Cooling products quick picks
Cooling towels: Mission Original Cooling Towel
Cooling beauty products: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea
Cooling neck fans: Gulaki Bladeless Portable Neck Fan
Cooling bedding: Casper Foam Pillow
Window AC units: Midea U-Shaped Window AC
Keeping cool in the summer is a constant battle, especially as heat waves become more intense and frequent. Your bedding becomes suffocating, rooms feel like saunas and your face turns into a sweaty mess.
But with the following products, you don’t have to face the heat alone. From moisture-wicking linen sheets and breathable blankets to neck fans and air conditioners, we pulled the best cooling products from our best-tested reviews and expert-vetted roundups to help you keep cool this summer.
Cooling towels
Out of the ten cooling towels we tested, this one delivered the most immediate relief. Beyond providing an unmatched cooling sensation, it also won points for its portability.
The Mission Max Plus is from the same company as our top pick, so it’s no surprise that it shares many of the same features. Although we found the material a little too thick, it beat the Mission Original when it came to overall cooling time.
The Chill Pal kept cool for around 45 minutes, the longest of all the towels we tried. Even so, it wasn’t great at providing instant relief, so ultimately did not nab our top spot.
Cooling clothing
Walking outside in the summer can feel like going into a sauna, but with this ingenious dress, you can feel more at ease. Our editorial coordinator Rachel Dennis tested out this cooling dress, which lives up to its name. If you buy one dress this summer, it should be this one.
If you're a hot sleeper, a pair of cooling pajamas is essential (and not just in the summer). These ones are made with breathable bamboo viscose and are a steal compared to fancier brands.
Chafing and overheating are two of summer's biggest issues when it comes to clothing, and this pair of lightweight shorts addresses both of these conundrums. The brand's performance fabric pulls heat and moisture away from the body, and it comes in a bunch of colors to coordinate with your outfits.
Cooling beauty products
In our roundup of the best cooling beauty products, Dr. Corey L. Hartman of Skin Wellness Dermatology says this spray delivers “a quick burst of cooling to your face.” He adds that you can apply it “during the day to help cool or spritz the face right before you apply moisturizer in the morning or evening.”
Packed with soothing ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, green tea extract and ashwagandha, this is essentially a popsicle for your face. Associate beauty editor Sophie Shaw recommends rubbing it across your face until it has melted.
This cooling mist doesn’t just cool your face with organic aloe, coconut water and hyaluronic acid; it also protects it from the sun with SPF 18.
With eucalyptus, green tea, algae and Irish moss extracts, this mask can help soothe inflamed or acne-prone skin. Salicylic and lactic acid also work to loosen dead skin and help to unclog pores.
If you’ve got dry skin, this one’s for you. Hyaluronic acid adds hydration to the skin while the cucumber, thyme and olive oil extracts in this mask soothe skin to help it feel cooler.
If you’re not into ice itself, an ice roller is a solid second option. This gel and water roller is an Underscored favorite and also has a number of celebrity devotees.
Cooling neck fans
After testing seven neck fans in the scorching Texas sun, this one came out on top. In addition to having the most powerful fan, it also boasts an impressive five hours of battery life on its highest setting.
With its bendable rod and strong fans, this model beat pricier competitors, nailing the perfect balance between affordability, power, noise and comfort.
Our editorial director wears this neck fan to keep cool while riding the New York City subway. Thanks to its 5W of power, it should make the muggiest months of the year bearable.
Linen sheets to help keep cool
These light and gauzy but durable Citizenry linen sheets are a master class in stylish rest. Woven in a mill in Portugal from French flax, these have deep pockets and an amply sized top sheet to fit on any depth of bed.
These Brooklinen sheets are soft and light, wicking away heat effectively for people who sleep warm but still regulating heat nicely in cooler climates. Simultaneously high-end and already perfectly worn in, these were delightful from the first touch.
Offering the best of all worlds, the Cultiver linen sheets feel elegant straight out of the box. Their fit on the bed is impeccable, and they only get softer with repeated washings. Available in more colors than any other sheets we tested, these are sure to satisfy nearly any taste or style.
Cooling blankets
Especially cooling, Bearaby’s Tree Napper is made from moisture-wicking Tencel that uses eucalyptus fiber, a material that’s naturally even cooler than linen and super soft to the touch.
Mix and match this irresistibly soft linen quilt with your favorite cooling sheets for a chic, laid-back layered look.
If you’re looking for a heavily weighted cooling comforter option, the Gravity Cooling Weighted Blanket comes with a beautifully soft hotel-quality cover too.
If you’re looking for a cooling blanket to carry around the house with you all the time, this is the one for you. Cool to the touch on one side with a snugglier cotton on the other, it’s thin enough that it can roll up really, really small, so it’s great for smaller apartments and storage.
This duvet is meant to wick away moisture and prevent you from overheating as you sleep. Plus, it’s lightweight, it’s easy to care for, and it just feels super fluffy.
We’ve tried this weighted blanket for several months now, and we absolutely adore it. Cool on one side and plush on the other, it’s available in 12-, 15- and 20-pound versions.
Cooling bedding
This cooling topper is not a mattress itself, but we wanted to start this section with a product that one editor thinks can actually make any mattress a cooling mattress. (Plus, mattresses are expensive, you know?) Made with cool-to-the-touch foam that you sink right into, this has completely changed the way she sleeps.
With cooling foam and a three-layer design meant to make it extra huggable (who doesn’t want that?), this is one of our favorite pillows to sleep on night after night.
With more than 35,000 reviews, this highly rated cotton mattress topper is filled with a down alternative to deliver comfort that reviewers love without heat and sweat.
Cooling fans
With a striking design and impressive features, the Dyson is unlike any other fan we tested — and is far more expensive — but it combines a fan, heater and air purifier, potentially replacing three appliances.
The Honeywell tower fan has a small footprint and sleek design, a sturdy base and eight speed settings. Plus, it’s quiet and affordable.
This cooling fan had the sturdiest base and rod of the pedestal fans we tested, a clearly labeled control panel and easy-to-assemble and maintain metal grilles.
Smart thermostats
The inexpensive Nest Thermostat has the same simple interface and straightforward remote control options as its bigger sibling, but it can’t learn your routines.
If you’re on a budget and live in an Alexa household, the Amazon Smart Thermostat delivers excellent performance for its low price.
Window AC units
Midea’s U-shaped design makes installation a cinch and keeps the compressor outside with the window acting as a noise barrier, so it’s much quieter compared to other ACs. It cooled the room not only more quickly but more effectively than other units in our testing, thanks to a motorized vent that automatically moves to move cold air throughout the room.
LG’s LW8016ER is a bare-bones unit and excels at performing the primary function of any window AC. The 8,000 BTU AC is the perfect option for those looking for a classic, easy-to-use AC that effectively cools a room.