Now that the mercury is hovering around the top of the thermometer, we’re all looking at ways to keep cool during the day and night.
Luckily, there’s some clever new technology on the market that will help you and your family get through any summer heatwaves.
Bladeless fans
Dyson revolutionised the fan with their silent, bladeless fans. These have now morphed into air purifiers that filter out all sorts of airborne irritants: pollen, bacteria etc.
They come in various sizes, from desktop models to big towers that will flow cool, pure air around large rooms.
Chill out: There is some clever new technology on the market that will help you and your family get through any summer heatwaves
The Purifier Cool Autoreact is at the top of the range. It monitors the air in your room and turns on or off accordingly. Available from Dyson (dyson.co.uk) for £449.99.
But if your budget is lower, there are other bladeless fans on the market now.
The 42in Midea Smart Air, available from Argos for £250, works in a similar way, quietly wafting purified air around you to ensure a good night’s sleep. Features include 12 speeds and an auto shut-off timer.
Sleep sound
Humid summer nights can leave you sweaty. So choose a cooling mattress topper to lower your temperature.
The White Company’s Temperature Balance quilted mattress protector uses Nasa technology so that the topper is cold to the touch.
It’s also wicking, so moisture is sucked away from your skin, leaving you comfortable and dry. It costs £100 to £190, depending on mattress size.
Wanting to go a step further? Chilisleep’s Cube Sleep System is a machine that gently flows water through a mesh underneath you, rather like underfloor heating in reverse.
It can be set to warm or cold water, depending on the season — the water can be pumped from 13c to 46c.
There’s a remote control to gently change temperature throughout the night. Available at £449.
Clever blinds
If you have south-facing windows, July will feel like living in a furnace. But you can exclude a fair amount of the sun with thermal blinds or heat-reflective film.
Thermal blinds such as the ThermaShade, available from Hillarys are pleated with a honeycomb structure, to trap a layer of air around the material of the blind.
This helps keep the room cool in summer and warm in winter. Prices dependent on size.
Heat-reflective film — often used for offices — is see-through but blocks the worst of the rays. It’s especially useful for conservatories which can become unbearably hot in the summer.
The Window Film Company’s Light Reflective Silver Window Film is rated to keep out 55 per cent of all solar energy. It will cost about £268 for 10m x 1.5m.
Good night: Chilisleep’s Cube Sleep System is a machine that gently flows water through a mesh underneath you, rather like underfloor heating in reverse
Portable coolers
Evaporative coolers work well if you want to chill a small room by day or night. These pass dry air over a reservoir of water, which evaporates and cools the air.
The cooler air is then pumped out into the room. It’s a bit like standing close to a water sprinkler.
They won’t chill your house like a full-on refrigerative air-conditioning unit, but they are cheaper, quiet and more mobile. In some units, you can use blocks of ice instead of water to turbo-charge the cooling.
The Silentnight 3-in-1 Air Cooler, available from Robert Dyas for £129.99, works as a fan or humidifier as well as a cooler.
Or if you’re working at your desk and just want to keep yourself chilled, there’s the little evaSMART from evapolar, which is controlled by a smartphone, for £199.
Ceiling fans
They may seem like a solution from yesteryear, but ceiling fans are very efficient and quiet. You just need to have them installed by an electrician, so start-up cost can be a bit much.
The Philips Bliss integrated ceiling light and fan is a simple option, available from Dunelm for £199.
The ultimate: Air con
For the all-out solution, nothing beats a full-scale air-conditioning unit. But you’ll have to put up with the noise (few are anything close to silent).
And unless you’re going to install a permanent unit, you’ll need to have a window or door that you can leave open to shove the vent pipe through.
First you need to work out how powerful a unit you need. The standard rating is in British Thermal Units.
The average room will need a unit running at 5,000-8,000 BTUs. For a powerful unit, the DeLonghi Pinguino EL112 runs up to 11,000 BTUs, so it could cool a kitchen-diner.
It’s wi-fi connected so you can control it from your phone. It’s on wheels too, so it can be moved between rooms. Available at Appliances Direct for £879.
Savings of the week: Outdoor cushions
Fruity: The Passionfruit set o floor cushions, pictured, is reduced by 7% to £66.99 (wayfair.co.uk)
The shops are full of elegant outdoor sofas, tables, bistro sets and dining chairs. But new cushions may be all you need to revive your existing furniture.
At Von Haus, for example, you will find a set of two cushions, one in orange, the other in a botanical print, down from £17.99 to £7.99.
If tropical prints are more your thing, try Wayfair. The Galarza cushion is adorned with a design of a leopard lounging on a branch. It is 20 per cent off at £19.99.
The Passionfruit set of pink and yellow floor cushions, pictured, is reduced by 7 per cent to £66.99.
Wilko has a selection of floor cushions such as the Wild Marks in a green and white abstract pattern. It’s £20, down from £27.
And Habitat’s green and white palm print cushion is down from £18 to £14.
The sapphire blue Greenwich outdoor cushions from Heal’s are made from recycled plastic bottles and come in two sizes. Prices start at £41 down from £59.
ANNE ASHWORTH
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