Air Conditioners

​Evapolar is back with a second iteration of their portable air conditioner after successfully completing an IndieGoGo campaign in 2015 and delivering over 20,000 units worldwide.

Doug Martin, an engineer at Ford, didn't like the idea of condensation from cars' air conditioners being wasted. That's why he created a prototype system which collects that condensation, and repurposes it as drinking water within the car. ​

​In no small part, crowdfunding has changed the way products make it to market. Some of the most innovative ideas of recent years owe their success to platforms like Kickstarter, so to highlight those success stories, we’ve picked out the cream of the crowdfunded crop, which you can buy right now.

A San Francisco-based startup has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a portable air conditioner that packs more than just a rotary compressor. The Zero Breeze is designed to illuminate, play music over Bluetooth, power devices, and last up to five hours on its rechargeable battery.

Solar-concentrating thermal technology is being used to power the air-conditioning system of an entire shopping center in Australia solely from the rays of the sun. It is expected that this technology will help drastically reduce commercial building energy use.

Philadelphia-based Likuma Labs has unveiled a new product that addresses the frustrations experienced with many window air conditioners. Noria is designed to be smaller, lighter, and quieter, while offering full-room circulation and smart connectivity.

There are some heating and cooling options out there, as well as AC units designed specifically for motorbikes, but not everyone is keen to strap one of these to the back of their bike. Enter MiClimate, a belt designed to keep bikers at a comfortable temperature without adding too much bulk.

Mercedes says it is will be the first carmaker to equip production models with CO2 air conditioning systems. CO2 systems are said to perform better than conventional systems and to be more environmentally friendly. The move is in response to an EU directive that comes into effect in 2017.

Most so-called portable air conditioners stretch the definition of "portable," but the Evapolar isn't one of them. In a form factor about the same size and weight as a small toaster, the unit packs an evaporative cooling system​ to cool, humidify and purify the air.

Air conditioners are most needed in the hottest weather when they're the least efficient. Mistbox is an add-on technology for domestic air conditioners that uses a water mist to pre-cool the air conditioner, increasing its efficiency and lowering energy costs.

Your typical air conditioning unit in an apartment or home is a stupid creature, failing to work intelligently to create the most comfortable temperature environment for you in the most efficient way. Start up Ambi Climate thinks it has built the better brain to solve this issue.

Air conditioners are a blessing in a hot climate, but with their thermostat minds they’re almost like sticking a vacuum cleaner in your wallet. To help remedy this, GE and Quirky have launched the Aros smart air conditioner; the first major connected appliance of the partnership.