It doesn’t matter that summer doesn’t officially start until June 21 — for most of the country, the heat is already here. If you’re looking to stay cool and comfortable without blasting up your energy bill, reviewers say this portable, evaporative air cooler is your next buy. Fans say this baby isn’t just cool; it’s “freezing,” so much so that you may have to turn it down after just a couple of hours. And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, the 5.2-gallon tank option, for cooling 45 to 70 square feet, is currently close to 30% off. (If you need a bigger size, those are all on sale, too.)
Reviewers say the machine keeps them comfortable, even in 100+ degree heat.
Sometimes known as a “swamp cooler,” this evaporative machine uses water and a fan to circulate cool air around your space. Simply add water and the four included ice packs to the top basin (no bending or squatting needed) and control the speed, mode, time and strength from the buttons on the machine or the handy remote.
The machine can oscillate and swing, ensuring cool air reaches everywhere you need it, plus it can be set to a 12-hour timer. Though it needs to be plugged in to work, it comes on four wheels and weighs under 16 pounds, making it easy to move around. Fans (no pun intended) seem to agree that the machine is not too loud, even at full blast.
Reviewers rely on the machine for keeping them cool and relaxed, even when the weather is unbearable. “This cooler is a great addition to desert life in Arizona,” shopper Christopher wrote. “It’s over 100 degrees today and I’m comfortably working outside on my covered patio.”
Reviewers in dry states especially love the cooler for bringing a little balminess to otherwise arid air.
“Use this in our living room to keep cooler in the summer and add moisture in our high desert climate,” another wrote. “Easily rolls to the kitchen for quick refilling from the top.” Another reviewer from Arizona says they don’t regret choosing this model at all. “Ran it on high for a couple of hours until it cooled the room, it was so cold I had to switch it to low because I was freezing,” they wrote. ”...I live in Arizona and if it can cool that it can cool anything!”
And if you live in a humid place or don’t want to add the water — you can simply use it as a powerful fan.
And it’s saving people money on their electric bills.
Whether you have central air but don’t want sky-high electric bills or if you’re looking for a budget-friendly machine that you don’t have to hoist into a window — this handy gadget is here to help. Reviewers say the machine is so good, it’s letting them turn down their other AC methods, saving them a ton of dough.
“We bought the ROVSUN 4100 CFM water cooler last year and have saved thousands of dollars here in California,” one wrote, calling the machine a “great money saver.”
“While our neighbors and those here in the SJ Valley paid upward to a thousand dollars or more a month, our electric bill never went over 200 dollars,” they wrote. “We already have it set up in the large front window of our living room when the temp gets in the 90′s next week. We know we will be comfortable.”
“Has reduced our electricity bill since the AC doesn’t have to work as hard,” another wrote, with Christopher adding that once the humidity goes down, “I plan to turn off my AC and use this unit to cool my house to save some energy and enjoy some fresher cool moist air.”
Reviewers are keeping their cool with this portable AC. Read more 5-star reviews and grab one for yourself for close to 30% off.
“We bought the ROVSUN 4100 CFM water cooler last year and have saved thousands of dollars here in California. We used this portable water cooler last last summer and fall instead of using our electric hog 240 amp split system air conditioner. We stayed comfortable throughout the entire summer and the very warm fall. Since it is only my wife and I, we don’t need to cool the whole house as we are often are only in one part of the house most of the time. We use it near our living room window or near the back door in the den area and it’s works wonderfully. That’s where the mobility is a plus. Just make sure you have an exhaust area on the opposite side of the room or house so hydrolysis can work properly to cool the air. If the humidity is to high, it will not work as desired. While our neighbors and those here in the SJ Valley paid upward to a thousand dollars or more a month, our electric bill never went over 200 dollars. We already have it set up in the large front window of our living room when the temp gets in the 90′s next week. We know we will be comfortable.” — matthew gunn
“I went much bigger than I thought I would need in size so that I can keep it on low and that is exactly what I got! Ran it on high for a couple of hours until it cooled the room, it was so cold I had to switch it to low because I was freezing! And it’s super quiet on low and medium, high just sounds like a fan on high not too too loud. I heavily researched everything out there and I don’t regret choosing this one over the other ones not one bit! I was a lil nervous with the lack of reviews but rest assured this is a good one! It’s pretty well built for being plastic, easy to fill and move with the wheels. I live in Arizona and if it can cool that it can cool anything! Pro tip! If you’re using it inside vs outside, position the back of it in front of an open door or window for fresh air for maximum effect, once it cools a room, which it does quickly, the room gets humid and it circulates that humid air and less evaporation takes place, (the way this thing cools the air). Fresh air on the other hand keeps it constantly cold. Ice packs help, I might even try dry ice with it. I picked up a dehumidifier to put next to it to which will also help, I’ll post video later. Updated 6/6/24. Swamp working out fantastic! It’s gotten much warmer these past few weeks and this thing is still performing great! Posted video review, this one is a keeper!!!” — Amazon customer
“It is lightweight & you just need to install the wheels & water. Even without the ice blocks, the air blowing is very chilled, but with the ice blocks, it blows super cold! Different modes. Has wheels so it is mobile. Perfect for sitting on your porch or extra cool air in the kitchen, super cool air to sleep at night. Also has a timer! I absolutely love this Air Cooler ‘fan’!” — Cajunnanacat
“This cooler is a great addition to desert life in Arizona. It’s over 100 degrees today and I’m comfortably working outside on my covered patio. I was deciding between this unit and the smaller one with the autofill float valve (for more money). I decided to go with the bigger/higher cfm unit and added my own float valve to the back of the reservoir with a hole saw. It works perfectly to keep it topped up from a standard hose (see the third photo). Once it’s less humid here, I plan to turn off my AC and use this unit to cool my house to save some energy and enjoy some fresher cool moist air.” — Christopher Hiller
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)