From The Straits Times    |

Want to keep cool in the hot months in Singapore without busting your utility bill? Get a portable air-cooler for your bedroom; we review three here.

 

aerogaz portable air cooler product reviewEditor’s Rave: AEROGAZ AIR COOLER
$168, from Carrefour and selected Fairprice Xtra stores, both in Singapore

SPECIFICATIONS 33cm x 27cm x 81cm; 7.5kg; 6.5-litre detachable water tank, which can last for seven hours.

COOL FACTOR It cooled me down within 15 minutes on a hot day. I slept with it at full blast but didn’t wake up freezing or feeling sticky; my room also didn’t feel humid. It comes with two ice packs, which made the air colder, but only for the first half hour.

WIND STRENGTH It is moderately powerful. It has three speeds but works best on High; I barely felt anything on Low. It cooled me down better when the air vents were directed right at me.

SET-UP The lightest of the lot and a cinch to move around. The detachable water tank could be easily topped up and drained. I loved the touch key buttons of the control panel.

NOISE The quietest of the three, although it did emit some noise, like that of an oscillating fan.

VERDICT 8.5. Quiet and affordable, with the best cooling effect; touch key buttons were a bonus.

 

 

HoneyWell CS10XE portable air cooler product reviewHONEYWELL CS10XE
$288, from Courts and Best Denki, both in Singapore

SPECIFICATIONS 40cm x 34cm x 80cm; 8.4kg; 10-litre detachable water tank, which can last at least five hours.

COOL FACTOR It cooled me down in 15 minutes. I had it on full blast the entire night and woke up feeling chilly. However, the room felt slightly humid and I, a tad sticky. It kept me relatively cool in the day, too. This is the only air-cooler that didn’t come with ice packs. Instead, you can add some ice cubes to the water tank to chill the air further; I put in about 10 but couldn’t feel the difference.

WIND STRENGTH It had a forceful blast even on Low (there were three other modes: Medium, High and Sleep). It cooled me down faster when I directed the air vents towards me; I felt hot and sticky when the vents were in swing mode.

SET-UP It is the second lightest, so wheeling it around is easy. The detachable water tank can be easily topped up and drained. The control panel is also user-friendly.

NOISE It is noisy on High mode. I could also hear the water trickling throughout, and couldn’t help checking if any of it was leaking onto my floor.

VERDICT 8. User-friendly, convenient and keeps you cool, but it’s noisy.

 

 

Europace air cooler reviewEUROPACE 4-IN-1 AIR COOLER
$369, from major department and electrical stores in Singapore

SPECIFICATIONS 44.5cm x 43cm x 91cm; 11kg; 7-litre detachable water tank, which can last from five to nine hours.

COOL FACTOR In the day, I felt cool after 15 minutes. But it worked better at night – the room didn’t feel as humid and I didn’t feel as sticky. It comes with two ice packs but the air wasn’t any colder when I used them.

WIND STRENGTH At full blast, it is not as powerful as the other two. It comes with three levels, but works best on High. The air flow is slightly better than the other two tested – when the vents swung from side to side, I still felt cool.

SET-UP The bulkiest of the lot; the wheels kept catching on my floor tiles, making it hard to move it around. At times, I had to half carry, half pull it. The detachable water tank is easy to top up and drain; control buttons are easy to figure out.

NOISE The loudest of the lot – like an idling car – and I was woken up a few times by the noise.

VERDICT 6.5. The weakest wind power and hard to move around; also the noisiest.

 

*All air-coolers came with a remote control, timer and water shortage alarm system. They also double as a humidifier and ioniser.

All shops are in Singapore. This article was originally published in Simply Her July 2012.

All product and pricing information is correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the store for the latest availability and pricing information.