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Whether you’re keen to stay cool while working from home or want to breeze your way through a good night’s sleep, the sweaty summer months are just on the horizon, and you’re going to need a cooling appliance more than ever. While that fan has served you well enough in previous summers, can you really make the argument for upgrading to a pricey, electricity-guzzling portable air conditioner?
If the answer is a loud no, the good news is that there’s a happy medium between the two – an evaporative air cooler. While an air cooler won’t give you the same icy chill rush as an air conditioner, these gadgets have far more cooling power than fans and will successfully take the temperature down a few degrees in your room. Plus, they don’t need to be vented out of a window and can do this without racking up a costly electrical and environmental bill.
So how do they work? Simply put, they use the power of evaporative cooling. What that means is that inside every air cooler is a water tank, an absorbent sheet and a fan. You fill the water tank up with ice and water (the colder the better) and the sheet soaks it up. The water then evaporates from the sheet, cooling the air in the process, and the fan then pushes this cooler air out into the room. See, simple.
To help you take the edge off the summer heat, we’ve tried and tested the best air coolers on the market. Some are smart and can be controlled with an app, some have larger water tanks, and some come with ice packs. They aren’t perfect in a heatwave, so don’t get your hopes too high, but they will certainly make things more bearable.
How we tested
We set up evaporative air coolers right through the home in 30C heat last summer, filling their water tanks with lots of ice and cold water for maximum efficiency. We’ve thoroughly tested their features, controls and more to see how well they cooled us and our home down.
We’ve also looked at portability. You don’t want to attempt storing a large air cooler away in the autumn if you don’t have the room. Some are designed to be placed on a desk or bedside table, while others are floor-standing. We’ve looked at all the different types to find the best ones to beat the heat.
The best air coolers for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Princess smart air cooler: £162.50, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Black + Decker BXAC65001GB air cooler: £48.74, Amazon.co.uk
- Best smart tech option – Igenix 10L smart digital air cooler IGFD7010WIFI: £122.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for powerful cooling – Pro Breeze air cooler: £119.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget personal model – JML Chillmax Air Pure 2.0: £39.99, Amazon.co.uk
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