It is HOT. Is your bedroom and front room becoming uncomfortable to spend time in? There's no getting away from it; the UK Heatwave has arrived, and it is causing temperatures to rise to levels seldom seen on these shores. The south of England is baking in 33ºC heat that is sure to send everyone a fetching shade of pink, with scarlet highlights. Even Scotland has been described as 'quite warm'.
Here at T3, we are the lucky ones, in that we know the best answer to a heatwave is to buy an air conditioner – so we did – and then avoid the mistakes people make with air conditioners – which we do. You might not have been so forward in your thinking, but there is still time to get one, and save yourself from a bedroom so hot, not even Satan himself could get a good night's kip in there.
Appliances Direct practically always has deals on air conditioners, and it can also deliver this 12,000BTU one to you by tomorrow. That could be almost literally a life-saver, if the weather forecasts are correct.
• Buy Electriq P12C for just £300 (opens in new tab) – a saving of £200, Appliances Direct says.
If you want to cool a smaller room, or are on a lower budget, you could try this 7,000 BTU one instead. We'd be inclined to 'go nuclear' with the more powerful Electriq though, given the weather and all.
• Buy Amcor SF8000E from Appliances Direct for £200 (opens in new tab) – that's £170 off the normal price.
• Browse all Appliances Direct portable air conditioning (opens in new tab)
Buy this and you can bid adios to heat wave overheating misery. Yes, as temperatures soar and tempers fray, you'll be laughing; sipping iced cocktails and feeling the kind of cooling, conditioned air normally reserved for four star hotels.
Why you should buy the Electriq P12C portable air conditioner
Electriq rightly enjoys a reputation for making appliances that are extremely cheap, but perform pretty well. They're certainly excellent value for money. The great thing about this air con unit is that it is affordable yet really quite powerful – it's rated at 12,000BTU which is theoretically sufficient for a large room of 30 square metres. If your bedroom is smaller than that, it should do a tremendous job of cooling it right down.
Another great feature is that it has casters on, so can be easily shunted from one room to another. There's a 3-speed fan, 24-hour programme timer and the all-important remote control, as well as controls on the body of the beast itself. The noise level is rated at 56dB which isn't too bad either.
We haven't used this air conditioner but it has numerous positive reviews from purchasers. Obviously, we would not expect it to perform as well as more expensive portable air conditioners, or built-in air con. However, with 12,000 BTUs of cooling power and a relatively compact design, it's hard to see how you could go wrong. There's also a 12-month warranty and, realistically, you are only likely to use it for a few months of the year. It's a purchase you should be very grateful you made, when the mercury hits the 30s.
Why you should buy the Amcor SF8000E portable air conditioner
At a maximum 48dB this slimline air con is fairly quiet, and with 2.2kW of power and 7,000BTU it can cool a fair size room, at speed. A 24-hour timer means you can pre-cool while you're out, too.
Coming with a remote control and 12-month warranty, this machine is hardly the most gorgeous product ever, but you'll love how cool it makes your bedroom. Anyway, at just H 68 x W31 x D33cm and with wheels on the base, it's easy to hide away somewhere nobody will see it, until the temperatures get fierce again.
This unit has very good reviews on Revoo, which is a site that gets the public to review things, for no money, then sells the results.
- The rest of the best portable air conditioners you can buy, at the best possible prices
- How to sleep when it's hot
