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How to beat the heat during hot weather
As UK temperatures soar, make sure you’re cool as a cucumber with these hot weather must-haves
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Louise Thomas
Editor
Parts of the UK are about to experience a particularly hot few days, with temperatures expected to shoot up over the weekend and on Monday for an, albeit brief, mini-heatwave. Whether you love or loathe the heat, it’s best to be prepared.
With the mercury predicted to hit 33C in London, now is your chance to make sure you’re well-equipped to beat the heat, whether you’re planning on soaking up the sun (with plenty of SPF), or staying well within the cooling breeze of your fan or icy portable AC.
To help you cope with the warm weather, we’ve rounded up some of the best seasonal essentials that come tried and tested by the team. While sunscreen is a perennial essential we’ve rounded up our favourite sunscreens to wear on your body and face, plus the best fans, water bottles and more, so you can stay cool as a cucumber and protected from the sun this summer.
Best tried and tested heatwave essentials:
- Best fan – Vortex Air cleanse heater, cooler and purifier: £179.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best portable air conditioner – MeacoCool MC pro series 9000 portable air conditioner: £389.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best face sunscreen – La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid: Was £20, now £16, Lookfantastic.com
- Best body sunscreen – Ultrasun extreme SPF50: Was £32, now £25.50, Amazon.co.uk
Best fan – Vortex Air cleanse heater, cooler and purifier: £179.99, Amazon.co.uk
Landing the top spot in our review of the best fans, our writer said they felt a significant drop in temperature within just a few minutes of turning on Vortex Air’s cleanse heater, cooler and purifier. Resembling Dyson’s AM09 hot + cool (but costing £100 less), our tester noted that it “has a remote control timer, so you can adjust the settings from wherever you are in a room, without having to get up and push any buttons”. It will also help you to save money when you use the smart thermostat feature which turns the fan off once your room has reached the desired temperature.
Best budget fan – Draper clip-on desk fan: Was £16.02, now £11.95, Amazon.co.uk
According to our reviewer, Draper’s clip-on desk fan has “everything required to keep you cool, for a brilliant price”. It’s “easy to use and assemble with just two speeds, and it won’t even take up much room, as it’s much smaller than a traditional desk fan”, explaining that it can be clipped onto the side of your desk to save more space.
Best portable air conditioner – MeacoCool MC pro series 9000 portable air conditioner: £389.99, Amazon.co.uk
Our reviewer’s favourite portable air conditioner, MeacoCool’s MC pro series 9000 portable air conditioner is a “no-brainer” for small to medium-sized rooms. It was “definitely the easiest air con unit to use at home, thanks to its longer hose, smaller size and wifi support”, they said. Enabling them to pre-cool rooms before returning home, the Meaco app also meant they could switch off the AC when the remote wasn’t on hand. “It was also smaller and lighter than many units we tested”, they praised.
Best budget air conditioner – VonHaus 7000 BTU portable air conditioner: Was £249.99, now £169.99, Amazon.co.uk
Those looking for a more budget-friendly model should consider VonHaus’s 7000 BTU portable air conditioner. “It has a pretty minimalist design and cooled our room quickly and efficiently. It was also quieter than most of the portable ACs we’ve tested, matching the Meaco series 9000”, our reviewer said. “There are two fan-speed settings, and we were able to set timers and turn down the temperature with the included remote”, they added.
Best air cooler – Princess smart air cooler 3.5l: Was £135, now £60, Diy.com
Earning the top spot in our review of the best air coolers, Princess’s smart air cooler looks sleek and modern with a touch-screen display. “Its smart air cooler not only looks sleek and modern with a touch-screen display, it also cooled us down in 30C heat, and we loved that we could control it with the Princess Home app, at home or outdoors”, our tester said. Plus, they added that its small, slim profile made it easy to manoeuvre.
Best budget air cooler – JML chillmax pure 2.0: Was £39.99, now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Dubbed the best budget personal air cooler in our review, it was praised for being great for kids’ bedrooms. There are “four different fan speed settings” and our tester liked that they “could fill the reservoir from the top and that it lasted about seven hours before we had to refill the water tank”.
Best face sunscreen – La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid: Was £20, now £16, Lookfantastic.com
A year-round essential, our favourite face SPF is La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid which provides SPF50. “Ticking every box we could create, including UVA, UVB and long UVA protection, being suitable for sensitive skin, non-greasy and lightweight, it more than delivers in every area,” our reviewer said. They found it incredibly easy to apply, adding that “the lightweight lotion instantly absorbs into the skin”.
For more SPF top picks, read our reviews of the best sunscreens for acne-prone skin.
Best budget face sunscreen – Garnier Ambre Solair ultra-light sensitive sun protection face fluid SPF50+: £8.71, Lookfantastic.com
Packaged in the “perfect pocket size”, our reviewer praised how the “lightweight lotion instantly absorbs into the skin, while hyaluronic acid and vitamin E give that hit of hydration”.
Best body sunscreen – Ultrasun extreme SPF50: Was £32, now £25.50, Amazon.co.uk
Named the best body sunscreen, we dubbed Ultrasun’s extreme SPF50 a “failsafe” formula. “Designed for ‘intense conditions’ (a day around the pool counts as an intense condition, right?), we found the white cream to be lightweight and it absorbs really quickly and beautifully into the skin, offering high, broad-spectrum protection”, our reviewer said. And, the bottle lasted their 10-day holiday of daily applications.
For more must-have suncare, read our reviews of the best reef-safe sunscreens and the best SPFs for sensitive skin. And don’t forget to consider scalp sunscreen too, so read our review of Ultrasun and Supergoop for our verdict on which is best for preventing a burnt parting.
Best budget body sunscreen – Hawaiian Tropic hydrating protection sunscreen lotion SPF50: £6.80, Amazon.co.uk
An impressive formula that belies its price tag, Hawaiian Tropic’s hydrating protection sunscreen lotion SPF50 nabbed the title of best budget buy in our review. “It’s not sticky or greasy, it sinks in quickly and leaves skin feeling supple and nourished”, our tester said. Noting its nostalgic smell and 12-hour moisturisation promises, they had nothing but high praise for Ultrasun’s SPF50 formula.
Best sunscreen stick – Caudalie vinosun protect invisible stick: £16, Johnlewis.com
Sunscreen sticks can be a great way to top up your suncare while you’re on the go, and this formula from Caudalie is our favourite. “The rounded tip of this sunscreen stick works well for applying to lips, around the eyes and on the ears, while the stick’s chunky shape is ideal for larger areas such as the forehead and cheeks”, our reviewer said. A transparent, moisturising and non-greasy, it’s also perfect for sensitive skin and for children, they added.
Looking for more heatwave recommendations? Read our review of the best cooling fans
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on heatwave essentials, try the links below: