Challenge 6 Litre Portable Air Cooler Fan - White

Product Information

Most portable air con units come with an energy rating stated on their energy label to help you compare how many kW per hour the unit will use. How we test portable air conditioners That said, it's important to buy the best portable air conditioner for your room size, otherwise your unit will be working overtime to try and cool a too-large space. In an ideal world, all of our homes would be better insulated and able to remain cool in the summer without the additional energy use or expense of an air conditioner.However, for many of us this isn't the reality, and if you struggle to keep your home at a bearable temperature during the summer months, then a portable air con unit could help. This cheap cube desktop cooler doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it’s a good way to chill your fevered brow while you’re plugging away at your desk. Its two removable 300ml tanks mean it doesn’t constantly need refilling, and you can freeze them if you want some extra cooling. The three-speed fan gives you options from subtle breeze to full-on gusting, and on the lowest setting it’s quiet enough that it won’t disturb you while you work. It has some downsides, but only in keeping with most portable air con units, in that it's heavy which makes it not quite as portable in reality as its name may suggest.However, the build quality is good, it has easy-to-use controls, and its design is unobtrusive – although we think the AEG Comfort just pips it to the post in the style stakes by offering a sleeker design.

We also like the fact that you can clean the filter under the tap or in the dishwasher, and that the illuminated side panels can be set to glow with a choice of seven colours if you fancy a little mood lighting. While it could be easier to remove the filter and get the water tanks in and out of place, for sheer value and convenience, this cut-price compact cooler is a winner. The Russell Hobbs RHPAC11001 can do just that, offering 4-in-1 use thanks to air con, fan, dehumidifier, and heater functionality. Depending on your needs that could mean it offers better value for money, as it will be useful all year round, keeping your space cool in the summer as well as warm in the winter. A powerful portable air conditioner that looks good, is easy to use, is relatively quiet in comparison to most, has WiFi connectivity, and – most importantly – can cool down a room fast, as long as you don't mind its slightly higher running costs. There's no doubt it looks the part, making a very welcome change from the usual portable air conditioners that tend to be white, boxy, and pretty visually pretty unappealing. Instead, the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner's curved grey front looks sleek and modern, and although it's still fairly sizeable, its curved edges help it to feel a lot visually slimmer, meaning it feels less bulky and more unobtrusive in a room.However, a higher BTU also means a higher price tag, and likely higher running costs, so it's a balancing act of investing as much as you can for better performance against how much you're willing to pay upfront for a unit. Room size A stylish mobile air conditioner that offers 3-in-1 functionality, WiFi connectivity, and comes with remote control and window kit included, the Duux North 9K Smart Air Conditioner promises a lot. And so it should with a price tag that's double the most affordable air conditioners in our round-up. As such, we've rounded up the key features to look out for when sourcing the best portable air conditioner for your home. BTU (British Thermal Units) It also offers some good functionality, including air con, heater, and dehumidify functions that enable year-round use, plus a timer, 'night' mode, remote control, and WiFi connectivity. All in all, the MeacoCool MC Series 7000BTU Portable Air Conditioner is a good all-rounder at an affordable price point.

As far as features go, the Honeywell keeps things simple. One dial switches between off and the three fan settings, while the other selects cooling, oscillation or cooling and oscillation. What matters more is that it dishes out a consistently good, cooling airflow, with the louvres shifting side to side to spread it over a wider area. You’ll still need to clean the honeycomb cooling membrane regularly to avoid unpleasant smells, but if you’re keener on keeping cool than faffing around with modes and features, this is the air cooler to buy.So whilst the best fans definitely work to cool a person thanks to the breeze they create that does a surprisingly good job of cooling the skin, only an air conditioner can dramatically lower the temperature of an entire room or living space. And only an air conditioner will deliver that fridge-like cold air we all crave in a heatwave. Do portable air conditioners cost a lot to run? Personally, we'd sacrifice some chill (and save a lot of cash) and opt for the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan over the North Smart every time. Especially if you're looking for ways to keep a bedroom cool as the fan's silent operation won't disturb your sleep. Whilst the fan won't actively lower the room temperature like the North Smart can, all those who've tested the Duux Whisper Fan now swear by it's oh-so-silent 'natural-feeling' breeze, reaching for it as a go-to sleep aid whenever the mercury soars. A remote control is always a handy feature to have, especially if you're using the unit in the bedroom and don't want to have to get out of bed to adjust settings or turn the unit off. Like most portable air con units of this power, it isn't light, weighing in at 27kgs, and its most common negative gripe from users is – as with most air con units – its noise. On its lowest, night-time setting the manufacturer advises it produces 53dB of noise. Interestingly, figures aren't given for decibel levels on the highest fan speeds, suggesting they climb quite a lot higher as you scroll upwards through its two additional speed settings. If you're spending this much on an appliance – and one that's going to take up a good deal of storage space in the home – then you might want it to do more than just cool.