With sweltering temperatures and sleepless nights set to continue, Aldi is stepping in to save the day with a new mini cooling range, designed to help us stay comfortable and cool without the eye-watering cost of traditional air conditioning.
At the centre of the range is the portable air cooler, a sleek tabletop device that uses water and ice evaporation technology to help cool and humidify the air. Unlike bulky air conditioning units, it’s designed to sit neatly on a desk or bedside table. It costs just £14.99 and features a touch LED display and three speed settings to tailor airflow throughout the day and night.
If you want something more portable, you’ll also find a tripod style fan in the middle aisle. This is £6.99, and is designed to go wherever you do. It can be clipped onto desks, shelves, or bedside tables, so it’s a simple grab-and-go option for staying cool at home or on the move.
For a fan with more power, there’s the £39.99 globe fan. It’s designed to circulate air more widely across a room, with a 360-degree auto-rotation. There are different modes for when you use it, too, including sleep, natural wind, and drying.
Beyond cooling devices, the range also includes summer bedding essentials such as lightweight duvets and pillow pairs, designed to improve comfort on hotter nights without relying on constant fan use.
Read more: Lidl is launching an affordable air conditioner
When can you buy the air cooler at Aldi?
The portable air cooler lands in Aldi stores from Thursday, 2 July, as part of the supermarket’s limited specialbuys range. This means that once stock is gone, it’s unlikely to return.
How much is the air cooler at Aldi?
Aldi’s air cooler will cost just £14.99, so isn’t as costly as investing in a portable air conditioner. There’ll be other cooling devices landing in-store the same day including a portable fan (£6.99) and tabletop fan (£38.99).
Best air coolers
Dreo turbocool misting fan 765S
“If you’ve got the space and want something that properly shifts air, the Dreo turbocool 765S delivers powerful, whole-room cooling with ease,” Joanne Lewsley wrote in her review of the best air coolers. She also noted how quiet it was, claiming it can drop to around 20dB on quieter modes.
She added: “Performance is standout. Airflow feels strong and consistent, and the brand’s ultra mist tech works brilliantly, producing a super-fine mist that cools the air without leaving any dampness behind.”
Sealey air cooler, purifier, humidifier, 4l
This no-frills air cooler doesn’t come with a app, remote or digital display but tester Joanne Lewsley enjoyed the simplicity, describing it as “quite refreshing if you don’t want to faff with settings or connectivity”.
She found it to be “one of the more powerful units” she tested, translating “into a noticeable cooling effect too, with the room temperature dropping by around 2C after an hour.”
Best fans
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MeacoFan sefte 10in table air circulator
Ranked our best fan by reviewer Joanne Lewsley, she described the MeacoFan sefte as “one of those rare models that manages to feel both powerful and refined.”
In her review, she wrote: “I was genuinely impressed by just how much air it moves – the airflow is strong enough to be felt across the room, yet it never has that harsh, buffeting feel you get from cheaper desk fans.” She praised its “whisper-quiet” blades too: “On its lowest setting, it drops to around 25dB…making it ideal for bedrooms or light sleepers. Even at higher speeds, it’s relatively unobtrusive.”
VonHaus air circulator cooling fan
VonHaus’s air circulator cooling fan is our best budget fan. Joanne Lewsley said that it was the best for the price, with the spec proving to be a nice surprise. She added: “It feels more like a mini air circulator than a standard desk fan, pushing air around the room rather than just blasting it straight ahead, which makes a noticeable difference in smaller spaces.”
Best portable air conditioners
Blyss A018I-09C 9000BTU portable air conditioner
For a budget buy, you can’t go wrong with this unit from Blyss. When reviewed by Joanne Lewsley in our guide to the best portable air conditioners, she described it as “a straightforward, no-fuss air conditioner”. She wrote: “It covers the basics well, with cooling, fan and dehumidifier modes, plus three fan speeds and a 24-hour timer to fine-tune things depending on how you’re using it – and it’s good value.”
Meaco meacocool MC series pro 8000 BTU portable air conditioner
Our cooling gadget expert Joanne Lewsley found this one of the easiest air conditioner units to install: “The window kit is particularly well thought-out. It has extra-long plastic panels that make it far more adaptable than most, regardless of your windows.”
Read more: Best handheld fans, tested
