If you’re value-conscious but still want a portable evaporative cooler that’s powerful enough to really keep you comfortable in your kitchen, bedroom, office or any small space, you need to consider the NewAir cooler.

Like all air coolers, it costs less to operate than a compressor air conditioner and works differently. Instead of refrigerating the air, this unit uses the cooling effect of evaporation to make you feel cooler — and it really works.

Intended to cool a space of up to 300 square feet, this machine works great in most living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, offices and even some small storage rooms or sheds. When you use this unit instead of any built-in air conditioning that may be available, you’re increasing your comfort while saving money.

In my review below, I’ll explain in detail what I like about this unit and address a few issues you need to consider too. Please keep reading for the most complete information. And if you need something large and powerful for a big space or an outdoor area, please see my review of the large Honeywell portable air cooler.

My NewAir Portable Evaporative Cooler Review

Complete with a remote control and the ability to cool up to 300 square feet with relative ease, the NewAir AF-1000B Portable Evaporative Cooler — available from Amazon — is my first choice in portable evaporative coolers. It works well for me in my office, and you can expect great results too.

This machine is easy to use, easy to adjust and easy to set to run whenever you please. I’ve seen reviews saying this unit can make you feel 10 to 30 degrees cooler, and that seems about right based on my experience.

This NewAir unit and all evaporative coolers work like those old-fashioned swamp coolers or water coolers, as some people called them, that some people will remember from growing up in the South. It’s a principle that worked well then and now. The idea is that water is pumped across pads, then air is blown across those pads to generate cool air. It’s exceptionally effective in dry climates and is much more energy efficient than a compressor air conditioner.

In this case, the cooling pads are made of honeycomb cellulose, a significant improvement over the hemp or whatever it was in those old swamp coolers.

This unit of one of the top-selling on the market today for a number of reasons, as you’ll see for yourself when you own one. For example, the oscillating louvers are important. While some brands have louvers that go only up and down or side to side, these go in all directions to help further move the air and increase this machine’s ability to make you cool and comfortable. Those old swamp coolers certainly didn’t have that feature.

Another major selling point is that the NewAir AF-1000B is portable. It can be a little unwieldy to move, but with a window-mounted unit, you only get the benefit in one location for the life of the unit.

You may notice that there are a few online reviews that point out flaws in the way this portable evaporative cooler works, but if you read closely you’ll see that those are written mostly by people who used the machine wrong or used it in conditions where a room air conditioner would have been more appropriate. In other words, it comes down to operator error.

Closing Thoughts

I know how frustrating it can be to try to stay cool without central air conditioning. But with this portable air cooler, staying cool when it’s hot and dry is easier than ever. It’s based on technology that’s been around for decades but works so much better than those old models ever did.

And if you need one of these and don’t have a pickup or large car to get it home in, your best bet is to order online. As it turns out, the best prices are online anyway.

When you realize how well this works for your living room, bedroom, office or other small room, you’ll wish you had one for every room. And since this unit is more affordable that some larger ones, you can order an extra or two and make that happen.

Click here to see the affordable price of this portable evaporative cooler at Amazon, my first choice for home appliances of all types.