We all love sunny, summer weather but being too hot is no fun at all. If you’re trying to concentrate on your work, do jobs around the house, or simply fall asleep, the heat can quickly become a source of frustration. Being too hot can make us irritable and lethargic so, rather than suffering all summer long, it’s a good idea to find a solution to keep you cool.
There are several options available to you. It’s great to have a choice, but how do you know which is the best solution for you? This can depend on a range of considerations such as budget, aesthetics and the kind of space you want to cool.
Should you go for a fan, an air cooler or an air conditioning system? Here is a quick buyer’s guide to help you make the best choice.
Fans
Fans tend to be a really popular choice and it’s easy to see why. For a start, they are really versatile: they come in different shapes and styles and can be easily moved around from room to room. They can also be really affordable, with desk fans starting from as little as £20 which is great if you’re on a tight budget.
Fans can be really good if you don’t have too much space as desk fans can be placed on furniture and tower fans only have a small footprint (but a good level of cooling). You can even get wall mounted fans or ceiling fans which will help improve air circulation by pushing warm, stale air (which, as you probably know, always rises) back down to ground level, creating a cool airflow. If you are sensitive to noise, a tower fan can be quieter than other options due to the blades being on the inside of the unit.
Air Coolers
If you need more cooling power than a fan can give you, an air cooler might be the best choice for you. It’s a middle step between a fan and an air conditioning unit, in terms of both performance and cost. Air coolers use a process known as evaporative cooling to chill the air. This is a natural process which involves a tank of water that’s allowed to slowly evaporate. Check out our guide to air coolers for more information on how it works.
Air coolers look pretty stylish but can be quite boxy so you need to have the space to accommodate them on the floor. They’re too big to place on a desk or piece of furniture, so are a little less versatile than a fan. Just like a fan, however, the best location for them is close to a window or door so that they can make use of the natural airflow.
MYLEK Push Button Oscillating Evaporative Air Cooler
Price: £89.99
Buy Now
Air Conditioners
Air conditioning units are the most expensive option but offer the optimum performance for air cooling. Many of them need to be professionally installed by an HVAC engineer or you can get portable air con units which offer a bit more flexibility. For very hot spaces – such as a conservatory or converted loft - or businesses, where a comfortable temperature is vital for productivity, an air conditioner is the only effective solution. As a result of the way they work, they also act as a dehumidifier which will help give the air a fresh, light feel.
Prem-I-Air Mobile Portable Air Conditioner With Remote Control 12000 BTU
Price: £419.99
Buy Now
Expensive, yes, but this is matched by performance and is likely to have a longer lifespan than a fan or air cooler.
Hopefully, this offers some guidance about the choices you have. Summers have been becoming increasingly hot in recent years so finding a good solution to keep cool is becoming more important than ever.
