Hello there!

This is my second email this week! Sorry for bombarding you. However, I felt given the weather that our Heatwave gadgets post needs resharing.

We have put the whole post down below for your enjoyment.

Imagine this, it is a blistering hot day, from the open window in the study, you can hear the sound of people in the park listening to quality music, the smell of a BBQ wafts past your nose, a belly rumbles erupts and makes you desire lunch. Your mind drifts off to thinking about slashing your feet in the cool water of a swimming pool, with the sun on your face.

Just as you start drifting deeply away the phone rings and it is Derek from accounts asking for the next quarters forecast. As you are listening to Derek, well, half-listening you realise just how hot and stuffy the room is and how much you wish you were in the office with its ice-cool air conditioning and temperature-controlled environment.

We have all lived through uncomfortably hot days, at home, trying and failing to work and feeling, hot, sweaty tired and realising that life is too short for this s…. I’ll stop there and get to the main point of this article.

I have collated a range of high and low tech gadgets that will make life far more comfortable working from home and make the above situation a thing of the past.

Sadly, I cannot get rid of the need for quarterly forecasting.

Desk Fans (not OnlyFans)

Desk fans are your classic “heatwave” accessory, many offices, especially in the UK are fond of only having desk fans and the cornettos that managers go out and buy in the afternoon as cooling aids for their staff.

Sadly, your boss is not around to buy cornettos whilst working from home.

Now, desk fans come in all shapes and sizes from the small to the large, and in all types of abilities.

Below we have outlined five desk fans that you will just love.

Amazon Basics 5 blade digital fan – this is one of the best high quality/high-value fans that we found on the Amazon marketplace. It has digital controls, including remote control, dual blades for increased cooling and a seven-hour set and forgets function. This is a great all-around fan.

Ocoopa USB Desk Fan – this is a lovely small, USB powered desk fan that is an Amazon choice. This is a great option if space is at a premium and there are no worries about plug space, as you can plug it straight into your laptop. This version comes in a choice of colours; however, we really love dark blue.

Now, lastly, but no means least is the Lanyard Fan from Letour, this is the tube and train commuter’s best friend. It is USB charged neck fan, that has three speeds to keep you cool on that rather packed sardine tin that passes for public transport and it hangs around your neck, so it is easy at hand in any situation.

Ice Packs and a Towel

Now, this sounds very low tech for an article about gadgets, but this is probably the cheapest way of keeping cool in a heatwave. Simply use this cooling towel, surrounding this cool frozen ice packs used for keeping lunch fresh, as back support and you will have an instant ice pack.

Watermisters and portable air conditioning units

Some people swear by misters and portable air conditioning units in heatwaves. Personally, I am not sold on the idea of adding extra water to the air, given it is my personal office and I have paperwork and computers around.

However, in the interests of fairness to a category of heatwave gadgets we have ‘cyber sleuthed’ around Amazon and found these two products which I think will fit the bill.

Firstly, we have the Homasy Cool Mist, which has a 30 hour capacity for water, 1-minute cleaning and a range of features and controls that give you an unparalleled level of control in your mister.

It even looks funky as well.

Next, we have the personal air conditioning unit, there are a lot of air conditioning units on Amazon, many of them look suspiciously similar. However, our research ended up with this one from FitFirst, which has the option to be both battery or mains operated and also has a four-star review level. It is lightweight (without the water in) so can be taken almost anywhere, British summertime weather permitting of course.

Creatively repurposed products

Okay, so we are going back to the future again with this selection of gadgets. Although these gadgets are not specifically for home workers, or indeed people looking to keep cool, they both have the ability to be used to help you cool down. Although we would caution using them too often as you might get chilly, so please always follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

First, we have the headache cap, a product designed to be kept in the fridge or freezer, to help with headaches and migraines. Its cooling features can give it another life as a homeworker best friend during a heatwave. Just pop it in the fridge first thing in the morning and get it out and pop it on when it gets too warm. Once it warms up, put it back in the fridge. This version of the headache cap has 600 reviews, so we think it is the bee’s chilly knees.

Next, we have another product that is being creatively adapted for the same purposes is a cooling cape for want of a better word. It will keep you cool and allow you to play superhero with the kids. This version has “magic gel”, we have no idea what it is, but it does the trick.

Last, but by no means least, is the humble car sunshield. This bestseller on Amazon has over 2,000 reviews on Amazon. Just pop it your window early in the morning and it will keep the sun out of the room all day. Although it is not intended for this purpose, it can be used to reflect away the sun. Just be careful that the reflection does not go into someone’s garden or home office.

Remember always be careful when reflecting sunlight.

Cool Down

Hopefully, we have brought you some hi-tech and low-tech solutions, gadgets and gizmo’s that will help you ride out the heatwaves of the summer as a home worker, and just remember, there is absolutely nothing wrong by going and getting ice cream at lunchtime. You deserve it, treat yourself.

What is your favourite ice cream on a warm summer’s day? Let I know on my Twitter.

Stay Cool,

Joe "HomeWorking" Henry