Midea PortaSplit vs De’Longhi Pinguino: which to choose

They are not two versions of the same thing

The core difference is where the compressor lives — the part that makes noise and generates the heat to be expelled.

• The PortaSplit (model MMCS-12HRN8-QRD0) is a split unit: the compressor sits in an outdoor module you hang on the balcony railing or stand on the floor, linked to the indoor unit by a quick coupling. There is no exhaust hose through the window because the heat is dumped outside.
• The Pinguino EX105 (10,700 BTU / 3.1 kW) is a monobloc: the whole mechanism — compressor, fan and condenser — sits inside a single wheeled box, and the hot air leaves through a flexible hose you poke out of the window.

That distinction explains almost everything that follows. The split splits the work between indoors and out; the monobloc concentrates all of it in the room. If you want the physics behind the noise, we develop it in the quiet portable guide.

Noise inside the room

This is where the format difference shows most.

On the PortaSplit, the noisiest part — the compressor — is outside, in the outdoor unit. Inside you are left only with the fan that moves the air, so the design starts with an edge for a bedroom: the component that bothers you most at night is not in the room with you.

The Pinguino, like every monobloc, has the compressor inside: when it kicks in to cool properly, that motor is running a few metres from your bed. De’Longhi puts care into the acoustic insulation of its Pinguino range, but the physics of the format is what it is: a machine with the compressor in the room tends to be more audible than a split that moves it outdoors.

We give no decibel figures because they depend on each unit, the running mode and the room. The honest comparison is qualitative: for a bedroom, moving the compressor out of the room plays in the PortaSplit’s favour.

Installation: railing vs window

Neither one needs building work or an installer, but each asks something different of your home.

• The PortaSplit needs somewhere for the outdoor unit: a balcony railing to hang it on or an outdoor floor to stand it, plus a gap (a cracked-open window or a wall pass-through) for the hose that links the two parts. Without an accessible balcony or terrace, it gets awkward.
• The Pinguino needs a window (or terrace door) where the exhaust hose’s sealing kit fits. It is the classic portable install: set it down, run the hose out, done. The floor you live on or whether you have a balcony makes no difference.

In flats with no balcony or interior rooms, the monobloc is often the only viable option; on a balcony with a railing, the split deploys its noise advantage. Before deciding, measure your window and check where the outdoor unit would go.

Cooling — and heating too

Here there is a clear functional difference, not a subtle one.

The PortaSplit 12,000 BTU is a heat pump: it cools in summer and also heats in winter by moving heat rather than generating it, which makes it useful year-round. If you want a machine for the shoulder seasons or to back up your heating, that reversibility counts; we explain it in the heat-pump portable guide.

The Pinguino EX105 is cooling only: it refrigerates very well in summer, but does not heat in winter. If only the heatwave worries you and you already have heating at home, that limitation may not matter and you do not pay for a function you will not use.

On cooling power the PortaSplit (3.5 kW) edges the Pinguino (3.1 kW), though both comfortably cover a medium room or living room.

Price and real availability

The prices we have seen this season across monitored Spanish shops put the PortaSplit 12,000 BTU between €990 and €1,234, and the Pinguino EX105 in a band of roughly €750 to €1,150. The high-end monobloc tends to come out a bit cheaper, and it does not pay the "scarcity tax".

Availability is the other big difference. The PortaSplit is scarce: it sells out again and again and restocks fly (we cover it in Midea PortaSplit sold out). The Pinguino, from a very established brand, is historically easier to find — though we cannot guarantee it is available at any given moment: only each shop’s listing can say that.

You can check the state of each on its availability page, the PortaSplit’s and the Pinguino EX105’s. And if you would rather we told you when either becomes buyable near you, that is what our alerts are for.

Which to choose for your case

Choose the Midea PortaSplit if:

• You want the least possible noise inside the bedroom and you have somewhere for the outdoor unit (balcony, terrace or railing).
• You need cooling in summer and heating in winter from the same machine.
• You can wait for a restock or watch stock, and the premium price is not a problem.

Choose the De’Longhi Pinguino EX105 if:

• You live in a flat with no balcony or want to cool an interior room: you only need a window for the hose.
• You only care about cooling and already have heating, so you would rather not pay for the heat pump.
• You prefer to buy sooner, with an established-brand model and a somewhat gentler price.

If neither fully fits, check the alternatives we monitor: there you see each option’s real stock state, not a theoretical list.