Best ways to beat the heat and stay cool during the heatwave

Independent

4 hours ago

With a scorching heatwave taking hold across the UK, and weather forecasters predicting that temperatures could soon rise above 30C, we're scrambling to think of all the ways we can keep cool.
Met Office data shows the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK during June stands at a scorching 35.6C, but it might see a challenge to that record. Even if we don't see the hottest day ever, we're on track for the hottest June on record. While the heat is perfect for kicking back in the garden with an ice lolly in hand, it's not so fun when you're trying to work your 9 to 5 or keep your kids comfortable.
When you're out and about, basking in the sunshine, some lovely loose fabrics and hydration drinks may be enough to keep you cool, but when you're cooped up inside, with the sun beating through your windows, you may just need to call in the big guns.
But there are lots of different cooling techniques out there, and plenty of urban myths, such as drinking hot drinks to cool down. On top of that, there are lots of cooling products and tons of jargon. You might not know air coolers from air conditioners or the difference between tower fans and pedestal fans.
That's why we spoke to the experts about the best ways to stay comfortable at your desk and sleep breezily through the night.
What qualifies as a heatwave?
In the UK, an official heatwave occurs when a given area reaches a temperature threshold for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C, depending on where you're located across the country. In London, for instance, the threshold is 28C; in Aberdeen, 25C. Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wisson said: 'By the beginning of the weekend, we could very well be meeting heatwave thresholds in places. While the warmest temperatures are likely across London and the east of England, by Saturday heatwave thresholds could be reached across much of the Midlands, low-lying areas bordering the Peak District and even parts of east Wales.'
The first steps you should take to stay cool at home
According to Met Office advice, when temperatures soar, we should try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm, when the UV rays are strongest. To stay cool indoors, 'close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler'.
Alex Atkinson, air conditioning technician at Super Brothers, recommends 'minimising the use of ovens, stoves, or dryers during the hottest periods, alongside keeping hydrated and having cool showers throughout the day' to help take the edge off.
When you need extra help
If you've drawn the curtains, pulled the blinds down, and taken all the cool showers you can stomach, and you're still not feeling comfortable, it may be time to bring in a little extra help.
Luckily, there are plenty of additional devices and tools that we can purchase to help keep our homes cool, and we've reviewed some of the best on the market.
Fans
A common myth about fans is that they only push hot air around the room, but this isn't quite accurate. Air condition expert Alex explains, 'It's not so much a myth, but not exactly the truth either. Fans don't make the air cooler like air conditioners do. Rather, they circulate air, which accelerates the evaporation of sweat on your skin, making you feel cooler. Although the air temperature doesn't decrease, your body feels cooler.'
If you've experienced the heatwave scramble to get your hands on a fan that actually works, when the heat ensures they fly off the shelves, you'll understand the importance of a pre-summer purchase. Fan technology has really improved, and you don't have to settle for irritating whirring sounds or dangerous blades anymore.
Just make sure you point your fan in the right direction. Shawn Navarednam, an Environmental Care Design Engineer at Dyson, says that 'for circulation and cooling purposes, fans should point towards you or the inside of the room. Additionally, cooler air is denser and accumulates at the bottom of the room, so keeping your fan near the ground to sweep the cold air up will help.'
You don't need anything fancy to keep cool. One of our favourite tested fans isn't anything expensive, but a £40 tower fan. When we put it to the test, we found that 'it offers features you find in fans more than 6 times the price' and 'provides powerful air circulation'. On top of that, it has an aroma tray, so when the heat is especially stifling, you can add a little peppermint oil to the fan and refresh the room.
If you're looking for something with a little more strength, Shark's flexbreeze hydroGo misting fan aced all our tests. This portable, go-anywhere fan mists both indoors and outdoors. That's right – just like a misting bottle, but automatic. The fan is designed to provide a refreshing mist without creating wet surfaces and has up to 12 hours of cordless runtime. Our reviewers found that 'with five cooling settings and 180-degree oscillation, it does a great job of cooling the air to each side of the unit as well as directly in front of it.'
Our tests found that this is a perfect buy for those looking to sleep soundly through the heat. A quiet mark certified device, the whisper flex 2 gets as quiet as 13dB, about as silent as a library. It has 30 speed settings and multiple modes, including natural wind modes. At first, we thought it was a gimmick, but after putting it to the test, we found that the natural wind mode is 'noticeably different from the usual blasting air you find in most fans' and a much more relaxing experience.
Air conditioning
Unlike fans, which simply circulate hot air, an air conditioning unit will extract the hot air from your room and replace it with a cool and refreshing breeze. The most effective solution for tackling blazing heat is an air conditioner, but it's often the most expensive. Installing full-on domestic air con usually costs thousands of pounds, so it often isn't practical to install it in the UK, where we only see hot temperatures for a few weeks of the year.
However, you can buy portable air conditioners for a few hundred pounds that do the same thing without fancy installation. They can be stored in a garage or spare room in winter when you don't need them, and they do almost the same thing as an air conditioner. The drawback is that they only work with sash or sliding windows.
This was Alex's top pick in a round-up of the best portable air conditioning units, where he praised it for being "smaller and lighter than many units we tested', and being 'small enough to store away during the winter when it's not in use.' You can control it from an app, too, so if you're suffering on a sweltering commute home, you can have the Meaco cool your room ready for your return, and if you're overheating as you sleep, you can turn up the cooling without leaving your bed.
These appliances are a midpoint between portable ACs and fans. Where fans push air around the room, air coolers use chilled water and ice to introduce cooler air to a room. They're not quite as effective as portable ACs, but they're much cheaper.
Our testers described this cooler as a 'work of art', and it's much cheaper than other options on the market. It can be controlled by app, Alexa, or Google Assistant, and it did a good – if slightly basic – job of cooling down hot rooms.
Air purifiers
If it's not just the heat you're tackling, and you're battling hayfever, too, an air purifier may be just what you're looking for. The clever appliances can trap and neutralise airborne pollutants, pollen, smoke, dust mites, pet dander and mould spores, ensuring fewer flare-ups, less irritation, and easier breathing. However, many air purifiers have fan functions too, so you can tackle two problems at once.
Our favourite tested fan isn't even a fan, really. It's also a heater and air purifier. It has the same HEPA-13 filter as an expensive Dyson fan, but costs much less. It quickly chills a room and cleans the air, helping to prevent allergies while keeping you incredibly cool. Our testers found that this fan will 'help you sleep better during a heatwave.'
Bedding
Getting a full night's sleep in a heatwave may sound like an impossible dream, but there are some ways of keeping cool in bed.
Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of Simba's charity partner, The Sleep Charity, says you should try 'spreading out as much as you can, like a starfish, as it can help to circulate air around your body better and encourage heat to escape, as you sleep.' It might also seem counterintuitive, but rather than having a cold shower before bed, Lisa suggests taking a warm shower right before bed. 'The warm water makes our body heat up, and then, when we get out of the shower, a rapid drop in temperature cools our body down.'
On top of that, there are lots of products which aim to cool down your bed. There's a lot of dodgy marketing around sleep products, but our testers have found a few products that actually live up to their claims.
This clever pillow is packed with cooling gel bubbles, so its surface feels cold to the touch. Our tester found that 'these tactile bumps released intense, instant coolness' that kept them cold all night long.
Our resident sleep expert and IndyBest assistant editor, Sarah Jones, thinks this is the best buy for a summer duvet. Sarah explained that 'even during a muggy, no-breeze night, where sleep usually feels impossible, we didn't wake up drenched in sweat or tossing around trying to find a cool spot.'
Piglet in Bed gingham linen bundle: Was £219, now £164.25, Johnlewis.com
Last but not least, you'll want to make sure that your sheets are nice and cool, and made with breathable and easy-to-wash fabrics. Linen is the best choice in summer, and Piglet In Bed is a brand at the top of the game when it comes to the use of lightweight materials. On test, we loved its gingham linen bundle which is woven from 100 per cent stonewashed linen.