Five gadgets to get you through the July heatwave, from fans to wine coolers
Looking for the best way to keep cool in summer? Our picks below have you covered
UK weather has the habit of turning from grey drizzle to sweat-through-your-shirt heat within minutes, and the country is never quite ready for it. Fans sell out, air conditioners disappear, and shoving your head in the fridge to keep cool soon becomes a consideration.
But rather than running to your kitchen the next time the temperature spikes, these five pieces of kit cover personal cooling, room cooling, outdoor cooking that doesn’t involve standing over coals, and the one problem nobody plans for: warm wine.
This article contains affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Attitude earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. All of the items below have been tried and tested by Attitude.
Shark ChillPill fan
Shark’s ChillPill (£129) has become one of the most talked-about cooling gadgets of the season, combining a high-speed fan, a fine misting attachment and a cooling plate that drops skin temperature on contact. Its twisty design means you can use it as both a portable fan and a desk fan, and it runs for up to 11 hours on its lowest of 10 fan speeds. At full speed it’s loud enough to draw attention, but for festivals, commutes, and anywhere a normal desk fan won’t reach, it’s built for exactly this kind of heat.
Solenco Life Precision Bottle Wine Cooler
Tepid Sauvy B or a soggy ice bucket dripping over your lovely tablecloth is a choice that nobody should have to make. This clever device (£84.99 at time of publishing) removes the dilemma entirely, chilling and keeping bottles at exactly the right temperature between 5 and 20°C. Just pop in your plonk of choice (it’s also suitable for reds and even fits champagne bottles), set the temperature and get on with your evening (or afternoon – we don’t judge).
Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker
No, this isn’t a cooling device, but it still offers a way to keep your cool in the middle of a heatwave. This nifty electric outdoor grill (£259 at time of publishing) smokes, air fries, roasts, bakes, dehydrates and reheats, powered entirely by a plug rather than gas or charcoal. There’s no lighting it, no waiting for coals to catch, and no petrol station run for a bag of briquettes when you’re already three cocktails in. A separate smoker box burns wood pellets to add genuine smoky flavour to whatever’s cooking, whether that’s a slow-cooked brisket or a quick hit of flavour on air-fried sides.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus
This is a wearable cooling device (£199) that sits on the back of your neck and works by pressing a chilled plate against your skin to bring your core temperature down, rather than blowing air at you like a fan. It looks, frankly, bizarre, though tuck it under a collar and nobody needs to know it’s there. Set a temperature range in the app and it adjusts automatically, or use the included tag to clip to a bag or belt loop, which reads the temperature and humidity around you adjust the device accordingly.
Meacofan Sefte air circulator
Meaco’s new Sefte range (from £69.99) runs whisper-quiet while shifting air around a room (hint: pointing a fan OUT of your bedroom window at night instead of at yourself is a more effective way to keep cool during sweaty evenings). It comes as either a desk fan or a full pedestal, while an app lets you control everything from the speed to the position and mode (alongside a manual remote, if you’re the traditional type)..