Gear

Misting Fans, High-Tech Towels, & More Gear to Keep the Kids Cool This Summer

Keep the kids cool and comfortable.

by Jon Gugala
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

It’s summer, the season of family fun. But it’s also the season of heat and sweat and stickiness and, when that mercury peaks, any feelings of excitement can melt faster than a Mister Softee cone on mars. Luckily, there are a number of great misting fans, water bottles, and cooling gadgets available to keep the kids cool and calm when the summer heat makes daily life unbearable. From high-tech towels that cool you off by 20 degrees to fans and portable misters, here are seven personal cooling items that will help save your summer.

CTLpower Handheld Fan

Small enough to pack in a bag but powerful enough to calm the kids when it’s 89 degrees and you’re standing in an hour long rollercoaster line, this USB-powered mini misting fan has three modes (fan, misting, fan-mister) and lasts seven hours in fan mode, five hours in misting mode, and three hours in combined. It’s a vacation saver.

Buy Now $14

Mission Enduracool Techknit Cooling Hoodie

Packing down smaller than a washcloth, the hood-like Enduracool Techknit Cooling Hoodie cools big on hot days. Its synthetic knit fibers, when wetted and wrung out, transport water through their hollow cores, creating a cooling effect. Reactivate simply by re-wetting. The split-tail design, ostensibly to wrap forward and tuck into a shirt for added security, can leave skin showing on some necks, however, so be sure to pack the sunscreen for exposed spots.

Buy Now $20

So Much Fan Portable iPhone Fan

Don’t let its name fool you, the Portable iPhone Fan works with both Apple and Android devices thanks to an adapter. Plug it in and you and the kids get a 16,000-RPM breeze on their faces for up to five hours. It also works with iPads. New iPhone owners take note: Compatibility is only with the 8-pin port, which was phased out with the 8, 8 Plus, and X models.

Buy Now $14

Frogg Toggs Extra Large Super Chilly Cooling Towel

Once wet, this synthetic chamois towel, which is large enough to cover an adult’s full body and blanket a child, begins 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the ambient air. We like to lay it down as a lounge chair covering so we stay cool while watching the kiddos at the pool.

Buy Now $12

Orca Rocket

Plenty of places don’t allow glassware. The Rocket solves this, camouflaging a 12-ounce bottle with stainless steel, vacuum-insulated protection while keeping contents cool for up to 12 hours. With a few twists, it adapts to fit a 12-ounce aluminum can. It even has a bottle opener on the base.

Buy Now $30

Arctic Cove 18-Volt Two Speed Misting Bucket Top Fan

Ahhh mist, wind and water’s beautiful, cooling creation. This rechargeable misting fan-bucket combo, which runs of an 18-volt lithium ion battery, attaches to your hose and continues to spray an ocean-esque misty breeze on you and the kids for up to 3.5 hours. We liked the low-high settings for either personal or group coverage.

Buy Now $80

O2 Cool Mist N Spray Bottle

This otherwise ordinary 20-ounce bottle packs a summer-saving secret: a special nozzle that allows you to conjure a mist from your drinking water. It has a standard drinking spout as well so you and the kids can both sip from it and receive a face full of mist. Just make sure you’ve filled it with water and not blue Kool-Aid before unleashing the spray.

Buy Now $13

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