Air coolers are not the same thing as air conditioning. Rather than extracting moisture from the air to cool your room down by multiple degrees, evaporative coolers use water to cool the air they blow towards you – like a sea breeze taking the edge off summer heat – and they use a fraction of the electricity of aircon.
A typical portable air conditioner uses 1,000W of electricity, costing about 26p an hour to run. By comparison, the evaporative coolers tested use between 26W and 87W. The favourite model, the Swan Nordic (26W), can run for 38 hours and 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. Eight air coolers were tested in terms of size, noise, power use and how much they cool you down.
The Swan Nordic cooled the room well, by 1°C in an hour, and put out a wide, cooling breeze. It has 24 fan speeds, a remote control, and is one of the quietest on test, suitable for sleeping. It’s also good value and looks attractive with a coffee-coloured “oatmeal” finish and wood-effect detail.
Note that evaporative coolers humidify the air, so they’re not suitable if you have damp and mould problems. They are designed to be used with doors open and fresh air coming in.
