When summer temperatures climb, staying cool can feel like a full-time job.
You can crank up the air conditioning inside, but what about when you’re sleeping, sitting at the beach, walking, playing pickleball, working by the pool, or simply trying to enjoy a glass of wine outside without it turning warm in five minutes?
I recently joined the team at Good Day DC to share some of my favorite products to beat the heat, and these aren’t just your basic portable fans and water bottles. I found some seriously smart summer products designed to solve very specific hot-weather problems.
We’re talking cooling sheets that actually feel cool to the touch, a personal cooling system, technology to help keep your phone from overheating, cooling inserts you can put right inside your bra, drinkware designed to keep your favorite beverage cold, and beach gear that makes a hot day by the ocean much more enjoyable.
Some of these products surprised the Good Day DC team as much as they surprised me.
So whether you’re heading to the beach, spending weekends by the pool, exercising outside, traveling somewhere hot, or just trying to survive another heat wave, here are seven of my favorite summer cooling essentials.
Rest Evercool Cooling Bedding for Hot Sleepers
Let’s start with one of my favorites because being hot during the day is one thing. Being hot when you’re trying to sleep is another.
I shared the Rest Evercool+ Cooling Sheet Set on Good Day DC, along with Rest’s cooling pillowcases and cooling bedding.
The first thing you notice when you touch this bedding is that it really does feel cool.
Not “lightweight summer sheet” cool.
Actually cool to the touch.
The fabric is also incredibly smooth and almost silky, which was one of the first things we noticed during the segment.
Rest says its proprietary Evercool fabric is designed for temperature regulation and moisture-wicking performance. The company has also had its sheets independently tested by SleepScore Labs. In that study, which analyzed more than 1,000 nights of sleep, 92% of participants reported better temperature regulation while using the sheets.
That’s important because hot sleepers know that simply switching to thinner bedding isn’t always enough.
Rest currently offers Evercool+ sheets, pillowcases, and comforters, so you can incorporate as much or as little cooling bedding into your bedroom as you want.
I especially like the pillowcases for anyone who doesn’t want to replace all of their bedding but wants to try the cooling technology.
The Evercool+ Cooling Pillowcases are designed to be cool to the touch while also wicking away moisture.
For women over 50 who find themselves sleeping hotter than they used to, or frankly anyone who is tired of flipping the pillow looking for the “cool side,” this is definitely worth a look.
Shop Rest Evercool+ Cooling Sheets
Shark Personal Cooling for Hot Summer Days
We’ve all seen handheld fans and those portable fans people wear around their necks.
But I wanted something a little more interesting for this segment: a personal cooling solution that could give you options depending on where you are and what you’re doing.
That’s what I loved about the Shark personal cooling products I brought to Good Day DC.
You could use personal cooling at a sporting event, on the sidelines, while sitting outside, at your desk, during a workout, or anywhere you need some relief from the heat.
And unlike a big outdoor fan, a personal cooling device can go where you go.
During the segment, we demonstrated the different ways the system can deliver cooling relief, including airflow and mist.
The mist was the part that got the immediate reaction in the studio because you can actually feel the difference on your skin.
This is the kind of summer gadget I love because it isn’t limited to one situation.
Heading to an outdoor concert?
Take it.
Sitting through your child’s or grandchild’s sporting event?
Take it.
Working outside?
Take it.
Spending the afternoon on the patio?
Take it.
And if you’re sitting at a desk, you can position a portable fan toward you and create your own little cooling zone without freezing everyone else in the room.
Shop Shark Fans and Cooling Products
PHOOZY Helps Protect Your Phone From Summer Heat
If you’ve ever been sitting at the pool or beach and picked up your phone only to see the dreaded temperature warning, you understand this problem.
It has happened to me more times than I can count.
You put your phone under a towel.
The sun moves.
Suddenly the phone is hot, it isn’t functioning properly, and you can’t take pictures or use it until it cools down.
Enter PHOOZY.
PHOOZY makes Thermal Capsules designed to protect phones and other devices from extreme temperatures.
And the technology behind them is fascinating.
PHOOZY uses NASA-derived thermal technology and a Chromium Thermal Barrier to reflect heat away from your device and help it maintain a safer operating temperature for longer.
One important clarification: PHOOZY isn’t an ice pack for your phone, and it won’t cool down a phone that’s already overheated. Instead, it’s designed to help protect the device from the elements and prevent it from overheating as quickly in the first place.
That’s why the best time to use it is before your phone gets hot.
Slip your phone into the PHOOZY when you’re sitting by the pool, on the beach, boating, hiking, or spending time outside.
PHOOZY also makes larger Gear Capsules for tablets and other devices, which I love if you’re someone who takes an iPad outside to work or read.
And there’s another feature that makes a lot of sense around water: PHOOZY says its phone capsules float and are water-resistant, although they’re not designed to be submerged like a waterproof case.
For anyone who spends a lot of summer near water, this is one of those products that makes you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner.
Joylux coldHER Cooling Bra Inserts Are Genius
Ladies, let’s talk about something we all know happens when it’s hot outside.
Boob sweat.
There. I said it on television, and I’m saying it here.
Whether you’re playing tennis or pickleball, running, walking, exercising outside, traveling, or just dealing with an incredibly hot day, sometimes you want cooling relief exactly where you need it.
The Joylux coldHER Cooling Bra Inserts might be one of the most unexpected summer products I brought to Good Day DC.
And they’re incredibly simple.
The reusable inserts contain phase-change material designed to absorb heat from your body. You can place them directly against your skin inside your bra for targeted cooling. As they absorb heat, the material changes from a solid to a liquid state. It then hardens again at room temperature in about 30 minutes so it can be reused.
You don’t ordinarily have to freeze them before using them, although Joylux says you can refrigerate them for extra cooling. If they’re stored somewhere exceptionally hot and haven’t returned to their solid state, they may need to be cooled first.
They’re small enough to throw into a purse, gym bag, pickleball bag, or travel bag.
Use them.
Wipe them clean.
Let them reset.
Use them again.
It’s such a simple idea, but for women who spend a lot of time outside in the summer, it makes so much sense.
Shop Joylux coldHER Cooling Bra Inserts
HOST Freeze Drinkware Keeps Summer Drinks Cold
I have had HOST products forever, and they’re one of those things I pull out when the weather gets hot.
Because I like my wine cold.
Very cold.
And on a hot summer afternoon, your perfectly chilled glass of Chardonnay doesn’t stay perfectly chilled for long.
HOST makes a whole collection of freezable drinkware designed to keep drinks at a better temperature longer.
The concept is wonderfully simple.
You put the glass or cooling vessel in the freezer, and the cooling gel inside helps keep your drink chilled after you pour it.
There are options designed for wine, beer, cocktails, whiskey, and other drinks, plus cooling products for food and desserts.
This is great for entertaining outside because you don’t have to keep adding ice to a drink that isn’t supposed to have ice in it.
They’re also fun for patios, pools, decks, barbecues, picnics, and beach houses.
And yes, during the segment, my husband raised a very important question:
“When do you need your wine chilled for an hour?”
Fair point.
But I’d still rather have the option!
Shibumi Shade Makes Beach Days So Much Easier
If you’ve ever schlepped a giant beach tent, umbrella, chairs, cooler, towels, bags, and everything else across hot sand, you’ll appreciate the story behind Shibumi Shade.
Shibumi was created to solve one of the most annoying parts of going to the beach: hauling and setting up heavy shade equipment.
Instead of fighting the wind, Shibumi Shade actually works with it.
The lightweight canopy floats above you in the breeze, creating shade without the heavy structure of a traditional beach tent.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve loved watching this company grow.
The Shibumi Shade is designed to be lightweight, portable, and easy to set up, and the company says its current shade can be assembled in about four minutes.
And now there are colors!
For years, you’d look down the beach and see row after row of similar blue Shibumi Shades.
Good luck remembering which one was yours.
Now the company offers a range of colors including Sunrise, Hibiscus, Coral, Sea Glass, Ocean, Summer Sky, and more.
Naturally, I gravitated toward the pink.
The Shibumi Beach Chair Might Become Your New Favorite
Shibumi has also expanded beyond its famous beach shade.
I brought one of the company’s beach chairs onto Good Day DC, and this is another product designed around the idea that beach gear should be comfortable without being a nightmare to carry.
The Shibumi Chair uses the company’s DreamWave fabric on a marine-grade aluminum frame. It has four reclining positions, folds flat, and includes padded backpack-style straps so you can carry it to the beach.
The aluminum construction is especially appealing for beach use because you’re constantly dealing with salt, sand, and moisture.
And there are optional accessories, including an XL cup holder and carry clips.
I also love that you can get the chair in pink.
Obviously.
The combination of the lightweight shade and backpack-style chair makes getting from the car to your spot on the beach significantly easier.
And when it’s 90 degrees outside, the last thing I want is to arrive at the water already exhausted from carrying everything.
How to Stay Cool During a Summer Heat Wave
One thing I love about all of these products is that they tackle heat in completely different ways.
That’s really the secret to staying comfortable during the hottest days of summer.
Think about where heat affects you most.
If you’re waking up hot during the night, changing your bedding may make more sense than turning your thermostat down another five degrees.
If you’re spending hours outdoors, portable personal cooling can make a big difference.
If you’re always at the beach or pool, protecting your electronics from direct sun solves a completely different summer problem.
And sometimes it’s the little things.
A cold drink.
A shady place to sit.
A little cooling relief while you’re walking or exercising.
A beach chair that doesn’t weigh a ton.
The goal isn’t necessarily to avoid summer heat altogether. It’s to make it easier to enjoy everything we love about summer despite the temperature.
My Favorite Products to Beat the Heat
If you missed my Good Day DC segment, here’s the complete list of summer products I featured:
Rest Evercool+ Cooling Bedding
Shark Fans and Personal Cooling
Joylux coldHER Cooling Bra Inserts
Summer is supposed to be fun.
It’s beach days, pool days, long evenings outside, travel, pickleball, backyard dinners, and hopefully a cold glass of wine at the end of the day.
We can’t control the temperature.
But with a few smart summer finds, we can certainly make the heat a whole lot more bearable.
And I’m all for that.
Watch the full segment here: