LG air conditioning and Artcool systems

LG's UK air conditioning line is built around the Artcool range, a wall-mounted indoor unit whose front panel is designed to look like a framed picture rather than a white plastic box. Two systems carry the Artcool Gallery name: the Gallery Special System, which takes a printed photo or artwork behind a picture frame front, and the Gallery Premium System, which uses a 27-inch digital display for photos, artwork or videos¹.

The Gallery Special System is listed at £360.00, with £300.00 shown alongside it, and a sale figure of £1,259.99 including VAT appears on another page; a high street comparison price of £1,619.99 is also given, with £1,349.99 beside it¹. The Gallery Premium System is listed at £496.00, with £413.33 alongside, and a high street figure of £2,055.99¹. LG lists both the Gallery Premium System and the Gallery Special indoor unit as pre-order, with no confirmed UK delivery date².

Every model in the Artcool range offers cooling and heating, so the same unit works as a reverse-cycle air-to-air heat pump across the year¹. Control runs through the LG ThinQ app, voice commands with Google and Alexa, or the supplied infrared remote². Purification is handled by Plasmaster Ionizer+, which LG states actively removes airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens⁴.

The Artcool range: two systems, one picture-frame design

The Artcool idea is that the indoor unit should be something a household would choose to hang on a wall. The Gallery Special System uses a picture frame front panel so a printed photo or artwork can be displayed, and the unit sits flush against the wall³. The Gallery Premium System replaces the printed panel with a customizable digital display that can show personal photos, artwork or videos, described by LG as an ultra-modern 27-inch screen¹.

Both are wall-mounted indoor units, and the Gallery Special is sold as a multi indoor unit, meaning it pairs with an outdoor unit rather than arriving as a complete single split system³. That matters for anyone comparing it with a conventional high wall unit: the Artcool is the indoor half of a system, and the outdoor unit and installation are separate. The wider split air conditioning and multi-split air conditioning pages explain how those pairings work.

Under the design, the engineering is standard LG. The range uses advanced inverter technology, adjusting compressor speed according to room temperature rather than switching on and off¹. The Gallery Premium carries a DUAL Inverter Compressor, which LG states ensures powerful yet energy-efficient cooling, and a 3-way indirect airflow pattern¹. The Gallery Special uses 4-way swing airflow and Jet Cool, alongside AI smart operation and an AI Energy Mode³. The Artcool Gallery is described as having 3-way airflow, ensuring even cooling without direct drafts¹.

The Gallery Special indoor unit ships with the indoor unit and an LG infrared remote³. An optional installation pack covers basic materials for a domestic single split installation, supporting a standard back-to-back 6m pipe run³. Anything beyond that, a longer run, a difficult route or a multi-room layout, is quoted separately. For a household, the practical point is that the Artcool is a design-led indoor unit within a conventional split system, not a self-contained appliance.

Artcool Gallery Special System: price, noise and purification

The Gallery Special System is the more affordable of the two Artcool Gallery units, and the one with the clearest published figures. LG lists it at £360.00, with £300.00 shown alongside, and a sale price of £1,259.99 including VAT on a separate page; a high street comparison price of £1,619.99 is given, with £1,349.99 beside it¹. The indoor unit alone is listed at £416.67, with a high street figure of £1,199.99¹.

Noise is the headline claim. LG states ultra-quiet performance as low as 19dB for the Gallery Special System, and the indoor unit listing repeats a minimum operating noise of 19dB¹. A collection page for quiet units says LG Artcool Gallery and Samsung WindFree models operate as low as 19dB, and that many models in the range run as quietly as 19dB⁵. Elsewhere LG qualifies the figure, describing some models as boasting noise levels as low as 19 dB(A) on certain settings¹. That qualification matters: 19dB is a minimum at low fan speed, not a level the unit holds at full output.

Purification on the Special System is Plasmaster Ionizer+, which LG states actively removes airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens for a cleaner, fresher space⁴. The same technology appears across the Artcool line, with the Mirror variant described as removing airborne bacteria and odours¹. These are the maker's claims for its own feature, and no independent removal rate is published in the material available.

For a household, the Special System's appeal is a wall unit that reads as decor, runs quietly at low fan speeds and adds a purification stage. Its limits are the same as any split: it needs an outdoor unit, a refrigerant pipe run and a qualified installer, and it cools the room it is in rather than the whole house. The air conditioning noise page covers how indoor and outdoor noise is assessed.

Artcool Gallery Premium System: what pre-order buyers get

The Gallery Premium System is the digital-display version, and it is the unit that carries the strongest design claim in the range. LG describes it as redefining home climate control with its ultra-modern 27-inch digital display, and the display is customizable so a household can show personal photos, artwork or videos¹. Where the Special System takes a printed insert, the Premium shows a screen.

The Premium System is listed at £496.00, with £413.33 shown alongside, and a high street comparison price of £2,055.99, with £1,713.33 beside it¹. The indoor unit alone appears at £350.00 on one listing⁶. As with the Special System, the figures conflict between pages and should be treated as indicative.

Availability is the constraint. LG lists the Artcool Gallery Premium System as pre-order on its UK pages, with no confirmed delivery date². The Gallery Special indoor unit is also shown as pre-order³. Other LG ranges carry similar warnings: the AI Air Deluxe High Wall System is listed with an extended lead time and advice to enquire before purchase, and the High Capacity High Wall System is shown as not in stock, pre-order only⁷. Quiet Mark's listing for an LG heat pump notes that products available for the UK market may only be available in specific regions⁹.

Technically the Premium System carries a DUAL Inverter Compressor, which LG states ensures powerful yet energy-efficient cooling, and a 3-way indirect airflow pattern¹. It is managed through the LG ThinQ app, voice commands with Google and Alexa, or the remote². For a household weighing it against a conventional high wall unit, the Premium is a design and display purchase first and a cooling appliance second, and the pre-order status means the buying decision is made before stock is confirmed.

Prices: maker pricing against high street figures

LG's UK pricing for the Artcool range is published as two figures per product, one of which is labelled as a high street comparison. The pattern repeats across the range, and the two numbers rarely match, which makes the comparison price a reference point rather than a price a household would pay.

The spread is wide, and the Artcool figures differ between listings, so no single number should be treated as the price of an installed system. The listed prices appear to relate to the indoor unit or a component, while the high street figures sit closer to what a supplied and installed system costs. For context, comparison prices for other brands on the same pages include £1,286.99 for a Mitsubishi Electric Premium system and £1,133.99 for a ZEN system, both including VAT¹¹. The high wall air conditioning cost page sets out how a fitted price is built up.

VAT treatment is not stated consistently across these figures, so they should be read as quoted rather than as confirmed VAT-inclusive prices. Installation is quoted separately, and the optional installation pack for the Gallery Special covers only a standard back-to-back 6m pipe run³. Longer runs, multi-room layouts and any making good are outside it. The air conditioning cost page covers the wider picture.

Controls: ThinQ app, voice assistants and remote

LG's control layer for the Artcool range is the LG ThinQ app, voice commands through Google and Alexa, and the supplied infrared remote². The Gallery Special System is described as controllable from anywhere using the ThinQ app or voice assistants, and the Gallery Premium System is managed the same way². The Artcool range more broadly is described as having built-in Wi-Fi capabilities that allow control of temperature and settings from a smartphone or other device through the LG SmartThinQ app¹.

The same pattern runs across LG's wider UK range. The AI Air Deluxe High Wall System is managed via app, schedule or voice with ThinQ and smart assistants, and the Standard Plus High Wall System with WiFi offers remote adjustment through the ThinQ app¹⁰. The Console System uses Wi-Fi-enabled smart control through the ThinQ app¹². LG's air-to-water heat pumps use the same app for temperature control and real-time energy consumption monitoring¹³.

This is where the dependence sits. Local control at the unit and through the infrared remote continues without a network connection, but scheduling from outside the home, energy monitoring and any voice control depend on a home broadband connection, LG's servers and the ThinQ app. Smart air conditioners generally are controlled through a dedicated smartphone app, with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant where compatible¹⁴. Smart thermostats in the wider market follow the same model, with remote control through an app, learning, geofencing and voice integration with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri¹⁵. Hive's own guidance notes that some smart thermostats link to Alexa or Google Assistant¹⁶.

For a household, the practical question is what remains if the app or the connection fails. The remote still works, and the unit still cools and heats. What is lost is remote scheduling, consumption data and voice control. The air conditioning controls and Wi-Fi page covers wired controllers and app dependence in more detail, and the wall mounted air conditioning with Alexa and Google page compares units on voice support.

Air purification and filtration: Plasmaster Ionizer+ and the 3M filter

Purification is a stated feature across the Artcool line rather than an optional extra. LG states that Plasmaster Ionizer+ actively removes airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens, and the Gallery Premium is described as using Plasmaster Ionizer+ technology to purify the air⁴. The Artcool Mirror variant is described as removing airborne bacteria and odours for a fresher environment¹. Elsewhere in the LG range, the AI Air Deluxe High Wall System is stated to use Plasmaster Ionizer+ to remove bacteria and allergens¹¹.

Filtration is separate from ionization. LG states that every LG Artcool air conditioner features a self-cleaning indoor coil and a 3M micro protection filter¹. The Auto Cleaning function is described as preventing mould and bacteria build-up¹. The maker's own maintenance advice is to clean the filters regularly, every one to two months, for optimal performance and air quality¹. Self-cleaning applies to the indoor coil, not to the removable filter, which still needs periodic cleaning by hand.

The wider market offers similar claims. LG's Standard Plus High Wall System with WiFi carries an allergy filter that filters particulates out of the air¹⁰. Independent guidance notes that some air conditioners contain filters specifically designed to capture the smallest particles and pollutants¹⁴. Ventilation systems use comparable language: Vent-Axia describes advanced filtration such as F7 filters to remove outdoor pollutants¹⁷. Independent consumer guidance from NEA focuses on the basics, noting that clean air filters ensure better airflow, improved indoor air quality and lower energy bills¹⁸, and APHC's homeowner checklist advises checking and replacing dirty or clogged air filters for better airflow, improved indoor air quality and lower energy bills¹⁹.

For a household, the purification stage is a secondary benefit rather than the reason to buy. The primary function of any air conditioner is to move heat, and independent guidance describes air conditioners as actively removing heat and reducing room temperature¹⁸. The filter and ionizer sit on top of that. The air conditioning maintenance page covers filter cleaning intervals and servicing, and the air conditioning and humidity page covers dry mode and moisture.

Where the Artcool range has limits

The Artcool range is a design-led indoor unit within a conventional split system, and the limits follow from that. It needs an outdoor unit, a refrigerant pipe run and a qualified installer, and the Gallery Special is sold as a multi indoor unit rather than a complete system³. It cools the room it serves, not the house, which is the standard behaviour of a single split¹⁷. The optional installation pack covers only a standard back-to-back 6m pipe run, so longer or more complex routes are quoted separately³.

Availability is the second limit. Both Gallery systems are listed as pre-order on LG's UK pages, with no confirmed delivery date². Other LG ranges carry extended lead times or are shown as not in stock, pre-order only⁷. Quiet Mark's listing for an LG heat pump notes that products available for the UK market may only be available in specific regions⁹. A household planning an installation around a specific date should confirm stock before committing.

The third limit is control dependence. The ThinQ app, voice control and energy monitoring all rely on a home network and LG's services, while the remote and local operation continue without them². That is a modest dependence compared with a heating system, but it is real: the smart features are rented from a connection, not owned outright.

On the energy side, the Artcool units are inverter-driven and offer both cooling and heating, which is the same architecture as an air-to-air heat pump¹. That makes the unit a year-round appliance rather than a summer-only one, and it means the household's running cost depends on electricity prices and on how the unit is used. The air conditioning running costs page covers consumption, and the air conditioning that heats page explains reverse-cycle operation. For a household weighing independence, an Artcool system reduces reliance on opening windows and fans in hot weather, but it adds an electricity load and a dependence on the manufacturer's app for its smart functions. The cooling and energy independence page sets out that trade-off.