Close Comfort is an Australian and Singapore based start-up which seeks to provide sustainable solutions to cool a warming world. Close Comfort Cool Focus is a pretty unique device because even though it is a portable air conditioner, it is designed for single person use. One big advantage of Cool Focus is that it consumes only 300W of power, compared to portable air conditioners which consumes an average of 1200W. But with four times less power, can I still get aircon-like cold air? The answer is yes. And during warm and humid days, the Cool Focus certainty does a great job cooling me down.
Unboxing
In the box, you will find:
- Cool Focus Personal Air Conditioner
- AAA batteries x2
- Remote control
- Transparent flap
- User manuals
Build quality and design
The Close Comfort Cool Focus is mainly made from plastic and has a glossy white finish. The shape of the device resembles typical portable aircon but in a slightly smaller package. There is a front and back of the Cool Focus, which you can distinguish by the flaps, what Cool Comfort calls the air covers. The side with the larger air cover is the front and the one which is smaller is the back. Other than the covers on the top, there is a tray at the bottom.
The overall size is actually rather compact, measuring 55.0cm x 27.3cm x 38.5cm (HxWxD). Although it weighs in at 17kg, Close Comfort Cool Focus has caster wheels on the base of the unit to make it easier to move around. There are also handles on the side so that it is easier to carry it from one room to another.
Maintenance is pretty low here as there are only three filters in Cool Focus, which Close Comfort recommends washing after few weeks of use.
How does it work
To start, the Close Comfort Cool Focus is not like your typical portable air conditioners where it can cool a whole room. As Cool Focus does not come with the pipe to throw out the heat, it is designed to cool only the individual. In fact, Close Comfort markets the Cool Focus as a personal air conditioner.
The best way to describe how Cool Focus in terms of the experience you’re getting is putting a strong fan in the fridge, then leaving the fridge door agar for the fan to blow out the cool air. If you want a more scientific explanation, Close Comfort uses compressor refrigeration in the Cool Focus, which is the main driver behind the cooling.
But like all refrigerators, heat is also exhausted. As such, there are two ends on the Cool Focus – one to direct the cold air to you, and the other to dispose the hot air in the other direction. The air cover then allow you control the angle of which the cold wind is being blown to you.
Setup and usage
Close Comfort Cool Focus is pretty much a plug-and-play setup. Once you have it plugged to AC power and turn on the Cool Focus, it takes about 1-3 minutes for Cool Focus to startup before you can instantly feel the cold air. You can tell when Cool Focus is ready by checking the status indicators on the back. If the power indicator is blinking it means the compressor isn’t ready. Once the indicator stops blinking, it means the compressor is running and you should start to feel the cold air.
Where possible, it is recommended to place Cool Focus such that back is against a window so that the warm air can be thrown out more easily. Even if you discharge the warm air in the room, you’ll still be able to feel the cold air. However, it is recommended that you keep your windows and doors open so air can better circulate in the room.
Next, you’d want to adjust the air cover to choose the angle of which the cold wind is being blown to you. The blue thing in the front is called the nozzle, and you can use it to adjust the air speed. Leaving the nozzle down offers higher air speed and longer cooling distance, while lifting the nozzle up lowers the air speed and provides more gentle breeze.
As there are no physical buttons on the Cool Focus, you have to use the remote control to adjust the settings such as temperature (as low as 17ºC), fan speed, and an option to set a timer for Cool Focus to automatically turn off. You cannot turn on Cool Focus if the back cover is not lifted. Also, if you shut the back cover during use, Cool Focus will automatically power down.
While Close Comfort Cool Focus is in used, it will start to produce condensation. The condensation however, is being recycled by channelling it back into the unit. There is a rubber stopper at the back of the Cool Focus which you can remove to allow the condensation to collect in the bottom tray.
Personal experience
The air that comes out of Close Comfort Cool Focus really does feel cold. It does feel like you’re sitting next to an air conditioner with the air blowing right at you. Using an infrared thermometer, albeit not the most accurate device for measuring, I’m getting a reading of 20.2ºC when setting the temperature to 20ºC.
I found that it is best to place Close Comfort Cool Focus at most 3 arms length away from you. Anything further than that then the air will not feel as cool. Close Comfort included a transparent flap in the box, which is used to increase the angle of air flow. When placing the Cool Focus on the floor and having the front air cover opened to is maximum, the cold air is generally felt around my stomach and chest area. Attaching the transparent flap allows the cold air to be directed higher, around my shoulder and neck level.
Using Cool Focus by placing it on the floor, the cold air felt similar to that of an air cooler, where by the shape of the breeze feels ‘rectangular’ vs a more ‘circular’ breeze from standing fan. A ‘rectangular’ breeze means less surface area coverage with my body but more strong and direct.
Personally, I prefer a gentle but wide and circulated breeze. As such, I found that the best way to experience the Close Comfort Cool Focus is to prop it up on a chair or a higher surface such that the front air cover is at your chest level. That way, the cold air that is released can sink downwards as well, increasing the surface area of contact. Also, I recommend opening the windows to allow for greater ventilation so that the warm air expelled can escape easily instead of being trapped in your room. This picture below shows my usual setup of Cool Focus. I sit about 2 arms length away and setting it up at this height, boy was this the sweet spot.
What about noise? The noise levels from low fan to medium fan doesn’t have much difference, measuring about 49dBA and 53dBA respectively. If you go into the highest fan speed, noise levels go up to about 62dBA. Personally, I do not mind noises that are constant and at an acceptable level. At medium fan speed, I find the noise to be bearable and after a while I actually do not notice the noise if I’m focused on my work. However, I found the sound of water slushing around in Cool Focus to be a little bothersome. Thankfully, that sound does not happen constantly and comes in waves.
Power efficiency
Close Comfort Cool Focus is rated to consume 300W of power. In contrast, standard air conditioners or even portable air conditioners usually range between 1000W to 2000W of power consumption. Having said that, Cool Focus only cools an individual while a portable aircon can cool the whole room. Ultimately, it really depends on your usage scenario. On a warm and humid day, it might not be worth it to turn on your air conditioner just to cool yourself in the room. Using Cool Focus then becomes a cheaper and better alternative as it consumes at least four times less electricity.
Conclusion
With work from home continuing to be a norm, Close Comfort Cool Focus is great product to keep you comfortable and productive. There are times where the weather is just so hot and humid in Singapore, turning on the standing fan just seems to blow out warm air that does not cool you down. That’s where Cool Focus comes in. If placed properly, Cool Focus can deliver cold breeze that cools you down more than a regular fan.
At S$649, it is by no means affordable so it is important to understand what Close Comfort Cool Focus offers so you don’t end up having overly-high expectations of what it can do. Remember that it is only able to cool a person and it does a great job at it. If you’re looking for something that offers air conditioner-like breeze with a convenient plug-and-play setup without burning too much electricity then the Cool Focus is pretty unique device on the market. You can purchase the Close Comfort Cool Focus on Shopee, Lazada or from Close Comfort.