3 things you should know before buying an air cooler

With the UK on track for the hottest summer on record, it’s no surprise that cooling products are selling out everywhere.

But when the The best portable air conditioner Sold out and unlikely to be restocked for the rest of the summer, people have to turn to alternative solutions like air coolers to stay comfortable when the heat hits.

So I followed my Ideal Home teammate Jenny’s advice and have been giving it a try Air cooler the first time. I opted for Morphy Richards Flexi Freeze 1l Rechargeable Travel & Desk Top Mini Personal Air CoolerWhich is an individual cooler than a unit that can affect an entire room. Perfect for my first foray into the world of air coolers.

1. It does not mist even though it has a water tank

Rear view of the Morphy Richards Flexifreeze 1L air cooler, showing the honeycomb structure filter

Before I dig a little deeper into their differences, I thought air cooler and misting fans Worked the same way. After all, both have water tanks.

However, while a misting fan produces a fine mist to help cool the air, my air cooler does not. Instead it has a honeycomb-shaped cooling pad filter that absorbs water from the tank. The cooler then draws warm air in through the filter, causing the water to evaporate and cool the air, which is then pushed out the front of the fan.

For the sake of my frizz-prone hair, and the fact that you need to be relatively close to a personal air cooler to feel its benefits, I wasn’t too disappointed that the close range didn’t go wrong.

2. It does not have the cooling power of a portable air conditioner

Front view of Morphy Richards Flexifreeze 1L Air Cooler

After testing both the portable and I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to cooling power Fitted air conditioning units in my house So when a device claims to provide cooling function my expectations are high.

I will admit that I expected the cooling power of an air cooler to be more intense and instant, similar to a portable one. Air conditioner. But once I understood more about how air coolers work, I realized that my expectation was a bit misguided.

Portable air conditioners contain a refrigerant that quickly and heavily cools the air they draw in, which means they can achieve really cool temperatures and effectively lower the ambient temperature of the entire room.

Air coolers, on the other hand, do not contain any refrigerants and are therefore not able to achieve the same level of cooling.

However, air coolers have the edge over portable air conditioners when it comes to noise levels and where they can be placed. The Morphy Richards air cooler I’m testing is even quieter than the ultra quiet portable air conditioners I’ve used, which may mean it’s a more suitable option for those with any noise sensitivity.

Another bonus is that the air cooler doesn’t need to be mounted out the window like a portable air conditioner, which means you have more flexibility on where you use it in your home. My little portable air cooler was also super for every move, and especially up and down stairs because of its compact proportions.

3. Water alone will not produce the best cooling effect

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Open water tank below Morphy Richards Flexifreeze 1L Air Cooler filled with ice on marble look kitchen counter — (Image credit: Future plc/ Sarah Handley)

Playing around with my air cooler, I tried several options to see how I could achieve the best cooling effect.

Using only cold tap water means I can tell little difference between fan mode and cooling mode. Chilling the water in the fridge before topping up the air cooler gave better results, but the best result for me was adding ice cubes to the cold water.

It doesn’t generate an arctic blast by any stretch, but when combined with the right fan speed, it creates a comfortable cool breeze that takes the edge off a hot room. And in a heatwave, it could be worth its weight in gold.