A cooler offers less of a temperature extreme than an air-con unit and one like this comes with rainbow lights too, working double duty as a night light. Features 3 speed airflow settings, 3 wind modes; normal/nature/sleep, vertical louvre directing air at a 90 degree angle, soft touch LED controls, remote control operation, 7. And while it isn’t exactly quiet, its steady thrum settles quickly into the background as it creates a reasonable breeze. Make sure you take your time to read through lots of reviews though, not just the ones that appear on top of the list.

Again we’ve used Currys PC World for this comparison and found that there were 20 Black + Decker products available. An air cooler and fan with a honeycomb filter which doesn't need ventilation, and a large water tank which houses two included ice packs. And as a bonus we’ve also found another option that might be worth considering which is DYSON Hot Cool AM09 Fan Heater reviews. While only a modest chill, this cooler treats a larger volume of air than smaller, personal devices.

This Black+Decker is only a little louder than a typical tower fan, with the cooler function contributing a barely audible trickle. Other good points include an easy-to-fill water tank, which you can fill from the top, and simple one-button controls, where you just tap to cycle through the speeds. None of this would matter if it wasn’t an effective cooler, but it’s actually something of a heatwave hero. We use a smartphone sound meter to check the noise at full power and minimum power, and we use an AC passthrough power meter to check the energy consumption at both of these levels. But the point here is just to make sure you’re factoring in brand when considering the quality of a product.

For reasonable money, it offers a slight step up from a room fan on hot days, but check out the guide to the best fans for alternatives. The versatile Black and Decker 7 litre air cooler can be used as a cooler, humidifier and fan, perfect for year round use. For example, over at Currys PC World you can filter products by brand, so you could filter just to show the brands on your list. For the money, the Black+Decker 7-litre portable 2-in-1 air cooler offers decent fan performance, with the bonus that it can gently cool a room. Three Fan Speeds - Three fan speeds give you control over the effectiveness and noise output of the appliance.While this makes it easy to drop in the supplied ice packs, it also allows water to slop out if you decide to move the cooler while it’s full. We particularly like its cooling system which consists of a honeycomb filter and a large tank which accommodates two ice packs to allow for even cooler air. An air cooler is the sort of device you can use year-round: from cooling in the summer to reintroducing humidity into dry spaces in winter.

This is then propelled into the air with a three-speed fan that works in four operational modes to create exactly the right environment.

The overall quality of any product is important, but it’s especially important when you’re considering Heating and cooling. The inner vertical louvres oscillate left and right to give you a wider spread, and you can use the horizontal louvres to angle the airflow up or down. If you’re looking for something to cool a nursery or child’s bedroom, it can be tricky trying to find the right balance.

Water Tank - The unit comes with a large 7 litre water tank which can be detached for filling/cleaning. At this speed, it’s reasonably quiet, power consumption is at its lowest, yet there’s still a decent breeze. Air conditioners – which essentially work like a fridge –can be highly effective, but they tend to use lots of power and make a fair bit of noise.

Cooling System - The unit has an advanced cooling system which evaporates cool water through a honeycomb filter without requiring window ventilation. Sporting a build that’s chunkier than a tower fan, Black+Decker’s portable air cooler doesn’t actually take up any more floor space. The smaller models are cubes designed for desktop or coffee table use, often powered by USB and designed as a personal cooler. 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.