It is a well-accepted fact that UK households do not come equipped with air conditioning units, nor do we expect them to. Britain is a country world-famous for its perennial, torrential downpour – not blazing heat.
Yet with global temperatures on the rise, we’ve witnessed a significant increase in temperatures throughout our humble, usually-rainy island – and by the time the summer months finally roll around, it becomes more apparent than ever.
It feels as though every summer over the last few years has witnessed new, record-breaking temperatures. Last year, an unbelievable, and frankly terrifying, temperature of 40.3oC was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. To put this statistic into perspective, that’s more than the hottest temperature recorded in Miami last year, which only hit 36oC.
Concerns about the climate aside, we;re here to offer a very practical solution to your sticky heat woes this summer. Try to swalloe the existential dread for now.
It has reached to the point for many where a standard fan just doesn’t cut it. We’ve been unwittingly plunged into the kind of sticky, claustrophobic heat that makes everything feel as though its suspended in a viscous liquid. We move slower, workdays are less productive, sleep is poor, and the only welcome respite is repeatedly taking cold showers.
Folks, it’s time to seriously contemplate an air conditioning unit. We’re not talking about those wildly expensive systems which cost thousands of pounds to install in the home. Not only do the vast majority of us need a renter-friendly solution, but we also need one that’s affordable. Enter: portable AC units.
They work by sucking all the hot air out of your room and into the unit. But where does all that hot air go? Does it fill up the unit until it expands and floats away like a balloon, taking the roof with it?
No, that excess hot air and moisture is pushed through a hose, which sits outside your window. That hot air is replaced by wonderfully cold air thanks to the addition of a refrigerant for cooling, and a compressor to keep the refrigerant working.
Without further ado, let’s get into this review of the AEG Comfort 6000 Portable Air Conditioner.
Buy now: AEG Comfort 6000 Air Conditioner, White, John Lewis - £649.99
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Key specifications
Energy efficiency rating: A+
Dimensions (cm): 80.2 x 49.3 x 41.5
Capacity: BTU 9000
Noise (dB): 61
Functions: Heating, Cooling, De-humidifying
Modes: Auto, Cool, Dry, Fan, Heat
Moisture Removal (ltrs per hour): 1.2
Capacity kBTU: 09
Room Size (sqm): 13-18
Ambient Temp: 05-35
User-friendliness
Though the cumbersome box and frustratingly heavy unit were a pain to get up the stairs and into my humble abode, the actual set-up time for this device was sub 10 minutes. Fully assembled with incredibly convenient wheels already attached, this (once opened) AC is very much portable. All that needed to be done at home was connect the large plastic tube to the vent system at the back of the unit, followed by connecting the device itself to my Wi-Fi network to sync it with my smartphone.
Functionality
Companion apps are a pain, but this one isn’t. It essentially functions as a secondary remote for the device and isn’t entirely necessary for the technophobes among us. However, if – like me – you’re a lazy sod who won’t give up the comfort of their bed to change the settings on their device, the app is a perfect solution.
My absolute favourite setting is the energy-saving night mode, which can be switched on at the touch of a button – represented by a handy little moon and star symbol. It works by gradually increasing the device’s target temperature by 2oC to save energy, before returning to its original settings.
Though already an A+ device in terms of energy efficiency, I’m a big fan (pun intended) of the fact that I can further conserve energy and prevent my electricity bills from becoming astronomically high, while staying cool as a cucumber for eight hours at night.
Alongside the easy-to-use night mode is the fan swing mode, which enables the fan to move in different directions like any classic oscillatory cooling device. It also comes equipped with a child lock, which disables the touch-activated controls on the device itself.
When turned-on, the room’s base temperature is displayed on both the device itself and the companion app, and from that number, you can determine exactly what you’d like your target temperature to be with the user-friendly plus and minus buttons.
What’s more, you can turn on the device before you’re even home to start cooling down the room that you’ve placed the AC in – so long as the exhaust tube is safely and securely placed outside the window. If you live in a small apartment which isn’t on ground-level, this is a godsend. Though we wouldn’t recommend doing this if you live in a ground-level flat, or a house as you’d have to leave the window open.
Nevertheless, AEG also offers a premium window installation kit which essentially closes the gap caused by the open window. Though the device is still incredibly effective with the window slightly ajar, my single-glazed Georgian sash windows would’ve definitely benefitted from this extra accessory – but that’s my building’s fault, not AEG’s. You win some, you lose some.
Maintenance
When the Comfort 6000 needs maintenance work, it’ll let you know. The device will send you a notification via the companion app if either the filter needs cleaning, or water needs draining. Though this means that the Comfort 6000 is not self-evaporative, it doesn’t need draining very often. I’ve been using it every night for the two and a half weeks that I’ve had it and haven’t yet received any notifications. However, after watching the minute-long maintenance video featured on the Comfort 6000 product page – it looks like a breeze (pun, once again, intended).
Verdict
AEG’s Comfort 6000 is a fantastic device. While I only tested out the cooling function in this hottest of Junes, I’ve found that it works an absolute treat no matter how wide my window must be open to accommodate the exhaust tube. If, like me, your windows old single-glazed sash windows are a bit of a pain, this problem can be fixed by purchasing the premium window installation kit. Since my home also suffers from immense condensation in the winter months, I’m also looking forward to testing out both the dehumidification and heating functions on this appliance. It really is a catch-all gadget for any home.
Buy now: AEG Comfort 6000 Air Conditioner, White, John Lewis - £649.99
