Keep cool this summer with these 5 gadgets

The breeze-blowing umbrella

Umbrellas serve a dual function, protecting us from saturating rain and oppressive sunlight; unfortunately, they also serve as a heat-retaining canopy, like some sort of personal ozone layer. The Fanbrella, which looks and feels just like a conventional umbrella, is perfect for keeping the rain at bay but boasts an ingenious fan located underneath the canopy, so that you can enjoy fresh cool air while you walk through the summer showers. The fan is small and quiet enough to be discreet yet powerful enough to reduce humidity. Operated by a switch on the handle of the umbrella, you can activate it only when you need it most.

Humid nights are a horrendous experience for most people, causing much tossing and turning and making sleep impossible. Unfortunately, a conventional fan in your bedroom will do little to alleviate your suffering, as humid air is simply blown around the room. An air conditioned bed is the perfect solution! Imported by C-Scout Japan, this revolutionary furniture boasts quiet fans at the foot of the bed that help to circulate cool air from the opposite end through the membrane, so you’re effectively sleeping on an air conditioned cushion. With low running costs, sleep-deprived summer nights could be a thing of the past.

iPhones are notorious for getting pretty hot to the touch when you’re using one, but now your smartphone could be the perfect accessory to help keep the summer heat at bay when you’re working at your desk or on the move. The small plastic fan fits snugly onto the top of your iPhone and plugs into your phone’s charging socket, so you need not worry about running out of batteries or being near a wall socket to power the fan. With a quiet motor, you can be confident that colleagues won’t be disturbed and, if you remember to keep your iPhone charged, you can take the fan anywhere, from a sweaty train ride home to a walk in the local park with family.

A day in the sweltering office is hardly conducive to high levels of personal hygiene, so the Thanko foot cover will help to keep your feet cool and those unwanted odours away! You’ll need to get accustomed to having a plastic tube strapped to the inside of your trousers but the end, which you push into your sock or shoe, blows cool air gently over your foot to reduce sweating and keep your toes and soles dry. If you can put up with that while you file your latest financial report, you may be relieved to know that the Thanko foot cover is also powered from a mobile phone, so you can wear it for optimum comfort wherever you are.

Strictly speaking, you shouldn’t be drinking alcohol in most public areas, but this innocuous looking beer cooler will also accommodate any regular drinks bottle, so it’s the perfect accessory for lazy afternoons or lunch breaks in the local park on a hot summer's day - when a chilled beverage is a must-have.

With a range of inventive accessories to help make hot days more bearable, all we need now is a summer!

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