View image in fullscreen The Filter Summer Review The best air coolers to chill your home during UK heatwaves – tested They’re cheaper and greener than air conditioning, but which evaporative cooler impressed us most?
The best fans to keep you cool, tested Dyson HushJet Mini Cool fan review
Caramel Quin Tue 14 Jul 2026 16.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
A ir coolers should not be confused with air conditioning. An air cooler can lower your room temperature by a couple of degrees, while aircon can lower it by tens of degrees. So it’s important to manage your expectations. But air coolers are much more energy efficient: they use a fraction of the electricity of aircon.
The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
Evaporative air coolers work by pulling warm air through water-soaked pads. The water evaporates, which uses energy, so the process cools the air. So while it’s not fridge-cold like aircon, the air is cooling – like a sea breeze taking the edge off summer heat.
A typical portable air conditioner uses about 1,000W (watts) of electricity (costing about 26p an hour to run, based on the July 2026 price cap). By comparison, the evaporative coolers I tested use between 26W and 87W; you could run my favourite model, the Swan Nordic (26W), for 38 hours and it would still use less electricity than a single aircon unit running for an hour.
When we’re suffering from heatwaves caused by the climate crisis , it makes sense to use less energy by choosing energy-efficient products that are effective and built to last. So I’ve tested nine air coolers to help find the best for you, assessing them in terms of size, noise, power use and, of course, how much they cool you down. Due to phenomenal demand due to recent heatwaves, the only air cooler I’ve recommended that’s currently in stock is the Morphy Richards portable air cooler .
It’s worth considering a fan too: they don’t actively cool air down, but the improved air circulation they contribute helps your sweat to evaporate faster, cooling down your body – and they’re even more energy efficient. It’s a personal choice: a powerful fan feels immediately cooling, whereas an evaporative cooler actually lowers the temperature. Personally, I favour evaporative coolers that have powerful fans built in. Most can be used as stand-alone fans without the evaporative function enabled, although the effectiveness varies.
Note that evaporative coolers (sometimes known as swamp coolers) humidify your air, so they’re not a good fit if you have damp and mould problems. They’re designed to be used with doors open and fresh air coming in.
Best air cooler overall: Swan Nordic air cooler – currently out of stock
Best portable air cooler: Morphy Richards Flexi Freeze
Best air cooler for the garden: Shark FlexBreeze Pro Mist FA300UK – currently out of stock
Why you should trust me I’m triply qualified to test these evaporative coolers. First, I’m an award-winning consumer tech journalist with decades of experience testing gadgets of all shapes and sizes. Second, I have a degree in mechanical engineering. Last, but not least, I’m a menopausal woman in her 50s, as I pointed out while testing fans ; I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt cold.
View image in fullscreen A digital t…