Top 5 Portable Air Coolers on Aliexpress

How are air coolers different from air conditioners?

Air coolers, are sometimes even known as swamp coolers or evaporative air coolers. They do what their name says, they cool down the air, but the way how do they do it is a bit different.

Air coolers use water to cool down the air, on the other hand, air conditioners use heat pumps.

Though air conditioners are much better than air coolers at cooling down a room, they are expensive to buy and use. Air conditioners consume a lot of electricity.

Air coolers function using very simple mechanisms, their electricity consumption is almost as low as a light bulb or even a table fan. Hence this is very attractive for someone with a low budget in mind.

How do air coolers work?

Air coolers usually have four main components: a wet filter, pump, fan, and a water tank to hold the water. 

The concept is very simple, the fan draws dry and hot air into the cooler and pushes it towards the filter. The filter is soaked with water using a pump that draws water from the tank. So when the air comes out, it is moist and cool.

Does it work?

Yes, it does! One day I went to a shop nearby and tested out the air coolers myself. I have put my hand in front of the air coming out, the air felt cool,  very similar to the air on a rainy day. The air was not ice-cold, just a little bit cooler. The bigger air cooler seemed to cool down the air more effectively than the smaller ones, this is understandable as their filter has a much bigger surface area.

Air coolers perform best in dry and hot environments, but badly in humid environments.

Some Air Coolers from AliExpress

Now let’s have a look at some affordable portable air coolers from AliExpress which you can order from the comfort of your home and test out.

1) Portable Mini Air Conditioner

It is what its title says, it is a multi-function device, it can act as an Air Cooler, LED lamp, or room humidifier. It is a USB-powered device.

This would cool better with ice water from the fridge. The water tank capacity is quite low, only 750 ml, but this is extremely portable. It is perfect if you want to test out an air cooler before deciding to buy a bigger one. It costs around $49.

2) 60W 220V Evaporative Air Cooler 

This is a bigger air cooler with a water tank of 3.5 Liters. As I have mentioned before, a bigger air cooler means more effective cooling due to a bigger surface area of the filter. A 60 W fan means more strong airflow not only does it cool, but it also cleans the air of dust. It comes in two attractive colors, green and black.

Though it is a bit pricey at about $102.5, I think it would be worth it if you are living somewhere in Arizona, Las Vegas, Saudi Arabia, or other desert-like areas. This would definitely save you a lot of electricity bills.

3) 100-F Electric Air Cooler 

This is a very big air cooler, usually for cooling down big rooms. With its powerful 150 W fan, it can blow the air really hard. A big 35L water tank ensures more cooling and run time. As I have said, the bigger it is, the cooler air comes out of it.  It is a bit pricey, around $97.8 -$109.25, and comes in two color variants, light brown and blue.

4) USB Portable Size Air Cooler 

This is a very compact USB-powered air cooler, meant to be kept on desks. Usually for use of a single person. 

You can buy this for your car. I think this won’t cool much due to its small filter. But you can give it a try.

5)Electric Air cooling fan 

This is a really cool-looking air cooler, it does not look cheap. With a nice white body, it gives the impression of apple products. 

All kinds of adapters are provided with it, so you won’t have to worry about using it in a different country.