The apps and connected devices that I always recommend to stay cool on a budget

Although summer heat waves in Europe are becoming more frequent, we are approaching those days that will leave temperature records. A situation that will trigger thermometers despite the fact that in 2024 we had slightly milder temperatures than normal in the south of Europe and warmer in the Mediterranean part. Today, in the second half of July, we are beginning to see areas with more than 45º in the shadewhich means reaching around 50 degrees in direct sunlight.

In Andalusia, for example, maximum temperatures of 43 or 44 degrees are expected.which means that you will have to take certain measures to avoid problems, such as staying well hydrated, not going out in the middle of the day if it is not necessary and being in well-air-conditioned places.

To do this, I always recommend using devices and applications that help us cope with this heat wave thatpresumably, will stay with us until Saturday. Moreover, it will not be the only one of the summer, so betting on spending a little money to refresh the house seems to be a highly recommended option.

weather apps

In recent weeks we have seen a large variation in maximum temperatures within a few days, changing by almost 10 degrees from week to week. That’s why it’s useful to know how the heat will evolve in the coming days. To do this, it’s good to have a weather app installed, like the ones we’ve analyzed:

• Brezzy Weather – Lets you know the weather by simply looking at your mobile wallpaper.
• Windows 11 app: one of the best options if you want to know the weather from your PC without opening a website.
• Tiempo.es: If you appreciate having a heat map of the area you are in, this is the best option available.
• Dina: focuses on recommending one type of clothing or another depending on the weather in the coming days.
• Clyma Wheather: Uses data from three different sources, so accuracy is higher than other apps.
• 1Weather: This app stands out for its wide selection of widgets to put on mobile desktops.

It is also possible to check the weather without installing anything, directly with Google or Android’s own functions. Even without a cell phone if we have a smart speakerwhat time will tell us simply by asking the question. And if it has a screen, it will show us the forecast for the next few days.

If we are going to travel somewhere, we can use the new Google Maps function that tells us in the application itself what the weather will be like in the destination area, so that it does not surprise us, since there will be strong variations depending on the region of Europe in which we are and depending on the day we travel.

Connected fans

Although in Europe it is common to have air conditioners in the main rooms, it is normal that during heatwaves we need to cool more rooms than usual. Since it is not usually possible to install an air conditioner in every room, especially at the last minute, fans are a good alternative.

There are many prices and sizes, but Xiaomi does not stand out for its price, at least not especially, but for its contained size, its design and, above all, its low noise. They are perfect to put in a bedroom at night

• Mi Smart Pedestal Fan 2: the best option in terms of quality and price. very quiet and takes up little space.
• Mi Smart Pedestal Fan 2 Lite: Lower price than its older brother but a little noisier and less powerful.
• Mi Smart Pedestal Fan 2 Pro: This version has a built-in battery, making it ideal for moving around the house.
• Xiaomi Smart Tower Fan: the best option if we want a tower design that cools from the ground.

Smart windows

At this time of year it is normal for the difference between minimum and maximum temperatures to be very high. For example, there are areas where maximum temperatures exceed 40 degrees and minimum temperatures do not reach half of this value. That is why it is convenient to know when to open the windows to be able to ventilate the house without letting hot air in.

To do this, we can use the applications mentioned above, and also, if we have opening sensors on the doors and windows, know if they are open or not at certain times. For example, if we use the Ring alarm, we can enter the application to check the status of the sensors in each window, and know if it is open or not, close it when it is hot and open it only when the temperature drops. .

Air conditioning from your mobile

Finally, we are going to recommend some of those devices that do not cost a lot of money and that can help us air condition the house even when we are not there. This is a universal remote control that allows you to control air conditioners from your mobile phone.by cloning the remote to this device and connecting it via WiFi.

This way it is possible to turn on the air from your mobile, or by voicenot only when we are at home, bringing comfort, but also when we are absentso that the house is cool when we arrive. Additionally, if we had some type of device that measures the temperature, routines could be created that would turn it on when a specific temperature is reached and turn it off when the room is already heated.

The price of these devices is not high, and there are simple ones, like the one from Broadlink, or something more complex, like the one from Xiaomi that is integrated into a smart speaker, giving us two products for the price of one. The latter is particularly cheap, being reduced by almost 50% compared to its initial sale price, which was not particularly high. Now it costs a little more than 20 dollars.

If, in addition to controlling the air conditioning, we want to remotely control a ceiling fan, which is usually use radio frequency controls instead of infraredit will be necessary to use other types of devices, slightly more expensive, but still very economical. A good example is the BroadLink RM4 Pro IR and R, which costs around 49 dollars on Amazon.