The UK has been hit with the hottest June on record, and it’s been a scramble to keep cool amid the rising temparatures. With cooling appliances flying off the shelves, budget-friendly supermarket Aldi is stepping in to save the day with a new mini cooling range, designed to help us stay comfortable and cool without the eye-watering cost of traditional air conditioning.
At the centre of the range is the air cooler, a sleek tabletop device that uses water and ice evaporation technology to help cool and humidify the air. Unlike bulky air conditioning units, it’s designed to sit neatly on a desk or bedside table. It costs just £14.99 and features a touch LED display and three speed settings to tailor airflow throughout the day and night.
If you want something more portable, you’ll also find a tripod-style fan in the middle aisle. This is £6.99, and is designed to go wherever you do. It can be clipped onto desks, shelves, or bedside tables, so it’s a simple grab-and-go option for staying cool at home or on the move.
For a fan with more power, there’s the £39.99 globe fan. It’s designed to circulate air more widely across a room, with a 360-degree auto-rotation. There are different modes for when you use it, too, including sleep, natural wind, and drying.
Beyond cooling devices, the range also includes summer bedding essentials such as lightweight duvets and pillow pairs, designed to improve comfort on hotter nights without relying on constant fan use.
Read more: Best air conditioners, reviewed
When can you buy Aldi’s affordable air cooler?
The portable air cooler lands in Aldi stores from Thursday, 2 July, as part of the supermarket’s limited Specialbuys range. This means that once the stock is gone, it’s unlikely to return.
How much is Aldi’s air cooler?
Aldi’s air cooler will cost just £14.99, so it isn’t as costly as investing in a portable air conditioner. There’ll be other cooling devices landing in-store the same day, including a portable fan (£6.99) and a tabletop fan (£38.99).
Best air coolers
If you simply can’t wait until next week, home appliance tester Joanne Lewsley has written IndyBest’s best air coolers review. And I’ve handpicked some of the products still in stock from her personally recommended brands.
Dreo 40in silent evaporative air cooler
In her review of the best air coolers, it was actually the Dreo turbocool 765S that expert Joanne Lewsley recommended; however, the high-performance device is currently seeing an inordinate price hike. Instead, I’d recommend shopping this Dreo 40-inch air cooler with £30 off. Not only is it a miracle that the fan is still in stock, but it’s actually seeing its lowest price from the past month – which is certainly rare amid current climes.
The fan features a whisper quiet 35dB noise rating (the equivalent of a hushed library), making it perfect for a sound night’s sleep, and claims to project cooling air as far as 22 feet. Secure yours now while stock lasts.
Buy now £129.19, Amazon.co.uk
Best fans
MeacoFan sefte 10in table air circulator
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Ranked our best fan by reviewer Joanne Lewsley, she described the MeacoFan sefte as “one of those rare models that manages to feel both powerful and refined.”
In her review, she wrote: “I was genuinely impressed by just how much air it moves – the airflow is strong enough to be felt across the room, yet it never has that harsh, buffeting feel you get from cheaper desk fans.” She praised its “whisper-quiet” blades too: “On its lowest setting, it drops to around 25dB...making it ideal for bedrooms or light sleepers. Even at higher speeds, it’s relatively unobtrusive.”
Buy now £99.99, Meaco.com
Read more: Best neck fans, reviewed
Best portable air conditioners
Blyss A018I-09C 9000BTU portable air conditioner
For a budget buy, you can’t go wrong with this unit from Blyss. When reviewed by Joanne Lewsley in our guide to the best portable air conditioners, she described it as “a straightforward, no-fuss air conditioner”. She wrote: “It covers the basics well, with cooling, fan and dehumidifier modes, plus three fan speeds and a 24-hour timer to fine-tune things depending on how you’re using it – and it’s good value.”
Buy now £269.99, Screwfix.com
Meaco meacocool MC series pro 8000 BTU portable air conditioner
Our cooling gadget expert Joanne Lewsley found this one of the easiest air conditioner units to install: “The window kit is particularly well thought-out. It has extra-long plastic panels that make it far more adaptable than most, regardless of your windows.”
Buy now £380, Argos.co.uk
Read more: Best handheld fans, tested
