With the warm weather on the horizon and summer approaching, you may find that your home office is now becoming a stuffy, unbearable place to work effectively for long periods of time. Cameras, microphones, and monitors can be vital when working off-site, but they can’t do anything to regulate the temperature — and few of us want to look hot and sweaty on our now-frequent corporate calls using Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Help, ZDNet has created a guide listing useful gadgets and accessories to keep you cool during the warmer months, as well as products that can help keep your laptop or smartphone from overheating and hampering your workday and productivity.
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool cleaning heater and fan
Best overall option
Features: HEPA filter | 350 degree oscillation | night mode
The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Purifying Heater and Fan is our pick for the best cooling solution for the home office because it’s an all-in-one device. If you’re willing to pay for something stylish and multifunctional, this heating and cooling system, despite its small size, can evenly heat or cool an entire room. In addition, it purifies the air with HEPA filters that capture 99.97% of fine particles.
You can choose direct airflow or oscillation, and since there are no wings, that can also be an option that’s safer when children are around. The unit also comes with a remote control but can be controlled via the Dyson app or a compatible smart voice assistant.
Advantages:
- Cools the air and at the same time cleans it of allergens and pollutants
- Control via app, remote control or intelligent language assistant
Disadvantages:
- The most expensive option on this list
Aicheson Laptop Cooling Pad
Best for cooling your laptop
Features: 2 color options | 1.76 pounds | 5 fans
Sweaty palms and foreheads aren’t the only consequences of rising temperatures – our devices can suffer as well. Overheated PCs can slow down, whirring fans can be annoying, and worst of all, frozen and crashed systems need time to cool down before you can resume your tasks.
A cooling pad is a worthwhile investment so that the temperature in the home office does not affect the performance of your laptop. Options include the Aicheson Laptop Cooling Pad, a cooler that fits laptops up to 17.3 inches and covers most consumer devices.
This model, available in either blue or red, comes with a silicone mount and five fans, and the height of the pad can be adjusted for comfort.
Advantages:
- Adjustable stand heights
- Helps keep your laptop at normal temperature while working
Disadvantages:
- Gaming laptops may need a different option
Razer phone cooler Chroma
Best for cooling your phone
Features: MagSafe compatible | 7-blade fan | 12 RGB LEDs
It’s always frustrating when your smartphone starts overheating and it’s not good for your device either. If your phone gets too hot, you may experience issues like battery drain, forced shutdown, or general slowdown when browsing the web and downloading.
Razer’s Phone Cooler Chroma helps solve this problem by plugging into the back of your phone and extracting heat from it with its 7-blade fan. For iPhone users, the connection is made via MagSafe on iPhone models 12 and later, and for Android users there is a universal clamp option.
Advantages:
- Dissipates heat from your smartphone
- Great for mobile games
Disadvantages:
- Make sure your phone is compatible
Mainstays evaporative air coolers
Best portable option
Features: 2 color options | 3-speed fan | 2.55 pounds
If you’re looking for a small, portable cooler that you can take to your home office and easily use in other rooms as well, the Mainstays Mini Personal Air Cooler could be for you.
The mini cooler is tiny – measuring just 8 x 6.89 x 7.87 inches – and uses tap water instead of ice or advanced filters to force cold air into a room. Users can choose from two speeds and will be notified when the water level is low. Additionally, it runs for up to eight hours per fill, aka your average workday.
Advantages:
- Inexpensive
- Portable and cool air
Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for larger rooms
Cooluli mini fridge
Best for drinks
Features: 4 pounds | Cools to: 35°–40°F and heats up to 149°F | 7 color options
Staying hydrated in the heat is super important, so consider getting a small fridge like the Cooluli mini fridge available at Best Buy to stash a few drinks and enjoy during work hours.
The Cooluli Classic, available in a variety of colors and patterns, cools items 35 – 40F below ambient and has a 0.14 cubic foot capacity. storage capacity. If you don’t have the option to connect it to the mains, a USB-based power bank can be used as an alternative.
When the weather changes, the fridge can also be used to warm up food and drinks.
Advantages:
- Keeps beverages, medicines, skin care, snacks and more cool in your office space
- Can be connected via USB
Disadvantages:
- Super compact size may not fit much
What is the best cooling solution for the home office?
Our recommendation is the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Purifying Heater and Fan as it is an all-in-one device that heats, cools and purifies the air. However, all of the products on our list are great cooling options – it just depends on what you want/need.
|
product |
Price |
What is it cooling? |
features |
|
DysonPure |
$549.99 |
Large room |
HEPA filter, 350 degree oscillation, night mode |
|
Aicheson Laptop Cooling Pad |
$25.99 |
laptops |
Adjustable stand heights and 5 fans |
|
Razer phone cooler Chromas |
$59.99 |
smart phone |
7-blade fan and 12 RGB LEDs |
|
Mainstays evaporative air coolers |
$29 |
Small rooms |
3 speed fan, runs up to 8 hours per fill, uses tap water instead of ice |
|
Cooluli mini fridge |
$49.99 |
Beverages, skin care, medicines, snacks, etc. |
Cools down to: 35°-40°F and a USB-based power bank |
Which cooling solution is right for you?
It’s important to make sure your home office is at a comfortable temperature, but let’s not forget to keep our devices as cool as possible to avoid overheating and extend their overall lifespan.
Aside from stands and regular removal of dust and debris that can clog our machines, you should also consider protecting your electronics from direct sunlight, avoiding stacking devices on top of each other and positioning them to allow for as much airflow as possible .
If your organization is considering permanent home office or a hybrid model, it might be worth considering a home office investment that you’ll be comfortable with over the long term.
|
Choose this cooling solution… |
If you want… |
|
DysonPure |
The best overall option |
|
Aicheson Laptop Cooling Pad |
A solution to cool down your laptop while you work |
|
Razer phone cooler Chromas |
To cool down your smartphone for mobile gaming |
|
Mainstays evaporative air coolers |
To cool a small space |
|
Cooluli mini fridge |
To keep drinks and more cold |
How did we choose these cooling solutions?
We considered a range of cooling systems that could be considered long-term investments – especially considering many of us will be working from home for the foreseeable future – as well as budget-friendly options and products that are portable, versatile, and can travel with you
Why do I need to keep my electronics cool?
All modern electronics generate heat. When our devices are working too hard or the airflow is cut off, we may feel more heat than usual emanating from them – and this can also be a sign that the hardware is wearing out and needs to be replaced.
By regulating temperature, this can extend the life of your electronics, prevent your devices from shutting down or become unresponsive, and prevent permanent damage to circuitry.
What other methods are there to protect my devices from overheating?
The easiest method is to protect your electronics from direct sunlight. Also, stacking can put pressure on hardware that is already feeling the heat, and it’s recommended to make sure there isn’t a build-up of dust or frequent airflow issues. You should also always leave an air gap between the vents and the walls of a laptop or tower PC.
Are there alternative home office cooling solutions to consider?
Here are a few other options to check out:
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