Data study
The portable air-conditioner shortage in Spain — summer 2026
Through the summer’s first heatwave we tracked, minute by minute, the stock of ten portable air conditioners across Spanish shops. These are the real numbers from our own database: how long they stayed sold out, how much prices varied, and where anything was still buyable.
24,962
stock reads analysed
26,907 reads in total; 24,962 with a resolvable availability state
80.5%
of the time, sold out
share of “out of stock” reads across all models and shops
72%
the Midea PortaSplit, sold out
the heatwave flagship, across the 6 shops that list it
8 of 9
models sold out over 68% of the time
only the Orbegozo ADR 95, at a single shop, was always available
€504
price gap for the same model
the PortaSplit was listed from €695 to €1,199 depending on the shop
7 of 19
online shops ever in stock
availability was concentrated in a handful of shops all week
Sold out, model by model
Share of reads in which each model showed as out of stock, over all reads with a clear availability state during the window.
| Model | Sold out | Reads |
|---|---|---|
| De'Longhi Pinguino PAC EX105 | 100% | 2,279 |
| Olimpia Splendid Dolceclima Compact 10 | 100% | 786 |
| Daitsu APD 12X | 99.9% | 1,320 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 12800 Soundless | 98.7% | 2,139 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 7150 Style | 88.3% | 3,802 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 9150 Style | 87.2% | 2,866 |
| Midea PortaSplit 12.000 BTU | 72.3% | 6,397 |
| EcoFlow Wave 3 | 68.4% | 4,684 |
| Orbegozo ADR 95 | 0% | 786 |
Same appliance, very different prices
Lowest and highest prices observed for each model across the shops listing it. Note: for the PortaSplit, the cheapest shops were exactly the ones that were out of stock.
| Model | Observed range | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Midea PortaSplit 12.000 BTU | €695 – €1,199 | €504 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 12800 | €317.72 – €453.11 | €135.39 |
| EcoFlow Wave 3 | €789 – €899 | €110 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 7150 | €199 – €289 | €90 |
| Cecotec ForceClima 9150 | €279.63 – €329 | €49.37 |
| De'Longhi Pinguino EX105 | €949 – €969.90 | €20.90 |
Where was anything buyable?
Share of in-stock reads per shop. The 100% shops tracked a single model, so their figure is narrow — but they mark where product actually was.
100%
Neodist
of reads in stock · single model
100%
Ecogadget
of reads in stock · single model
100%
Electrodomésticos N1
of reads in stock · single model
51.5%
Cecotec (tienda oficial)
of reads in stock
7.4%
GroupSumi
of reads in stock
What we found
Between 17 and 22 July 2026, in the middle of a heatwave, portable air conditioners were sold out most of the time across the Spanish shops we track. Of 24,962 reads with a clear availability state, 80.5% were “out of stock”.
The most sought-after model in every heatwave, the Midea PortaSplit 12,000 BTU, was sold out 72% of the time across the six shops that list it. It was no exception: eight of the nine models with a live listing were sold out more than 68% of the time. The only one that stayed available, the Orbegozo ADR 95, did so at a single shop.
When a model came back, it did not always fly off the shelf: we detected four genuine restocks during the week, and the ones we could time stayed buyable for roughly 6 to 29 hours. It is a small sample — five days do not give much — so we treat it as a signal, not a definitive figure.
The price lottery
The same model costs wildly different amounts from shop to shop. The 12,000 BTU PortaSplit was listed from €695 to €1,199: a €504 gap for the identical appliance. The important, honest caveat: the cheapest shops were precisely the ones that were sold out; the only unit actually buyable during the window was around €1,190.
The spread repeats across other models — €135 on the Cecotec ForceClima 12800, €110 on the EcoFlow Wave 3 — which confirms that comparing before you buy, when there is stock, changes the final price noticeably.
How we measured it
AireRadar tracks ten portable air-conditioner models across 19 Spanish online shops and 135 mapped physical stores. We read each shop’s public product pages at a median cadence of two minutes between reads and record, each time, the availability state and the advertised price.
Before counting a read as reliable, we verify that the page matches the exact model (by product identifier), so we do not confuse similar references. You can read the detail in our data methodology.
This study uses only first-party data generated by our own system during the window shown. No estimates, no surveys, no third-party figures.
Limitations (honestly)
- The window is short: five days from when the system launched (17–22 July 2026). It is a snapshot of the first week, not the whole season; we will extend the study as we accumulate history.
- The availability figures come from online shops. The 135 physical points are mapped for coverage, but per-store stock is not yet published in this study.
- We detected only four genuine restocks in the window. With such a small sample, the length of the “restock windows” (6 to 29 hours) is indicative, not a statistically solid median — which is why we do not headline it.
- We exclude source-error reads (6.9% of the total) and unknown-state reads from the availability maths, to keep the percentages clean.
- Some shops track a single model, so their “100% available” or “0%” figures describe that specific reference, not their whole catalogue.
- Of the ten models we track, nine had a live listing during the window; the Midea PortaSplit 8,000 BTU did not appear at any tracked shop those days.
Frequently asked questions
Where does this data come from?
From AireRadar’s own database: 26,907 stock reads our system recorded across Spanish shops between 17 and 22 July 2026. First-party data, not estimates.
How long was the Midea PortaSplit sold out?
The Midea PortaSplit 12,000 BTU showed as out of stock in 72% of reads, across the six online shops that list it during the study window.
Why does the same model cost €500 more at one shop than another?
Because each shop sets its own price. The PortaSplit was listed from €695 to €1,199. It pays to compare — with the caveat that the cheapest shops were usually sold out: the only buyable one was around €1,190.
Looking for one of these models?
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