Beat the Heat Without AC: Top Tested Tips to Stay Cool

Every summer, the heat seems to become more unbearable. After searching for ways to cope, I’ve built a small collection of items to keep cool. Here are my essentials for surviving a heatwave.

Despite being from the south of France, I find myself increasingly struggling with the intense summer heat. Over the years, I’ve gathered a variety of items that help me get through the hot months, and I’m excited to share them with you.

Indoor Fan

Before I had air conditioning installed in my home, I relied heavily on fans. When the humidity is low, fans are an incredibly effective way to cool down. I still use them today since my office isn’t air-conditioned.

I’m a big fan (pun intended) of the Honeywell QuietSet tower fan. Its slim profile means it doesn’t take up much space and blends in easily. Moreover, I prefer this design because it delivers airflow across a taller area than round fans do. However, tower fans generally aren’t as powerful as their round counterparts.

In this case, it’s not only very powerful, but the most important feature for me is that it’s quiet on the lower settings. I’ve used it at night for that reason. However, at higher speeds, it does get loud, but that’s unavoidable. It includes standard features like oscillation, a timer, and a remote control that’s easy to store.

I’m so pleased with it that I bought two.

Portable Fan

Let me start by advising against a type of portable fan you often see advertised on social media: neck fans are a waste of time and money. They just don’t work—I have one, and it never cools me down. Worse, they tend to make my neck feel warmer. They’re not comfortable for the minimal cooling they provide.

Similarly, all those ads you see online for mini air conditioners are scams.

I prefer a foldable fan. Many different brands, usually Chinese, produce these out of the same factories. Regardless, the one I chose is the following:

Honestly, I even have four of them: they were lifesavers during the three days at the F1 Grand Prix in Barcelona with my kids. Believe me, they were incredibly useful. With a 4000mAh battery, they lasted all day without running out (the manufacturer claims 12 hours on the lowest fan setting). Naturally, I recharged them every night using the USB-C port. Another great feature is the USB-A port, which doesn’t charge the fan but lets the fan act as a portable battery to recharge my phone. This is handy after a day of taking photos and videos when your iPhone is out of power.

The fan is quiet and has a small LCD screen that shows the battery level in real-time. A feature I really appreciate, which isn’t always included with other models, is a small, detachable strap that allows you to wear the fan around your neck. It’s very convenient and effective.

The only downside: the safety grill comes off a bit too easily.

Desk Fan

You can certainly use a portable fan as a desk fan. However, it’s tedious to keep taking the fan out of the bag to put it on the desk and vice versa. I prefer to have a dedicated fan on my desk. Unfortunately, the model I have is no longer sold. I bought it five years ago.

However, there’s no shortage of options. This model is the closest to what I currently have:

Opt for models with adjustable airflow height. It’s not essential to have a battery, but it’s convenient if you can’t plug it in.

I don’t recommend those stylish but generally ineffective models. Some can’t be recharged while they’re running, and often they have ridiculously poor battery life. Nonetheless, if you don’t have air conditioning or prefer not to use it too much, having a small desk fan while you work is a great low-cost solution to keep cool.

Magical Cooling Cloth

I recently discovered something odd but amazing. It’s a cooling cloth. Made by a French brand, this cloth cools you down using the same principle as sweating. Sweating cools you down because as the sweat on your skin evaporates, it lowers your temperature.

The G-Heat cloth works on the same principle: you wet it, wring it out, and as it dries, it cools down. Not just slightly: while it’s 30 degrees Celsius outside, the cloth stays at 15 degrees! And all this while the cloth is completely dry.

I tried the small towel to see if it really works, and I was blown away.

As a result, I plan to get more products from the brand, like a neck wrap.

For athletes who want to keep training even in the summer, the brand offers t-shirts and arm sleeves. For more casual use, the concept applied to a cap is intriguing.

Insulated Water Bottle

To cool down effectively, drinking cold beverages can be a good solution. For that, investing in a good insulated water bottle is a wise choice. That’s what I do: I fill it with water and ice cubes in the summer and use it for tea in the winter.

There are plenty of insulated bottle options available. The Owala brand is generally well-rated. Their bottles have the advantage of having a clever lid that doesn’t leak and includes an integrated carrying loop. How many times have I had insulated bottles that leak in the bag…

Personal Air Conditioner

I haven’t had the chance to test this last gadget but, believe me, it’s been on my radar for a long time (hello Sony PR, if you’re reading this, feel free to send one my way for testing). I’ve been hesitant to import it from Japan for years. Indeed, the Reon Pocket was only available in the land of the rising sun until now. The first version, released in 2020, even required a specific t-shirt to wear the device.

The fifth version, called the Reon Pocket Pro, is finally available in Europe. The device should bring back memories for those who, like me, have had an overclocked PC processor: the Peltier plate. The Peltier plate uses the Peltier effect: when powered, it generates cold on one side of the plate and heat on the other.

Thus, the Reon Pocket Pro is worn around the neck, under your shirt making it nearly invisible, and a metal plate rests against your neck.

By activating it, you can choose either to cool down or warm up. Our friends at On refait le Mac had the chance to test it. Check it out at the 43rd minute:

However, the major issue is still its price: €230! However, for those who must wear a suit all day, even in summer, it might be worth the cost to stay cool discreetly.

What products are essential for you to stay cool during the summer?