Honeywell Air Cooler CS077XE Review

Yesterday was possibly the hottest day of the year in France, reaching 37°C in the shade and 31°C in our bedroom at midnight.

Anticipating the heat, I decided it was the perfect time to test a larger air cooler unit. I had previously seen a Honeywell model in action, so I chose to purchase one and use it to stay comfortable while working.

What is a Portable Evaporative Air Cooler ?

A portable evaporative air cooler is a cooling device that uses basic evaporation to extract heat from the air, combined with a fan.

Larger units like this typically use a honeycomb cooling pad, which is kept moist by a water pump that draws from a reservoir at the base.

How does it work?

Water is pumped from the bottom compartment to the top compartment, where it gradually drains into the honeycomb filter. The filter absorbs the water, allowing it to evaporate and release energy to cool the air in the process.

The difference with an Air Conditioning Unit?

An air conditioning unit operates on a similar principle but utilizes a compressor and a refrigerant gas to significantly speed up and enhance the cooling process within a closed loop.

The advantage of air conditioners is that they are far more effective at producing cold air, making them capable of cooling an entire room quickly and efficiently.

The downside of an air conditioner, particularly in today’s context, is its high energy consumption. It requires at least 700 watts per hour to operate, making it ten times more expensive to run compared to an evaporative air cooler.

The brand Honeywell

Honeywell is an American company that almost everyone has encountered at some point, though it’s often hard to pinpoint exactly what they sell.

My first experience with Honeywell was with an N95 mask, which proved to be far superior to any of the 3M masks I had used at the time.

In our city of Lognes, there’s even a Honeywell factory. Honeywell seems to be a company that manufactures a wide range of products for professionals, with some variations available for regular consumers.

For example, they produce both portable air conditioning units and evaporative air coolers.

The Honeywell Air Cooler CS077XE

The Honeywell Air Cooler is currently available at Action stores, which are well-known for offering great value at low prices. Originally listed at 88.88 euros, this unit was actually sold for 59 euros, which significantly changes the perspective of this review.

What’s in the box?

Inside the box, you’ll find the main unit that operates on AC power, accompanied by a relatively short cord. There’s also a manual and a remote control with a battery included, likely a CR2025.

The main unit is quite lightweight compared to a portable air conditioner. It’s primarily made of plastic, and without water, it can easily be carried with one hand.

The wheels on the air cooler are fairly standard and can be attached by yourself. In this model, two of the wheels feature a locking mechanism, which can be quite useful.

Additionally, it comes with two ice containers that can be placed in the top section to further enhance the cooling of the air.

The build quality

I would describe the build quality as decent. The plastic feels somewhat lighter compared to the Silvercrest Air Conditioner we recently bought.

The louvers are manual and quite thin, to the point where they bend when adjusted.

On the plus side, the plastic seems relatively durable, and I hope it proves to be long-lasting. The color is more beige than pure white.

At 59 euros, the build quality is quite acceptable, but at 88.88 euros or 150 euros, you might find better-built units, like the Klarstein Cold Player, which also appears to be a 4-in-1 air cooler.

One detail that I found lacking in the Honeywell unit was the absence of a back door mesh filter, which is typically included to reduce dust accumulation on the honeycomb filter.

The compartments

This machine is relatively simple. There’s not a ton of you can put in an Air Cooler to be fair. This particular model has all the feature you would want in this type of device.

It features a front digital display that shows information such as the current temperature and the active functions, allowing you to quickly see which mode is currently in use.

Unlike most models, the Honeywell CS077XE has an upper compartment specifically designed for ice. While many air coolers have an ice option in the lower compartment, this unit cools the water right before it reaches the honeycomb, which is a nice feature.

The honeycomb, made of paper or cardboard-like material, can be easily removed and cleaned without needing a screwdriver, which is a smart design feature.

The bottom compartment, which houses the water and pump, can hold up to 7.5 liters of water. This amount is typically sufficient for 7 to 8 hours of operation.

The top compartment is very spacious and I believe it can host more than the two ice container that have been delivered. I am considering getting some from Decathlon which are sold for 2.5 euros a pair.

The features

The unit comes with some features including three modes :

Normal : a continuous wind
Natural wind : comes and go and chance in intensity like the natural wind
Night mode : which is very similar to natural wind

Honestly, I consider this feature to be more of a gimmick and doubt I will ever use it, as it seems somewhat artificial and even annoying. I prefer a steady, constant noise for a sense of calm.

The second feature is the fan speed, which offers three settings. The first speed is very quiet, while the other two speeds produce a significant amount of noise which is true for most fans.

The unit includes a horizontal oscillation feature that activates motors to move the internal louvers from left to right and back. This is a useful feature to ensure even cooling for your entire body while lying down or to distribute airflow among multiple people.

The cooling mode activates the pump, which circulates water through the honeycomb filter to initiate the evaporation process and provide cooling.

Additionally, there is a timer mode that allows you to set a specific time for the machine to automatically turn off.

Lastly, there’s a dimmer function that turns off the screen, and a remote control that allows you to access all these features from a distance, which is especially convenient when you’re relaxing.

The performances

The first thing to note about air coolers is that they differ significantly from air conditioners. Air coolers provide a cooling breeze but don’t actually lower the room temperature.

It is often claimed that air coolers can reduce the temperature by up to two degrees compared to the surrounding air.

My sole experience with an air cooler was with the Silvercrest Mini Air Cooler, which proved to be an excellent buy for just 20 euros. This positive experience led me to try out this larger air cooler. So this small device will be my only point of comparison.

Firstly, it’s clear that this unit is larger and offers more features compared to the mini air cooler, with the possible exception of the LED light.

Given that it costs three times more, it should naturally perform better. However, for reasons I believe I can explain, the air produced by the mini air cooler actually feels colder than that from the larger unit.

I think this can be attributed to the placement of the wet filter. In the Silvercrest Mini Air Cooler, the filter is positioned in front of the fan, which means the distance between you and the filter is shorter compared to the Honeywell unit, where the filter is located at the back.

If I had measured the temperature directly on the filter rather than the air exiting it, the result would have been closer to 25 degrees Celsius, since the filter is at the back. However, I can clearly feel a temperature difference when I place my hand in front of the airflow.

The Silvercrest definitely feels cooler, likely because being closer to the cooling area reduces the distance the air has to travel, minimizing the amount of heat it absorbs from the surrounding environment.

Ultimately, this design reduces the efficiency of producing a fresh breeze of air. The filter placement at the back might be intended to prevent water spillage and provide safer, easier access for cleaning.

I suspect that most air coolers of this size use a similar design.

Using Ice

I’ve experimented with cold water and ice twice, and the results have been minimal. You might observe a temperature drop of 1°C or 2°C, but the difference is subtle. It’s enough to slightly improve your experience, but it’s not a game changer or essential.

I would continue using it to get the most benefit, but honestly, replenishing cold water and ice can be a bit of a hassle.

Overall, with the temperature at 29.8°C, the Air Cooler was only able to blow air at 28°C, which is not a significant difference, even with the use of ice.

Cons of Air Coolers in general

In my experience, air coolers perform well when the temperature is below 30°C, as they can lower the room temperature by about 2°C.

Humans are more sensitive to temperature differences between, for example, 26°C and 28°C, but we are less able to discern variations between 31°C and 29°C.

Additionally, it’s possible that at higher temperatures, evaporation occurs too quickly, reducing the duration and effectiveness of the cooling process. These are just hypotheses, though.

Air coolers also require occasional cleaning. The water tank should be removed, emptied, and cleaned at least once a week. As for the honeycomb, I think it can be cleaned once a month, but it’s best to check the manual for precise instructions.

Our experience during the hottest night

On a night when the temperature in the room was still 31°C at midnight, we struggled to get a refreshing breeze from the air cooler.

Although the air cooler’s fan was operational and the room was tolerable, it fell short of providing the comfort of a seaside breeze.

It was a slight improvement over a fan, offering perhaps a 10 to 20% boost in cooling.

To be fair, even our Silvercrest mobile air conditioner had difficulty reducing the temperature below 20°C that night.

We used the air conditionner lower the room temperature, but once it dropped to 28°C, it quickly climbed back up to 30°C and then 31°C.

Having the ability to run an air cooler all night long, providing a steady breeze on our bodies, was more advantageous than repeatedly turning an air conditioner on and off, concerned about it consuming 700 watts throughout the night.

You also don’t need to worry about catching a cold while sleeping, as the machine will only lower the temperature by about two degrees, providing significant relief. Plus, it won’t dry out your respiratory tract.

It’s honestly one of the most natural-feeling options. You might just need to reduce the fan speed at some point or set the timer if necessary.

Our experience cleaning the device

The first step is to cut the blue zip tie that secures the pump during transportation.

After that, simply unclip the plastic piece holding the water pump, and you can detach the lower water compartment for cleaning.

It’s quite straightforward. I just hope these plastic components are durable and won’t break over time.

What this device miss

First and foremost, this unit was priced at €59.90, so keep in mind that these are minor details, but here they are:

Front water level indicator
Mesh filter on the back to capture large particles
Longer power cable
Dedicated storage space for the remote
Convenient refill door

One last note

Another interesting fact is that a nearly identical device is sold by Tristar under the name Tristar Digital Air Cooler 7L. It bears a striking resemblance, even down to the front water level window.

This suggests that it might be a Chinese product rebranded by different companies to sell at a markup. While that’s fine as long as it works well, it does make me curious whether Honeywell’s original product performs better. Interestingly, one was available for 35 euros used on Leboncoin in our city.

Verdict

8.0 out of 10.

An air cooler should not be confused with an air conditioner, which can be found for around 180 euros at Lidl today.

In terms of performance, an air conditioner far surpasses an air cooler and is the only device with a heat pump that can effectively cool a room.

An air cooler, on the other hand, only provides relief by creating a slightly cooler breeze, which is not much lower than the room temperature.

So why spend 60 or 150 euros on an air cooler when you could get an air conditioner for 180 euros? Air conditioners require specific installation to effectively expel hot air.

The key difference is that an air conditioner typically uses at least 700 watts per hour, whereas an air cooler consumes only 70 watts per hour—about ten times less.

This means an air conditioner can only be used for a few hours a day, while an air cooler can run all night and day.

With an air cooler, you can sleep and work comfortably without worrying about high power consumption and electricity bills. Although not the most effective option, I highly recommend it for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.