With the onset of the brutal summer upon us, North India and other parts will soon be simmering, with temperatures already touching 38 degrees Celsius in Jaipur and even 40 degrees in some parts of Uttar Pradesh. Now is the time when most people will be buying new air conditioners, desert coolers, and fans. It is paramount that one understands what they need and what appliance might be suitable in a certain situation.
I have been using Orient Electric’s Cloud 3 Fan for around three weeks now, and it is safe to say that the fan sits somewhere in between a traditional cooler and an AC—serving a purpose that most users will learn over the course of using the product. Many might dismiss it as a usual pedestal fan when they first see it, but the fan offers a new cooling solution that we haven’t really seen much of yet.
Does the Orient Electric Cloud 3 Fan Live up to Its Promise?
At first glance, one could mistake the Cloud 3 fan for a mist fan commonly seen at events like weddings. However, with its Cloudchill technology, water particles are converted into nano particles and released from the chassis surrounding the fan. I tried covering one of the outlets with my finger, but the particles are so tiny that my finger did not get wet—not feeling the moisture, unlike traditional mist fans.
Technology aside, let’s address the elephant in the room. Does the fan live up to its promise of bringing the temperature down by 12 degrees? To answer simply, yes, the fan does bring down the temperature—but not by 12 degrees. Don’t get me wrong, it cools the room nicely after a while. In fact, during one instance when I slept with just the Cloud 3 fan running on its maximum cooling setting, I woke up in the middle of the night, looking for my blanket.
More importantly, unlike traditional desert coolers and indoor plastic coolers, using the Orient Electric Cloud 3 fan does not drastically increase the humidity levels. You can feel a change, but it is quite subtle and surely does not make your room setting uncomfortable like some indoor coolers.
Not an AC/Cooler Replacement but Has a Solid Use Case
Is it a replacement for an AC? No. Can it replace a traditional desert cooler? No. But, like I said earlier, the use case is quite specific. In fact, it’d work nicely in dry states like Rajasthan (where I’m from), but not so much in humid regions like the South. But yes, if not using the cooling mode, you can also use it as a plain pedestal fan—with multiple fan speeds at your disposal.
Moreover, you can also add ice to the water storage if you want more cooling. I tried the same and could notice an immediate difference.
Aesthetics and Build Quality
As a fan that costs upwards of almost Rs 15,000, the Cloud 3 fan justifies its price when talking about the design and the aesthetics. It would suit most living rooms and places—thanks to its neutral, minimalist design.
However, I did notice the fan making creaking sounds after a couple of weeks of usage—especially once it was switched to the swing mode. But the overall build is solid, with plastics seemingly of high quality. You will have to keep cleaning the fan though—especially if you live with pets like I do. I had to constantly remove cat fur after a couple of days of use.
Also, moving the fan is an easy affair—with a round base, which comes with wheels at the bottom. Above the base is the midsection, which houses the water reservoir (stores up to 4.5L water) and can be refilled from the back. One thing that did annoy me was the power cable getting in the way when pouring water—but it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if you get the wire out of the way first.
Orient Electric also bundles a remote control along with the fan—and it does the job. It lets you control the swing, the three-stage cooling intensity and fan speed, and of course, lets you turn on/off the fan.
Verdict: More Than Just a Fan
The Orient Electric Cloud 3 is ideal for situations when you can’t use an AC, and for me, it has more or less replaced my indoor cooler (which I use in the months before monsoon hits Jaipur). But, it is certainly not even close to replacing an AC or a desert cooler that one installs outside their home—if that thought crossed your mind.
Moreover, with it consuming less electricity and water compared to traditional coolers, this is certainly a more sustainable way to cool down in summers.
The Orient Electric Cloud 3 retails for Rs 15,999, but you can now find it around Rs 11,000. For that price, if you are looking for a cooling solution for a place where you can’t install an AC or outdoor desert cooler, this can be the ideal solution.
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