Some buyers appreciate these features once configured, saying that after the initial hassle the app and Alexa integration work fine. However, the negative experience described by another buyer, with frequent disconnections and random behaviour, shows that this added value can turn into a source of frustration if the software side is not stable in your setup.

Against the high price, there are some clear compromises: no adjustable airflow direction (only vertical), no dimming or off mode for the display, and a noise level that several users find too high for sleeping, despite the “Silent” branding. Additionally, some basic functions like the timer being locked behind the app reduce the value for people who just want a simple, robust appliance. When competing models at lower prices offer similar BTU ratings, even if with fewer smart features, the EL110 has to justify its cost through user experience—and the reviews show that this experience is not uniformly smooth.

In my opinion, the value is decent if your priorities are: strong cooling for a medium‑large room, eco‑friendlier refrigerant, and integrated smart control, and if you can accept the noise and design quirks. The 4.1/5 average rating indicates that most buyers feel they got what they paid for or close to it. But if you are more price‑sensitive, or you do not care about Wi‑Fi and voice assistants, there are likely cheaper 10,000–12,000 BTU units that would satisfy you just as much, especially if you mostly use them during the day and control them manually.

The Pinguino EL110 follows the classic portable AC format: a tall, white tower with a rear exhaust hose. Dimensions are 41 cm (D) x 45 cm (W) x 75 cm (H), which makes it a fairly compact rectangle for an 11,000 BTU model, but it is not a small gadget you hide in a corner. Buyers describe it as looking good and “nice” for an AC, so visually it seems to blend reasonably into a modern interior, with a simple white finish and a top control panel with LED display. There is no mention of an especially premium finish, but nothing suggests cheap plastics either; the tone of the reviews is more “solid appliance” than “budget box”.

For mobility, DeLonghi includes handles and castors, which is standard but important. This type of unit is meant to be rolled between rooms or moved closer to different windows, and several comments confirm that people do set it up in a landing or move it around upstairs. On the downside, one buyer notes that the hose length could be longer and ended up adding an extension to reach the window as desired. Another user says the standard tube length (around 2 m) was fine when they simply put the unit near a window, so expectations and room layouts clearly play a role here.

One design choice that gets strong criticism in the reviews is the airflow direction. A 3‑star buyer points out that the EL110 blows air only vertically upwards, with no tilt or oscillation. For a unit which can cost upwards of £700, they find the lack of adjustable louvers unacceptable. This means you rely on the upward jet mixing into the room, rather than being able to direct cool air towards a bed or a sofa. Technically it still cools the room, but in daily use that missing adjustability can be annoying, especially if you want targeted airflow.

Another design issue raised is the LED display brightness. The same critical review notes that the screen does not dim or switch off and is “very bright at night”, comparable to a phone screen on low brightness. For a bedroom, that can be a problem: you either tolerate the bright glow or resort to DIY solutions (tape, covering the display) if you are sensitive to light while sleeping. In my opinion, for a modern premium device, a simple display dimmer or off mode should be standard, and its absence is a clear weak point of the design for night‑time use.

Comfort with a device like this is not just about temperature; it is also about how you interact with it and how it behaves in a bedroom or living area. On the positive side, several buyers find the EL110 easy to use and set up. One review states it is “easy to use and easy to set up,” with the only real snag being the app sign‑in and Alexa configuration. The physical interface uses touch controls and you get a remote control included, so basic actions like changing mode or fan speed can be done without walking to the unit. The presence of 3 fan speeds lets you choose between stronger airflow or lower noise, which is important for comfort.

However, some design decisions undermine that comfort. The biggest complaint is that the timer function is only accessible via the app. One 3‑star reviewer calls this “annoying but fine” until the app starts disconnecting frequently. They report the unit turning on in the middle of the night, switching modes for no reason, or sometimes not responding at all through the app. That kind of behaviour is clearly not what you want from a device that should quietly manage your bedroom climate. This same buyer ended up returning the product out of frustration. This is an isolated but detailed account, and it highlights the risk of tying essential features to cloud or app logic instead of offering full control on the remote.

Airflow comfort is another mixed area. Because the EL110 blows air vertically upwards only, you cannot tilt or swing the louvers to direct the stream. For some rooms, the upward plume will mix well and cool the space evenly. But if you want cool air aimed at a bed or a sofa, you are out of luck. At this price point, the lack of adjustable airflow direction feels like a corner cut, and at least one buyer calls it out as “crazy” for a premium unit. Add to this the bright, non‑dimmable screen

In terms of physical comfort, the integrated handles and wheels make relocating the unit easier, which is handy if you move it between, say, an office and a bedroom. Users who put it on a landing to cool multiple rooms indirectly suggest that this strategy can work well: you get a more even temperature across a floor, without the machine blowing directly on you. In my opinion, day‑to‑day comfort is good if you treat it as a strong cooler you use proactively, but weaker if you expect a silent, invisible background machine controlled flawlessly via app in a dark bedroom. The hardware and airflow are fine; it is the combination of app dependence, fixed air direction, and bright display that holds it back.