It’s hard to imagine right now while we’re still layering, but summer heat is on its way. The only downside to hot days of summer is how difficult it can be to sleep at night and work during the day. You end up feeling drained instead of refreshed, and while a ceiling fan or desk fan will move the air around you, it won’t cool you off.
That’s where the Evapolar evaCHILL Personal Evaporative Air Cooler and Humidifier comes in. I was sent both the Evapolar evaCHILL and the Evapolar evaSMART to test out, and I’ve placed both in various spots in my home.
I’ve never used an evaporative air cooler before, and I’ve enjoyed a chilly breeze wherever I put them. Now that I know how evaporative coolers work and the best placement, I’m a big fan of these portable devices.
Here’s a look at the Evapolar evaCHILL Personal Evaporative Air Cooler and Humidifier, how it works, and how it will cool you down this summer.
What is an evaporative cooler?
Evaporative coolers, also called swamp coolers in some circles, are a type of air conditioner. They work using the simple process of evaporation. You place water in the evaporative cooler, turn it on, and the water saturates the filter and begins to evaporate. When it does, the water molecules will turn from liquid to gas.
The water molecules suspended in the air will draw heat from the hot air, cooling it down and adding moisture to a dry room. Evaporative coolers will then push that cool air toward you using built-in fans.
Evaporative coolers aren’t meant to cool an entire room, although some will make a closed room feel significantly cooler. They won’t replace a full-size air conditioner if you want to cool your entire house. What they will do is work as a personal size cooling system, making them the perfect companion for your desk at work or your bedside.
Appearance and features on Evapolar evaCHILL
- Uses biodegradable evaporative pads to cool your space
- Doesn’t carry organic material or chemicals like freon to cool your air
- Cools your personal space up to 45 square feet
- Leak-proof, easy to use and water tank holds 800 mL
- Water tank lets you add water for a run time of up to 9 hours
- USB plug-in gives you the option to plug into your USB port or add a power pack
- You can adjust the slats on the device to direct the air flow
- Can be used in the car
- Weighs 750g and is 172 x 170 x 170 mm
- Takes 7.5W power and has noise level up to 50 dB
Setting up the Evapolar evaCHILL
The Evapolar evaCHILL is easy to set up. It comes with the Evapolar evaCHILL device and a USB plug. There is a compartment to add water and a compartment with the evaporative pad. You can replace the pad easily by pulling it out and sliding a new one in.
The Evapolar evaCHILL takes 800 mL of water, and your first step is filling up the tank. I added filtered water. It doesn’t say anywhere in the instructions that you can’t use tap water, but in my experience with these types of things, the cleaner the water the better.
Once the Evapolar evaCHILL is full, all you have to do is plug it in. The USB plug is standard so it fits anywhere you have a USB port.
Testing out the Evapolar evaCHILL
After placing the Evapolar evaCHILL in different spots in my home, I found the best placements are those that Evapolar recommends: in front of you on a desk or beside your bed.
The controls are easy to use. You tap the bar to turn it on and off, and you tap again to turn the fan speed higher or lower. The bar lights up so you know it’s working, and the fan sounds grow louder the higher the speed.
I placed the Evapolar evaCHILL on the desk about a foot away from my computer when I was working. I had the fan set to medium speed and let it go to work. It doesn’t kick in right away because the water has to saturate the filter.
For me, it took about 10 minutes before I realized my fingers were getting cold while I was typing. I could definitely feel a cool breeze. It wasn’t icy cold by any means, but it was cool.
You can direct the flow of the fan by sliding the plastic grate up and down, so I redirected the fan at my face instead of my fingers. I could feel the cool air emitting from the device. The air felt moist like a mister was spraying me. It’s a really nice sensation, and I can imagine it would feel nice in the summer when it’s hot.
It was hard to get an idea of how much it cooled the room itself because I was using it on my desk in a big room with high ceilings, but it felt cool and my fingers definitely felt chilly when working.
I also placed the Evapolar evaCHILL beside my bed at night. The evaCHILL is portable so you can put it anywhere, but I know this where I would use it the most. I love the white noise of the fan as it runs, and the cooling spray would feel really nice on a hot night. I placed it so the airflow was aimed down past my head and I could feel cool air on my arms and legs.
The only thing to keep in mind is that in a really hot room, an evaporative cooler like Evapolar evaChill wouldn’t be able to cool as effectively as an actual air conditioner with freon. There’s a chart to show the room temperature and the type of cooling you can expect. It all depends on the current humidity in the room and the square footage of the space you’re trying to cool.
My husband has allergies and he enjoyed having the Evapolar evaCHILL around. While I have no way to measure the cleanliness of the air, the device is supposed to filter out dust particles to improve breathing quality. It works up to 45 square feet, but if you’re sleeping with it beside you it should improve the air quality in your immediate surroundings.
Replacing the Evapolar evaCHILL cartridge
The filter is biodegradable. It’s easy to pop out the Evapolar evaCHILL cartridge and replace it with a new one. You just open the top, pull it out, and put a new one in. In general, you’ll have to replace it every 3 to 6 months. It could be sooner depending on how often you use it and your water quality.
Should you buy the Evapolar evaCHILL?
I really like the Evapolar evaCHILL. It’s more effective than a fan and a more natural way to cool off. When it’s running you don’t smell chemicals in the air, and I love the humid feeling in the air when it’s running.
I found it very effective at producing icy cool air when the room was already cool. My room won’t warm up yet as it’s not hot outside, so I’d like to try it again when we’re in the middle of a heat wave.
Because the design is so small and portable, you can place this cooler anywhere. I also like that it’s powered by USB, so I can plug it into any USB port I have.
Summer is coming, and this is the best time to get set for sweaty days and hot nights. You can find your own Evapolar evaCHILL on Best Buy right now.
