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Live in a hot, dry climate? An evaporative cooler is a must—here's why

Simple cooling systems that won't blow up your budget

Three different sizes of evaporative coolers against a pink, orange, and yellow background. Credit: Reviewed / Evapolar / Honeywell

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When Mother Nature sets temperatures on the rise, having a cool and comfortable space is crucial to preventing heat stroke.

Many of us lack air conditioning in our homes, but there are other options to help keep you cool indoors.

Evaporative coolers cool down a room without using as much energy as air conditioners, making them a more environmentally friendly option. Depending on size and functionality, evaporative coolers can be affordable, too.

If you already know a bit, and you're looking to buy, we've got some suggestions for you right here. But, if you want to learn more, we can tell you all you need to know about evaporative coolers, so keep reading!

First off, what are evaporative coolers?

A person pouring water into an evaporative cooler.
Credit: Reviewed / Evapolar

Evaporative coolers work best in dry, hot climates as they humidfy the air while cooling it down.

Jonathan Chan, Reviewed's senior lab manager, says, “Evaporative (or swamp coolers) work on the same principle of how your body produces sweat to cool you down.”

To do this, they have two main components: One, a water-soaked pad, and two, a fan. The fan draws in hot air and passes through the pad, which causes some of the water to evaporate—taking the heat with it. The air passing through the evaporator is, on average, 15°F to 40°F cooler than the ambient temperature.

Reviewed's chief scientist Dave Ellerby explains that the benefit of an evaporative cooler is that it is simpler than other cooling devices, needing only water, a water pump, and a fan. Accordingly, they potentially need less energy, materials, and maintenance than a traditional air conditioner.

However, evaporative coolers work best in hot, dry conditions by adding more humidity to the air, which is difficult to do if the incoming air is already humid. Because water can only hold so much moisture, the rest goes back into the air.

If you live in hot, dry conditions, these are the best evaporative coolers to buy

1. Evapolar evaCHILL Evaporative Cooler

A small Evapolar evaporative cooler against a purple background.
Credit: Reviewed / Evapolar

If you need to cool down at your desk, then turn to the Evapolar evaCHILL evaporative cooler.

If you’re working from home and sweating at your desk, check out the Evapolar evaCHILL Evaporative Cooler. This small but mighty machine cools your personal space and has an easy-to-fill water tank and a handle so you can tote it around from room to room.

It can cool up to 26 square feet and is meant for close-up use. This evaporative cooler can lower the temperature by 9°F to 25°F.

$90 on Amazon

2. Honeywell 525 CFM Indoor Portable Evaporative Cooler

A Honeywell evaporative cooler against a blue background.
Credit: Reviewed / Honeywell

Place ice in this Honeywell evaporative cooler and you'll have an ocean breeze in your living room.

If the air around you feels dry as the desert, the Honeywell 525 CFM Evaporative Cooler can humidify and cool a space up to 491 square feet.

The top of the cooler flips open, so you can place ice in the compartment to create a cool breeze within your home.

This evaporative cooler comes with a remote control, so you can change the settings from the couch. $250 on Amazon

3. Honeywell CO60PM 2471 CFM Evaporative Cooler

A Honeywell evaporative cooler against a green background.
Credit: Reviewed / Honeywell

This Honeywell evaporative cooler can be used both indoor and outdoors so it can cool down your backyard barbecue.

The Honeywell CO60PM 2471 CFM Evaporative Cooler is best for cooling down large spaces. It can cool and humidify up to 850 square feet indoors or outdoors.

Keep this evaporative cooler in mind for your next backyard barbecue—it can keep your guests cool and refreshed in the hot summer air.

$600 on Amazon

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