Beat the heat LIVE — how to stay cool during the UK heatwave, tips, advice, best fans, portable AC and more | Tech Radar

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Beat the heat LIVE — how to stay cool during the UK heatwave, tips, advice, best fans, portable AC and more

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It's hot. Really hot. And it's getting hotter. Much hotter. Send help!

Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, the UK is in the grip of another heatwave, this time courtesy of a heat dome — a trapped area of high pressure — pushing up from the Sahara desert and settling over Europe.

The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for heat and it's quite possible we'll see the UK's hottest ever June day, with the record currently standing at 35.6C but predicted to reach 39C over the next few days.

It's a particular problem at night, with temperatures expected to be at or above 20C even in the early hours, and as we all know, UK houses are built to keep warmth in, rather than let it out.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep cool even during these kinds of temperatures — and that's where we can help. We've got a ton of advice for you on how to cool your home, plus recommendations for the best fans to buy and other appliances that can help you chill (literally and figuratively).

Plus, as luck would have it, the heatwave coincides with Amazon Prime Day — meaning you can pick up some home-cooling tech for a bargain price.

Prime Day officially begins tomorrow (Tuesday, 23 June) and right now there are not many deals to be found on our favourite fans. But there are a couple on sale, and we expect more to drop in price once we get past midnight.

Beyond that, we've also included our top picks that aren't currently on sale, because you may decide that it's worth paying full price to get some relief from the heat — and right now, we'd agree.

This small yet powerful desk fan is a great buy while it's dropped below £30 for Prime Day. While its smaller size means it won't be the most powerful option out there, it does mean it'll easily fit on a side table or your desk and keep you at a comfortable temperature.

With £30 off at a range of retailers, the Whisper 2 is back down to its lowest price. This pedestal fan is powerful, operates quietly, and comes with two-axis oscillation. Plus, it looks good.

Fans are pretty utilitarian by nature, and even some of the more stylish modern options are pretty plastic-y; that's why I love Russel Hobbs more industrial loft-style floor fan, which is currently £12 off for Prime Day.

I actually bought a Levoit Core Mini for myself when moving into a new house that hadn't been lived in for a while to get rid of the dust and debris, and I also think it works as a great option for any allergy problems. What I like most is that it's small and quiet, so it is perfect for all sorts of spaces, such as the living room and bedroom. It's now also very affordable at 15% off.

We've had a lot of hot weather lately, so I think we'd all appreciate having a quality fan on hand. This pedestal model from the top brand Dreo is a good option. Handy features include nine speed options, 120-degree oscillation, and ultra-quiet operation so you can run it at night in the bedroom to keep cool.

It reached over 30 degrees in some parts of the UK this week, so I was very glad to have this fan ready for the heatwave, as it solves all the problems I had with other cheap fans. It's powerful and quiet, even on a low to medium setting, blasting out enough cool air without disturbing sleep. I've found that the portability is a huge plus, too. You can use it as a standard tower fan, either plugged into the mains or go cordless for up to 24 hours.

You may be thinking about upgrading your fan after the recent heatwave, so here's a great low price for the excellent Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go. This portable fan works both indoors and outdoors, weighs under 2.1kg, is easy to carry, and has cooling technology that produces ultra-fine droplets for a refreshing mist. With up to 12 hours of cordless run time, you can use it just as easily by your bed as you can in the garden.

Dyson's first handheld fan sold out almost instantly last month, so if you're tired of feeling sticky and uncomfortable, this is your opportunity to grab one and enjoy a cooling breeze anywhere. Only the Stone/Blush colorway is available.

Suitable for use indoors and out, this cordless fan is a great choice for everyday and on holidays. I love a Shark fan, and the good reviews on its quiet operation and efficient cooling have the Table Mate looking like another great example.

The Pro Mist is the most hardcore option in the Flex Breeze lineup, because it comes with the mister attachment and an integrated water tank included. That means it's all set up to envelope you in a cooling cloud whenever and wherever you want.

It's quite a different prospect from the tabletop Desk Mate, but if you want room-wide cooling, this Govee Smart fan is a top choice. You get 12 wind speeds and 5 special modes, plus app and voice control. We awarded this fan's shorter sibling 4.5* in our Govee Smart Tower Fan review.

It can blow hot or cold, making it an excellent air quality device year-round. Its lowest-ever price was £269, so keep an eye out for a Prime Day discount. Still, for the ultimate cooling experience, it's well worth it. Read more in our Dyson Hot + Cool AM09 review.

Loved by Amazon customers far and wide, Levoit extends its air care products from the best air purifiers to fans, and this one in particular earned praise for its low noise level and good cooling capacity. This smart fan offers 12 fan speeds, four modes, can be controlled with the Ve Sync app or voice control.

Earning a fantastic 4.5 stars when we reviewed it, govee's fan currently holds the title of our best smart tower fan, so we're very happy to see it included in the deals this Prime Day.

This is an award-winning fan; specifically, the Quiet Mark, which makes it perfect for use in the bedroom or office. Its multi-directional oscillation is great for cooling the whole room, and it's a lot better looking than your usual desktop fan

A relatively new release, the Hydro Go comes in a range of cute candy colours and boasts a misting attachment for a chilly blast while you're out and about in hot weather.

Fans aren't the only way to cool down, of course — you can also whip up something frosty in the kitchen.

Below, you'll find a selection of Tech Radar-recommended appliances to make cooling drinks or treats, and some of them are already on sale ahead of Amazon Prime Day.

Back at its lowest-ever price at Amazon, the Cuisinart Frost Fusion is a solid competitor to Ninja's various ice cream makers, offering fast frozen drinks and soft-serve ice cream with 6 modes and a slim profile to keep your kitchen counters clear. With £100 off, it's a steal for Prime Day.

In June, the Creami Scoop and Swirl dropped to its lowest-ever price of £265 at Amazon, so this £80-off deal is a pretty close call for the best deal we've seen on one of our top summer picks. We scored it 4 stars in our review, praising its delicious results, ease of use, and 13 different settings.

This weather makes an ice-cold drink extremely appealing right now, and the unique Ninja Slushi just fell back to its Black Friday price at Amazon. This kitchen appliance makes all sorts of chilled and frozen drinks, including juices, cocktails, milkshakes, and more. We loved it in our Ninja Slushi review, praising its ability to make quick and delicious drinks easily in a fun and entertaining package.

At less than £100, Sodastream's latest streamlined beverage carbonation station is a great way to keep things cool during the impending heatwave if, like me, you get bored of water easily. It's the first time we've seen an Amazon deal on this particular model, so a £60 discount is nothing to sniff at.

For the price of four Starbucks iced lattes, you can have cool caffeination at home in less than four minutes. It's not something we've personally tested, but with 2000+ customer reviews on Amazon and a 4.3-star rating, it seems a pretty popular gadget. At almost its lowest-ever price (£17.97 in 2024) this is a steal.

This weather makes an ice-cold drink extremely appealing right now, and the unique Ninja Slushi just fell back to its Black Friday price at Amazon. This kitchen appliance makes all sorts of chilled and frozen drinks, including juices, cocktails, milkshakes, and more. We loved it in our Ninja Slushi review, praising its ability to make quick and delicious drinks easily in a fun and entertaining package.

I'm a little tempted by this over £20 price reduction on this well-scoring blender. While it can't chop ice, it creates velvety smoothies out of fresh and frozen fruits hassle-free. On top of this, the build quality and performance impressed us, and the fact that it's even cheaper than it was on Black Friday makes this an even sweeter deal.

This is one of the first deals we've seen for the new Ninja Blend Boss, so a £35 price cut is a pretty solid start. We scored this small but mighty blender 4.5 stars in our review, praising its convenient integrated 26-ounce travel tumbler and powerful blades, making it perfect for a quick cool smoothie ahead of a busy day in the heat.

Let's start by talking about sleep — because if you're anything like me, you'll find it almost impossible to get decent shut-eye when the mercury rises.

The tricky thing is that sleeping in the heat is hard enough anyway, but even fans themselves can be a problem if you struggle to doze off when there's too much background noise.

Fear not: our Homes Editor Cat Ellis has picked out some of the best quiet fans to keep you cool during the night.

FULL STORY: The 3 best super-quiet fans to help you sleep comfortably this summer — tried and tested by experts

Hello and welcome to Tech Radar's Beat the heat live page.

I'll be honest: I HATE hot weather. Seriously, I'm not built for anything above about 18C — the only person who copes less well with these kind of temperatures is my labrador (don't worry, I've given him doggie ice cream and his own fan).

Anyway, I have a vested interest in finding the best deals on cooling appliances and sharing great tips for cooling off. So stick with me and we'll get through the next few days together without melting…

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Key Takeaways

• Beat the heat LIVE — how to stay cool during the UK heatwave, tips, advice, best fans, portable AC and more

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, the UK is in the grip of another heatwave, this time courtesy of a heat dome — a trapped area of high pressure — pushing up from the Sahara desert and settling over Europe