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Get ready for a hot summer because it looks like it’s going to be a real scorcher this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently revealed that the weather phenomenon El Niño has formed. Associated with hotter temperatures, El Niño may lead to one of the hottest summers on record. In fact, the state of Texas is already experiencing dangerous, oppressive heat with no end in sight. Whether you’re a resident of the Lone Star state or somewhere else in the states, we’re here to share everything you need to know about El Niño, as well as provide plenty of ways to beat the heat all season long.
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Put simply, El Niño is when equatorial winds weaken and cause warm water from the Pacific to be pushed east toward the west coast of the United States. The result is a season in which the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual while the Gulf Coast and Southeast are wetter than usual.
►Related: ‘Oppressive’ and ‘unbearable’ heat wave scorches Texas, with no end in sight
El Nino can make storms that originate in the central and eastern Pacific stronger while making those from the Atlantic weaker. Essentially, the west coast may see the formation of more hurricanes than usual, while the east coast may experience fewer hurricanes.
A water bottle and pitcher
With increased temperatures comes the risk dehydration, which can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue to dizziness. To prevent dehydration, you should drink lots of water throughout the day. One way to do this is by using a water bottle such as our favorite, the Brita Filtering Water Bottle, which opens with one hand, keeps water cool for 24 hours and filters odors. If you’d like a supply of chilled water throughout the day, you could fill a pitcher of water instead and keep it in your fridge. Brita has you covered here, too, as they sell our favorite filter pitcher, the Brita Everyday, which features fast filtration and several filter options.
$31 at Amazon
$28 at Amazon
An ice cream maker
One of the most fun and delicious ways to cool off is by making your own ice cream (lactose intolerance notwithstanding). Whether your sweet tooth is calling for chocolate, French vanilla, or Superman, our favorite ice cream maker, the Ninja Creami will satisfy your needs. This ice cream maker is easy to use, can handle frozen chunks of fruits and makes frozen treats quickly. If you want something less expensive, we recommend our value pick, the Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart. While this ice cream maker is a bit slower and has a smaller capacity, the Cuisinart is still easy to use and makes delicious ice cream all the same.
$230 at Amazon
$50 from Amazon
A fan
Fans provide a low-cost way to keep yourself cool in the summer months. If you’re looking for a quality fan, look no further than the best fan we’ve tested, the Vornado 660. This fan is powerful despite its small size, boasting great air speed and maintaining an impressive breeze over large distances.
$100 from Amazon
An air conditioner
For temperatures above 95ºF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using air conditioners, as they become more effective at cooling than fans at this temperature. A great air conditioner to buy is the GE Profile PHC08LY, which is powerful, quiet and compatible with smart speakers and phones.
$399 from Amazon
A smart thermostat
The best smart thermostat, Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat, will help you navigate the hotter weather in a variety of ways. For one, you can schedule the thermostat to shut off when you’re not home so that you don’t break the bank. Plus, the thermostat can adjust temperatures based on where you are in your house to avoid wasting energy in rooms that you’re not currently in. Last but not least, this intuitive device comes with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant functionality.
$200 from Amazon
A pet cooling mat
The only thing sadder than being miserable in summer heat is seeing your pet be miserable in the summer heat, too. Fortunately, there’s a gel-filled pet cooling mat that will keep your furbaby content in the heat no matter what size they are. We’ve tested the mat and found that it really is as effective as it says.
Starting from $30 at Amazon
A cooling mattress
There are few things as maddening as trying to get some sleep while it’s hot or waking up in a pool of sweat. If you’re looking to keep cool at night, we recommend switching your mattress to one that specializes in cooling. The best cooling mattress we’ve tested is the GhostBed Luxe. Besides being excellent at diffusing heat, this mattress is firm and has low motion transfer, meaning that if you share a bed, your partner’s tossing and turning won’t disturb you in your sleep. For a more affordable option, we recommend our value pick, the Lull Original, which also holds the honor of being our favorite firm mattress and memory foam mattress.
$1598 from Ghostbed
$800 from Amazon
A cooling pillow
Why stop at a cooling mattress? Another way to cool yourself off is by using a cooling pillow. Brooklinen’s Marlow Pillow is one of the best ones you can buy thanks to its cooling memory foam. It comes in multiple sizes and you can adjust its firmness by adding and removing cushioning.
$59 from Brooklinen
A cooling towel
The high temperatures mean that you’ll be sweating a lot more than usual. You can use Mission’s cooling towel to cool yourself off by wetting the towel or leave it dry to wipe off your sweat. It’s a must-buy during the summer months whether you’re exercising or staying still.
$21 from Amazon
An inflatable pool
Another way to cool off when the going gets hot is by jumping into a pool. If you have a large backyard, you can bring the water to you with one of the best inflatable pools online—Intex’s Easy Set Inflatable Swimming Pool. This pool comes in a variety of size options to fit your needs and it’s easy to set up and fill thanks to the pump that comes with it.
$75 from Amazon
A humidifier or dehumidifier
In addition to higher temperatures, El Niño can cause dryer atmosphere conditions if you live in the Midwest. If you’re particularly sensitive to dry air, we recommend you get a humidifier. The best one we’ve tested is the Levoit Classic 300S, which is quiet while boasting high capacity and output.
Conversely, if you live in the South, El Niño instead causes increased humidity. In this case, you should pick up our favorite dehumidifier, the LG Puricare 50 Pint. This dehumidifier is sleek, easy to empty and quickly reduces humidity.
$70 from Amazon
$396 from Walmart
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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