Thanks to the recent hot summers we’ve been experiencing, more and more of us in the UK are looking to buy an air cooler for our homes to help beat the heat - but which air coolers are best, and what’s the difference between an air cooler and an air conditioning unit?
Read on to find out which tried-and-tested units kept us cool as cucumbers...
Tried and tested | Which air conditioner or air cooler is best?
- Best for allergy sufferers | Dyson purifier hot + cool formaldehyde
- Best portable cooler | Meacocool MC series 8000 portable air conditioner
- Best for bedroom/home office | JML Chillmax Air
How we tested the air conditioners and air coolers
We considered everything from packaging to the type of materials used to make the unit, as well as how easy they were to assemble to their weight and, of course, their performance in different-sized rooms and ulitmately if they represent good value for money. Each unit could achieve up to 20 points for the following criteria:
- Easy to use: Clear instructions | Light to carry | Easy to remove tank to fill (2 points each)
- Features: Settings and attachments | LED displays/dials/remote controller/timer | Oscillating fan | Carry handle/wheels | Tank capacity | Stylish design (1 point each)
- Results: Does it do what it claims | Can it cope with the suggested size of room/position | Number of speeds/temperature settings | Responsive to settings (low v high) | Noise (1 point each)
- Value for money: Is it good quality? | What is the warranty? | Is it worth the money? (2 points)
Looking for more ways to help you stay chilled? Check out our tried-and-tested round up of the best tower fans, as well as our pick of the best desk fans, and the best air purifiers.
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The best portable air coolers for 2024
Dyson purifier hot + cool formaldehyde
Scores 17 out of 20
- Buy now from Amazon, £899.19
Pros
- Stylish
- Packed with functions
Cons
- Expensive
But its real strengths came from its air purifying capabilities. So if you’re an allergy-sufferer it would be worth splashing out...
This hi-tech cooler is fairly easy to set up and in typical Dyson style, the instruction manual is very succinct with clear diagrams. We recommend you connect the cooler to the special Dyson Link app so you can understand all its functions and readings better.
This model is jam-packed with functions and tech, which makes it especially suitable for allergy sufferers. This purifier detects and destroys formaldehyde continuously while HEPA H13 and activated carbon filters also capture dust, allergens, gases and other ultra-fine pollutants.
The machine has built-in thermostats which can save you up to 30% in running costs when maintaining room temperature and it heats up to 37ºC. Discover more ways to cut down on your energy bills.
It efficiently cools the air at 15ºC and also has a diffused mode which diverts airflow through the back of the machine, which purifies the air, without cooling you.
If you're a fan of smart home tech, there's also a voice control function which allows you to control the Dyson hands-free using Alexa, Google, etc.
The night mode allows you to monitor and purify the air using the quietest settings, along with a dimmed display, making ideal for light sleepers. The adjustable oscillation projects purified air around the whole room up to 350º.
Although this model doesn’t have castors, it was light enough to pick up and move around the house from room to room as needed.
Should you buy it?
This model was the most expensive we tested at £649.99 with a two-year guarantee.
It worked very well as an air cooler and was quiet when in use. But its real strengths came from its air purifying capabilities. So if you’re an allergy-sufferer it would be worth splashing out, but if you just want cool air, this may be an expensive option.
Specifications:
Hot and cold settings | Purifies the air | Destroys formaldehyde in the air | Oscillation/Angle 350 degrees | 240 Voltage | 1.8m power cord | 76.4cm H x 20cmLx 24.8cmW | 5.5 kg
MeacoCool MC series 8000 portable air conditioner
Score 18 out of 20
- Buy now from Meaco (£329.99)
This model is currently out of stock, but there are various MeacoCool models available on Amazon, from £399
Pros
- Ideal for larger rooms
- Well constructed
- Cooled very well
Cons
- Needs to be vented through a window
This model did a great job of cooling the air, especially in larger rooms. It cooled to a minimum of 17ºC and when used on the high setting it really made the air feel refreshingly cold.
This air conditioner took a little bit of setting up before use - you need to attached the air duct tube to the cooler and fit one of two supplied window kits to your window (depending on the type of windows you have) which you then fit the other end of the air duct to. Once you’ve set this up and plugged in the machine, you’re ready to go.
The LED display on the unit is clear and easy to read while the touch-control buttons are simple to use and there’s a remote control too so you don’t have to leave your armchair.
This MeacoCool portable air conditioner provides cooling suitable for medium to large rooms from 15-25m², and will help to remove the sticky feeling from the air in the humid British summer. Although this unit weighs 24kg, the castors make it easy to move about as required.
You can choose between cool, dry and fan modes and you can adjust the temperature and time at the touch of a button. In low fan speed the sound pressure level of 50dB(A) makes this an easier unit to live with, although it can be a bit noisy when used on the high speed setting.
The Sleep Mode keeps the unit in low fan speed to ensure the lowest possible noise level, you can combine this with the Off Timer to ensure that you do not wake up cold during the night.
This model did a great job of cooling the air, especially in larger rooms. It cooled to a minimum of 17ºC and when used on the high setting it really made the air feel refreshingly cold.
Should you buy it?
This air conditioner costs £329.99 and comes with a two-year warranty.
Although not cheap, we felt it offered excellent value for money as it seemed very well made, really cooled the air well and could be used in larger rooms.
Specifications:
Dries the air as it cools to remove the sticky feeling from the air | Dehumidifying function | Oscillating | Two-speed settings | Operating temperature minimum 17°C | Power consumption 1030W | Voltage 240V
| 32cmD x 74cmH x 320cm W | 1.8m hose length | 1.9m power cord | 24kg
JML Chillmax Air
Score 13 out of 20
Pros
- Small footprint
- Colour changing LED light
Cons
- Noisy for its size
- Looked cheap
It would be ideal for use on a bedside table or on a desk, but is too small to make a huge difference to a large room.
This air cooler was very lightweight and highly portable. Its compact size makes it ideal for using on a desk or bedside cabinet and simple touch buttons on top of the machine allow you to select which of the three cooling levels you desire and which colour LED light you want to use.
The Chillmax Air turns cold water, via an antimicrobial filter, into a fine mist of cool, refreshing air circulated by a fan with three speed settings.
The filter is resistant to mould and mildew and can be put in the dishwasher to clean and sterilise it, thus prolonging its use. The large 610ml capacity water reservoir, combined with the filter, means that Chillmax Air holds a lot of water, so you run it for up to ten hours, that's a whole night's sleep, or an entire working day in a hot stuffy office.
The cooler also features a soft glow LED mood light which can be set to one of seven different colours, or a constantly colour-changing mode, making it ideal for use by your bedside. You can also turn the light off altogether if you prefer. The design is neat and compact, but we felt it looked a little cheap and plasticky.
Should you buy it?
This model both cools and humidifies the air and has three chill levels. It would be ideal for use on a bedside table or on a desk, but is too small to make a huge difference to a large room. However, it would be ideal for use in a caravan or camper van.
We felt it was quite noisy considering its small size, so not ideal if you are a light sleeper.
At £40 this model offers quite good value for money. It did cool the air well, but it was quite noisy for its size and its styling lets it down a little
Specifications:
Three cooling settings | Up to 10 hour run time per fill | Power 10 Watts 5 Volts | 1.8m power cord | Dimensions 14.55cm x 17cm x 16.25cm | 0.86kg
Beldray 2-in1 Climate Cube air cooler and heater
Score 12 out of 20
Pros
- Stylish design
- Affordable price point
- Quiet to use
Cons
- Didn’t produce very cold air
...we felt that the heat output of this design performed better than the cooling performance, which we felt was a little weak.
This Climate Cube is small, compact and easily portable thanks to its carry handle. Once turned on, you simply choose between hot and cold settings and one of two fan speeds using the touch-control buttons on the top of the cube.
The 500ml capacity water tank, which sits in the top of the cube, was easy to remove and fill and this model has a high quality air filter and an adjustable grille to allow you to alter the direction of the hot or cool air.
The design of this pale grey cube is very smart with curvy, retro styling. The carry handle makes it easy to move around and its compact footprint makes it ideal for having on a desk or bedside table.
Should you buy it?
The heat temperature on the Climate Cube can be adjusted between 25ºC - 30 ºC. However, we felt that the heat output of this design performed better than the cooling performance, which we felt was a little weak. Even on the highest of its two settings, the cool air output wasn’t particularly strong. On the upside, this was very quiet to run, so would be ideal for use at night in a bedroom.
At £32.99 with a one-year guarantee, this offers an affordable entry-level air cooler. It didn’t produce the coldest of air, but it was stylish, quiet and suitable for a small space.
Specifications:
Two speed settings | 600W heating power | 3.5W air cooler | Power consumption 0.6 kW | 1.5 m power cord | Dimensions 22.9cmH x 18.6cmW x 19.3cmD | 1.68 kg
Monzana 4-in-1 ionizer air cooler
Score 12 out of 20
Pros
- Difficult to set up
- Felt quite poorly made
Cons
- Lots of functions for the price
- Easy to manoeuvre
This air cooler took a fair bit of setting up before we could use it. Firstly we had to fit the casters, which was really fiddly, even with the rather flimsy spanner which was supplied. Then we had to freeze the ice packs which fit inside the water tank and fill the tank with water. However, the instructions which came with this unit were very badly translated from German and the diagrams and instructions didn’t correlate correctly with the model we had. We ended up resorting to watching a number of YouTube videos to try and work out what to do to set up the machine, so we weren’t very impressed with the instruction booklet. Once we finally managed to set it up, the machine and its remote control were fairly easy to use.
This mobile 4-in-1 air conditioner cleans, humidifies and cools the air. The ioniser absorbs dust particles, which can then be filtered more effectively, at the same time, odours are neutralised and the air is cooled and humidified.
This model also comes with an built-in dust filter, which you can simply remove from the unit for cleaning.
The 5-litre water tank help to cool the air thanks to the four ice packs supplied. Although the Amazon listing stated that is possible to detach the water pump and completely remove the tank for draining or cleaning, the instruction manual doesn’t explain how to do this.
The castors and side handles allow you to move the device from room to room if you wish. The swing function slowly moves the air flow from side to side allowing you to cool a wider area of the room.
This model has three speed settings as well as an additional ‘Cool’ mode. The airflow can be adjusted through the three variants 'Nature', 'Sleep' and 'Normal'.
Should you buy it?
This model did a pretty good job of cooling the air, although when in ‘Cool’ mode you could hear water trickling, which was a little distracting. Due to its size it would be suitable for a medium-large sized room, although when used on the high speed setting it was quite noisy - we measured it around 50Db.
This air cooler costs £79.95 from Amazon, but unfortunately we couldn’t find any guarantee or warranty details for it. However, although it was tricky to set up, we felt it offered a good range of functions for the price.
Specifications:
Cools, humidifies and cleans the air | Thee fan speeds | Ioniser to absorb dust | 75 watts | 1.6m power cord | Dimensions 28.5cmD x 34cmW x 70cmH | 7.8kg
FAQs
Air conditioning units v Air coolers
The main difference between the two is how they achieve the cooling effect. An air conditioner uses a heat pump which actively absorbs heat from one side, then expels it on the other. In comparison, a cooler relies on the cooling effect of evaporating water. It forces the air through a water-soaked material evaporating the water and cooling the air. Since a cooler needs water, it needs to be constantly refilled or connected to a constant water source. Some models of air coolers and air con units also offer extra benefits, such as air purification, dehumidifying or humidifying properties and even heating functions. In our test we considered everything from packaging and how easy the coolers were to set up. We looked at how heavy they were, how well made they appeared and their performance in different-sized rooms, as well as which ones we felt were best value for money.
