Air conditioning a whole room costs thousands and blasts dry, recycled air at you whether you want it or not. The Evapolar evaLIGHT Plus is the opposite: a 10-watt desktop unit that sits next to you, evaporatively cools the air in your immediate vicinity, and humidifies as it goes.
We’ve got one in stock at £120 down from £179 RRP, a 33% saving. Condition is “new other” the box has been opened, the unit hasn’t been used, the screen protector has lifted slightly. Functionally untouched, cosmetically gentle wear.
Quick Verdict
A clever, low-power personal cooler that’s perfect for desk work in summer but only if you understand what evaporative cooling can and can’t do. It cools the air immediately around you by 4–8°C; it won’t cool a whole room. Works best in dry heat. Bonus humidifier is genuinely useful in winter too. USB-powered, so it runs off a power bank or laptop.
⭐ 4.3 / 5
Specs at a glance
| Brand | Evapolar |
| Model | evaLIGHT Plus (black) |
| Cooling type | Evaporative (3-in-1: cool, humidify, dust-catch) |
| Power consumption | 10W — runs on USB |
| Power options | USB (power bank, laptop, car USB at 5V 2A) |
| Water tank | 1000 ml, removable |
| Noise level | 45 dB (quieter than typical conversation) |
| Display | Digital with adjustable thermostat |
| Extras | Sleep timer, colour-changing LED |
| Weight | 1.81 kg |
| Cooling tech | Basalt fibre evaporation cartridge (no chemicals) |
| Condition (this unit) | New other — opened, unused, screen protector slightly lifted |
How evaporative cooling actually works (and what it won’t do)
Worth being honest about this up front: the evaLIGHT Plus is not an air conditioner. It’s an evaporative cooler. The two work on different principles and have very different strengths.
An air conditioner uses a refrigerant cycle to remove heat from a room. It dehumidifies as it goes and can cool a whole space. It uses 800–2,500 watts.
An evaporative cooler pulls dry air through a wet membrane. As the water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the air, dropping the temperature by 4–8°C right at the outlet. The trade-off is that the air leaves the unit slightly more humid than it arrived. It only cools the air in front of it — a “personal bubble” of cool air for whoever’s sitting at the desk.
This means the evaLIGHT Plus works brilliantly in two scenarios:
- Hot, dry conditions — heatwave UK summer afternoons, southern Europe holidays, dry offices with reactive central heating
- Personal use at a desk or bedside — the cool zone is roughly 60–80 cm from the unit
And it will not do much in:
- Already-humid environments (post-rain UK days when humidity is 85%+)
- Whole-room cooling — the cool zone is genuinely personal
- Quickly cooling a hot room from far away
Who is it for?
Genuine fit if:
- You work from home and your office gets uncomfortable in summer
- You sleep hot and want bedside cooling without a noisy fan
- You travel and want cooling you can plug into a power bank or laptop USB
- You’d benefit from a humidifier in winter (the unit doubles as one)
- You want to dip a toe into smart-cooling without spending £400+ on a portable AC
Don’t buy if:
- You want to cool a whole room — get a real portable AC instead
- You live somewhere already humid (UK summer evenings, coastal regions)
- You want silent operation — 45 dB is quiet but audible
The pros and cons
✓ Pros
- 10W — costs pennies to run vs. an AC unit
- USB powered — run it off a power bank if needed
- 1000 ml tank lasts 6–8 hours on a fill
- Doubles as a winter humidifier
- No chemicals — basalt fibre cartridge is breath-safe
- Quiet enough for bedside use
- Genuine 4–8°C drop in the personal zone
✗ Cons
- Personal cooling only — won’t cool a room
- Less effective in already-humid air
- “New other” — screen protector slightly lifted, no original packaging
- Evaporation cartridge eventually needs replacing (~£15)
- Tank needs daily refill in heavy use
- Only one available — no restock
How it compares on price
- Evapolar evaLIGHT Plus RRP: £179
- Typical retail (Amazon, Currys): £160–£175
- Comparable personal evaporative coolers from Bladeless / Honeywell: £80–£120 (less effective, smaller tank)
- Cheap no-brand “mini AC” units: £15–£30 (don’t work — buy a regular fan instead)
- Our price: £120, new other, one unit
Your saving: £59.00 (33% off RRP)
Our price: £120.00 £179.00
Final verdict
If you’ve understood that this is a personal cooler — not a room AC — and that’s what you want, the evaLIGHT Plus is one of the cleverest devices in its category. £120 for a name-brand evaporative cooler with a 1-litre tank and USB power is below typical retail, and the “new other” condition is genuinely minor (a slightly-lifted screen protector that you can re-stick or peel).
One available. When it’s gone, it’s gone.