The short answer
These are the two default names in window ACs, and they split cleanly. Buy LG if you want the quietest, most efficient unit and will pay a small premium for it; buy Midea to spend less for the same cooling — decisively so at the budget end.
At a matched 8,000 BTU, the LG LW8022IVSM (15.2 CEER, 44 dB, ~$429) is quieter and more efficient than the Midea Smart MAW08HV1CWT (14.5 CEER, 50 dB, ~$379) — because the LG is a dual-inverter and the Midea is not. Below ~$250, though, LG simply does not compete: the Midea EasyCool owns the budget shelf.
The 8,000 BTU head-to-head
LG LW8022IVSM: 8,000 BTU · ~340 ft² · 15.2 CEER · 44 dB · dual-inverter · ENERGY STAR · ~$429 · 4.4★ from 1,700+ owners.
Midea Smart MAW08HV1CWT: 8,000 BTU · ~350 ft² · 14.5 CEER · 50 dB · fixed-speed · ENERGY STAR · ~$379 · 4.5★ from 3,400+ owners.
Same room, same smart features (both ship app and voice control), near-identical owner ratings. The Midea is about $50 cheaper; the LG is quieter and slightly more efficient. Everything that matters in this matchup flows from one fact — the LG modulates its compressor and the Midea does not.
Noise and inverters: LG’s structural edge
The 6 dB spread — 44 dB for the LG, 50 dB for the Midea — is the one gap that is genuinely large. Because the scale is logarithmic, that is a clearly audible difference, not a rounding error. It exists because LG’s dual-inverter compressor ramps its speed up and down instead of slamming fully on and off, so there is no start-up surge at 2 a.m. Midea’s window units in this class are fixed-speed, so they cannot match it. For the full picture see our quietest air conditioners guide and the inverter guide.
Price: where Midea wins, and by how much
At 8K the gap is about $50. At the budget end it is a different category entirely: the Midea EasyCool is roughly $150 for 5,000 BTU with over 26,000 reviews at 4.4★ — the single most-reviewed unit in our catalog — and LG’s cheapest window model, the LW6017R, lands near $249. If your room is small and the budget is tight, Midea is not just cheaper, it is the safer buy on sheer volume of owner feedback. LG’s value simply lives higher up the range.
Efficiency and what it costs to run
LG edges it: 15.2 CEER versus 14.5 CEER at 8K — about a 5% difference, a few dollars a year, not a decider. Both carry ENERGY STAR and both sit well ahead of the 11 CEER budget tier (where the EasyCool lives), which draws meaningfully more power for the same cooling. Our cost-to-run guide shows the math and the CEER explainer covers what the number measures.
The verdict — matched to your room
Bedroom or light sleeper: the LG LW8022IVSM, on the 44 dB inverter alone. Tight budget or a small room: the Midea EasyCool, unbeatable at ~$150. Bigger room: step up to the LG LW1022IVSM (10,000 BTU, ~450 ft², still 44 dB, ~$429, 4.6★ across 2,800+ reviews), our overall window pick.
Size the room first with the BTU calculator, see the whole field in the best window ACs guide, and if you are also weighing a design-forward unit, read LG vs Windmill. Every spec is side by side in the comparison table.
Featured units
Specs and running costs for the units referenced in this guide:
LG Dual Inverter LW8022IVSM
Midea Smart MAW08HV1CWT
Midea EasyCool MAW05M1BWT
Frequently asked questions
Is LG or Midea a better air conditioner?
Neither wins outright. LG’s dual-inverter window units — like the LW8022IVSM — are quieter (44 dB vs 50 dB) and more efficient (15.2 vs 14.5 CEER); Midea is cheaper at every size and dominates the budget end, where the Midea EasyCool sells for around $150 with 26,000+ reviews and LG has nothing that inexpensive. Pay for LG if you want the quietest, most efficient unit; choose Midea to save money.
Is Midea quieter than LG?
No. At 8,000 BTU, LG’s LW8022IVSM runs 44 dB on low versus the Midea Smart’s 50 dB. That 6 dB gap is clearly audible — decibels are logarithmic — and it comes from LG’s dual-inverter compressor, which the popular Midea window units do not have. For a bedroom, LG is the quieter machine.
Is Midea cheaper than LG?
Yes, at every tier. The 8K Midea Smart is about $379 versus roughly $429 for the comparable LG. At the budget end the gap is a chasm: the Midea EasyCool is around $150, while LG’s cheapest window unit is about $249. If price is the priority, Midea wins.
Does Midea make an inverter air conditioner?
Midea does make inverter units, but the popular Midea Smart window model compared here (MAW08HV1CWT) is not one — it is a fixed-speed unit, which is why it sits at 50 dB. LG’s LW8022IVSM and LW1022IVSM are true dual-inverters. If inverter-grade quiet is the goal, LG’s window lineup is the surer bet.
Which brand is more reliable?
Owner ratings are close: the Midea Smart carries 4.5★ across 3,400+ reviews, the LG LW8022IVSM 4.4★ across 1,700+, and the LG LW1022IVSM 4.6★ across 2,800+. Both are mainstream brands with wide parts availability, so reliability is not the deciding factor here — noise, efficiency and price are.
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