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It’s officially summer, and warmer temps have FINALLY arrived in Buffalo! Hallelujah!
I’ll admit, after seeing my near-$300 electric bill during the height of winter, I have been thinking about ways to stay cool on the cheap this summer (I am trying to pay off another credit card this year).
When I lived in Austin, I kept my AC at 80 degrees, which I know sounds insane, but when the temperature is 120 degrees in July, 80 feels pretty good inside. Plus, I don’t think I could’ve afforded to have it set much lower.
My current apartment is almost twice the size of the one I had in Austin, and this one uses two split HVAC units instead of central air. Generally speaking, I do think these are efficient (I learned the hard way that the windows in my historic apartment let soooo much cold air in this winter – I’ll be better prepped this time).
I’m also very lucky that the position of my apartment doesn’t get much direct sunlight; it gets morning sun, which is more gentle than afternoon sun.
To top it off, Buffalo doesn’t get THAT hot. I know if the locals are reading this, they will disagree with me, but so far we’ve only had two days even reach 80 degrees – we are lucky to even see 70 degrees.
All of that to say… I have yet to even turn on my AC! I open my windows, turn on a fan, and call it a day.
I already had my Dreo fan I brought with me from Austin (the full review is here; it’s the best), but I needed something smaller that I could either put in my kitchen or move around the apartment with me, if needed.
So, I started hunting for something at Goodwill. I feel very lucky that I found the Blaux Portable AC F832!
PS. I couldn’t find the exact model I got, but am linking something very similar here.
I saw it on the shelf and wasn’t entirely sure what it was, so I immediately Googled it. It had mixed reviews, but it was $7, and I figured at the very least it would work as a fan (I wasn’t thinking it would replace my AC unit).
Here’s some info about the Blaux Portable AC F832.
The Blaux Portable AC F832
The Blaux Portable AC F832 is a small, personal fan made to cool the area near you; not an entire room. Powered via USB or a built-in rechargeable battery, it operates on an evaporative “swamp cooler” method, using water and an internal fan to blow a cool, humidifying breeze.
The main portion of the unit houses a removable “curtain” that fills with water, through which the air from the fan passes. There is a bottle attached to the unit that you fill with water; then the water slowly fills the curtain.
One tip is to soak the curtain, fill the bottle, then turn on the fan, and you’ll get more time to enjoy the “wet” air since the curtain is already wet.
Note that you can use this without filling it with water; I’ve done both! Using the water does make the air a little cooler, but I like using it either way.
The model I have has a handle, which makes it easy to carry anywhere, and it’s pretty quiet (it’s not silent).
Overall Thoughts on the Portable AC
I’ve seen so many reviews online bashing this item. And I do think calling it a “portable AC” is probably pretty misleading.
According to Wikipedia, air conditioning (A/C) is the process of removing heat and moisture from an enclosed indoor space to improve comfort. It does not “create” cold air; rather, it extracts warm air from a room, passes it over refrigerant-cooled coils, and transfers the heat outside.
So, this product is not an air conditioner.
Does it create cool air? Yes. However, I don’t think it removes heat from a room, and it definitely isn’t removing moisture!
But is this a nice little fan? Yes. I have been using it in various places in my apartment. I like putting it in an open window on a mild day and pulling that air inside.
It also works really nicely in my bathroom! It’s nice to have it on when I get out of the shower or while I’m getting ready (especially while applying sunless tanner).
I also realize that my investment in this product was so low, compared to those who bought it new and paid full price.
If you’ve tried this, or other “portable AC” units, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
This review is not sponsored — nor are any of the reviews on this blog. I am a beauty and skincare junkie and enjoy sharing the products I love right here! For more reviews and similar posts, please subscribe to the blog by clicking “Subscribe” on the right side of your screen. Cheers!
The Bitter Lemon 