For some parts of the world, summer is all-year-long.
Or sometimes it feels that way without adequate technology to keep your indoor environment cool and comfortable.
Many people attempt to solve this problem through air conditioning when portable evaporative air coolers (also known as swamp coolers) will be a more effective piece of kit in their climate.
We’re going to look at the differences, but first.
What is a Portable Evaporative Cooler?
Simply put, a portable evaporative cooler is a device that cools air through evaporation of water. Air temperature is regulated and decreased through the transition of water to vapor. This essentially cools the air using a lot less energy and is particularly effective in dry climates.
Swamp Coolers vs Air Conditioners
We touched on this a bit above. There are several advantages to portable evaporative coolers over their air conditioner counterparts:-
- Lower overall price point
- Lower maintenance costs
- More energy efficient (and much more environmentally friendly)
- More effective in dry climates
- Easier setup (placement of air filters and positioning)
- Health benefits (reduced dry air symptoms like sore throat, irritated eyes and skin)
The technology is vastly different than refrigeration-based air conditioning.
At the most basic level, a traditional air conditioner will cool your space by removing moisture, our list of portable evaporative coolers will add moisture.
Here’s a graphic to explain it.
In a snapshot you need to be considering your climate, your space, energy consumption and maintenance, and the portability.
We’ve researched, evaluated and tested 10 different devices to compile the list of best portable evaporative air coolers – if you’re looking to save time, money and effort.
