How We Keep Watch:

Hi, my name is Matt (well, Matthew, but no-one calls me that.) For just about as long as I can remember, I've 'run hot' - and still do 40+ years later. For me, 'room temperature' is even uncomfortable with stagnant air if I go in warm or do much other than stay still. And once I'm hot, it takes a lot of time to cool me down.

While I haven't met many people quite as intolerant to the heat as I am (and visibly so with a face/head that pours sweat like you wouldn't believe) - most people aren't terribly comfortable once the thermometer reaches a certain spot.

As such, I'm always very interested in any/all products that can beat the heat. Since I sleep, live and work out of my house - keeping this place comfortable is priority number one.

I've tried all sorts of air conditioners and other 'cooling devices' over the years, some have been great - some have been completely useless. And in the era of online advertising I'm constantly shown all kinds of ridiculous cooling gadgets promising to do the impossible, and having tried a couple with the highest of hopes even pre-internet; I know very well they don't and genuinely can't work the way they're advertised.

It genuinely bothers me thinking of all the people feeling as uncomfortable in the heat as I do, then waiting weeks for a delivery in the mail just to finally unbox and discover that they overpaid for a crappy fan that can't drop the temperature even a degree. As a web developer with a little spare time, I finally cracked after my 100th viewing of a youtube ad for a $60 device that could "cool the room by 30 degrees in 2 minutes", and decided to start this site to hopefully help spread the word about some of these 'fake' AC units, as well as help people find legitimate alternatives so they can cool down.

This Site

I've made ACWatchdog to answer two questions honestly: what will actually cool your room, and what's just selling you the idea of it. One half of the site is just guidance on real air conditioners — the five types, how to size one, which to buy with your budget. The other half is a running record of the gadgets that don't work: the personal coolers, the desk cubes, the "revolutionary" boxes that are the same soaked-sponge trick or cheap fan in a new shell.

I don't sell anything here, it's not a store - I don't make or work for anyone that makes AC units, real or fake. But I do offer purchasing suggestions, including those for products which I'm confident are legitimate though haven't necessarily tried personally. This is done by aggregating user reviews from various retailers and across the web, then matching unit specifications with what you need based on your cooling needs, available options (don't put permanently installed units in a rental) and of course - your budget. When all things are the same, I'll do my best to have things presented with the least expensive options first.

What's in It for Me?

Not much to be honest - when a product is available at a good price through a retailer where I can get an affiliate commission I may use a link to do just that, but the referral commissions are awful - 1% to a few percent at best, so I'll be lucky to cover hosting costs, and that's assuming I actually get any visitors.

Please note that the possibility of earning a commission on certain products bears NO impact on the order in which this site may present your best options. Also, I absolutely will not sign up to take any commissions on 'fake' AC units, though hopefully you'll be very dissuaded on them all in the context they are mentioned, and while I might mention where they're advertised, I won't link to them for purchase under any circumstances.