Summer guide

How to keep cool this summer: the kit that actually works

Published 26 June 2026 · 5 minute read

Some links below are affiliate links — if you buy through them, Giftwise may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Each thing is linked at both Amazon and Robert Dyas so you can pick whichever's cheaper or quicker; it never changes what we recommend.

A British summer is mostly gentle, and then for a fortnight it isn't. When the heat lands, the house holds onto it, sleep gets harder, and everyone is short-tempered by four o'clock. None of it needs an expensive fix — a decent fan, a bit of shade and something cold to drink covers most of it.

This is a practical guide to staying cool, with the useful stuff kept separate from the gimmicks. Where it helps, we've linked each thing at both Amazon and Robert Dyas, so you can take whichever is cheaper or lands on your doorstep sooner — the recommendation is the same either way.

Fans that actually move air

A fan doesn't cool the air — it moves it across your skin, which is what makes you feel cooler. That's why placement matters more than the price. Buy for the room, not the spec sheet: a tower fan is tidy in a living room, a pedestal fan pushes more air across a big space, and a small desk or clip fan is plenty for a home office. Bladeless models are quieter and safer if there are small hands about.

Cooling the house without air conditioning

The cheapest win is stopping the heat getting in. Close curtains and blinds on the sunny side during the day and open the house up at night — a west-facing room with blackout blinds or thermal curtains stays noticeably cooler.

If one room becomes unbearable — a loft office, a south-facing bedroom — a portable air conditioner is the step up. Check the BTU rating against the room size, and remember they need a window for the exhaust hose. A cheap room thermometer tells you whether any of it is actually working.

Cold drinks and the kitchen

A heatwave is, mostly, a lot of cold drinks. A countertop ice maker turns out ice far faster than trays and earns its place if you entertain. A cool box or a small drinks fridge keeps everything cold in the garden so you're not opening the kitchen fridge every five minutes. And an insulated bottle keeps water cold on the school run or at a desk all day.

Shade and the garden

Shade is the thing people skip and then regret at 2pm. A parasol or a pop-up gazebo turns an unusable patio into the best room in the house. Garden furniture you can actually sit on for a whole evening matters more than a big table nobody uses, and a set of solar lights stretches the evening once it finally cools down.

Keeping the children (and the dog) cool

For small children a paddling pool is the whole day sorted; add a sprinkler or a few water toys and you'll buy yourself an hour's peace. A sun hat and a shade tent matter more than any toy — the heat, not the boredom, is the risk. For dogs, a cooling mat and plenty of fresh water, and never leave them in a hot car or a closed conservatory.

Cooler sleep

Heat wrecks sleep, and that's what makes a hot spell feel worse than it is. A quiet fan on a timer, a cooling mattress topper and a lighter-tog summer duvet do more than anything pricey. A cool shower before bed helps too. If the same bedroom is always the hottest in the house, that's the room to point the portable air conditioner at.

A few practical points

• Close the house up during the day and open it at night — it's free and it works.
• Buy fans early. They sell out the moment a heatwave is forecast, and prices jump.
• For a portable air conditioner, match the BTU rating to the room size or it won't keep up.
• Where we've linked both shops, take whichever is cheaper or quicker — it's the same product either way.