Summer is upon us. If you abide by meteorological convention, it starts in December and ends in February in the southern hemisphere. However, there aren’t any rules (at least as far as we could find) that say you have to wait until then to get your summer gear out.

These days, spring is plenty hot enough to warrant switching on the aircon or having a dip in the pool. But those are far from the only ways to cool yourself off when the temperatures venture into the thirties and beyond.

Whether you’ve been looking forward to the hot season or not, there will doubtless come a time when you’ll wish you had one of these gadgets or gizmos within reach. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner

We could’ve slapped any aircon on this list and called it a day but we chose the Wave 2 from EcoFlow for a few reasons. Not only can it be paired with a backup battery should you require extended use away from a reliable power source, but you can also charge it with solar panels if you’re feeling extra green. There’s also the benefit of it not keeping you up at night with a sleep mode and if humidity levels allow, it shouldn’t even require draining. It comes with plenty of fittings and covers to suit most use cases and you won’t have to bolt it to a wall of your house. All of these features mean you’ll need a fair chunk of change to own one but if you’re serious about your summer cooling, there aren’t many options that tick all the same boxes.

from R21,000 | za.ecoflow.com

MeacoFan Sefte 10″ Pedestal Pro Fan

If you don’t have portable aircon money to spare, your next best bet is a pedestal fan like this one. This particular model from MeacoFan has ‘Pro’ in the name, to give you some idea of what you’re getting. It offers adjustable height and oscillation angles to reach every corner of a room and boasts relatively quiet operation for a cool and peaceful sleep. It isn’t as portable as the Wave 2 but it can still run while away from the mains for up to 43 hours, although that’s an optional extra. It isn’t an eyesore either, which matters to some people. The best part, however, is that you won’t have to face financial ruin to survive summer. Still, there are cheaper options if you’re willing to sacrifice a feature or two.

R4,000 | solenco.co.za

MeacoFan 260c cordless fan

Still after a fan but want something a little less ‘pro’? Maybe you don’t need to cool an entire room down. In that case, we’ll happily recommend this little guy. Like its bigger, ‘Pro’ cousin above, the 260c offers quiet air circulation and adjustable oscillation angles. You can’t adjust the height without putting something underneath it but this one wasn’t made to be placed on the floor. That would make reaching the lamp in its base a chore. This one also won’t require a constant power supply from the wall. It uses a replaceable 5,000mAh battery to keep the blades spinning and the light on and can be charged via USB-C. All that for the asking price makes this one of our favourite summer essentials.

R1,000 | solenco.co.za

Portable Mini Handheld Fan with Rechargeable Battery

As great as the MeacoFans are, they’re only really suited for keeping you cool in one place. You can move them around your house but if you need to venture out into the heat, taking one along isn’t an option. That’s where one of these portable mini rechargeable fans comes in handy. It’s not going to blow your mouth open even on its strongest setting but it might well stave off the sweat while you’re waiting in a crowded queue or some other public place. Or, at the very least, it’ll blow slightly cooler air at your face until you can get somewhere more pleasant. Like the 260c, it also charges via USB so keeping a power bank handy will extend its blowing.

from R180 | takealot.com

Paper hand fan

If your budget can’t stretch much beyond the price of a cool drink, you still have options. For slightly less than a two-litre Coke, you can get one of the most reliable cooling solutions to ever exist. This one will require more effort on your part and you won’t find any smart features, adjustable oscillation angles, or USB charging here. The only real feature is that it beats the other fan entries by being able to fold up into something slightly thicker than a pair of chopsticks. That makes this the most portable fan option and it should do a good enough job in just about any condition.

R20 | wedding-favours.co.za

Four-person Sun Ninja beach tent

Can you believe there are people who not only look forward to summer but actively try to make themselves even hotter by heading to a beach when the sun’s out? If that’s you, or you know someone who suffers from this, maybe subtly suggest they get a Sun Ninja beach tent. It could go a long way in extending their life as the UV rays glare down on them. This one should provide enough shade for up to four medium-sized people and can be configured in different ways. The elastic spandex cover is machine washable and the aluminium poles are lightweight, rust-proof, and fold easily into a carry bag. If you can’t avoid a trip to a beach then you might as well head outside and try to enjoy yourself in some shade.

R 2,420 | sunninja.co.za

Intex Fun At The Beach Snapset Swimming Pool

Why go to the beach when you can have the beach at home? Dig around for some sand and fill this bad boy with water and you could be the proud owner of your very own private beach for a fraction of what people in Ballito pay. If you’ve got a subterranean pool dug into your backyard then use that. But if you don’t have a big enough garden for one of those or live in a complex with a communal pool and don’t feel like swimming in other people’s urine, something like this is exactly what you need. Just keep an eye on your water bill.

R200 | amazon.co.za

Civvio Cooling towel

Sometimes you don’t have the freedom to completely submerge yourself when you’re hot. Sometimes some tasks need doing in the heat. When you encounter one of those tasks, one way of keeping yourself cool could be as easy as wearing a moist towel. That’s exactly what this cooling towel tries to achieve. It is made from a special fabric that uses water dampness to keep chilled for long periods. All that’s required from you is to wet the towel, wring it out, and drape it around yourself. Boom, you’re cool now.

R130 | civvio.co.za

BMW Cool Down Vest

If the cooling towel sounds like your cup of tea but you want to wrap more of yourself, instead of buying multiple towels you could get this cooling vest from BMW. It functions the same way as the towel – wet it, wring most of the water out, and the vest should do the rest. This one uses a proprietary HyperKewl material on the front and back to lock in the moisture for up to eight hours. If you need to wear a moist vest for longer than that, you may have bigger problems than the summer heat.

R2,010 | bmwmotorradstellenbosch.co.za

Veldskoen Plakkie

There is more than one definition of ‘cool’ and these plakkies from Veldskoen cover at least two of them. They expose your feet to the summer elements which might seem counterintuitive to what we’re trying to accomplish with this guide but we’re willing to bet closed shoes and socks will result in hotter feet. The added benefit is that you’ll also look cool (especially with this fetching blue and orange pair), even if you don’t feel cool. At least, you will if you make a habit of tending to your hooves. They’re sustainably sourced, comfy, and locally made.

R290 | veldskoen.com

Bonus – Blocks of Dry Ice

When all else fails, you could always purchase blocks of dry ice. At -78.5 degrees Celsius, you’ll struggle to find anything colder you can buy without some kind of licence. It should go without saying, but you’ll want to be careful with how you handle these – use gloves. We’d stick to putting them in your summer cooler box to keep the drinks cold, or frozen, if you forget to take them out.