Shoppers are raving about this £26 portable air cooler from Amazon - it has over 1,000 five-star reviews

If you're struggling through the heatwave it might be time to swap your fan for a portable air cooler like this Amazon personal air cooler that shoppers are raving about.

This handy little device is priced at just £25.99 and has clocked up over 1,000 glowing five-star reviews on Amazon. If your best fan just isn't cutting it as the temperatures creep higher this week an air cooler like this one is a great alternative.

While the brand YurDoca calls the device a 'portable air conditioner' it is essentially an 'air cooler' or 'cooling fan' that pairs water and ice with a built-in fan to help cool you down. Depending on the cooling effect you want you need to add ice cubes or water to a compartment in the device. It will then spray you with cold air for several hours to keep cool. The brand claims that by adding ice cubes you're getting the effect of a mini air conditioner, while only using water will turn it into a standard air cooler.

The device is small measuring only 17 cm tall and 16.5cm wide, so it is only suitable as a personal cooler, not for lowering the temperature in a whole room. However, this hasn't put off shoppers who have all been impressed by how effective and quiet it is despite the size and price tag.

'It has worked better than expected for the size of it and when you add water with ice in it, it really helps to bring temperature down. It doesn't make much noise and the water tank is big enough for nighttime use,' says one reviewer.

One fan was so impressed they wrote in their review that they had bought a second one: 'This is my second time purchasing this product, had to get one for my daughter's room. It's been great during the hot days in the UK. I add really cold water and it's so cool.'

This budget cooling device is a riff on a traditional air cooler which is a cross between a portable air conditioner and a fan. More expensive air coolers typically use a sponge or filter to suck hot air in and push out cooler humid air, but this version uses a vaporiser that the reviews note works well and needs less cleaning: 'I was expecting a sponge, but this has nothing that needs cleaning before you put it away for the winter, and there is noticeable cooling,' writes one reviewer.

Alternative air cooler

While this model has drawn a lot of attention and positive reviews it is worth noting that there are several similar products available on Amazon under the £30 mark. If you're reluctant to buy from a lesser-known Amazon brand a great alternative is the JML ChillMax 2.0 which is priced at £29.99, and also has over 1,000 five-star ratings. However, reviews are more mixed on its cooling ability and many note that it is quite noisy.

If you're struggling to sleep in the heat or get through the work day it might be worth snapping up one of these mini air coolers to make this week a bit more pleasant.