Hot on the heels of the UK’s record-breaking heatwave – where temperatures reached 37 degrees (or even hotter if you’re on a London tube line) – 10 more days of warm weather are forecasted.
We’re already at boiling point, but scientists have warned of even hotter temperatures in the years ahead – meaning it might be time to heatproof your home.
Fewer than five per cent of homes have built-in air conditioning, but portable units can bridge this gap. More powerful than a fan, but cheaper than air con installation, the best air conditioning units have nearly all sold out.
Then, Lidl came to save the day with its new three-in-one air con unit. Costing just £149, it’s one of the cheapest appliances on the market. It not only cools your home, but also works as a dehumidifier and ventilator. When it launched in store, lockdown-style queues snaked around its supermarkets – and now it’s unavailable across the UK.
If you’re feeling the heat, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the viral Lidl special buy – plus a £599 air conditioning unit from an expert-approved brand, if you missed out.
Read more: Best air conditioning units 2026, tried and tested in the UK heatwave
Lidl tronic 3-in-1 air conditioner: £149.99, Lidl.co.uk
The Lidl air conditioning unit boasts wheels for easy transport around your home and a 24-hour digital timer. Designed with two fan speeds and an automatic oscillation function, the temperature can be adjusted from 16 to 31 degrees. The dehumidifying function is a welcome year-round addition, and there’s a removable air filter too.
A control panel with soft-touch buttons adds to its user appeal. The appliance is complete with a remote control with batteries, a 1.5m drain hose, a seal for tilting windows and a hose connection. Based on its power consumption (785W), it will roughly cost 20-21p per hour to run.
As per tradition, the Lidl special buy launched in-store only – and currently, it’s sold out.
DREO 3-in-1 smart air conditioner: £599, Amazon.co.uk
Our tech expert, Stuart Pritchard, hasn’t reviewed this exact air conditioner – but he chose Dreo’s smaller unit as the best buy in his tried-and-tested guide. Sold out since the last heatwave, this more premium Dreo model is worth investing in as an alternative to heatproof your home.
“Cool in both form and function, the DREO is a 7500 BTU unit, which makes it ideal for smaller rooms up to 20m2”, our tech expert said. The £400 machine is designed to “bring quick cooling comfort” thanks to an exhaust hose length of 5ft. It’s “relatively easy to install, whether using the included sliding window panel kit or foam seals.”
“Once fitted, you are spoiled with a choice of app, remote or voice-controlled, with which to access the DREO’s temp-controlling trio of aircon/humidifier/fan functions, depending on your hyper-local climatic requirements.”
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It’s quiet – the running volume is just 46dB on the lowest setting – and there’s even a Sleep Mode to reduce noise further. It even “auto-adjusts the heat to compensate for your body’s natural temperature drop as you drift off.”
“With a 2.5l capacity available in dehumidifier mode, a remote that’s magnetic so that you never misplace it, plus casters and carry handles for ease of movement from sweaty room to sweaty room, the DREO 318S is a fast, flexible and energy-efficient approach to instant AC.”
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