As the heatwave returns, households are seeking effective ways to stay cool. While many turn to air conditioning or fans, home specialists at Ideal Home suggest that an air cooler could be a more effective and affordable alternative. According to Ideal Home, unlike a standard fan that moves warm air, an air cooler uses water to create a cooling breeze, making it a budget-friendly option for beating the heat.
How Air Coolers Work
Emma Coleman, seasonal buyer at Robert Dyas, explains that an air cooler releases cool air instead of circulating warm air, providing a more noticeable effect on room temperature. Users fill an internal tank with cold water and sometimes reusable ice packs. As hot air passes through the appliance, it is cooled before a fan circulates it around the room. This process works similarly to a fan ice cube hack, but on a larger scale.
Coleman adds that the cooling effect is felt across the entire room, unlike a fan that only cools a focused point. Some air coolers also have a heating function, making them useful in winter as well. However, they are not as powerful as fixed air conditioning systems and cannot cool an entire space as efficiently.
Air Cooler vs. Fan vs. Air Conditioning
Air conditioning systems extract heat and moisture from a room, expelling heat outdoors, which reduces both temperature and humidity. According to EDF Energy, pros include cleaning the air, heating in winter, quiet operation, smart controls, and automatic temperature maintenance. Cons include high purchase cost, increased electricity bills, and running costs.
Electric fans, as noted by Electrical 2 Go, use less electricity than air conditioning, are cheaper, portable, and easy to set up. However, they do not actually lower room temperature, can be noisy, and may not cool large rooms effectively. Evaporative fans add moisture to the air, which can be a drawback in humid conditions.
Pros and Cons of Air Coolers
A specialist at Plumb World outlines the advantages: air coolers produce cooler air than fans, use less energy than air conditioning, require no installation, are portable, and are often quieter than portable air conditioners. They are also cheaper to run and suitable for medium-sized rooms. Disadvantages include being less effective in humid weather, not cooling a whole room as well as air conditioning, and possibly lacking power for large rooms.
On Amazon, a mini JML Chillmax Portable Air Cooler retails for £39.99, while a larger portable cooler with five speeds costs £53.99. The Feibety portable cooler currently has a 4.7-star rating. One customer praised its turbo mode and quiet operation, calling it a definite buy. Another noted it improves airflow in smaller spaces without needing a full system. However, a third reviewer warned that the first level barely makes a difference and the highest level is noisy for nighttime use.
Argos is also stocking an Air Pro 8L 4-in-1 Portable Air Cooler with Wheels and Remote Control for £79.99.
