Clever Ways to Keep Cool This Summer

With the summer nearly upon us, we’re looking at some temperature control technology that will help you keep your cool in the heat and humidity.

(If your preferred temperature control technique is that classic aquatic amenity, consult this gem from the Smart Homes archives—How to Build a High-Functioning Swimming Pool.)

Nest is Best

If you have central air, conjuring cold relief is as simple as the flip of a switch. But why shouldn’t it be easier?

The critically acclaimed Nest ($249) doesn’t need anymore plaudits from us—but it does remain the best game in town when it comes to quick and clever climate control.

After just a week of use, the 3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat will know what you like—at least the climate preferences part of your personality—and adjust the temperature in your home accordingly, and automatically.

Better yet, Nest, via a series of sensors and communication with your phone, can determine when you have left your house and set itself to Eco Temperature, helping to mitigate the costs of maintaining a frosty home in the summertime.

For those who are analytically minded and ecologically friendly, Nest provides all the stats on how much energy you are saving through the accompanying app, as well as the option to go greener and set tighter power controls.

The Non-Central Solutions

Not every home has central air, of course. Your Hamptons beach house may trend more historic than high-tech, but that doesn’t mean you’re cut out of the latest cooling technology.

Enter Aros ($239 to $319), an innovative in-window unit that is a collaboration between Quirky and GE.

Once installed, Aros can be completely controlled via the free Wink app, allowing you to chill your bedroom from anywhere in the world, provided you are connected to Wi-Fi.

But there’s no reason to be so hands on. Like Nest, Aros uses internal sensors and communication with your phone to determine when you are away from home. When Aros notices you are gone, it will automatically turn itself off.

But the similarities to Nest don’t stop there. Aros also employs a scheduling system to learn your heat-control habits and predict when you’ll want to cool down in the future, and a tracking system that will show you just how much money a smart a/c is saving you. All this in a simple and stylish window unit.

If you have a large space you need to cool without the benefit of central air, the LG LP1415WXRSM ($629) is a heavy duty cooling unit that has brains and brawn.

While it doesn’t have the predictive behavior of the previously mentioned cooling counterparts, the LP1415 is Wi-Fi-enabled, meaning you can switch on the unit at your office and your estate will be conveniently chilled by the time you get home. The LP1415’s portability and easy installation also make the unit a plus for sizable properties.

Your No. 1 Fan

For those who prefer a more classic form of cooling, are freon adverse or simply would like the simulacrum of a breeze, Hunter offers a range of ceiling fans ($299 to $399) that are both stylish and smart.

Wi-Fi-connected and equipped to support Apple HomeKit, Hunter fans can be set to spinning with a simple word spoken to Siri—or a swipe of the finger if you’re not feeling particularly verbal. And from anywhere in the world too, provided you are connected to Wi-Fi.

Hunter fans also come with an integrated LED light (also controllable from your phone) so you won’t have to worry about replacing bulbs.

Bringing Brrr to Beverages

It’s not only humans that need heat regulation in the summertime.

Our beverages, themselves aids in the sweat-inducing struggle against scorching days, need help achieving ideal icy temperatures, and for that there is not much better than the Coolest Cooler ($399).

The portable preservation device is not content to only pack ice but brings a bevy of party-appropriate features. The cooler, which can hold up to 600 pounds and keep ice for four to five days, comes equipped with reusable dishware, an LED lid light, a bottle opener, a USB charger and a Bluetooth speaker that is splash-proof and can stream eight hours of music between charges.

But best of all, the Coolest comes with a built-in blender, allowing you to make a flotilla of frosty ice-based beverages, alcoholic or otherwise, to stay refreshed while enduring the rigors of the summer sun.

The one downside of investing in a Coolest cooler is that you’ll probably become deeply disappointed with your refrigerator.