You may not be feeling the heat yet but the season is just about rearing its head, which means this is probably the best time to invest in the AC you’ve been planning for the summer or even switch from your window to split.

If you are a first time buyer then a few things to look at when buying an AC would be cooling capacity, i.e. how much ton capacity it should have. This will depend on your room size, Next up is the energy efficiency ratio – the higher the better. Usually an EER of nine and above is considered good. Of course, your wallet is central to the decision. In fact, your decision on whether to buy a window or split AC , and perhaps even capacity will depend on how deep you’re willing to dig into your pocket.

Needless to say, choices are aplenty. And this time around, the latest collection would do a fashion designer proud. Entirely ramp-worthy, these new ACs will compliment your home (or make you seriously consider touching up your interiors to match the chic quotient of the product).

The coolest range is, of course from LG, which started the trend a year ago with its Art cool Series. This range, for those not clued in, came with a picture frame in the front and vents on the side, saving you the trouble of finding appropriate wall hangings for your room. And this year again, LG has reinvented the Art Cool range on ACs with larger capacities. Last year’s Artcool range was restricted to 1 ton capacity ACs, this time around, it's available for 1.5 ton as well with newer and more attractive designs. Also, this time around the Art Cool series comes with replaceable picture frame as well as an intuitive hot and cold function. This series is priced between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.

That’s not all; this time around LG has also rolled out a spring collection complete with skinny and tall models and florals. (In AC terms, that means floor-standing ACs and floral designs on the body). The range is available in four different designs - Z-Look (LSA3/5/7/ZB 5/4/2 NTY1 ), Art Flower (LSA3/5/7/MG 4/3/3 NL1), F-look (LSA3/5/7 FG 3/3/2 VTY1) and W-look (LSA 3/5/7 WB 2/2/2 VF1 ). This range is priced between Rs 22,990 and Rs 35,990. Then there are floor-standing ACs with dual LCD display, Jet cool as well as Dry/Dehumidification modes – unmatched. The floor-standing range is priced between Rs 49,990 and Rs 1,00,000.

But if you thought it was just an LG initiative, think again! Samsung, the other big player in the AC market, has also revamped its otherwise staid line-up of split ACs with some sophisticated metal finish splits. The ACs (13 new models) in the compact variety and boasting Silver Nano technology with bio-sleep mode, are divided into Forte (five models), Neo Forte (five models), Forte Compact (one model), Neo Forte Compact (one model) and Vivace (one model).

Compare the new LG and Samsung fashion ACs

So, not only has Samsung worked on the design but on the form as well, which is considerably less wide than regular split ACs. Price for this elegant range from Samsung ranges from Rs 17,790 to Rs 32,390.

Considering it’s barely the start of the season, you can definitely look forward to a lot more in style from the heat warriors of your home.

Also read: Buying guide - Window ACs

Buying guide - Split ACs