Best air cooler
Updated: 21 October 2026
You want one amazon.co.uk listing that matches the room you have, not a lab winner. On the [air cooler comparison](/hub/cooling/air-cooler) the top pick is the Midea MCF23XRWUK, 4.1 from 180 reviews, at about £140.92, if you can place a 10 kg unit that a review says has no wheels. The best value is the LEENON ATF-026L at about £119.99, 4.1 from 166 reviews, if you will refill a 3 litre tank from a jug. Peter F. compared the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You want one amazon.co.uk listing that matches the room you have, not a lab winner.
You want one amazon.co.uk listing that matches the room you have, not a lab winner. On the air cooler comparison the top pick is the Midea MCF23XRWUK, 4.1 from 180 reviews, at about £140.92, if you can place a 10 kg unit that a review says has no wheels. The best value is the LEENON ATF-026L at about £119.99, 4.1 from 166 reviews, if you will refill a 3 litre tank from a jug. Peter F. compared the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Shape | Tank | Noise claim | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Midea Midea MCF23XRWUK | Tower | 7 L | 28 dB | 8.0 | about £140.92 | View offer |
| Best value |  LEENON LEENON ATF-026L | Tower | 3 L | 35 dB | 7.8 | about £119.99 | View offer |
 Air Pro Air Pro AP-H3 | Tower | 6 L | n/a | 7.0 | about £119.99 | View offer |
On this page
There is no lab winner
None of these units was measured for airflow, noise, or a temperature drop. The Guardian’s 13 August 2025 piece tested other evaporative coolers, including Symphony, Swan, and Morphy Richards. Those models are not in this comparison, and neither are Pro Breeze listings. The score weighs stars, how many people wrote them, the printed equipment, and the price in this set, then deducts a thin review file. A 4.0 from one review is not the top pick. Humidity, tank access, and a stated UK plug stay on the air cooler buying guide.
If you read the reviews first
The largest file is the BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB, at 2.9 from 288 reviews and about £87.29. The first 50 UK texts often say the cooler air is in front of the unit and that people returned it because the room did not change. Volume tells you the complaint is common. It does not make the cheapest unit the best value. The Air Pro AP-H3, at 3.5 from 113, is the kitchen and conservatory tower, with a limit that the room does not fall below the starting temperature. The APH8 is 2.7 from 12. The APH6 is 4.0 from one review on 20 August 2026.
Low box on casters
Choose a low box if you want the unit near the floor, on wheels, and you will sit close to it. The BLACK+DECKER is the one with an app, Alexa, and a weekly timer. Reviews say the app does not set a target temperature and that sleep mode cycles. The Air Pro APH6, about £89.99, has one review, and the bullet and the spec table disagree on the centimetres. The APH8, about £99.99, is 2.7 from 12 reviews. Skip it if you wanted an 8 litre tank with a review file that supports it.
Towers
Choose a tower for a stream higher in the room. The LEENON is about 97.3 cm, with 35 dB in the table. Reviewers fill it from a jug, and one buyer found brown water after it was left. The Air Pro AP-H3, at the same about £119.99, has four ice packs, wheels, and no decibel figure. The star line is lower. The Midea bullet says 2000 m³/h and the table says 1170 cubic feet per minute. Keep both. A review says it has no wheels. Leave it if you need casters.
When none of these is the right buy
Leave all six if you need the air in the room cooler rather than a stream you can sit in, or if the room is already humid and will stay shut. Energy Saving Trust’s point is that an evaporative unit adds moisture and works on the air near the machine. Do not stretch a 60–80 W water tank into an air conditioner because a title says so. Night damp stays on air cooler for a bedroom. Pro Breeze, Swan, Symphony, and the Guardian’s picks are not in this set, so they are not ranked.
Common questions
Which listing has the most UK reviews, and what do they say?
The BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB has 288 reviews at 2.9. The repeated point in the first 50 UK texts is that the room thermometer does not fall and that the effect is in front of the unit. Some attic buyers still prefer it to a plain fan once ice and water are on. The Midea has 180 at 4.1 and the LEENON has 166 at 4.1. More reviews are not the same thing as a higher score.
Is the £87.29 BLACK+DECKER the best value?
No. It is the lowest shelf price in this set, and the review pattern is returns and an unchanged room. Best value here is the LEENON at about £119.99, with 4.1 from 166 reviews, if you accept a 3 litre tank filled from a jug. A low price with a 2.9 does not win that label.
Can a 4.0 from one review be the top pick?
No. The Air Pro APH6’s single review, from 20 August 2026, says the unit works and names no fault. That cannot outweigh 166 or 180 reviews at 4.1, or the 288 reviews that explain the BLACK+DECKER’s limits. One star is a start, not a ranking.
Which tower states a decibel figure?
The LEENON prints 35 dB and the Midea prints 28 dB. The Air Pro AP-H3 does not print decibels, and neither do the three low boxes. A printed number is still a listing claim. LEENON reviews split between people who sleep with it on a high speed and people who hear an ordinary fan.
Who should skip all six and buy a portable air conditioner?
You should, if you need the room cooler than the air in the stream, or if the room is muggy and will stay closed. These six are 60–80 W evaporative units with no hose. The hose, the moisture, and Energy Saving Trust’s 24-hour bands belong on the versus page. This page does not rank refrigerant models.
Are Pro Breeze, Swan, or Symphony in this comparison?
No. They appear in other UK round-ups, including The Guardian on 13 August 2025, and some have their own amazon.co.uk listings. They were not kept in this set, so they are not given a place or a score here. Stick to the six ASINs on the main comparison.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for these six ASINs, checked on 19 October 2026.
- Energy Saving Trust: tips to keep your home cool (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: evaporative cooling systems (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: Legionnaires’ disease, L8 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: bans on F-gas in new products and equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- DESNZ Energy Technology List: evaporative air coolers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- The Guardian, 13 August 2025: best evaporative air coolers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings B0GL7PCKDS, B0H9HZH4R8, B0H9J2FPLP, B0GD6YR1NG, B0GVTYDZ2F, B0DQKCTY1X (retrieved 19 October 2026)