Arctic Air Ultra Review: Better Than the Original? 

Purchased: August 2023 - still works GREAT!I ru-vid.comUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install. This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment. I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!

I just got one of these. It sits on my desk, and I can stand being in my den when the temp is 90, when it's blowing right on me from about 30 inches away. Without this I couldn't, I'd have to turn on the AC when the temp hit about 85. This saves on AC bills. It puts out 75 degree air when the room temp is 88.

Its a mini swamp cooler. They work great if the air is dry, if its humid then it wont work.

Would have been good to see what the ambient temperature was inside your room to see the difference it made.

*Easy to assemble **Fastly.Cool*

Look people... this is just bogus. Heat in a room is trapped on the walls, in your furniture, everything. You will need to cool everything in order to start feel cooler. That requires A LOT OF ENERGY that this little tiny swamp cooler can ever achieve. If you want the room to feel cool - then good luck, it's NOT going to do it. If you just want cooler air blowing on you, well that may do the trick. But don't think this is an actual AC replacement.

I brought the original version and it's adjustable I can adjust it up, down or middle and it gets very cold. Also I soak the filter in bleach water then put to dry out in the sun and reuse

Here's the thing to keep in mind. Ad copy for these things talks about how it lowers the temperature 20 degrees. It doesn't. It may blow out air 20 degrees cooler than the room, but the effect on the entire room can be negligible. It's really just a more efficient fan, that's all.

If it was $10 or maybe $15 I would consider giving it a try. These do work. How well they work depends on the humidity level where you live. Plus these are basically wick humidifiers, so they do add some humidity to your house.

So glad to see that Bailey takes her inspection duties so seriously ;)

Just bought 4 of these from Lowe's up here in Canada and I'm surprised they work decent on the main floor of my house. AC broke and repair guys are booked up for 5 days. I have 2 in the kitchen from two sides and 2 in the family room. It's not bad for emergencies or if your current AC can't handle a very hot day. 1 out of the 4 was used and still wet inside the box. Someone used it and re boxed it and the shop assumed it had not been open. Filter smelled of mold.

Best "as seen on tv" reviewer

If you have hard water use filtered water to help your filter last longer, also wash with a vinegar bath to help improve filter life

I'm glad they improved their product! I was very dissapointed that the original one wasn't good, because we definitely need one during the summer.

Thanks for this review. Quite useful! My original Arctic Air crapped out after only a year, during my first time using it this year during a video conference with the office. Worst timing. While I was trying to get it going (my house was 93 degrees) I managed to spill water all over and had to drop out of the conference. I am especially glad that you pointed out the new anti-spill feature. The lights don't mean any to me and I have the new one set up next to my computer in the house so I don't need the USB. Also, I like your style as opposed to the giggle girls' approach. In short, I really enjoyed this review! From now on, I will check with you before buying anything from TV ads!

This is probably one of the most thorough reviews I've seen good work!

Place 2 frozen water bottles right behind the ordinary fan ... Now compare it 👌

i purchase the Artic Air Ultra approximately 2 months ago. It is a great addition for cooling a small location, we are in a 35 amp RV park, so we can only run 1 AC with the Artic Air allowing me directional cool air sitting in living room, at the dining table or when cooking it helps alot. Only issue is the filter suppose to only last 3 - 4 months, and I have experienced a slight problem with mold. I clean the tank at least weekly, with a white vinegar diluted solution. And yes, ice cubes are the best!!! I have 2 units, one in the bedroom.

Put a bucket of ice water behind the fan! That is what we did when I was a kid. We was so poor we couldn't afford a A /C.

I just bought one of these yesterday as I DESPISE the heat and I live in Kentucky, where it is hot as hell from March thru October! My mother in law, whom I am currently living with, is always cold and therefore keeps the house at least 75 degrees ALL YEAR so I had to do something! Huge difference when you use the filter straight out of the freezer and I highly recommend doing that. It'd been about 24 hours and so far, this is good money spent!

The emo hair killed me 😂

The bigger the ice cube the longer they last so what I would improve on Ultra II would be a bigger or at least taller water tank. Other then that I'm impressed with the result, it is a nice addition to central cooling in those areas that seem warmer then the rest of the house.

A few things you missed to mention: 1) Room temperature to begin with. 2) Humidity (%) 3) What was the temp on the $10 Walmart fan? (For baseline comparison). 4) Temperature blowing out of the Arctic Air at 1, 2 & 4 hours. 5) For the geeks in us, what is the power consumption in watts? Ok, so there are some improvements, is it worth it? My only concern is, how would this do in warm and humid Central Florida? In the Summer? I wonder if I can have a second filter alternating and cooling in my 12V Danfoss Compressor RV Fridge in my RV Minivan while the other one operates. I can also add some ice.

I prolly found channel on a RU-vid crawl...and originally thought you a tool (as in sponsored shill)...but, your reviews seem very honest, offer value and also often feature a dog. You seem like a solid dude and earned this subscriber

3:27 "...I definitely feel like this one blows much stronger than that one" Well we can agree about them blowing 🤣

Best fan I ever bought was a lasko high velocity blower fan from home depot online. Blower fans work better than bladed fans. Really pushes a lot of air. If you don't have ac it works good. Last summer managed to get my spare room setup as a den with a window ac unit. It was a godsend in the summer heat as i dont have central ac.

I think a good test is cold longevity. Sure if you blow air through an iced up sponge you're going to get cool air out of it, but how long will it keep you cool? I probably won't get one, though I'm more impressed than I thought it would be. I especially like how manufacturers in the age of the Amazon comment are improving their products.

Thanks for the review. I appreciate companies which respond to customer's preferences. I would not have purchased the original model but am considering this one.

I’m guessing the usb connection doesn’t draw enough power for the stronger fan speed

I love mine. I use it at work and it keeps me very cool. I live in a humid climate next to the ocean. I have had both versions of the coolers. The ultra is louder but has a stronger fan.

I have the original Arctic air... or rather version 1.1 by virtue of the fact that mine DOES have a vent that can be aimed up and down. It also has a mode on the LED that color-cycled the light which is kinda cool. I did find the cooling quite weak though, and I most likely will upgrade.

Excellent Review.. Thank you ! Ive just bought the Ultra today in South Africa and the original plug is a USB one. It feels super cool and the fan works well on all three speeds. Cant believe that I only paid SA Rand R 150 on Promotion which is about US $ 10 plus shipping of course US $ 0.50

I died on “which one blows harder...” huge pause lol

I've used the original and I must say, I like it. One thing I've used it for is actually putting it behind my laptop or desktop so it can suck up the hot exhaust air and cool the air down so the room doesn't heat up as much.

Been watching your videos for about a month now, love them and thanks for the great work! Questions/suggestions for the Arctic Air Ulta/Original -Could you try swapping the power supplies and see if the Ultra can be run from USB -Curious to see if the usable distance on the Ultra has improved (by how much?) compared to the original -Also (with or without ice cube/frozen filter hack) how does the cooling performance change or temp increase as it gets to the max 10 hour run time?

As others have mentioned, this is just a mini swamp cooler. I have been using swamp coolers for 40 years. We use swamp coolers as the only AC in our home. They can work great if, and only if conditions are right. First, the air MUST be dry. If it's to humid for water to evaporate quickly, they will not work. They also need to intake warm dry air from outside and they need to pump it inside. You also need a way for the air to get out. You are constantly pumping air into and out of the space you are trying to cool. Suppose you are cooling a camper. You must take outside air, run it through the swap cooler, and then pump that air into the camper. Then you need a vent or something to allow that air to get out. To get the evaporative cooling effect you must constantly pump outside air into the camper or whatever you are trying to cool. If you use it in a closed room, it will work for a few mins, then it will make the air in the room humid and you will lose the cooling effect. I also question the size of this unit. If set up properly, yea, it will work as a swap cooler but it is so small and contains so little water, it's not going to cool much. To cool our 2,000 square foot house we have 2 units. One has four cooling pads (the filter here) that are 4 feet square. That one unit has 64 square feet of cooling pad. a 3/4 horsepower motor and an automatic water system. The second unit has 3 foot square pads (36 square feet total) and a 1/2 horsepower motor. In our case we have 100 square feet of cooling pad. Each square foot of cooling pad for 20 square feet of floor space. How big is this thing? Lets be generous and say 1/2 a square foot. So, if set up in ideal conditions it will cool 10 square feet? Evaporative coolers are great but they are bulky and they only work in areas where the humidity is low.

Bought one, it's not worth a damn. read the online reviews. They must have been submitted by the Arctic Air higher echelon.

I bought the original last year. I live in New Mexico where it is nice and dry and I have no air conditioning. This little thing sitting on my desk was a life saver. I use ice in mine. I purchased a couple filters for it. Once those are used up, I will upgrade to this newer model. This will not cool a room down, but when aimed towards you, it will keep you cool. By the way, I can move the leavers on the original, there is just not a handle. Just carefully move the leavers themselves, if you put too much pressure, they will snap off, but you can snap them back on.

that pause after he said "which one blows harder" 😂

299k James - you deserve more, still, but you are slowly climbing! I’m glad - great review as always! ❤️

Bought one today. Cut the cord (outlet end) and just rewired a USB plug to it. Sometimes gotta take matters into your own hands, but regardless I'm very impressed with this product.

My dad got me one and I really wanted the original, because it was so cool, and I saw it everywhere, and when we were in Target, he saw it on clearance, and got it for me! Best day ever.

I was thinking buying 2 and freezing the filters and adding a frozen gel pack in the tray .

I just bought the ultra yesterday because of the fact it doubles as a humidifier and for once I didn’t wake up with a dry throat. I had it blowing directly on my neck throughout the night and because of the constant airflow I was able to sleep easily too. As far as I’m concerned I like the way it worked, I will try freezing the filter and see how it works that way next.

"Baby, it's cold outside" 17 degree Fahrenheit.....and falling.....I'll be back!

LOVING the new caricature of you in the opening! So funny.....and very professional looking. Everybody who is anybody has a cool caricature!!

I used the original arctic air and it was the worse thing I used. Every single time I put it in my table and it starts leaking. Filter is moldy about a 4 weeks. I will probably buy the new one and see if it doesn't have this problems.

I had an Original Version Arctic Air, but a Knock-Off, and U Could Adjust the Vent. I only used the Natural Color Light, to help me see when I was Near the Top for Filling. The Lights were Wonky on Mine, where after awhile, some wouldn't even come on, then maybe a Week or 2 Later-They WOULD. That also goes for the Round ON Button Light. I found any Light from this added Light to my Bedroom, and had to Lay a Folded Over cloth to the Top, to Block It.

You keep saying "2x cooler" the box says "2x cooling power" which to me translated to the fan being stronger, not that it is 2x cooler than the original.

It makes sense of why they got rid of the usb plug for it. It probably couldn’t provide enough power to make the fan run as good. That’s why the older one didn’t blow much.

Why can't I just get a mini AC with freon in it?

I have this exact model and it reminds me of a toy a/c for a kid's playhouse. It's more of a mini toy swamp cooler, and if I could get my money back I would, but it's been sitting in my closet for over 4 years now.

These swamp coolers are terrible for already humid areas. I can see how they might work for a while in dry areas though.

I got the opportunity to buy the original from DirtCheap (liquidation store in the south) as I was passing through a few months back. They had an entire pallet of them, all at 50% off. $20 wasn't too bad, especially since I couldn't return it. I found one damaged box for even less, getting me out the door for $15 for one of these! I have one of the typical Lasko mini tower fans off to the side of my desk, but my multiple computers just circulate warm air, and it gets up in the upper 80's when I'm gaming and the computer starts pumping a lot of hot air out. In steps the Arctic Air! I already knew what it was, and what it wasn't so, I was not expecting miracles, just cooler air blowing at me. I was amazed right from the start at it's performance. I had it sitting opposite the other fan on the other side of my desk and it was working OK, now I have it sitting directly under my monitor facing me square on. It works well. At the moment, my regular fan is blowing 83*F air at me. My Arctic Air is blowing at 71*F. I was reading how I should be using filtered water, as the filter paper is starting to get scaling on it :( so I poured some of the filtered water from the fridge in it. It was then blowing in the low 60*F range. That was pretty amazing to me. My main complaint is that the grill is not adjustable, BUT there are some out there that are adjustable, I've seen other reviews of them, and there's some manuals floating around with full adjustment in them. It's the same looking unit through, so not sure where they got theirs. My other complaint is the filter itself. I've been researching a source for a roll of filter paper, and looking at the plastic filter housing, it looks pretty easy to replace the filter paper myself. But after watching your review, and seeing the sponge filter... and having lots of experience with fish tank filter modding, I'm pretty sure I could modify the original to incorporate a filter sponge. If you happen to read this , click on my profile and send me a message about what the filter pads are made of or appear to be made of, and I would love to take a crack at it. They made these 100% to sell you on filters to make their money, it's quite obvious. So, if I can figure out how to make my own, I'd love to share it. Great reviews! Thanks for the videos!

Can you tell a different in sound?? Is the ultra louder than the original?

I actually like that the light isn't all that bright in the ultra version because the bright lights don't let eyes rest when you're trying to sleep which makes it to where you need glasses when you get older. I do love everything else.

Hell yeah, wake up to this. It's Gunna be a good day.

I have the Original, and I gotta say, im not using it to cool a Room.. I just have it on my nightstand, for my personal use. And I LOVE IT !!! TOTALLY SAVES ME !!! My boyfriend hates the window AC being on, so This is the Best thing EVER !!!! But to cool a room, I don't think it would work... but for Menopause Mamas!!! Greatest Thing I Ever Bought ❣️🙏🥰

What happens after a few hours of run time? Does temp hold cool or no? Thanks

This product might just be a slight cooler than the usual rotating fans that we put on table next to our bed and give a cool breeze. Get a air conditioner to get rid of humidity.

For the logically minded among us: 46 Fahrenheit = 7.78 Celsius 50 Fahrenheit = 10 Celsius 60 Fahrenheit = 15.5 Celsius 70 Fahrenheit = 21 Celsius

I live in Utah and the air pretty hot and dry right now. It seems to do just ok with helping the room temp but I have noticed that it definitely helps with the dry air.

These are just evaporative 'swamp' coolers. You can get similar results with any generic ones, or even just draping a very thin cold wet towel over a fan. They dont actually cool the air, they increase humidity, which helps us cool (hence why our body sweats). The only actual cooling that is done is if you use a freezer or use colder than ambient water. Not saying the product is bad, but these are just marketing an old technology. If you live somewhere where its already humid, they wont do anything. Also due to the use of water and open air, as well as filters, you need to clean them from time to time to prevent mold.

They do help put humidity in the air also. In winter when you have the furnace turned up. The air can be a bit dry.

The 1st artic air we had had tons of mold. This one fix all that?

We just got one today. I hope it does well tonight to help with putting some moisture in the air to help stop nose bleeds when I sleep.

Everytime I stumble upon one of your videos I end up binge watching like 40 of em

I don't like the lights as I prefer total darkness when sleeping. I noticed you said the price it the same at $40. Where are you buying this for that money? I found out about the original because of one of those annoying ads on YT and the website said SAVE 50% ONLY $124 Glad I sought out reviews. Thanks for the honest assessment. Be well.😎👍

The original you get few different light colors. The ultra gives you better cooling. Give me the ultra.

Power bank max 5 Volts, Possibly 12 volts in AC outlet = more powerful fan/air movement. Simply a "swamp cooler" which is worthless in humid areas. But probably OK where you live. Tnx for the review.

The old one sucked I had cooler air from a box fan.

Interesting differences. I actually did like my original Artic Air until it absolutely quite literally disintegrated. Case leaked like crazy and eventually it stopped even turning on, logic board failure. Its twin sister died within a week of the first one. I will give the Ultra a try since it's quite different with many improvements. Thank you for a great and thorough review. Your Emo hair test gets a big thumbs up from me 😁👍

The best freaking reviews on youtube...

Point the laser at the regular fan and see what temperature you get

The Emo hair just made me think of that one RU-vidr...Onision? In like 20 years, lol. Nice video though.~

Hey i know you most likely wont see this but lazer thermometers dont measure where the lazer is. It measures right infront of the gun the lazer is just for aiming.

Will an ice pack fit in the tank? I sit one of those in front of my fan.

I like that I can use a USB on the original (I could take it to the park, anywhere), the new one, you're limited to where you can plug it. the Original isn't as noisy. I prefer the original. The only thing I like about the Ultra is that you can clean the filter.

Well next year we will see the super ultra version that has lights, usb and a mini ice tray for x2.5 the cooling same price 39.99.

The biggest negative is the newer one doesn't work with USB + Powerbank. I'd buy the next gen if that was fixed AND it could actually be charged! IMO they are not comparable unfortunately.. Thanks for showing us the side by side

Anyone ever been so high you watch a AC unit review? I have

I work in a hot kitchen. In the summer we’ve used a giant swamp cooler in there that works ok. However, if this works, it might be nice as a personal cooler at my work station.

You can ask ANY hvac installer and they will tell you those laser thermometers are not 100% accurate.

Think about this. Used one in the sleeper of my Semi truck. Good enough to get some rest and not idle. Idle burns 10 gallons a night so about 35 dollars saved.

Anything is better than the original

Putting the filter in the freezer gives colder air for about 20 minutes, then it's same as room temp water.

3:06 the original does to, you just had it facing the wrong way....

I visited my mom and it was 98° she had the artic air ultra and I loved it . So i bought one. But when i got home it has been cold and rainy. But I'm really excited to use it on the next hot day since i live in a rv in a park where were not allowed to use our ac

Why did you not tell the room temperature? Worthless showing output temperature without the ambient.

A few tips you can add ice to the water to keep it at a cooler temp which helps. You can also add water to the filter and freeze it in the freezer which helps keep it icer cold. Now it you need a small space chilled out you can do that method and it helps out.

Why don’t U just soak it in liquid nitrogen to make it even colder

I had a similar unit in Pittsburgh some years ago. Not a good idea as Pittsburgh gets humid and I ended up with mold and mildew in the unit. As others have said this is a mini swamp cooler and is best suited for arid climates like Arizona and the other desert areas of the U.S.A. Yes, it did blow cool air, but as stated, it is best used in an arid desert climate.

Love your stuff. Would be interested to see the temp of this after running in 90° heat for an hour

I bought one of these after watching this review since I had a CVS coupon that brought the price down to where I won’t be too mad if it turns out to be junk. I live in SoCal, I have no AC and usually have 3-4 fans going at a time... this should at least be as good as another fan.

who needs the useless light function?

This thing is noticeably cooler than any desk fan, but falls somewhat short of a portable AC or window unit. Filling it up with cool tap water it DOES BLOW COOLER air than any fan could produce. It's cool enough that it formed visible condensation even at ambient temparture of 83F. The recommended method involves saturating the filter with water and freezing it.. I didn't try that yet, but that would even improve the cooling effect. It will still not beat the coolness of a portable AC or a window Unit, but I will admit this thing will will keep you cool enough to get through most hot days. Keep in mind I am using this in Florida, which is high humidity, and this product is not even optimized for my climate (Dry climates are most suitable). (Note: DONT TRUST YOUR STORE IMPRESSION. Keep in mind, the store is already air conditioned, so this thing won't seem as impressive in the store) All that being said, for only $39 I definitely recommend this thing over any other fan!

Hot Humid conditions, lets put more moisture in the air. What a great idea. NOT

Mine is an original but it is different than the two you have in your video. Mine has the blue filter and does not have the light on the side nor does the light change colors. A til for cleaning the filter..... spray the filter with some vinegar let it soak for a while then rinse. It will remove the alkaline on the filter. It does not have an odor when you restart it.

i purchased this product based on your review and it is a total crap. it releases cold air for exactly 10 minutes and that's it, with the filters previously kept in the freezer

I put some ice cubes in the top part where you add water and than add water too and it cools better, its not air conditioning but if you dont have an AC it helps at least a little