Beat the heat with these cooling gadgets and wearables
When you're at home
Indoors, stay comfy with cool-feel sheets (like those with a silky finish or lightweight fibers), bed fans (where a nozzle inserted into the bed linens pumps a flow of air around you), or a cooling pillow or chill pad, which are filled with a gel that can stay cool for hours. Sleep-product brands include Serta, Sealy, Casper, Pluto and Threshold.
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The chill pads can work for your own bed and the pets' bed too. There are chillable full-size mattresses (Chilipad, 8Sleep and BedJet get good reviews from The Spruce) and smaller, simple pads (CoolCare and Sharper Image, among others).
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To stay cool indoors, many people invest in cool-feel sheets, bed fans, cooling pillows, and chill pads to ensure a comfortable sleep.
Kim Cook/Associated Press
Outdoor wearables
Clare Epstein, an employee safety expert with Vector Solutions in Tampa, Florida, works to reduce heat stress for at-risk employees in industries like construction, aviation and agriculture. She recommends wearables like cooling scarves and evaporative cooling vests.
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'By soaking the fabric in cold water at the beginning of the day, the vest slowly cools, and keeps the wearer cool,' she says.
Clothes made of 'phase change materials,' or PCMs, contain gel capsules or pads that can help moderate body temperatures. Uline.com advertises a vest that stays under 60 degrees for a few hours, and AlphaCool offers a neck tube that performs similarly. Another feature of the tube, which is made of a polymer material, is that it doesn't get overly chilled, so it's safe for kids to use.
Also for kids, there's a line of plush toys from Warmies that includes little critters of the farmyard, ocean, forest and safari that can be popped in the freezer before a trip to the park or playground.
Wearable items that incorporate small fans or thermoelectric coolers are also good, Epstein says. And there are vests with tubed reservoirs you can fill with water or electrolytes so you can sip as you go.
'These encourage people to take more water breaks, and stay hydrated,' says Epstein.
The wearables range is extensive. Along with cooling buffs, headbands, wristbands, socks and scarves, there are cooling brimmed hats and ball caps. Brands include Mission, Ergodyne, and Sunday Afternoon.
The Campbell family wore sun protection shirts and hats during their hike to protect themselves from the heat.
Uncredited/Associated Press
If you'd prefer a refreshing breeze, USB-chargeable handheld or wearable fans might do the job.
Chill advice
Lynn Campbell, co-founder of 10Adventures travel company in Calgary, Alberta, takes a lot of strenuous hiking and cycling trips with her husband, Richard. They've developed some easy hacks for hot days.
'We'll wake up early, so we're done by 10 or 11 a.m., or if we're out on the trails, split the day in two, so we rest by water or in the shade over the hottest part' of the day, she says.
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Wear light colors and thin, breathable fabrics.
And bring an umbrella. 'This is a game-changer,' Campbell says. 'Now we always pack ultralight, compact ones; they're incredible.'
Also, pour cool water on your head and back. 'We freeze a few bottles of water so we can pour ice water on us to cool down,' Campbell says. 'Putting the bottles under the armpits, in the groin, or on the back of the neck can effectively cool a person down.'
And Annita Katee, a contributing writer for Apartment Therapy, has another way to prep your bed on hot nights:
'Pop your sheets into the freezer at least two hours before bedtime, then pull them out right before you hit the sack,' she wrote in a recent post. She folds hers into a zipped plastic bag, flattens it, then sets it on a freezer shelf between ice packs.
'The result? A delightfully cool bed that feels like a refreshing oasis against the heat.'
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An oscillating fan to keep your room cool The Pelonis 40-inch oscillating tower fan saves me every summer and its narrow design makes it perfect for small spaces. It has three pre-set modes: natural, which mimics the less-predictable rhythm of an outdoor breeze; sleep, which starts off strong and slows down gradually as you drift off; and normal, which is, well, normal. It also has three intensity settings (low, middle, and high), along with an 'eco' energy-saving setting. It also comes with a battery-operated remote control (just remember to buy your own batteries, since they aren't included). Promising review: "Using this fan in my bedroom and it has been GREAT! Much quieter than old style floor fan and the ECO and sleep modes work very well. There's all types of bells and whistles on this fan, but so far each feature has been great. My sleep quality has definitely improved since the air circulation is more evenly distributed and I don't have to constantly adjust the fan. 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