If you are shopping around for an air cooler, you might be wondering what is the difference between a Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler as there is a significant cost difference between the two.
Does any of these air cooler has an advantage over the other? Which one cools better? What is the difference in size and power requirement for these coolers? We will find the answer to all these questions here in this article.
Coolers are a viable alternative to Air Conditioners as these are not that power-hungry. The cooling effect may not be as good as ACs, still it can offer decent cooling for casual usage.
There are mainly two types of air coolers available in the market, one is a desert cooler and the other one is a personal cooler. Although both work on the same principle, both cater to different segments, and the size and the pricing are also different.
What Is A Desert Cooler
Desert coolers are good for dry weather. Desert coolers suck air from the outside, so you need to keep it on the window, patio, balcony or other similar place. Usually, desert coolers are not movable but desert coolers with movable wheels are also available in the market (Very rare)
It works on the evaporation principle. You need to pour water and ice in the cooler. There are honeycomb pads on three sides of the coolers that get drenched with water with the help of a pump present in the air cooler.
When the air passes through those honeycomb pads, water evaporation happens where the hot air relieves the heat to the water particle which causes evaporation. As the air loses the heat, we get cool air on the other side.
Desert coolers are notorious for increasing the moisture content in the room as it sucks air continuously from the outside and leaves moisture inside the room. Personal coolers also increase the moisture but after some time it gets stable.
What Is A Personal Cooler
The personal cooler does not get air from outside. It recirculate the air that is available inside the room and condition it. It also works on the same principle as a desert cooler.
It gets the hot air from the room, passes it through the honeycomb pads that are already drenched with water, evaporation happens and at the end, we get cool air.
The beauty of personal coolers is that it stabilizes the room air temperature after a certain time as it does not get hot air from outside all the time. After a couple of cycles, you will feel that the room is already cold.
Most personal coolers are movable as it does not need outside air. Honeycombs are placed on one side instead of three sides in the desert cooler.
Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler: Which One Is Better?
Although the working principle is the same for both there are some fundamental differences between the two in terms of the way these are built, the way these machines supply cool air, and portability.
Personal air coolers are small in size ( Usually 20-30 liters capacity), whereas desert coolers are bulky. The desert cooler capacity varies from 50-70 liters capacity. Moving desert coolers from one place to another is a big pain.
Desert coolers are only good for dry climates as they will increase the moisture content whereas personal coolers are good for dry and humid weather, although personal coolers will also increase the moisture content.
When we talk about the cooling effect, desert coolers are the best but the cooling effect of personal stays longer. Desert coolers do not condition the air inside the room. It just gets hot air from the outside, conditions it, and delivers it to the room.
That is why, in a desert cooler, you will feel the cooling effect only when you are facing the airflow. Otherwise, the air will be still hot and humid. In the case of a personal cooler, you will feel the whole room gets cooled after some time.
The power usage, motor size, and cost are more for desert coolers but it cools better too. Personal coolers, being primarily used for home come at a very cheap price tag.
Desert coolers are good for industrial usage, offices, malls, etc. whereas personal coolers can be used anywhere. The movability feature complements its versatile usage.
| Desert Cooler | Personal Cooler |
|---|---|
| Best for cooling | Not as good as desert cooler |
| Gets outside air for cooling | Get inside air for cooling |
| Bigger is size and power | Small size and power |
| Increase moisture content | Stabilizes moisture content |
| Ideal for both dry and wet climate | Portable to any location |
| More power consumption | Less power consumption |
| Three sides honeycomb pad | One side honeycomb pad |
| Ideal for dry climate | Ideal for both dry and humid weather |
| Expensive | Cheaper than desert cooler |
| Service costs are high | Service cost is low |
Which One To Choose? Desert Cooler Or Personal Cooler?
The decision to choose an air cooler depends on how hot and humid your location is. For dry cities like Delhi, a desert cooler is the best option whereas in places like Kolkata or Chennai where the humidity is already very high, desert coolers will make things worse.
There are other parameters like portability, size, and power should also come into consideration but the weather and cooling effect should drive your decision.
