Silvercrest Air Cooler Humidifier Review

Summer temperatures are soaring, making it increasingly difficult to work indoors. Previously, we reviewed the Lidl Air Cooler that uses a wet paper filter.

This time, we’ll evaluate whether a fan and humidifier combo offers a better solution, especially that they are at the moment on sale at the same price.

The features

This Air Cooler is made for table use which means it has to be set on a table and quite close to the person that needs to be refreshed.

A portable device

The Air Cooler is compact and uses USB-C, allowing you to easily take it outside and power it with a 2000mAh external battery. It consumes around 10 watts, compared to the 6 watts used by the Silvercrest filter paper Air Cooler.

A fan

Everyone has used a fan before, so there’s not much to explain. However, this one is notably smaller than the model with the paper filter. It has three speeds, allowing you to choose the desired airflow.

A humidifier

The humidifier uses a small container that you need to fill with water. It holds about 50 cl of water, which will last for several hours.

Swing

A rare feature at this price point is the inclusion of motors that allow the air cooler to swing in different directions. This is a nice addition, although, given the device’s small size, it is more likely intended for personal use.

Timer

The Air Cooler also features a timer function, which is quite handy if you dislike waking up at night due to a sudden drop in temperature and feeling cold.

LED

Finally, the device can also function as a night light, featuring the same system found in the other Lidl Air Cooler. It offers various colors and a smooth transition through the entire spectrum.

How does it perform?

Because the device has a small fan, it won’t perform as well as a larger fan. Smaller propellers tend to push less air and create more noise.

This fan is definitely on the smaller side and needs to be used from a very close distance. Regarding noise, it focuses more on the low end, making the noise levels quite acceptable.

The humidifier, on the other hand, is quite weak. Having owned a proper air humidifier while living in Vietnam, I can attest that those devices can fill a room with vapor if needed.

This small humidifier, however, can’t even reach you if you are one meter away from the fan. While I understand that the water container is small and producing too much mist would make the device impractical, I wish it had three different mist levels.

How does it compared to the filter paper Air Cooler?

One benefit of this machine is that it doesn’t require filter replacements every six months, which is advantageous since those filters are difficult to find and nearly as costly as the machine itself.

Regarding cooling performance, the Lidl Air Cooler with a paper filter generally produces colder air and is slightly more effective at cooling.

This device performs decently as well, but only if you are just a few centimeters away from it. Even with the swing feature, its small size means it’s most effective when placed on a table and shared, or if you want to refresh different parts of your body.

The timer could be useful, but since the device consumes around 10 watts per hour, it’s not a problem to leave it running throughout the night.

The sensation it provides is quite distinct as well. I find that the machine works best on bare skin. If you’re wearing clothes, you won’t feel the droplets on your body, and the evaporation process won’t be as effective.

The main advantages over filter paper

The primary advantages of using this over an air cooler with a paper filter are clear: there’s no need to replace the filter.

However, for me, the biggest benefit is that when temperatures exceed 30 degrees, the paper filter can dry out completely, while this device will still effectively cool you if you are within 50 cm.

Update : 23/07/24

The version I received appeared to be somewhat unusual and began to show false contacts. The connectors were black, and the humidifier operated intermittently.

The new version seems to work better so far, but what I find very odd is that the USB-C port appears to have some form of mold or glue. Honestly, it’s the second machine I’ve unboxed, and both felt like second-hand items.

Water also appeared to leak at some point while using the mist and the 3-speed setting. I suspect the mist condensed somewhere and leaked. This occurs irregularly and can create quite a mess under the machine, often necessitating turning everything off and drying it.

At this point, I am unsure if this is a flaw of the machine itself or just this particular unit, but with all these issues, I cannot recommend it.

Edit 09/08/24

I had to return this second unit because the leaking caused a significant mess, leading to my wooden table swelling.

I believe there’s a design flaw in the unit. For instance, vapor can seep between the black and white plastic parts, allowing moisture to leak inside the machine and into the base that houses the electronics.

A better design would have separated the humidifier and fan systems to prevent water from ever coming into contact with the electronics.

When dust and water mix, capillary action along the plastic surfaces causes water droplets to form and drop rapidly, creating a consistent mess.

Verdict

6.5 out of 10.

I really wanted this machine to perform better than the Lidl Silvercrest Air Cooler using a paper filter since it is one year old and could use a filter replacements.

I believe it’s a different machine that offers a different sensation. The model with the paper filter generates colder, more powerful air, whereas this device only humidifies the air, letting it touch your skin and evaporate.

Honestly, I feel this machine could have been significantly improved if the humidifier were a bit stronger or had adjustable power settings.

Perhaps if the overall device were twice as large, it would be much more effective. While this air cooler is decent and can get the job done, I think it falls short when temperatures exceed 30 degrees.

Perhaps the real question is : should you get a larger Air Cooler for double the price or even a real mobile AC for less than ten times the price?

The design of this machine seems to be flawed when it comes to the humidifier which will ultimately leak water on the base of the machine.