Head-to-head
Midea U+ vs GE Profile ClearView: Two Ways to Get Your Window Back
Both of these units solve the same complaint — a window AC ruins the window — with opposite geometry. Midea's U+ wraps around the sash so the window still opens and most of the noise stays outside the glass. GE's Profile ClearView drops the entire machine below the sill, leaving the glass almost completely clear: you keep the view and the daylight, and from the couch the AC essentially vanishes. It's the only mainstream unit that pulls this off. The engineering bill for each trick differs. The Midea is the better pure machine — quieter floor, dramatically better efficiency, faster lab-measured cooling, and a bracket install that's fiddly but well-documented. The ClearView is the harder unit to live with mechanically: it's in the 80-pound class, Tom's Guide needed three attempts to seat it, and its efficiency trails badly for a modern flagship. But it counters with a 41 dB rating, a built-in condensate pump (no drip, no tilt), flexible wall-depth fit, and the best energy-reporting app of any unit here. At $349.99 vs $381.99 the prices nearly touch — the decision is about what you want back: your window's function, or its view.
 Midea U+ Smart Inverter Window AC (8,000 BTU, MAW08U1QWT) Midea |  GE Profile ClearView Smart Window AC (8,300 BTU, AHTT08BC) GE Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| Price | $349.99 | $381.99 |
| Verdict | Inverter quiet, class-leading efficiency, and a window that still opens make it the default for bedrooms up to 350 sq ft. The catches: a fussier bracket install than a drop-in unit, and buy it new — only post-recall units carry the redesigned drainage. | Hanging below the sill, the ClearView keeps the view and daylight every other unit blocks, at 41 dB with a built-in condensate pump. The pick when the window itself is the point — if your wall is under 13.75 in thick and you have help with the fussy install. |
| Best for | you want the quietest, cheapest-to-run bedroom AC and don't mind a more involved one-time install | your window is the room's main light source and you refuse to board it up for the summer |
| Avoid if | you need to cool more than 350 sq ft, or you're tempted by a used pre-recall U on the secondhand market | your wall is thicker than 13.75 in, there's furniture under the window, or you're installing solo |
| Score breakdown | ||
| value | 9.0 | 7.4 |
| quietness | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| cooling power | 8.0 | 7.8 |
| smart features | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| installation fit | 7.5 | 6.8 |
| energy efficiency | 9.5 | 7.6 |
| Specs | ||
| model | MAW08U1QWT (post-recall U+ design) | AHTT08BC |
| weight | ~54 lb | — |
| warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
| compressor | Variable-speed DC inverter | — |
| dimensions | 21.97 x 19.17 x 13.46 in | — |
| noise level | As low as 32 dBA (ultra-quiet inverter operation) | As low as 41 dB |
| window type | Single/double-hung; window remains operable after install | — |
| room coverage | Up to 350 sq ft | Up to 350 sq ft |
| smart control | Midea SmartHome app, Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Watch | GE SmartHQ app, Alexa, Google Assistant; energy reporting and geofencing |
| cooling capacity | 8,000 BTU (DOE) | 8,300 BTU |
| energy certification | Energy Star | Energy Star |
| claimed energy savings | Up to 35% vs federal standard | — |
| modes | — | Cool, Dry, Eco, Sleep; 3 fan speeds |
| condensate | — | Built-in automatic pump |
| window fit | — | 20–40 in wide, min 13 in opening height, min 10 in from floor |
| wall thickness | — | Flex-depth fits 4.5–13.75 in walls |
| Buy → | Buy → | |
Final verdict
The Midea is the better air conditioner; the GE is the better window. If your priority list starts with sleep and ends with the power bill, the U+ wins on the measurements that matter and costs about $30 less. Choose the ClearView when the window itself is the point — a living room where you refuse to give up the light, a view you paid for, a room where a hulking beige box would be an eyesore. Its below-sill design is the only one here that makes the AC visually disappear, and its SmartHQ energy reporting is genuinely useful. Just go in knowing the install is the hardest of any unit we cover and the machine itself is heavier and less efficient. That's the tax on the view; only you know if your window is worth it.
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