An air cooler, also called an evaporative cooler, is one of the most efficient ways to cool a room. It uses water or ice to cool hot air. It then blows cool humid air into the room.
While not as effective as an air conditioner, it’s better than a fan.
In this guide, we review the best air coolers for the bedroom on the UK market, and give you tips on how to choose the right one. But first, a quick primer on air coolers and how they work.
What Is an Air Cooler and How Does It Work?
An air cooler is also what’s called an evaporative cooler. It cools by evaporation.
If you stand next to a body of water like a lake or the sea, you’ll experience a cool wind that occurs as air blows over the water.
That’s the same way an air cooler works. It contains a tank where you add cold water and ice.
A fan draws air from around the room and forces it over the water tank. The warm air picks up moisture from the tank and cools down in the process.
A fan then blows the now-cool (and moist) air out into the room.
Because of how they work, air coolers work best in dry heat (hot with low humidity). If the environment is already humid, an air cooler can actually make you feel hotter.
But in hot and dry conditions, the cooling and humidifying effect of an air cooler is exactly what you need.
Note that an air cooler is not an air conditioner. It will not cool the room to a specific temperature. It only blows cool humid air into the room to drive away the heat.
But it’s a great choice if you don’t have the budget for a central or portable air conditioner. An air cooler is also cheaper to run as it uses very little power (typically 50-60W).
What To Consider When Choosing An Air Cooler For Bedroom?
A. Tank Capacity
Check the amount of water the air cooler can hold. This determines how long the cooler can work before you need to refill the water tank.
Get a cooler with a larger tank (5 litres or more) if you don’t want to keep refilling it. A large tank is also necessary when you are cooling a big bedroom.
Keep in mind, however, that a large tank makes the cooler bigger and heavier. It takes up more space and can be harder to move around.
So if you are cooling a smaller bedroom, get a compact cooler that has a smaller tank.
B. Room Size
A large room needs more cooling power to keep the heat away. You’ll need an air cooler that meets the following requirements:
- A large capacity tank (5+ litres) so you don’t have to keep refilling it.
- A powerful fan that moves a lot of air to cool the room faster.
- A capable motor to operate the fan.
But if you want to cool a small bedroom, a smaller air cooler will do. You might even find a personal bedside air cooler to be enough.
C. Features & Settings
Here are the most important features and settings in an air cooler.
- Timer – Lets you set the air cooler to turn off automatically after a number of hours. This is a must-have for a bedroom air cooler unless you want to wake up in the middle of the night to turn it off yourself.
- Operating modes – Check that the air cooler offers at least these two modes: air cooling and fan-only cooling. Most air coolers also have a night/sleep mode, and others have a dedicated humidification mode.
- Fan speeds – We recommend getting an air cooler with at least three fan speeds. This lets you adjust the cooler’s noise level, how windy the cooler feels, and its cooling power.
- Oscillation – Rotates the cooler to provide better air distribution.
D. Remote Control
We highly recommend getting an air cooler with a remote control. It saves you the trouble of getting out of bed to change a setting.
E. Ice Packs
Adding ice to an air cooler makes it blow colder air, which helps cool the room faster. Regular ice cubes are okay, but ice packs work best.
Most air coolers come with one or two ice packs, so you don’t have to go to the trouble of making your own. Just freeze the ice packs in the freezer then put them in the tank along with cold water.
F. Size & Portability
Finally, check how big and heavy the air cooler is. Make sure you have the space for it and that you can easily move it from room to room.
If you have to get a large air cooler, get one with wheels so you can easily push it around on the floor.
If you want an air cooler you can use on your bedside, at the office and anywhere else, get a compact personal air cooler.
Best Air Coolers for Bedroom: Top 5 Reviews {UK Market}
1. NETTA 3 In 1 Air Cooler with Remote Control
The NETTA 3-in-1 air cooler is the best choice for most bedrooms. It packs a powerful fan, a fairly large tank, and it’s easy to use especially with the included remote control.
The 5 L tank holds enough water and ice for the cooler to run continuously for several hours. You can add ice cubes or the provided pair of ice packs.
However, the ice melts within 2-3 hours, and you’ll need to put in more if you want the added cooling power.
If it’s not too hot, you can leave the cooler to run on just water.
The fan is powerful enough to quickly cool a small to medium size bedroom. Even at the lowest fan speed, it cools the room without making too much noise.
The control panel is easy to use. It has settings for three fan speeds, three operation modes, timer settings (between 1 and 7 hours), oscillation and a humidification setting.
You can also use the included remote control to adjust these settings.
Specifications:
- Power: 55W
- Tank: 5L
- Size: 25W x 19D x 85H cm
- Weight(without water): 6.6kg
- Wheels: No
What we like about it:
- Perfect for small and medium size bedrooms.
- Large capacity tank.
- Comes with remote control.
- Plenty of settings including timer and fan speed.
2. BLACK+DECKER BXAC65002GB Digital Air Cooler
Looking for a more powerful air cooler? We recommend the BLACK+DECKER BXAC65002GB digital air cooler.
It has a bigger water tank as well as a more powerful motor and fan. This makes it a good choice for cooling a large bedroom or providing fast cooling when it’s really hot.
Once you fill the 7 litre water tank, the BLACK+DECKER cooler can run continuously for between 12 hours and a couple of days depending on fan speed and operating mode.
But the two ice packs included with the cooler melt within 2-3 hours. We recommend getting additional ice packs and keeping them in the freezer. That way, you always have ice packs ready to use in the cooler.
Using the LED control panel, you can control a bunch of settings including fan speeds, cooling modes, timer, and oscillation.
When you are in bed, use the provided remote control instead.
One complaint from customers regarding the BLACK+DECKER air cooler is the annoying lights that you can’t turn off. If they bother you when trying to sleep, put tape over them.
Specifications:
- Power: 65W
- Tank: 7L
- Size: 30W x 20D x 30H cm
- Weight (without water): 7.5kg
- Wheels: Yes
What we like about it:
- Powerful cooling – great for large bedrooms and hot climates.
- Includes remote control and ice packs.
- Easy to use control panel.
- Casters for easy mobility.
3. Igenix IG9703 Portable Air Cooler
The Igenix IG9703 is another good air cooler for cooling larger bedrooms. It comes with a 6L water tank and a powerful motor designed to cool rooms up to 15 square metres.
Using the control panel, you can set a timer of up to 7 hours, adjust wind speed to three levels, select one of three cooling modes, turn oscillation on or off, and activate or turn off the humidification mode.
The Igenix IG9703 air cooler comes with a remote control, so you don’t have to get up to adjust these settings.
Like most air coolers, the Igenix IG9703 comes with ice packs that provide additional cooling power. You can also use ice cubes or ice blocks from your freezer (Tip: ice blocks melt slower).
Specifications:
- Power: 55W
- Tank: 6L
- Size: 26W x 27.5D x 67.5H cm
- Weight (without water): 6.4kg
- Wheels: Yes
What we like about it:
- Ideal for medium-size bedrooms.
- Large water tank.
- Comes with remote control and ice packs.
- Easy to use settings.
4. Pro Breeze 10L Portable Air Cooler
Want to cool a large bedroom? The Pro Breeze portable air cooler comes with an extra-large 10 litre tank, that is perfect for cooling large spaces.
The powerful fan pushes cool air into the room at a rate of 408m³/hour, providing fast cooling.
The water in the tank evaporates at a rate of about 1.1L per hour. So if you run the cooler continuously at the highest fan speed, you’ll get a bit over 10 hours of cooling.
You can add just cold water to the tank for days when it’s not too hot. On hotter nights, freeze the included ice packs and add them to the water tank to enjoy cooler air.
The control panel is easy to use. It has all the usual features and settings including fan speeds, cooling modes (natural, night, cooling and fan-only modes), a 1-7.5 hour timer, and an oscillation feature.
These settings are also accessible on the included remote control.
Specifications:
- Power: 55W
- Tank: 10L
- Size: 38W x 33D x 75H cm
- Weight (without water): 9.8kg
- Wheels: Yes
What we like about it:
- Extra-large tank – suitable for cooling a large bedroom.
- Powerful fan provides fast cooling.
- Includes ice packs and remote control.
- Wheels for easy mobility.
5. PADIAFEL Mini Personal Air Cooler
The PADIAFEL personal air cooler is a great choice if you want a bedside air cooler.
The compact cooler sits on your bedside and cools just the area around it. It’s also suitable for your office desk and you can also place it next to you when watching TV or reading a book on the sofa.
The integrated handle makes it easy to carry it about. You can even take it with you during summer camping.
Being a mini cooler, the PADIAFEL air cooler is way less powerful than the other coolers we have featured.
It has a small tank that holds 500ml of water and a fan that blows a cool mist around your personal space.
Add some ice cubes to the water in the tank for extra cooling power. You can also add a few drops of essential oils if you want a nice relaxing scent to help you sleep.
The bottom of the cooler is also an LED night light. You can select the night light colour (7 options) from the control panel.
The control panel also has settings for a timer (2 and 4 hours) and fan speeds.
Specifications:
- Power: 20W
- Tank: 500ml
- Size: 21.8W x 12.9H cm
- Weight (without water): 830g
- Wheels: No
What we like about it:
- Perfect for personal cooling.
- Highly portable – you can take it anywhere.
- You can use it for cooling, humidification & aromatherapy.
