1.7 million Wirecutter-recommended air conditioners recalled over mold exposure risk

Nearly two million Midea AC units, which were recently named Wirecutter’s “best air conditioner,” have been recalled ave been recalled following customer reports of mold in the appliances.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Midea issued a recall on Thursday for the brand’s U and U+ Window Air Conditioners after they became aware of at least 152 customer reports of mold in the air conditioners in addition to 17 reports of consumers experiencing symptoms such as respiratory infections, allergic reactions, coughing, sneezing and/or sore throats from mold exposure.

The recalled units are white and about 22 inches wide and 14 inches tall. They are designed to fit inside windows and are available in three different levels of cooling power: 8,000, 10,000, and 12,000 BTU (British Thermal Units).

The air conditioners were sold by Comfort Aire, Danby, Frigidaire, Insignia, Keystone, LBG Products, Mr. Cool, Perfect Aire, and Sea Breeze in addition to Midea. The brand name is printed on the units with the model number on a label on the front right side of the unit when facing the air conditioner.

The list of affected models for each brand is available in the CPSC’s report.

There were about 1.7 million air conditioners recalled across the U.S., plus another 45,900 sold in Canada.

The appliances were sold in Costco, Menards, Home Depot, and Best Buy locations nationwide and online at Midea.com, Amazon.com, Costco.com, Menards.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Walmart.com, BJs.com, and BestBuy.com from March 2020 through May 2025. Each air conditioning unit sold for anywhere between $280 and $500.

The CPSC report urges anyone who has purchased an affected unit to contact Midea for a free repair or receive either a full or prorated refund based on when it was purchased.

To receive a refund, customers must send the unit back to Midea using a free shipping label or submit a photo showing they cut the unplugged power cord. Customers looking to repair their existing unit should contact Midea to arrange for a technician to install a new drain plug or send them a repair kit.

Wirecutter updated its article about the Midea air conditioners with an editor’s note on Thursday addressing the recall.

“Midea has issued a recall on the Midea U Plus and is offering a new fix to reduce the risk of mold,” the note read.

“We plan on testing this new solution soon. In the meantime, we recommend the Frigidaire Gallery GHWW085TE1 or the Midea MAW08HV1CWT, a similar model from the same company with a more traditional design.”