Surviving summer without AC: ZDNET's heatwave hacks and gadgets

Heatwaves have become a significant ordeal in 2026: since late June, a series of heat domes have parked over the US, pushing daytime temperatures in desert basins to 115–120°F, with nighttime urban lows staying above 80°F. The UK saw a record-breaking peak of 99.9°F, France hit 111.7°F, and Sicily, Italy, reached 119.1°F.

ZDNET experts, who have tested numerous ways to beat the heat, recommend starting not with cooling but with blocking heat out: the key principle is to prevent outside air from getting inside. That means keeping windows and curtains tightly closed during peak hours and avoiding heat-generating appliances like ovens and dryers.

Standard fans are only useful up to a point: once temperatures exceed 95°F, they stop helping, simply moving hot air around. Instead, the author relies on a fan with a hidden cooler—a device that genuinely lowers the air temperature in a room rather than just creating the illusion of airflow.

Beyond this, during hot spells it pays to revise your daily routine: move strenuous activities to the morning or evening when temperatures are lower, and minimize physical exertion during the day. Staying hydrated matters too, but with cool water rather than ice-cold, to avoid triggering vascular spasms. For nighttime sleep, cooling a pillow or using chilled gel pads can help. These tricks, the author says, get you through even peak temperatures without air conditioning.