The Cooling Ace

Cooling Ace

Sold under a number of rebranded names and by many different companies, this one is all over social media and YouTube advertisements. Most retain the 'Cooling Ace' part of the name after a company name, such as Coldeez Cooling Ace, Nessally Cooling Ace, or Coolizi Cooling Ace, but some do not, likely to make negative reviews more difficult to find. "Breezemax", "Epic Cooler", "Polar Breeze", and others appear to be the same unit, possibly with minor cosmetic changes.

The majority of units sold are advertised using a unit resembling the image shown here, though there may be different colour variations and/or slight changes to the casing. Some may ship this model but advertise a unit that looks slightly or significantly different. While the dimensions are rarely mentioned, the videos and images used in advertising tend to give the impression that this unit is much larger than it actually is—in reality, it's just over 12" long.

How Does It Work?

The units we've seen are simply small tower fans with water reservoirs, advertised as 'evaporative' coolers. However, they aren't going to produce a meaningful swamp-cooler effect, even in the driest heat, without somewhere for the heat and moisture to escape.

Some units appear to be nothing more than very small tower fans that can be used vertically or horizontally, with less-than-impressive CFM ratings and nothing in them capable of legitimately cooling a room. Does a fan help keep you cool? Yes, and that may even be the loose definition of evaporative cooling being used by some of the more legitimate sellers: airflow causes your body moisture or sweat to evaporate, which can make you feel cooler.

The Claims:

Note that not all companies selling this unit, or this type of unit, necessarily make the same claims, but it is commonly advertised that this unit can:

  1. Provide "rapid cooling" and drop the temperature of a room by 30 degrees in just two minutes!
  2. Function as an 'air conditioner'.
  3. Work everywhere.

The Truth:

  1. Even if the room were the size of a closet, the best industrial air conditioners would struggle to deliver this promise. In fact, this unit won't cool even the smallest room in most environments. At best, it may provide some relief to someone sitting one or two feet away and directly in the airflow, while the room itself remains at the same temperature and likely becomes more humid.
  2. I'm not a lawyer, but no—not really, at least not in the way most people would expect. It's a small fan with a wet sponge or filter. Some advertisements are now using 'AC' to mean 'air cooler', likely to avoid false-advertising claims.
  3. If your room is already even moderately humid, this won't provide effective cooling. Genuine evaporative coolers still require some sort of exit for the heat and moisture to work effectively, and very low humidity—think Arizona summers.

As for lower power bills, quiet operation, etc.—sure. Assuming you're happy not using real air conditioning and sitting directly in front of a tiny fan, I can confidently say that this uses much less power. After all, it's a small fan, not an 80 lb. window unit with refrigerant, a compressor, and other mechanical components.

Final Verdict:

If—and only if—you live in a desert climate and simply want a personal fan, this unit might provide a small amount of comfort on a desktop or coffee table. It still wouldn't be something I'd personally buy. If you must, get one from Amazon rather than from the people advertising it with bogus claims. At least you'll be able to return it there relatively easily.