I Used This Mat After My AC Broke Last Summer, and It’s My Smartest Self Cooling Trick

While most people look forward to summertime, I dread it the most. It’s peak “bug season” and extremely hot, which, coupled with the fact that I already run hot 24/7 outside of summer, makes it unbearable. So when my AC decided to stop working last year, I knew I was in trouble. 

I started to search for the best ways to keep cool while waiting for my AC unit to get fixed, not just for me, but for my dog too. I bought him a pet cooling mat in hopes he’d use it, but he hated it. While trying to coax him to lay next to me on the mat, I felt the cooling sensation and was met with instant relief. “If he’s not going to use it, why don’t I?,” I thought to myself. So I did just that: I “stole” the pet cooling mat intended for my dog, and it’s been the quickest cooling trick I’ve ever used.

Using a pet cooling mat is not as far-fetched as you might think. It works just like any other gel cooling mat, which uses pressure-activated gel to absorb heat. For instance, this large gel pack, which can be heated via microwave or cooled via freezer to ease aches and pains, also works in minutes. Similarly, there are gel infused memory foam mattress toppers and even cooling blankets to use for hot sleepers. 

The pet cooling mat I have is way larger than an average gel pack though. It measures 27 inches tall by 43 inches wide (but there are smaller and larger sizes available) and offers three hours of continuous cooling.

Even though my AC has since been fixed, I’m still holding onto the pet cooling mat forever. Why? Just in case the AC breaks down or I need a cool down — fast. It really does work incredibly well and the mat I have is large enough to cover most of my body, but of course, I am only 5 feet tall.

And don’t worry about my dog, even though he never touched the mat (he truly hates the way it feels), I found other ways to keep him cool that summer, and now that the AC is fixed, he’s living it up in a cooled down room.