Home / Home / Buying Guides

15 Products That Keep Your Place Cool (Without Running Up the Electric Bill)

Give the AC a break — this gear will keep you cool without running up your electric bill.

refreshmentGeber86

By Tyler Chin

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

As we continue our work-from-home lives, it’s not economical to keep our air conditioners running 24/7. From blackout blinds to heat-regulating comforters, these 15 home products can keep you cool while you try to beat the summer heat.

Keep the sun’s infernal rays from heating up your home with Ikea’s blackout blinds. These blinds are incredibly effective, so make sure you have a good desk lamp.

This isn’t cold brew, it’s flash brew, which means the coffee is brewed hot then instantly chilled. The flash brew process means the flavors you want from coffee — like the floral and fruity notes — don’t go to waste like they would had the coffee been cold-brewed. 

The bigger the ice cube, the longer the cool and the slower the melt. W&P’s Peak ice trays are pretty much the standard of ice trays with their steel frame, protective cover and silicone material.

If you’re drinking an ice cold drink, you want it to stay ice cold for as long as possible. The Yeti Colster’s double-wall vacuum ensures your drinks stay cold, and it’s designed to prevent condensation so you don’t have to hold on to a wet drink. Grab the 16-ounce model to keep your tall boys cool, too.

Internal laptop fans aren’t always sufficient enough to cool the device down. Because of that, laptops are notorious for emitting heat, which adds to the already unbearable heat in your home. A cooling pad, like one from Kootek, will cool down your laptop that will in turn cool you down.

The easiest thing one can do to stay cool is to stay hydrated. Hydro Flask might be the most well-known water bottle brand of late. The 24-ounce bottle is the perfect size for monitoring your hydration throughout the day, and it’s big enough to hold a fair amount of water when you’re out.

According to an article by retired University of Vermont professor Leonard Perry, Ph.D., indoor plants help cool the air through transpiration, or the emission of water vapor. The USDA estimates that indoor plants can reduce a room’s temperature by up to 10 degrees. A snake plant is a low-maintenance, air-filtering plant that will make a welcome addition to any home.

We may be melodramatic when we proclaim cold brew sucks, but there are few pleasures in life than waking up and having a fresh batch of iced coffee ready to go. OXO’s cold brew maker is one of the best on the market thanks to its “rainwater” overhead shower that ensures all coffee grounds are extracted of their flavor and caffeine goodness.

Coop’s Eden is an adjustable fill pillow for those who are selective about the firmness of their pillow. The Eden uses a gel-infused memory foam fill, which adds a slight cooling effect for those who sleep hot. 

The award-winning Stagg EKG electric kettle helps you avoid having to turn on the stove to boil water. The kettle can hold water at an exact temperature for up to an hour, and the built-in timer helps with perfecting your pour-over coffee process.

Baking is on fire because of quarantine, but having the oven on in the middle of summer is not ideal. Instead, do your cooking on the counter with Cuisinart’s AirFryer Toaster Oven, which lets you air fry, broil, bake and toast all in the same device. It’ll help you make delicious meals without subjecting you to unbearable oven heat.

Some sleepers need to use a blanket or comforter no matter how hot it is. Buffy is a new-ish direct-to-consumer comforter brand, and its Breeze model is made for those who get hot while they sleep. The Breeze is made of 100 percent eucalyptus inside and out. The material regulates your temperature so you don’t overheat even under the covers.

Linen’s ability to wick away moisture is what gives the material its reputation as a summer fabric. Linoto makes premium linen bedding at accessible price points, because everyone should have access to the best fabric for sleeping.

You don’t necessarily need an ice cream maker, but it’s a flex to have one. Choose between gelato, frozen yogurt or ice cream, and the Smart Scoop will ensure you get the best consistency. The machine can make about three pints of ice cream at a time, and it’ll keep the sweet treat cool for up to three hours. Our favorite part of the Smart Scoop is that it plays a little ice cream tune once it’s done.

The Pure Humidify + Cool is more than an expensive fan — the $800 device provides optimal cooling by taking into consideration your indoor humidity levels in conjunction with local levels of humidity.  We found the machine actually does live up to its price tag. However, a cheap Vornado fan might also do the trick.