It’s the dog days of summer, your shop feels like a sauna, but your racecar, your project, your pride and joy, demands attention.

And you demand cool, reliable air at a reasonable cost.

The Cool Boss CB-19SL is a compact evaporative, portable air cooler that’s perfectly suited to small to mid-sized spaces like a shop or garage where traditional air conditioning may not be practical or cost-effective. Rated for areas up to 1,076 square feet, this cooler uses evaporative cooling to move a high volume of air—upwards of 6,840 CFM—through water-saturated media, which lowers ambient temperatures using airflow and evaporation alone. It’s a well-known approach that works great in hot, dry climates (it’s in top form at 60 percent humidity and below), and the CB-19SL is built around the simple, effective cooling combination of water, airflow, and basic physics.

Unlike AC units, it doesn’t use refrigerants, compressors, or have a high current draw. It’s ultra-efficient and low-maintenance, with a 19-inch axial fan that pushes air through a Honeycool pad system that is 30 percent more efficient than typical cellulose pads. While the real-world numbers will vary based on humidity and airflow setup, the increased surface area and material density do give it a performance edge.

The Cool Boss unit is compact at 66 inches tall, weighs 40 pounds empty, sports a 15-gallon tank, and is built from a single piece of rotomolded High-Density Polyethylene to avoid the seam leaks you sometimes see in lower-cost coolers. It runs at a reasonable 57-62 decibels—more or less a low hum—which makes it quiet enough to hold a conversation nearby, and includes features like automatic shutoff when the water level drops and a single master switch to power down the fan, pump, and oscillation as one.

The controls are simple and functional, with three fan speeds and a set of oscillating louvers to distribute air. The built-in reservoir is larger than average and offers a longer runtime between refills, while a 15-foot power cord gives some flexibility in positioning without extension cords. The casters and handle are just right for a unit this size, intended for shop or garage use, and there’s a built-in timer so you can walk away and forget it—it even shuts off the water source with the timer so you don’t come back to an unwanted puddle. There’s also a low-water automatic pump shutoff to ensure the longevity of the cooler.

The CB-19SL from BendPak is a great solution for localized cooling in places where AC isn’t feasible or economical. For those working in hot, dry environments looking for a reliable way to move air and drop temperatures without overcomplicating things, it’s the perfect combination of quality, functionality, and price to keep you cool.